When Andrea Berta arrived at Arsenal towards the beginning of 2025, the transfer plan for the summer was abundantly clear.

The fact of the matter was that during his first window in charge, the squad needed more firepower and, chiefly, a striker was a necessity.

While there were links to the likes of Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko, both of whom got big-money moves elsewhere in the Premier League, the Gunners concluded a deal for Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swede had only spent two prolific seasons in Portugal with Sporting but he was already on the move and deservedly so.

Yet, while the centre forward has done a lot to improve the overall attack, there is a sense that they could do better in future windows.

Arsenal looking to sign new striker

Gyokeres may well have signed but Arsenal still do require a little bit more in attack.

Gabriel Jesus is back in full training but it’s wild to expect him to be at a productive level for a good few months yet after recovering from an ACL injury. Even if he did recover, he’s been linked with the exit door as he approaches the final 18 months of his deal at the Emirates Stadium.

Kai Havertz has also been a long-term absentee which has left Arsenal with only one fit centre forward for much of 2025/26 to date.

So, while Arsenal’s options in several areas now are deep, another striker wouldn’t go amiss.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

That’s where Borussia Dortmund frontman Serhou Guirassy comes into the equation.

According to reports in Spain, it suggests that Arteta and Co are vying with the likes of PSG for the striker’s services.

The report notes that Arsenal are ‘seriously considering’ a move but it’s likely they’ll have to pay around £44m in order to conclude a deal.

The Guinean has a release clause in his contract of that amount, meaning that like Gyokeres, he wouldn’t cost the earth to bring to England.

It’s said that Arsenal are thought to be willing to pay the required amount to get him out of Germany.

How Guirassy compares to Viktor Gyokeres

When Gyokeres signed for Arsenal while the club were on their pre-season Asia tour, there was much fanfare.

At last, Arteta had a proper goalscoring centre forward to add to his ranks. Last term, the former Coventry City star scored 54 goals in 52 games. It was a breathtaking campaign, one that saw him take home the Gerd Muller trophy for the best striker in the world during the last Ballon d’Or gala.

Yet, in Arsenal colours, Gyokeres has not had it all his own way. He’s been wasteful in front of goal and went on a barren run of seven games without scoring at one stage.

That said, he’s not been a complete flop. The Sweden international still has six goals to show for his efforts and has particularly pleased Arteta with what he’s offered to the team.

While he did not score during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League, Arteta summed up why he’s been so delighted with what the centre forward is offering. “I think he did the rest of the things you ask for from a striker. The way he’s linking with his teammates, the way he’s opening spaces, the way he’s threatening constantly the back line.”

However, while it does seem unlikely Arsenal will sign another striker, Guirassy could be an upgrade on what they already have.

Described as “one of the best centre-forwards in the world” by one notable football analyst on X, the 29-year-old has been in the form of his life over the last year. Crucially, he’s also demonstrated that form in a top-five European league, something Gyokeres had not done before touching down in London.

In 2024/25, Guirassy found the net on 38 occasions in 50 games, bagging a remarkable 13 goals in 14 Champions League matches. That included scoring five times across two outings with Barcelona.

But what separates him from Gyokeres? Well, a scorer of seven goals this term, the numbers showcase why.

Goals

0.51

0.45

Assists

0.10

0

xG

0.59

0.52

Shots

2.76

2.13

Shot on target %

59.3%

36.8%

Pass completion

72.2%

60.7%

Key passes

0.71

0.90

Passes into final 3rd

1.02

0.45

Successful take-ons

0.20

0.45

Progressive carries

1.63

0.90

Aerial duels won

2.86

1.80

Not only has Guirassy scored more goals per 90 minutes and offered a higher xG, but he excels in bringing others into the game too.

During the 2025/26 season to date, the Dortmund sensation has completed more accurate passes and more assists per 90. It might be Gyokeres who has played more key passes but clearly it’s the former who is more decisive with his final actions right now.

If that wasn’t enough, Guirassy is a better and less chaotic carrier of the ball. Gyokeres resembles something of a raging bull when he’s gallivanting forward but there’s more of a smoothness to Arsenal’s latest transfer target. The fact he averages more progressive carries substantiates that point.

To round things off, Guirassy is also far more likely to win his aerial duels, something that Arsenal have perhaps missed since Havertz’s injury.

To put Guirassy’s numbers into further context, he won more aerial duels (3.77) per 90 than the German did (3.03) in 2024/25.

So, while the Dortmund striker may only be one goal ahead of Gyokeres this term, he offers something of a hybrid situation between Arteta’s two leading marksman. That could well offer the Spanish manager a fabulous balance as Arsenal hunt down their first Premier League title in over two decades.

They used to rule Galle Tests. This one, against Bangladesh, is going against them

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Jun-2025If you watched Sri Lanka play Tests in Galle through the 2010s, you can probably close your eyes and still see him. Rangana Herath, waddling to the crease pre-ball; Rangana Herath pivoting in his follow-through post-ball; Rangana Herath settling into one of his gentle celebrations post post-ball, the ball itself having taken sharp turn and collected an outside edge, or skimmed straight and clattered into the stumps.This Galle surface is better for batting than most Herath had bowled on. Which is partly why, six years after his retirement, the spinners trying to emulate his epic acts of second-innings match-winning here are struggling. Four days into this Test, Sri Lanka’s four spinners (two single-arm, two dual-arm) have bowled 140.2 overs between them and taken five wickets at a collective average of 97. Seamer Asitha Fernando, meanwhile, has a match haul of 4 for 117 so far. Seam-bowling allrounder Milan Rathnayake has 4 for 52. As Sri Lanka hunted desperately for wickets late on day four, Asitha seemed by a distance the greatest threat.There are two immediate problems here. Although this is a Galle deck that favours the batters most, it’s still a surface that favours spinners more than it does quicks. Seven of Sri Lanka’s first-innings wickets, for example, fell to Bangladesh spin. Even in previous high-scoring Tests at this venue, (as one example this) spinners have routinely been the greater threat.Related

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• Tait: 'Our pacers missed a trick with new ball'

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The second problem is that it should not take six years for an obvious successor to Herath to appear. We are talking about spin. For the majority of first-class seasons since 2010, only spinners appeared in the top five wicket-takers in any year. The emergence of the new National Super League has led to a healthier domestic ecosystem, which has shaped careers such as those of Milan, and Kamindu Mendis. But if Sri Lanka should have a smooth production line in any discipline, it should be in this one. Not only has Lankan spin bowling given Tests the most prolific right-arm (Muthiah Muralidaran) and left-arm (Herath) bowlers in history, Lankan spinners have also sparked little revolutions. Without Ajantha Mendis, would there ever have been a Mujeeb Ur Rahman, or Varun Chakravarthy?Beyond which – and only Sri Lanka fans can read this next section, the rest can skip ahead to the next paragraph – Sri Lanka do not have a track record of producing many other types of match-winning bowlers. Many of us are not especially tall. The tall ones tend to be skinny – through no fault of their own, this country only now coming out of our latest malnutrition crisis. And if you bowl at serious pace in Sri Lanka, there seems to be a rule that you have to be injured for many more Tests than you are available for. Lahiru Kumara is unavailable for this one, for instance. This country really, truly needs its wicket-taking Test-match spinners, whose strength is skill, rather than, you know, strength. Perhaps these should have been part of the demands in those 2022 protests.And if you look at Sri Lankan spin even in the last 15 years, Herath may perhaps be the outlier. Dilruwan Perera was effective at times alongside Herath, but averaged almost 36 by the end. Sri Lanka tried to blood other Test-match spinners – Tharindu Kaushal, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lasith Embuldeniya, Ramesh Mendis, even Wanindu Hasaranga. For various reasons, these bowlers did not work out. Usually it had to do with them not finding wickets consistently enough, even on tracks that suited them. Malinda Pushpakumara has 980 first-class wickets, but did not impress in Tests.Schoolkids watch the cricket from the grass banks•AFP/Getty ImagesPrabath Jayasuriya is the latest potential spin-bowling matchwinner for Sri Lanka in Tests. Although he had had an excellent 2022, he has not been quite so hot since. He was the second-equal-fastest bowler – in terms of matches played – to get to 100 Test wickets. But against Australia earlier this year, he bowled 104 overs and averaged 40.44, having conceded runs at 3.50 an over. In this match, he was 0 for 154 in the first innings, and is currently 1 for 48 in the second.Right now, this track has dust exploding at almost every impact and on day five has every chance of turning into a spin fest. But where Sri Lanka used to have match-winning spinners who moved first and moved emphatically on surfaces offering them even a little bit of turn, their latest generations of spinners have tended to need rank dustbowls on which to impose themselves.The World Test Championship, for all its flaws, has put a premium on result Tests. Getting a draw out of a home Test match feels like more of a failure than it ever has before. For Sri Lanka to avoid that fate, or an even more humiliating defeat, they have to take wickets early on day five. On this pitch, it is the spinners who should be leading that charge.Sri Lanka have made gains in the batting and seam-bowling departments in the last two WTC cycles, but the same cannot be said of their spin. For years, since Herath, Lankan Test spin has just been lukewarm. If they are to make progress in the next cycle, they need it to be hot.

Tottenham’s first transfer window with their new-look, reshuffled boardroom will be a very intriguing one, and a striker is believed to be at the very top of their priority list.

Ever since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the summer, new manager Thomas Frank has been starved of a reliable focal point up front.

Dominic Solanke, who Spurs signed for a club-record £65 million fee last year, has struggled with injury problems that have limited his involvement to just 49 minutes so far this campaign. The Englishman suffered a ‘minor’ ankle problem at the beginning of 25/26, which eventually required surgery, and he’s still on the comeback trail.

Solanke is set to miss this weekend’s pivotal North London derby against Arsenal and won’t be available for their crunch Champions League tie against PSG either, with Frank forced to rely on the out-of-form Richarlison, who’s attracted criticism for his inconsistency.

The Brazilian is a shoo-in to start against PSG next week given Mathys Tel wasn’t named in Frank’s 22-man Champions League squad. Tel, according to some reports, is said to be ‘unhappy’ in London and keen to leave Spurs in January, with Roma taking a serious interest in the Frenchman (La Gazzetta dello Sport).

Solanke’s fitness woes, Tel’s dissatisfaction and Richarlison’s form have fueled speculation that a new striker could arrive at the turn of the year, and Spurs are being linked with a few interesting names.

Chief among them is Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who scored 20 Premier League goals in his best campaign at Brentford whilst working under Frank.

The tactician has apparently held ‘direct’ talks with Toney about a January move to Spurs, according to some reports, while others believe that the Lilywhites are in pole position to sign him at the turn of the year after ‘preliminary’ negotiations (TEAMtalk).

While links to the 29-year-old are rife given his obvious connection to Tottenham’s manager, co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange are considering other options.

Tottenham eye 'dream' move for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa

As per TEAMtalk, FC Porto talisman Samu Aghehowa is a ‘dream’ target for the club.

Sources believe the 21-year-old, who’s bagged nine goals in 14 appearances already this season, fits perfectly into Frank’s long-term vision. Spurs’ boss is also said to have ‘repeatedly’ emphasised his desire for a physically imposing, mobile striker capable of pressing aggressively and connecting play.

Insiders within Tottenham’s recruitment structure apparently think of Aghehowa as the “younger, longer-term” striker successor they genuinely desire, despite ongoing interest in Toney as a potential 2026 alternative.

Standing at a lofty 6 foot 4 with surprising pace for his height, the Spaniard has even been compared to former Chelsea star Diego Costa during his prime years, thankfully not the version we saw at Wolves.

However, this all being said, a January move appears very unlikely.

Portuguese sources state that Porto are refusing to entertain winter offers, especially as they pursue a first Primeira Liga title in six years. President Andre Villas-Boas has reportedly informed intermediaries that Samu is not for sale “at any price in the winter”, casting major doubt on Spurs’ ability to prise him away mid-season.

Porto have also set an £71 million asking price for Aghehowa, meaning the north Londoners may have to fork out a new club-record fee. With that in mind, Frank and Lange will apparently continue to monitor Aghehowa’s development whilst maintaining Toney as a backup option.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Chelsea once came ‘very close’ to signing the forward, and he’s a player with ‘huge potential’.

Will Rangers be busy in the January transfer window?

Well, new manager Danny Röhl will certainly demand that they are, having taken over a complete mess, following Russell Martin’s short but ill-fated tenure.

Well, after spending around £30m on 13 new recruits in the summer, Rangers reported annual losses of £14.8m in their latest accounts on Friday, despite seeing revenue increase to £94.1m, a club record.

Despite this, the club are still expected to be busy in the January transfer window, but sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be tasked with finding gems in the market, so has one already been identified?

Rangers' search for a new attacker

One of Rangers’ many issues this season so far has been a lack of attacking firepower.

Across all competitions, only captain James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama have scored more than three goals, with youngster Findlay Curtis and Danilo the only players on three.

Thus, according to a report in Kazakhstan, Rangers are attempting to sign winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek.

They note that “negotiations began” between his representatives and the Glasgow-based giants, while Dundee United and Aberdeen as well as clubs in Slovakia, Russia, Greece are also in the race.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

So, could he soon become the first Kazakh player to represent Rangers, with Kazakhstan thereby becoming the 67th different nationality represented at Ibrox?

What Galymzhan Kenzhebek would bring to Rangers

Despite the fact he is only 22 years old, Galymzhan Kenzhebek has had something of a journeyman career to date.

After bouncing around various Kazakh clubs including Kairat Almaty, a name that’ll send a shudder down the spine of any Celtic fan, and then did something few of his compatriots do by venturing abroad, enjoying stints with Akritas Chlorakas​​​​​​​ in Cyprus and Košice in Slovakia.

He did return home in June, joining Yelimay Semey, for whom he was on fire, scoring six goals in his final nine Kazakh Premier League appearances before the season concluded on 26 October, firing his team up to fourth, thereby qualifying for a major UEFA competition for the first time ever.

However, by the time they play that historic Conference League qualifier in August, it seems unlikely that Kenzhebek will still call Semey home.

The Rangers Journal labels him a “very pacy and direct” winger, also praising his “goal-scoring instincts” and outlining that he is a high-volume winger who “loves to just get the ball and commit defenders”.

Meantime, Kai Watson was also impressed, noting that he is a “quality ball carrier” and could add quality to the Rangers squad at a pretty low price.

Well, as well as starring for his club, Kenzhebek has also made the breakthrough at international level this year too.

He scored his first-ever international goal at the Borisov Arena against Belarus in a friendly in June, before netting twice during a 4-0 demolition of Liechtenstein last month, thereby starting each of Kazakhstan’s last six World Cup qualifiers, including Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Belgium, a famous point, a match Nicolas Raskin also started.

So, could Kenzhebek replicate Daizen Maeda’s success from across the city?

Well, when the Japanese international arrived at Celtic from Yokohama F. Marinos on a bargain deal in January 2022, he was a complete unknown, but his skillset sounds very reminiscent​​​​​​​ to that of Kenzhebek, as a pacey forward who typically operates off the left flank.

While an “inconsistent finisher” right now in the view of Watson – much like the at-times erratic Maeda was when he arrived in Glasgow – Rangers will hope their potential new recruit can go on to eventually prove equally as clinical in Glasgow derbies.

So, while Kenzhebek is not proven at an elite level, he is seemingly worth the risk and, at a low fee, could prove to be a masterstroke in recruitment?

Thelwell can upgrade on Souttar by signing £8m defender for Rangers

With Danny Röhl in need of defensive reinforcements, could Rangers sign an “aggressive” £8m-valued star better than John Souttar and Nasser Djiga?

By
Ben Gray

Nov 20, 2025

What do the six PSL 2025 squads look like after the disruption, and where do their campaigns stand at this stage?

Danyal Rasool16-May-2025Quetta GladiatorsGladiators are arguably best placed. Having already secured a top-two berth for the playoffs, they know precisely the path they will need to tread if they are to replicate their heroics from 2019, when they won the title. The one game they have left in the league phase comes against the already-eliminated Multan Sultans, giving them an opportunity to test out a fresh team composition.And on that note, too, they have perhaps done better than most.Rilee Rossouw, their greatest ever overseas player and an architect of their 2019 triumph, has opted to return for what remains of the league. As has Finn Allen, maintaining to a large extent their top order composition. While significant overseas names like Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott and Mark Chapman do not make the trip back, Gladiators have bolstered their ranks with Dinesh Chandimal, Gulbadin Naib and Avishka Fernando.Karachi Kings’ superstar captain David Warner will continue to lead the side•PCBKarachi KingsAmid all the uncertainty over the league’s postponement, the one thing everyone seemed to be sure of was that Kings’ superstar captain had no qualms about returning. David Warner will continue to lead a side that has seen a transformation from the last three seasons, when they missed the playoffs, to sitting on the cusp of finishing inside the top two. They have two games left, coming against sides that would be desperate for the points: Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, who are both fighting to finish inside the top four.Aside from Warner, Kings have Mohammad Nabi. Tim Seifert and James Vince returning too. The quartet formed the core of Kings’ playing overseas roster for much of the earlier part of the season. Kane Williamson will not return, but Kings have been strengthened by bringing in Scotland top-order batter George Munsey, described eye-catchingly on his ESPNcricinfo profile as “the reverse-sweeping demon of the Associate world”.Ben Dwarshuis is one of the key players who have returned to Islamabad United’s ranks•PCBIslamabad UnitedWhat’s happened to the best side in PSL history? Having stormed to the title last year, they began 2025 in the same vein, winning the first five matches to register a ten-game winning streak across seasons, the best in the league’s history. They rested five players for the next game, and suddenly, they couldn’t buy a point. The last four games have been relatively comprehensive defeats, leaving them on a precarious ten points with the third-worst net run-rate and just one game to go – against Kings.However, United have built a reputation as a side that is well managed, and, just as importantly, one that drafts exceptionally well. They have perhaps been the best of all six sides at bringing in the players they require. Ben Dwarshuis returns, while Rassie van der Dussen, unavailable for the first part of the season, will now be a part of their squad. Alex Hales returns, while allrounder James Neesham and fast bowler Tymal Mills also come into the roster.Lahore Qalandars need to win their game against Peshawar Zalmi•PCBLahore QalandarsQalandars, much like United, found themselves relatively comfortable until two-thirds of the way into the season, but two rain-affected games, one of which ended in a no-result even as they lost the other, now leave them in a virtual must-win knockout before the playoffs. Nine points from nine games mean they need to win their game against Zalmi on Sunday, or they will not be a part of the playoffs – which take place in Lahore – for an unprecedented seventh time in ten seasons.They pulled out all the stops to ensure Sikandar Raza came back to join them for that one game on Sunday. He has a Test match to play against England at Trent Bridge that starts just four days later, so he will not be a part of the playoffs, even if Qalandars make it. With David Wiese and Sam Billings also not returning, Qalandars have turned to Shakib al Hasan – who has not played competitively since November last year – and Bhanuka Rajapaksa – who has not played competitive cricket since January.Mitchell Owen will not return to the PSL and instead play in the PSL•Getty ImagesPeshawar ZalmiZalmi’s record of making every single playoff in the league’s history is under threat. For the first half of the league, they looked like they would have fallen out of contention by this stage, but three wins in the last four have helped them cling on. Sitting fifth, one point behind Qalandars, they have the advantage of a game in hand. Victory against Qalandars will guarantee them passage to the playoffs, but they also have a game against Kings, which offers them a slightly more circuitous route, with net run-rate potentially entering the mix.They have not managed to hold on to Mitchell Owen amid interest from the IPL, but do bring back Tom Kohler-Cadmore, one of Zalmi’s mainstays over the years. Luke Wood, the second-most economical fast bowler this year, will also be part of what remains of their campaign, as will big-hitting Australian Max Bryant. While Alzarri Joseph and Nahid Rana will be absent, Afghanistan top-order batter Najibullah Zadran returns.Dilshan Madushanka is one of the new recruits for Multan Sultans•ICC/Getty ImagesMultan SultansWhat Sultans really care about is the end of this season. Already eliminated with one of the worst campaigns in the history of the PSL, they sit rock bottom, having lost eight of their nine games. At one stage, it appeared they would bring in no overseas player at all and, indeed, none of their overseas players from their original roster will come back.However, with the league requiring a minimum of three overseas players per game, they brought in Australian batter Josh Brown and spinner Peter Hatzoglou. In keeping with the season they have had, Brown has pulled up injured, and will be replaced by Sri Lanka fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka. ESPNcricinfo understands Sultans will also bring in a batter, though they are yet to confirm the name.