Arsenal transfer target Jurrien Timber is set for a medical "in the coming days" as the Gunners agree an initial £34 million deal for his signing, according to reports.

Who are Arsenal signing this summer?

After weeks of talks, rejected bids and discusions over payment structure, Mikel Arteta is said to have finally sealed a move for West Ham United star Declan Rice.

The north Londoners have reached a compromise over the details of payment, with Arsenal set to give the Hammers an initial £100 million over 24 months for the midfielder.

The agreement includes a further £5m in add-ons as renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano also gives his famous "here we go".

Rice's arrival is set to hand Arteta a major boost as the Spaniard looks to seriously contend for another league title next season, while Germany international Kai Havertz has already been confirmed in a deal worth £65 million from Chelsea.

“Kai is a player of top quality," said Arteta upon his arrival.

"He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play.

“We welcome Kai and his family to Arsenal Football Club and we are all excited to start working with him when we start pre-season training soon.”

Ajax defender Timber, who has been targeted by transfer chief Edu as a versatile, elite defensive option, looks to also be nearing a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal have now reached an agreement for the Netherlands international, and if all goes to plan, he will become their third major signing of the window after Havertz and Rice.

That is according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, who had an exciting mid-week update for Arsenal supporters on their pursuit of Timber.

"Just been confirmed to us in the past few minutes, Arsenal have now got an agreement in principle with Ajax to sign the defender Jurrien Timber," said Sheth (via Football Daily).

"The deal is worth an initial €40 million (£34m), plus a further €5 million (£4m) in performance-related add-ons.

"He's expected to have a medical in the coming days, and then finalise those personal terms, which effectively have been agreed as well.

"He's been a long term target for Arsenal. you'll remember last summer that Man United tried to sign Jurrien Timber, but Arsenal have been keeping an eye on him for a number of months, he will be signed predominantly as a right-back.

"I think Mikel Arteta really wants to strengthen that backline."

Why have Arsenal signed Timber?

The 22-year-old played more Eredivisie minutes than any other Ajax player last season, highlighting his real importance to them, with no other regular averaging a better passing accuracy (91.7%).

Seemingly a composed ball-player, Timber could slot into Arteta's fluid system perfectly, and the exciting young defender has received plenty of plaudits.

Journalist Antonio Mango, writing on Twitter last year, even claimed he is a "generational superstar".

"I can’t describe just how good Julien Timber is," wrote Mango.

"Only 20 years-old & been Ajax most reliable and consistent player this season. Mr Versatile.

"Along with Antony, he’s been Ajax POYT. Generational Superstar."

Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier has decided to remain in north London and is excited by the prospect of working with Ange Postecoglou.

Who is leaving Spurs?

The Lilywhites have moved quickly to confirm a few major additions for Postecoglou, perhaps most notably Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent deal from Juventus, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and playmaker James Maddison.

The latter duo in particular represent great coups for Spurs, especially given Vicario cost just £17.4 million to prise away from Empoli, while Maddison's signing only set Tottenham back £40 million.

Speaking after the signings of both men, Postecoglou drew particular attention to their attitudes and elite mentalities, with the Austrailian explaining they are exactly what the club needs.

“It’s not just about the talent they bring as footballers," said the former Celtic boss.

"It’s what they bring as people as well because we are going to play football that requires a certain type of personality and character.

“Both those guys have got it in abundance. I could hear it in their voices when I spoke to them. I had a couple of chats with both of them before we signed them and I knew that they were the right types to bring into the dressing room."

However, to make room for these players, certain squad members may be deemed surplus. Indeed, it is believed that Hugo Lloris, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Ben Davies, Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Tanguy Ndombele are nominations to follow Harry Winks out the door.

Lucas Moura and Arnaut Danjuma left north London too, with Dier being one of the names linked to potentially leaving this summer. However, a new report has shed light on the Englishman's situation, and it's other contrary to reports.

Sharing an update on the 29-year-old and his future, reliable Spurs journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed he wants to remain at N17, all while being excited by the prospect of working with Postecoglou.

Gold wrote for football.london:

"Eric Dier, who has 12 months left on his contract and returned to training at Hotspur Way this week following his groin surgery at the end of last season, is understood to have no intention of departing the club this summer and is excited about the coming season under Postecoglou."

What's been said about Eric Dier?

The defender has endured his fair share of criticism over the last 12 months, with members of the media calling him "very poor" and "nowhere near the required level" for Spurs to succeed.

However, when at his best, the former Sporting Lisbon star can be a useful asset to Postecoglou. Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, speaking after a 2020 draw with Burnley, heaped praise on Dier for his versatility and attitude.

"I think it’s a question of self-esteem and self-confidence," said Mourinho.

“To be playing so well as a centre-back, to raise the levels of confidence and he goes to midfield and was very, very good. Very, very good.

“When people were asking about his frame of mind I think they don’t need to ask again because I think he was very, very good.”

تحددت أعداد الجماهير في مباراتي الزمالك وفيوتشر التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية للموسم الحالي 2024.

وكانت قرعة بطولة الكونفدرالية قد أسفرت عن مواجهة الزمالك لنظيره فيوتشر ضمن مباريات دور الـ 8 (دور ربع النهائي) من المسابقة الإفريقية.

ويحل الزمالك ضيفاً على فيوتشر بملعب استاد السلام، في ذهاب دور ربع النهائي يوم 31 مارس الجاري.

طالع | حلمي طولان: إدارة الزمالك ارتكبت خطأ بدون قصد.. وأنصح لاعب الفريق بالرحيل

وستقام مباراة الإياب بين الزمالك وفيوتشر على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي يوم 7 من شهر أبريل.

وعلم “بطولات” أن مباراة الذهاب التي تجمع الزمالك وفيوتشر على ملعب السلام تحدد لها 15 ألف مشجع.

وأشار المصدر إلى أن عدد الجماهير في مباراة الإياب التي تقام على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي سيكون 30 ألف مشجع.

يذكر أن الزمالك كان قد تأهل إلي دور ربع النهائي لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، متصدراً للمجموعة الثانية بينما فيوتشر صعد إلى دور الـ8 بعدما حل في المركز الثاني للمجموعة الأولى.

The BCCI said “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.

Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Mar-2017Virat Kohli is undergoing treatment after suffering a strain in his right shoulder on the opening day of the Ranchi Test and is expected to continue playing the Test, the BCCI has said. The board also stated that “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.Kohli suffered the injury in the 40th over of the day, when he chased a drive from Peter Handscomb off Ravindra Jadeja. Sprinting from mid-on towards the long-on boundary, Kohli dived to pull the ball back before it reached the rope, tumbled, and landed on his right shoulder as he did so.He went off the field immediately, and did not return for the rest of the day, with Ajinkya Rahane standing in as captain. Kohli watched the rest of the day’s play from the dressing room with an ice pack strapped to his shoulder.Given that the injury is an external one, India have been told that Kohli can bat at any position he chooses to.The ICC’s playing conditions state that if a player is absent from the field for longer than eight minutes, the player, “shall not be permitted to bat unless or until, in the aggregate, he has returned to the field and/or his side’s innings has been in progress for at least that length of playing time for which he has been absent or, if earlier, when his side has lost five wickets.”However, the clause does not apply if the player has suffered “an external blow (as opposed to an internal injury such as a pulled muscle) whilst participating earlier in the match and consequently been forced to leave the field. Nor shall it apply if the player has been absent for very exceptional and wholly acceptable reasons (other than injury or illness).”Soon after the day’s play ended, India’s fielding coach R Sridhar had said Kohli had suffered a shock on the shoulder after landing badly and he was rested as a precautionary measure.”Virat Kohli’s injury, the exact status of it will be known by tomorrow morning,” Sridhar had said at the time. “He’s going to undergo some scans later today and we’ll know the exact status of it tomorrow morning and what happened today is that we took a precaution to make sure he doesn’t aggravate that injury.”And as far as the technique of the dive is concerned I think it was quite an intense chase to the boundary line and in his intent to save that one run he stopped the ball and landed on his right shoulder when he rolled over. Impact was quite heavy because of the momentum he was carrying and so there was a shock on his right shoulder. That is the current status.”

Before the time of social media, players and pundits didn’t get as many chances to go back and forth. A pundit would express their opinion and a player would have to hit back either through an interview or an awkward in-person interaction.Nowadays, however, pundits have to be careful just who they take aim at because it could result in a back and forth on Twitter late in the evening on a random Tuesday night. At least, this was the case recently for Chris Sutton and Todd Cantwell.

How did Todd Cantwell perform at Rangers last season?

Joining Rangers in January, Cantwell didn’t quite set the world alight last season, scoring just twice in 11 appearances as Rangers lost out on the Scottish Premiership title.

One positive to note, however, is the fact that the midfielder made four assists in those 11 appearances from midfield, which is something to take into the next campaign.

Cantwell will also be looking to get one over on their Old Firm rivals. Last season, with the Gers, he lost to Celtic in the Scottish League Cup, the Scottish FA Cup, as well as in the league with the title on the line – this is not a record that Cantwell will be keen to keep hold of.

Ahead of next season, the former Norwich City man will be hoping to hit top form at Ibrox with Rangers looking to regain their crown in Scotland’s top flight. He has at least bought himself time to settle in by putting Sutton in his place, that’s for sure.

What did Todd Cantwell say to Chris Sutton?

Cantwell’s outburst aimed towards Sutton isn’t a complete surprise, given the BBC pundit’s previous Tweets aimed the way of the midfielder, in which the former forward took a swing at the Rangers man.

Cantwell sure holds grudges, however, as he bided his time before finally taking aim at Sutton, replying to a Tweet about the best pundit in Scotland, saying: “I can you [it] isn’t Chris Sutton.”

Replying to the Tweet, Sutton said: “Here is some balanced factual punditry from last season TikTok you may not enjoy…you joined Rangers on a free from the Championship and lost every meaningful game against Celtic and won nothing.”

Cantwell ended the spat with: “Twitter troll has his notifications on then.”

You can see the entire interaction below:

Australia and Bangladesh are at odds over the timing and format of the tour tentatively scheduled for later this year after the previously planned visit by Steven Smiths’ team was scuppered due to security concerns

Daniel Brettig03-Apr-2017Australia and Bangladesh are at odds over the timing and format of the tour tentatively scheduled for later this year after the previously planned visit by Steven Smiths’ team was scuppered due to security concerns.While the Future Tours Programme has Australia visiting Bangladesh in July for two Test matches as per the original 2015 plan, it has been reported that Cricket Australia (CA) suggested changing the tour to an ODI-based visit ahead of the limited-overs tour of India scheduled for October before the home Ashes summer.However the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is believed to have relayed to CA its preference for the tour to remain as originally mapped out, partly because the national team is presently in arguably the richest vein of Test-match form in its history, having registered wins over England and Sri Lanka in recent months.Among Bangladesh’s other reasons for maintaining the tour’s current place is that they have other proposed tours that clash with CA’s plan. Bangladesh are set to play Pakistan in July and August, before touring South Africa from mid-September to late October.The Australian proposal would by contrast maintain consistency for Smith’s team in the wake of the Champions Trophy in England. It would also allow for the selection of a limited overs-specific squad that would in turn offer the opportunity for numerous Test players to play a full Sheffield Shield schedule at home leading into the Ashes.CA and the players also need to consider rolling security assessments for Australian nationals in Bangladesh; previously, the Australian government’s travel-advice website had warned that Australians were subject to a specific threat in Bangladesh, leading to the cancellation of the 2015 tour. The current travel advice for Australians visiting the region is to “reconsider your need to travel” in light of “reliable information to suggest that militants may be planning to target Western interests in Bangladesh”. A CA spokesperson said security remained a primary concern.”We are still hopeful of touring Bangladesh in the near future but the safety of players and officials will always come first,” he said. “We will continue to monitor advice from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and our own security advisors about the security risk for any future tours of the Australian team in Bangladesh and make a decision based on this advice closer to any potential tour.”Discussions between CA and the BCB are ongoing.

Hours after Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud confirmed that allrounder Mahmudullah would not be a part of the playing XI for the Colombo Test and would fly home on the eve of the match, BCB president Nazmul Hassan claimed the player’s return would be a personal decision and not one taken by the team management.The Test, which begins on March 15 in Colombo, will be Bangladesh’s 100th and Mahmud had said that given the match would be an emotional, landmark occasion, it was decided not to keep a high-profile, senior player sitting on the bench.Hassan said the decision to either stay in Colombo or return to Dhaka was up to Mahmudullah.”It is totally up to him [Mahmudullah], whether he wants to stay [in Colombo] or return [to Dhaka],” Hassan said. “There’s no question about sending him home by us or the team management, because the ODIs are coming up. I am sure he is supposed to stay back. At least I would have known if something like that had happened.”Mahmud later confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Mahmudullah could return to Dhaka, either on March 14 or 15, depending on the availability of an air ticket. Sources, however, indicate that Mahmudullah’s likely return will be discussed after Hassan arrives in Colombo on Tuesday.Mahmudullah made scores of 8 and 0 in Bangladesh’s loss in Galle, and bowled just two overs of his offspin. He had made a half-century in the one-off Test in India before this, but before that had gone ten innings without getting to a fifty.He was at the ground with the team at practice today and took part in the warm-ups, but did not train thereafter.Hassan also backed Mahmudullah’s selection for the three ODIs and two T20Is that follow. The ODI series starts from March 25, while the two T20Is will be played on April 4 and 6.”The ODI team isn’t submitted to me yet,” Hassan said. “Whether he will play or not, but I don’t think anyone will drop him from the squad without talking to me first.”He is a senior player who has made a lot of contribution. I don’t see any possibility of him being dropped from the squad.”

Manchester United are confident that they can land Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund for under £45 million this summer despite his heavy price tag, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Rasmus Hojlund and Man United?

According to The Sun, Manchester United are preparing a second offer to try and land Hojlund this summer which is said to be worth in the region of £40 million.

The report states that the Red Devils have already seen a bid of £30 million rejected for the 20-year-old, while Financial Fair Play regulations are set to make their quest to sign players this off-season more difficult.

As per The Daily Mail, talks continue over the prospect of Hojlund moving to Old Trafford between both parties. Eintracht Frankfurt ace Randal Kolo Muani has been identified as another target by Erik Ten Hag.

90min claim that Atalanta could demand as much as €80 million (£68.6 million) before sanctioning an exit for the Denmark international; however, Manchester United are only keen to pay a maximum figure of €60 million (£51.5 million) to seal a deal for Hojlund.

Tottenham Hotspur hitman Harry Kane and Napoli star Victor Osimhen have been heavily linked as high-profile arrivals at Manchester United over the course of the last few months, though both pursuits have since fallen by the wayside due to the estimated cost involved.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that Manchester United will hold optimism they can land Hojlund for under £45 million.

Jones said: "We have said for a while now that Hojlund is the forward most suited to United in the here and now. He’s better than Weghorst, but he doesn’t have much top-level experience yet and only got nine goals in Serie A last season.

"So he won’t be a goal machine, but he will open up gaps for [Marcus] Rashford to exploit. He will fit into the budget and that is a key to this. There have been some huge valuations put on him, but United are pretty sure this is a player that can be landed for under £45m."

Would Hojlund be a good fit for Manchester United and who could he replace?

Bringing in Hojlund, who has been hailed as a "scary" player, could help to boost a Manchester United forward line that is in desperate need of replenishing and the Danish wonderkid could offer a long-term striking option at Old Trafford.

Last term, the 20-year-old was in fine goalscoring form, registering 16 goals and seven assists in 42 appearances combining his spells at Atalanta and former employers Sturm Graz, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Hojlund has managed to excel over the past year in the field of progressive passes received compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, taking in around 10.99 per match across the last 365 days.

In terms of who Hojlund may replace, Anthony Martial looks to be the most likely candidate who is currently on the books of Manchester United.

The Daily Mail report that Martial could be moved on this summer due to being in the last year of his contract and Manchester United would demand around £25 million for his signature.

Celta Vigo starlet Gabri Veiga could now join Tottenham Hotspur over Paris-Saint Germain, as the attacker won't be going to France after-all.

Who will Spurs sign?

Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy have been busy behind-the-scenes at Spurs, having already sealed the signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The trio join Dejan Kulusevski, who signed for Tottenham on a permanent deal from Juventus after 18 months on loan, and Pedro Porro who has made his temporary move from Sporting Lisbon an indefinite one.

Spurs could be desperate to make a success of Postecoglou's reign, with the Australian recently joining from Scottish treble-winners Celtic.

The 57-year-old orchestrated a brilliant rebuild at Parkhead after their disappointing 2020/2021 season, winning trophies galore for the following two campaigns, and Tottenham will be hoping Postecoglou can replicate that in north London.

The signing of Maddison, who arguably stands out as their biggest coup so far, could go some way given the England international racked up a very impressive 10 goals and nine assists for Leicester City in the top flight last season.

"Really excited to get James as part of the group," said Postecoglou yesterday.

"Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals.

“They’re not easy to come by. He’s proven himself at that level in the last few years as somebody who can do that."

While Tottenham are reliably believed to be focusing their efforts on signing a centre-back right now, even closing in on a deal for Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, there have been suggestions more attackers could follow Maddison through the door.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is attracting their interest as a possible replacement for Harry Kane, with le10sport journalist Alexis Bernard now having "confirmation" Spurs are targeting Veiga from Celta Vigo and he will absolutely not join PSG.

The 21-year-old, who is a man in demand after a brilliant La Liga campaign, is wanted by Tottenham and they could now sign him over PSG. Veiga apparently won't be joining Luis Enrique at the Parc des Princes, opening the door for English sides like Spurs to swoop in.

As well as Postecoglou's side, it is believed Arsenal and Chelsea are in the race to seal his signature. Veiga's contract contains an enticing £34 million release clause, with Bernard claiming in le10sport that Tottenham are "vying for his signing" and he is "expected" to make the move to England.

How good is Gabri Veiga?

The Spaniard was one of Celta's star players last season, scoring 11 goals and assisting four others in 36 La Liga outings (WhoScored).

Veiga has been praised by the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, who said he's a player of real "quality", with journalist Josh Bunting also holding him in very high esteem.

"Celta Vigo ahead against Barcelona at half-time," said Bunting during a match in June.

"Celta have a good record of late against Barcelona anyway but it’s the perfect time to play them already crowned kings of Spain again. Gabri Veiga the home grown boy delivering at a key time, wonderful talent with 10 La Liga goals."

Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun has issued Mikel Arteta "an ultimatum" regarding his future at the club, claims journalist Paul Brown.

Arsenal transfer news – what's going on with Folarin Balogun?

After an unbelievable season with Ligue 1 side Stade Reims last year, Arsenal have a decision to make regarding the future of the exciting American prospect.

The New York-born player has made it clear to the wider footballing world that after getting a taste for regular first-team football in France, he doesn't want to go back to being a backup option, nor does he want to spend another year on loan – he either wants the number nine spot in North London, or he wants to leave, permanently.

While there was an assumption that this was how he felt after his comments about feeling "appreciated" upon switching his national allegiance to the US, it was made crystal clear after he spoke to reporters following a USMNT game.

"What I can say is that I definitely won't go out on loan again."

With Arteta favouring Gabriel Jesus as the team's main number nine, a sale of the player is now probably the most likely outcome, and with the price tag reported to be only £35m by football.london, there are plenty of suitors.

According to FootballTransfers, West Ham United have made the signing of the American star a 'priority' this summer as they look to solve their goal-scoring problems.

Outside the Premier League, Leipzig are said to be keen on the player, as are Champions League runners-up Inter Milan and cross-city rivals AC Milan.

Adding to all the drama, Balogun recently Tweeted “It is time!” alongside an egg timer emoji before then deleting the post from social media.

What has journalist Paul Brown said about Folarin Balogun's situation?

Brown made it clear that a decision must be made regarding Balogun this summer and that decision has almost been forced upon the club by the player himself as he is desperate to be the main man somewhere.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "He did kind of issue them with a bit of an ultimatum by saying that he does not want to go out on loan again next season. So, it was kind of a play me or sell me really statement from Balogun, as he has thrown the gauntlet down to Arteta, and it'll be interesting to see what he does."

How good was Folarin Balogun last season?

All of this attention and speculation has come about as a result of a fantastic season for the American last year.

In just 37 Ligue 1 appearances for Reims, Balogun scored a seriously impressive 21 goals and assisted another three, giving him a goal contribution on average every one-and-a-half games.

According to WhoScored, he averaged a rating of 6.90 across those 37 matches, making it perhaps unsurprising that Arteta referred to him as "special" earlier this year.

The underlying numbers back up the Spaniard's assessment as well.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, he sits in the top 7% for non-penalty expected goals, 9% for total shots, and 19% for touches in the opposition's penalty area.

It certainly looks like the US national team have a world-class talent on their hands, and whichever team takes him off of Arsenal's hands could have a bright future spearheaded by the American.