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Liverpool could make two major midfield signings in Mason Mount and Alexis Mac Allister this summer, and getting these deals done early could be a huge boost, presenter Terry Flewers has claimed on The Football Terrace.

What's the latest on Liverpool's midfield targets?

Liverpool have confirmed that midfielders James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will depart this summer as their contracts expire, and they will need reinforcements in the middle of the park.

Fabrizio Romano revealed that Jurgen Klopp's side are in advanced talks over a deal to sign Mac Allister from Brighton, whilst there is also strong interest in Mount, who is entering the final year of his Chelsea contract.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, Flewers claimed that a mega double deal for the two midfielders could be excellent business for the Reds.

"This is an interesting story, Fabrizio Romano has stated just the other day that personal terms are almost agreed between Liverpool and Mac Allister, reports on OneFootball now claim that the deal with the player is done, still work to be done, around £70m with Brighton.

"Plus, it is now claimed that Liverpool could complete a very early double swoop in the transfer market. Mac Allister in, £70m early, across the line, giving both them time to go and do a little bit more and Brighton time to find a replacement.

"They're also looking at Mason Mount. That story will not go away. Hasn't signed a new deal, he doesn't want to sign a new deal. As it stands right now at Chelsea. Liverpool could be set to pounce. Jurgen Klopp is a big fan. Jurgen Klopp is willing right now, they're talking about a £45m to £50m bid going in for Mason Mount."

Do Liverpool need additional midfielders?

Whilst both signings could add quality and depth to their squad, they may not be enough overall to completely rebuild Liverpool's midfield in order to challenge at the top of the table again.

Mount and Mac Allister could both play in the advanced number eight roles, with Fabinho sitting behind them.

Fabinho has drawn criticism for his performances this season, and the 29-year-old may also need a younger replacement this summer.

Reports from Portugal have recently linked Liverpool with Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte, and if Liverpool can complete an ambitious move for the 22-year-old on top of these other deals, they may be ready to challenge for the title after a disappointing season.

Watch more of The Football Terrace on YouTube now!

Sri Lanka are set to breathe more fire through spin on a dry Galle surface even as Australia look to restore parity, failing which they could slip to as far as No. 3 in the Test rankings

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale03-Aug-2016Match factsAugust 4-8, 2016
Start time 10.00 local (04.30 GMT)Big PictureGalled by their own performance in Pallekele, here Australia might be just be Galled full stop. Rod Marsh, the national selector, spoke after the loss in the first Test of Australia’s excellent preparation. “What else can we do, really?” he wondered out loud. He sounded like an exasperated parent whose wayward kids can only be guided so far. But Australia will need to do something different when the second Test starts in Galle. They enter the match 1-0 down in the three-Test series and a losing campaign would likely result in them slipping from No.1 on the rankings. They could even fall as far as third.It was Sri Lanka’s spinners – as well of course as Kusal Mendis with his outstanding century – who troubled Australia most in Pallekele. And that was the one venue on this tour that might actually have suited Australia somewhat. On a dry pitch in Galle, spinners are expected to gain significant turn right from the outset. Overall at Galle, 61.79% of Test wickets have been taken by spinners. Of all Test venues to have hosted at least 10 matches, only Chittagong has a higher proportion of wickets for the slow bowlers. You half expect Michael J. Fox to be Galle’s deputy mayor, such a spin city it is.It is also the only home venue at which Sri Lanka have a winning record of better than 50%. They are hard to beat on the turning pitch, and will be brimming with confidence after their win in the first Test. Steven Smith, by comparison, will be desperate to turn Australia’s fortunes around after his first loss as Test captain.Form guideSri Lanka: WDLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)

Australia: LWWDW
In the spotlightThere is a reason left-arm wrist-spin is also known as left-arm unorthodox: it is extremely rare. Why? Hard to say. But right-armers are more common than left-armers, and finger-spinners more common than wrist-spinners, so it is natural that it should be the least prevalent variety of spin. So much so, in fact, that Lakshan Sandakan is the first left-arm wrist-spinner from Asia to play Test cricket. It’s an extraordinary fact, considering how turning pitches are mostly the norm in the in the subcontinent. But Sandakan’s rarity makes him all the more of a threat, and Australia’s batsmen struggled with the unknown in Pallekele. On debut, Sandakan finished with match figures of 7 for 107; he extracted big turn and bowled very few bad deliveries. He could just be the perfect spin partner for Rangana Herath.Back in May, the national selectors picked five spinners to represent Australia during winter tours. Jon Holland didn’t figure in the shortlist. In the Test squad to tour Sri Lanka were Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe, and in the Australia A squad were Ashton Agar, Cameron Boyce and Mitch Swepson. And yet here is Holland in Galle, set to become Australia’s 444th Test cricketer. Holland was called up for Australia A because of an injury to Agar. Now, an injury to O’Keefe and Holland was flown to Sri Lanka before he even had a chance to play for Australia A. An attacking left-armer who has been highly rated since his early days, Holland has had limited opportunities with Victoria in recent years due to the presence of Fawad Ahmed. But when he plays, he takes wickets.Team newsNuwan Pradeep is in doubt with a hamstring strain, which could force Sri Lanka to field a debutant fast bowler – either Vishwa Fernando or Asitha Fernando. Three frontline spinners are again expected on a pitch that should turn plenty. There is the chance that Sri Lanka might drop the opener Dimuth Karunaratne, but the lack of experience elsewhere in the side could save him.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Kaushal Silva, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Kusal Perera, 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Vishwa Fernando/Asitha Fernando.Holland will come in for O’Keefe, Australia’s only change to the XI.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Joe Burns, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Peter Nevill (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Nathan Lyon, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Jon Holland.Pitch and conditionsThe Galle pitch was already very dry a couple of days out from the Test and should take turn from the beginning.Stats and trivia The past 11 Tests in Sri Lanka have all brought results: seven wins for Sri Lanka and four losses. Not since they played South Africa in Colombo in July 2014 has there been a draw This will be Sri Lanka’s 250th Test match since their debut 34 years ago. By comparison, it took Australia 83 years to get to 250 Tests Steven Smith needs 63 runs to reach 4000 in Tests. If he does it in this match he will be the third-fastest Australian to the milestone, behind only Don Bradman and Matthew HaydenQuotes”As a chinaman bowler, Sandakan has impressed everyone with his control. When you have such control, you can be devastating. He can also bowl the googly. Then more than anything, he gets turn. That’s the complete package you expect from a spin bowler.”
“I wasn’t yelling at the players. It was obviously disappointing, the loss in Kandy, my first loss as captain. It was a different experience and hopefully it doesn’t happen too often. We know what we have to do to turn it around, it’s just about making sure we go out there and do it.”

Leeds United find themselves in a precarious position with just two Premier League games left this season as their future in the top flight hangs in the balance.

The Whites head into the weekend one point inside the relegation zone ahead of their clash with West Ham United tomorrow, and Sam Allardyce will be hoping he can do everything in his power to avoid sending the club back into the Championship at the end of next week.

It has been a tumultuous season for Leeds supporters, with the former England manager becoming the third man to take charge at Elland Road following the sackings of Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia, with the board unable to find the recipe to replicate their more comfortable campaigns in the top flight.

As a result, all plans for the summer transfer window will likely be on hold until the West Yorkshire outfit seal their fate at around 6.30pm next weekend, but either way, Andrea Radrizzani will need to find ways to improve the squad and the performances on the pitch with the right recruitment strategy.

In fact, the Leeds owner could save millions in the summer by encouraging the promotion of young talent, with Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen thriving in the youth setup and already impressing Allardyce.

Who is Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen?

Last year, the young centre-back had his contract extended to 2025 after making impressive strides in his development and has since gone from strength to strength.

This week, Chilokoa-Mullen scored an incredible volley in a Premier League 2 play-off victory for the U21s against Nottingham Forest and was rewarded with a senior training call-up yesterday at Thorp Arch in the preparations for the crucial clash with West Ham.

Over his two Football League Trophy performances this season, the 18-year-old – hailed for his "really strong" partnership with Joe Littlewood by coach Mark Jackson – has been a huge defensive presence averaging 76 touches, 49.5 accurate passes, three interceptions, 3.5 tackles, 1.5 clearances and a whopping eight duels won per game.

The Scottish teenage sensation could even be the perfect player to develop into Liam Cooper's heir, which Leeds will eventually need as the club captain and experienced centre-back is now 31 years old and reaching the latter stages of his career.

With that being said, it is clear the future is bright for Chilokoa-Mullen if he continues to impress in the academy and senior training opportunities, and it will be interesting to see if the club push for his inclusion in the first team next season, especially if they suffer relegation to the second tier.

West Indies captain Jason Holder is ‘extremely proud’ of his men for reaching the tri-series final against Australia and knocking out South Africa along the way

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-20163:34

‘We need to focus more on ourselves’ – Holder

Whatever happens in the tri-series final, West Indies captain Jason Holder is proud of his men. He is proud that the No.8-ranked ODI side has reached the decider against the No.1-ranked Australia, knocking out the No.3-ranked South Africans. He is proud that his men beat Australia along the way, too, for the first time since 2012. He is proud that his players have fought through fitness concerns to get the job done.Holder himself tweaked a hamstring in the loss to Australia in Barbados on Tuesday, but three days later ploughed through 10 overs straight against South Africa to collect 1 for 33 and help propel his team into the final. Shannon Gabriel picked up a groin niggle against South Africa but claimed three key wickets and is expected to play in the final. Denesh Ramdin hurt his shoulder earlier in the tournament but fought on.Senior players have led from the front, Marlon Samuels with 92 and 125 against Australia, Darren Bravo with 102 against South Africa, Sunil Narine with eight wickets in the first two games, Kieron Pollard with a vital half-century in the knockout game against South Africa. And if West Indies can win on Sunday it will continue an excellent 2016 in which they lifted the World T20 trophy in India.Darren Sammy was in charge of that particular outfit, but Holder is very much considered the man who will lead West Indies for the foreseeable future, and a series win under his guidance would be a significant boost.It would also help strengthen their position on the ICC rankings. West Indies will not be part of the 2017 Champions Trophy as they missed qualification by slipping to ninth at the cut-off date. Qualification for the 2019 World Cup is the next big deadline, and to automatically qualify West Indies would need to still be inside the top eight on the ICC’s rankings on September 30 next year. If they were to slip outside the top eight, they would have to play for World Cup qualification at a tournament in Bangladesh.”I’m extremely proud,” Holder said. “A lot of the guys have been struggling with some niggles and it’s just good to see the guys fight through it. We know the importance of this series and the importance of moving up the rankings. We’ve been criticised in the past for being stuck at No.7 and No.8. It’s important we keep making strides forward.”All I can urge is that the guys stay together. If we can keep this core group of players together, maybe make one or two changes or additions as we go abroad on tours, but I think it’s important for West Indies cricket that we keep a core group of players together and move forward with these guys, identify who we want to take forward and hopefully get the backing of everybody around us and keep these guys together.”Holder hopes for a stronger top-order performance in the final at Kensington Oval, after his men slipped to 21 for 4 against South Africa on Friday and 31 for 3 against Australia three days earlier. However, the way West Indies fought back from both situations to post totals of 280-plus earned the respect of Australia’s captain Steven Smith, who knows Holder’s men will never give up.”I thought the West Indies scrapped really well,” Smith said. “We had them 3 for 30 in our game and they managed to get 280, and then yesterday 4 for 20 and they got 280. They scrapped incredibly well to get that score and it’s always going to be tough to chase.”The bowlers did the job again as well. [Shannon] Gabriel was very good, he started well, he bowled good pace consistently and put the batters under pressure and took early wickets. It looked like a pretty polished performance by the West Indies.”Australia will likely field six of the same XI who triumphed in the World Cup final at the MCG last year – Smith, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.”We have another final and I think Australians really step up in finals,” Smith said. “I think we haven’t played our best cricket so far throughout this series. Having said that, all you want to do is make it to the final and from there you want to be playing your best cricket. We haven’t had a polished performance yet, so it’d be nice to have that tomorrow.”One man the Australians will need to counter effectively is Samuels, who has struggled against them for a decade and a half but has been Man of the Match in his past two games against them in this series. After his 125 on Tuesday, Samuels observed that Australia’s verbal approach towards him inspired him to stay in the middle as long as possible.”He’s obviously been in pretty good nick this series, particularly against us scoring a 90 and a hundred,” Smith said. “We’re going to have to get him out early if we want to have success tomorrow […] Hopefully we can just let our actions do the talking.”

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed the recent injury scare for Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a "nightmare".

What's the latest Everton injury news?

After picking up a brilliant three points against Brighton last time out, the Toffees were unable to repeat the trick against Manchester City this weekend.

Indeed, playing at Goodison Park, the home side lost 3-0 in the Premier League encounter with Ilkay Gundogan netting a brace and Erling Haaland also scoring.

That result means Everton are only one point and one play above the relegation zone, with two games to go – while Leicester could leapfrog them if they win tonight against Liverpool.

And adding to the worry is the fact that Calvert-Lewin had to come off early, lasting just one half against City before being subbed due to injury.

While speaking about it all on the BBC 606 radio phone-in show, Sutton outlined his concern, saying: (33:16) "I thought he was brilliant at Brighton. I think he'd started the previous three games or something like that.

"And he looked sharp early on in the game today, took the ball in well. So I mean, I think it's a bit of a nightmare…"

Will Calvert-Lewin play again this season?

As of yet, it remains unclear for how long exactly Calvert-Lewin will be out but with so little left in the season, he faces a real race against time to get himself fit again.

After the groin injury, manager Sean Dyche was at least optimistic that by subbing him off early, they may have prevented any serious damage from developing.

Indeed, he told LiverpoolEcho: "Dom had a tight groin and because of his history we had to get him off. We'll have to wait and see but the hope is he came off before damage was done."

Everton travel way to Wolves on Saturday before hosting Bournemouth on the final day of the season the week after, so it's not as though the £100k-p/w forward has much time to recover.

And while he's only scored twice in the league this term, he's still the club's key striker when fit and with the Toffees the third most goal-shy club in the division, they need all the help they can get up top.

If he isn't fit, Dyche will likely have to choose between either Neal Maupay or Ellis Simms to lead the line – not ideal as they have two league goals between them this term.

Legends of Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and Mohammad Mithun have been handed one-match bans each for their misconduct with the umpires during their DPL match against Kalabagan Krira Chakra

Mohammad Isam03-Jun-2016Legends of Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun have been suspended for one match each on account of their misconduct with the umpires during their Dhaka Premier League match against Kalabagan Krira Chakra in Fatullah on May 30.The incident in question occurred when Alauddin Babu, Rupganj’s No. 8, had completed two runs before Mashrafe Mortaza’s throw escaped for four overthrows. However, the umpires, Asadur Rahman and Rafiqul Islam John, awarded Babu only five runs and asked his partner at the time, Taijul Islam, to take strike.Coach Khaled Mashud, who was seen arguing with umpires at the end of the match, was fined Tk 20,000. So were Mosharraf and Mithun, and a Rupganj team official, Ahmed Rubel. The penalties were handed by Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis.Match referee Samiur Rahman told Bengali daily on Thursday that, “I had given Rupganj the four letters of suspension on the day of the match. But they didn’t receive them. So yesterday, I informed the umpires’ committee, which later asked the CCDM to take necessary action.”Mashud, however, claimed, “We were not given any letter about the suspensions or fines at the end of the game. They sent the letter to our office on Thursday evening. We haven’t been able to communicate with the CCDM today since it is the weekly holiday.”At the end of the game, I showed the match referee the footage of the overthrow after we had disputed the call at the end of the Rupganj innings. There was also a contentious leg-before decision during our innings.”

It’s been a season to remember for Aston Villa, who have gone from relegation candidates to a side pushing for Europe in just over half a season. The key to Villa’s success has been the introduction of Unai Emery, who took the reins from Steven Gerrard back in October, and the club haven’t looked back since the Spaniard arrived.

In his short time in the Midlands, former keeper Brad Freidel has commended Emery for “putting smiles” on the faces of his players, when speaking to BBC, who have found their form in a system specialised by the four-time Europa League winner.

With European football still a possibility for the Villains with four games remaining, the club are looking towards the summer transfer window, where the 51-year-old will have the chance to put his stamp on the club and progress from this season's success.

The club have reportedly already been eyeing candidates for their potential transfers this summer, one name being 22-year-old Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, who the club have moved for before.

What’s the latest on Aston Villa's interest in Emile Smith-Rowe?

Despite Villa’s bid exceeding £30m being rejected in the summer of 2021, the club are reported to still have the young midfielder on their radar, as per reports from football.london.

The London-born Arsenal fan has played for the Gunners since the age of 9, and following the rejection of the Midlands side’s bids, penned a new deal at the club and took the infamous no.10 shirt.

Everything looked set for the 'immensely gifted' midfielder – as described by his club – to kick on and become a regular starter at the Emirates Stadium, but things haven’t gone to plan after suffering repeated injuries and falling short to the talent of Martin Odegaard.

The lack of game time of the youngster has sparked rumours that his time may be coming to an end in north London, having played just 142 minutes this season.

What can Emile Smith-Rowe offer Aston Villa?

Once hailed as “special” by Premier League legend Jamie Carragher (via the Daily Mail) after Arsenal’s victory over Villa back in 2021, Smith-Rowe packs a lot of talent and could usurp Philippe Coutinho as a creative spark in the Villains’ attack.

Things haven’t ticked for the Brazilian flop in the Midlands, which has opened a gap for Emery to strengthen should the 30-year-old fail to step up to the challenge.

The Croydon-born gem ranked higher than the one-time Champions League winner in average pass completion per 90 in the 2021/22 season, ranking in the top 7% of those in the Premier League with 82.9%, compared to Coutinho’s 81.1% – as per FBref. The young midfielder ranked in the top 1% the season before, showing his consistency in dispatching the ball in a critical area.

Arsenal’s no.10, who Emery himself once hailed as "quality," also came out on top in comparison to the Brazilian for non-penalty goals per 90 mins, averaging 0.47 compared to the Villa man’s 0.34. With Coutinho’s lack of form in the Midlands in mind, it could be a perfect opportunity for Emery to link with his former player this summer.

Smith-Rowe has the Spaniard to thank for handing him his debut for the Gunners in the Europa League back in 2018, so could an exciting reunion be on the cards?

Journalist Jacques Talbot has revealed that Liverpool have been in talks with Manuel Ugarte for "weeks" but are reluctant to pay his release clause.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

The Reds will be hoping to end the season as strong as possible and managed to keep their top four hopes just about alive with that thrilling 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend.

Depending on whether they finish in the Champions League, the Europa League, or potentially even lower could make a notable difference in what they can spend in the summer window – due to the corresponding prize money earned from qualifying in those competitions.

With no certainty over where exactly they'll end up at this stage, the club will be working hard behind the scenes to try and identity suitable targets for varying budgets.

One player they seem to be keen on is Sporting Lisbon midfielder Ugarte. Indeed, Talbot explained as much on his YouTube channel.

However, the journalist revealed that the Reds may not been able to commit to any transfer due to the current cost of his release clause.

He began (0:19): "Loads of people are quite excited about this player. So I reached out to a source in Portugal, a guy I've known for a while now.”

Talbot went on (1:13): “He says Liverpool have been in talks for two weeks. They're very interested in them. But at the moment, they're reluctant to pay the 60 million euro release clause."

Why do Liverpool want Ugarte?

As per Record (via Sport Witness) Ugarte's deal expires in 2026 and includes a €60m (£53m) release clause. That report notes that Tottenham are keen on the player and so it sounds as though Liverpool might face stiff competition for his signature.

With that being the case, Lisbon may feel no pressure to sell for anything less than that release clause. And it's no shock that some big clubs are keeping tabs on the 22-year-old.

Indeed, according to his stats on Fbref (via Tribuna), his tackling into perspective, Ugarte has won more tackles this season than Liverpool's two best tacklers – Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold – combined. His pass completion rate is also in the top one per cent for defensive midfielders in Europe.

No wonder Liverpool are keen on him but it seems likely that they won't be able to negotiate any sort of transfer fee less than that £53m.

Who knows, though, if the club can secure some sort of European football, then perhaps that extra bit of cash will be enough to splash out on Ugarte this summer.

Journalist Dean Jones has mooted Wolves to make a summer loan move for midfielder Fabio Carvalho.

What's the latest Wolves transfer news?

The Molineux club are yet to entirely seal their fate as a Premier League team for another season but look in good shape to avoid the drop.

Indeed, despite losing away at Leicester City and to Brighton, Julen Lopetegui's men still sit with a seven-point cushion above the relegation zone with just four games left to play.

With that being the case, Wolves might be able to attract some decent options in the summer window and it sounds as though Liverpool midfielder Carvalho could soon be on their radar.

In a recent interview, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “There is uncertainty about what happens with Fabio Carvalho. Firstly, it’s worth pointing out that he will not give up on making it with Liverpool. He’s very driven to ensure the move works out long-term.

“But this has been a tough season for all involved, and chances could be just as limited for him next season because Liverpool have to bounce back. That is going to mean top-level recruitment.

“I think a loan will be discussed for Carvalho. Fulham hoped it would become an option when he left them, but it never did. Marco Silva helped hugely with his breakthrough, and I’m sure he would welcome him back if the player is open to it.

“It is difficult to take a decision like that. From Carvalho’s perspective, it may feel like admitting defeat, and I did check out other moves that could be on the table. There has been nothing yet, but it sounds to me like Wolves could become an option. They are in an uncertain moment with players like Matheus Nunes and Ruben Neves, and an opportunity to sign someone like Carvalho, who is an adaptable attacking midfield player, would be a good fit."

Will Fabio Carvalho leave Liverpool?

As alluded to by Jones, Carvalho has started just four times in the Premier League this term for the Reds and so he may want to get more game time next term by heading out on loan.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirmed as much when he stated that the talented 20-year-old will be on the move this summer (via Rousing the Kop).

However, if the £40k-p/w man still hopes to make it at Liverpool one day, a loan to Wolves certainly could help him develop while still having the opportunity to catch Jurgen Klopp's eye if he can impress with a Premier League rival.

All in all, it certainly sounds as if this move could make a lot of sense for all parties involved.

Arsenal talks to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice are certain to happen this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest on Rice to Arsenal?

The England international is reliably believed to be among Edu's top transfer targets as he looks to reinforce manager Mikel Arteta's central midfield options.

Rice has again starred for West Ham under David Moyes, even amid their Premier League struggles, and rumours suggest he could leave east London for around £75 million.

As well as the 24-year-old, Arsenal apparently hold an interest in Brighton star Moises Caicedo and even Barcelona attacker Raphinha head into the next transfer window.

Rice is also apparently keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium, as reported by multiple outlets, and if there was any doubt Arsenal are certain to attempt his signing, Jones has now removed it.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter claims Gunners talks to sign the England international 'will happen' – backing rumours that he is 'very interested' in joining Arteta next season.

He explained:

"He's very interested in joining Arsenal. Chats with the manager and the captain are good PR for him, and it's good for him to start relationship building ahead of the talks that will happen in the summer.”

Should Rice go to Arsenal?

The midfield colossus is, at least by the numbers, Moyes' star player – averaging a higher rate of interceptions per 90 than any other West Ham star whilst standing out as their best-performer overall (WhoScored).

Such form will attract both England and Europe's biggest sides and Arsenal look certain to be one of them. Called 'utterly sensational' by members of the media, it's crystal clear why Arteta has taken such a keen interest in signing Rice.

We believe it is inevitable he will depart the London Stadium this year, and it's past time he managed to secure his big money move.

Rice has made no secret of his desire to win major trophies, and Arsenal can help him achieve that, with the Three Lions ace saying this in an interview last year:

"Growing up as a kid I’ve seen all these top players win the trophies, win the Premier League, the Champions League.

“Me as a football fan and a player I want to win the best stuff, I want to win the Premier League, I want to lift that trophy, I want to win the Champions League, I want to win the FA Cups, League Cups, even with England, I want to win it all."