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As the likes of Spain, the USWNT and 2020 champion Canada prepare to fight for gold at this summer's Games, GOAL picks some names to keep an eye on…

While the men's football tournament at the Olympics is an Under-23 event, the women's is a senior competition, thus making it one of the most prestigious in the sport, and meaning we are set to see some of the very best players in the world take to the field in France this summer in search of a gold medal.

After winning the Women's World Cup last summer, Spain will go into the event as favourites to stand on top of that podium in Paris next month, but the United States women's national team, now under the charge of Chelsea icon Emma Hayes, has taken big steps forward in the past 12 months. There are plenty of other big nations involved, too, including 2020 gold medalists Canada.

It's a packed field with three extremely competitive groups and 12 rosters filled with top quality players. So, ahead of the tournament kicking off on Thursday, July 25, GOAL has picked out 15 names to keep an eye on at the Games…

USA TODAY SportsMayra Ramirez (Colombia)

Colombia's performances at last summer's World Cup, at which it reached an historic quarter-final, and this year's CONCACAF W Gold Cup, where it lost to the U.S. in the first knockout round, could not have looked more different. In 2023, the South Americans were exciting and delighted many with their attacking play, so it was a shame that wasn't on show in the team's first major tournament of this year.

However, among the big differences between those two events was the absence of Mayra Ramirez at the Gold Cup. The striker, who signed for Chelsea in January for a bumper fee, was an obvious miss for Colombia in the U.S., and so her presence at the Games should change things for the better.

Ramirez's devastating qualities were evident in an incredible individual display on the final dayas Chelsea won a fifth successive Women's Super League title in May, and Colombia will hope to see performances like that in France, too, as it bids to win a medal.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAdriana Leon (Canada)

This will be the first major tournament since the Olympic Games in 2000 at which Canada does not have the legendary Christine Sinclair on its roster. The 41-year-old announced her retirement from international football in December, hanging her boots up as the all-time top goal-scorer in this field. Her 190 strikes, some 60 more than Ronaldo's all-time record in the men's game, seem unlikely to ever be surpassed.

So, going into the 2024 Olympics, how does Canada cope without her presence in attack? In recent years, Sinclair has dropped into a deeper role rather than being the focal point, but there's no debating how significant a role she maintained in her nation's attacking play, not least because she would draw attention from opposing defenders and that could create space for team-mates.

Throughout 2024, it has not been a case of the 2020 Olympic gold medalists replacing Sinclair like-for-like, but of adapting to a new-look attack without her. Within that, Adriana Leon has shone. The Aston Villa forward has scored nine goals for Canada this calendar year and a continuation of that form in France would go a long way in helping her team have another successful Games.

Getty ImagesKadidiatou Diani (France)

At last summer's World Cup, Kadidiatou Diani had to operate as France's No.9 due to the injury absence of Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the goal-machine she spent so many years providing perfect service for with Paris Saint-Germain. In that role, she scored four goals in five games, but we didn't see the very best of her as Les Bleues lost in the quarter-finals.

Things could be different this time around. Katoto is back and Diani is out wide again, where she can torment full-backs with her agility, skill and positive mindset. She comes into the tournament off the back of an assist-laden season at Lyon, joining the club from PSG last year, and not only will she be hoping to keep that up – Katoto will be keen for her to do so too, so the two can combine to fire the host nation to a medal.

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Getty ImagesRebekah Stott (New Zealand)

Like at most major tournaments, it's going to be tough for New Zealand – pooled with France, Colombia and Canada – to get out of the group stages at the Olympics. However, the Football Ferns hit a huge milestone last summer by winning a World Cup match for the first time and were only denied a place in the knockout stages on goal difference. That will give the players confidence as another major tournament approaches, there's no doubt.

That close call was built on a rock solid defense, New Zealand conceding just once in three group-stage matches, and keeping it tight at the back will be important again in France, given the opposition. Rebekah Stott is a leader in that back line and, as such, she will be key to ensuring this team is tough to break down.

The 31-year-old has a ton of experience, commands the respect of this team and comes into the Olympics having had a superb season with Melbourne City, too, helping the Australian side become A-League Women Premiers again while also reaching the grand final.

Hayley Jensen put in another Player of the Match display after Ritu Moni career-best 4 for 18 set up the chance of an upset

Report by Alex Malcolm at Junction Oval29-Feb-2020Tournaments are all about surviving and advancing.New Zealand survived an almighty scare against Bangladesh at the Junction Oval, setting a new Women’s World T20 record for the lowest total defended, but will need to play much better to beat Australia on Monday advance to the semi-finals.They were bowled out for just 91 having won the toss. It was their sixth-lowest score in T20 internationals and second-lowest total at T20 World Cups, with Ritu Moni taking a career-best 4 for 18 in her first game of the tournament while the skipper Salma Khatun bagged 3 for 7 including the prized scalp of Sophie Devine.But Bangladesh imploded in the chase under the weight of history and an experienced and disciplined New Zealand attack. They failed to find the boundary or rotate the strike. Two calamitous run-outs triggered a collapse before Hayley Jensen strangled the tail with some wonderful stump-to-stump bowling to take 3 for 11 from her four overs and claim Player of the Match honours. Nigar Sultana fought bravely making 21 in an innings where she was forced to retire hurt for a period after a blow to the face but they came up short.The result sets up a virtual quarter-final against Australia at the Junction Oval on Monday, with the winner to progress to the semi-final alongside India from Group A.Priest dries up DevineHaving started the tournament with an unbeaten 75 to register a world record sixth consecutive T20I score of 50 or more, Devine’s run of form has come to a grinding halt, but her opening partner Rachel Priest was partly responsible. Bangladesh’s bowlers kept Devine from the strike in the powerplay just as India did in the previous game. She faced just 15 balls in the first 6.5 overs as Priest chewed up deliveries at the other end without doing any damage to the scoreboard. Panna Ghosh, who was strangely omitted from the game against Australia, Fahima Khatun and Salma Khatun bowled superbly to their fields on a surface that had plenty of grass. Priest and Devine could not find any timing against the slow pace and spin. Priest faced 15 dot balls while Devine was at the crease and the skipper eventually succumbed slicing a catch to point. Priest then fell lbw to Salma Khatun attempting a sweep, and burnt New Zealand’s only review as well, having made 25 from 32 with 18 dots.Moni causes mayhemMoni had not played in Bangladesh’s opening two matches and had not played an international since taking 3 for 1 against Maldives in December last year. But she immediately made an impact castling the world’s number one T20 batter in Suzie Bates with outstanding delivery that nipped back through the gate. New Zealand’s collapse then featured all the stereotypical panicked dismissals. Maddy Green was stumped trying a wild slog having not found the boundary in 15 balls, Hayley Jensen was run out in ridiculous circumstances next ball and Katey Martin offered a return catch to Rumana Ahmed which was dropped, but it bounced off her hands onto the non-striker’s stumps with Jensen unable to get back to safe ground. Moni then forced mistake after mistake through disciplined lines and lengths and her fielders backed her up with Fahima Khatun taking two more sharp chances at point while Fargana Hoque took a phenomenal diving catch running in from deep midwicket to dismiss Anna Peterson. New Zealand folded to be bowled out with 10 balls left in the innings.Dots build pressureBangladesh’s required run-rate was just 4.55 for an historic victory. They started the chase well thanks to two classy strikes down the ground from Murshida Khatun, a dropped catch at slip from Amelia Kerr and a wayward over from Lea Tahuhu that featured four wides. At 0 for 17 from 2.5 overs, Murshida fell to a top edge trying to sweep Leigh Kasperek. Devine and New Zealand then squeezed Bangladesh over the next six overs. Devine took all the pace off turning to Hayley Jensen and her spinners. Ayasha Rahman holed out trying to clear the infield off Jensen. Devine attacked with her field, posting a catching cover, a short leg and a slip at different stages. Bangladesh faced 41 dots in the first nine overs and did not find the boundary in the first three overs after the powerplay. The rate slowed so dramatically that equation reached more than a run-a-ball in the 10th over.Salt in the woundsSultana held the key as Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in the tournament, but she was forced to retire hurt in the 10th over after being hit in the face attempting to sweep Peterson. She got a top edge that ricocheted into her jaw, just underneath the grill of the helmet and she was driven off the ground on a cart. Bangladesh then did their own damage with two horrible run-outs. Hoque attempted to drop and run to cover but Moni called no and Devine swooped to leave Hoque stranded. She gave Moni a verbal spray on her way off for not responding, which was ringing in Moni’s ears two overs later when she over-committed anticipating a tight drop and run from Rumana Ahmed. The call to run never came despite Moni running halfway down and she was left stranded and staring at a dumbfounded Rumana. Devine turned the screws. Jensen pinned Rumana plumb in front and Sobhana Mostary holed out as the rate got out of hand. Kerr then produced a stunning wrong ‘un to clean bowl Jahanara Alum for a first-ball duck. Sultana returned to bat with Bangladesh eight wickets down and 35 runs needed from just 20 balls. She found the boundary twice but picked out Devine in the last over with all hopes dashed.

CA’s head of science and medicine says not sharing equipment is also part of the overall risk

Andrew McGlashan20-May-2020Disinfecting cricket balls during a match could be part of the future as the game looks to adapt to the risks posed by Covid-19. Maintenance of the ball has become one of the key topics as the sport tries to map a way back from its pandemic shutdown given shining has traditionally involved saliva which is deemed a significant risk of transmitting the virus.Earlier this week the ICC cricket committee recommended a ban on using saliva at international level but said that sweat would be permitted as it was deemed lower risk.Guidelines issued by the Australian government on a return for sport from community to elite level banned the use of saliva and sweat at training. Cricket Australia’s head of science and medicine Alex Kountouris said that it was a constantly evolving picture as more was learned about the virus, but the option of using disinfectant – which was done in Australian rugby league before the shutdown and will be considered in other football codes – is likely to be discussed.”Disinfecting the ball is a consideration. [We] don’t know the impact on the ball as we haven’t tested it yet,” Kountouris said. “The ball being leather it’s harder to disinfect because it’s got little nooks and crevices so we don’t know how effective it’s going to be, we don’t know how infected the ball is going to get and we don’t know if it’s going to be allowed. It is an absolute consideration. Everything is on the table and everything is being considered.”From an Australian cricket perspective, probably other countries are going to play before us so we’ve got a chance to work with the ICC and the other countries to see what they come up with and take whatever steps we need to for making sure there’s a lower risk.Kountouris feels that some habits, like players licking their fingers then touching the ball, will be difficult to break•Getty Images”The sweat, saliva and the ball itself is only one risk factor. There’s a whole bunch of other stuff: hygiene, sanitising, physical distancing, not sharing equipment are going to be part of the overall risk. So we’re going to take our time and consider all those factors then work with the ICC to try to come up with whatever the final outcome is for elite cricket and community cricket.”Professional cricketers in Australia will be returning to training over the next couple of weeks – the CA contracted players finished their annual leave on Monday – with guidelines in place to manage the risk factors although they will vary from state to state depending on the level of activity allowed as restrictions continue to be eased.ALSO READ: Darwin open to being testing ground as cricket returns to AustraliaThe baseline is that equipment should not be shared – that is less of an issue at elite level – and that training should be done on a ‘get in, get out’ principle to minimise contact.Kountouris acknowledged that some habits ingrained in players, such as licking their fingers then touching the ball, will be difficult to break.”There’s going to be a steep learning curve and hopefully we’ve got time to practice some of that stuff but there are going to be mistakes at some point,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve worked out how we are going to deal with those mistakes, what the outcome will be. I imagine we are going to take a common sense approach and understand that people make mistakes and things are not going to be perfect. But if we can do most things right, most of the time, we are going to be okay.”He added that Cricket Australia “was not even close” to considering when the national squads would be able to join up for any training camps – there are suggestions the men’s limited-overs tour of England could take place in September – and they will monitor the country’s response to easing of restrictions over the next couple of months. However, there is increasing confidence that if the current progress is continued then the season will be able to start as scheduled in September.”We’re at the moment really happy with the fact that we can get back to training. So, a month or so ago, things looked bleak. The country has done really well,” Kountouris said. “From a sport perspective, there’s obviously a long way to go. If things don’t go wrong here, of course we are on track to gradually move through each of the different stages.”It’s dependent on whether we are allowed to travel, domestically, and whether borders are open between countries and we don’t have an outbreak and a cluster. There’s a whole bunch of factors but certainly if everything goes well, we are on track and we’re quietly confident that things will go to plan and we’ll be ready at the start of the season.”

Tottenham Hotspur are said to be eyeing up their third signing of the January transfer window after deals for Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin…

Spurs' search for a new winger

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Lilywhites are pushing to secure a deal for Club Brugge forward Antonio Nusa to bolster their attack.

The reporter claims that a new round of talks between the two clubs has been scheduled as Spurs look to beat off competition from elsewhere to sign the young whiz.

However, Romano adds that the teenage dynamo would like to remain at the Belgian side until the end of the season, which means that Ange Postecoglou may not have him as part of the squad until the summer.

The Australian head coach could land Heung-min Son 2.0 by winning the race to sign the 18-year-old forward, who The Guardian previously claimed is valued at £25m by Brugge.

Heung-min Son's goal record at Spurs

Tottenham's captain has proven himself to be a lethal scorer for the club from a left wing position over the course of a number of seasons in England.

The South Korea international has plundered an exceptional 157 goals and 85 assists in 393 appearances in all competitions, including 115 goals in 288 Premier League matches.

This means that Son has averaged a goal or an assist every 1.62 games on average throughout his career with Spurs, which shows that he has been a consistently reliable attacking threat out wide as a scorer and a creator of goals.

However, he turns 32 in July, and Postecoglou may have one eye on the future and what life will look like after Son, with Nusa possibly coming in as the long-term successor to his position.

The stats that show why Nusa could be Son 2.0

The 18-year-old has showcased his potential for club and country this season with an impressive return at the top end of the pitch despite limited minutes on the pitch.

Nusa has only started six Pro League matches for Brugge but has chipped in with three goals and two assists, whilst he has also created five 'big chances' for his teammates and could argue that they have let him down in front of goal with their wasteful finishing.

The right-footed left winger, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed has "beautiful potential", has also completed 2.7 dribbles per game for his club in the league.

As you can see in the table above, the Brugge starlet has also caught the eye on the international stage with Norway this season with some impressively creative performances for his country.

Nusa has racked up three goals and five assists in seven starts across the Pro League and European Championship qualifiers for club and country this season, which is one goal contribution every 0.86 starts on average.

There is no guarantee that he would be able to remain as consistent as that over the course of an entire season of regular starts but the young gem also has plenty of time on his side to develop that consistency.

The Brugge wizard could learn from Son at Spurs before eventually taking over as his successor and Postecoglou's next version of the South Korean marksman further down the line if he can fulfill his potential, which is why this could be an excellent signing for Spurs.

January is set to be a busy month for Aston Villa, more so off the field than on it.

Unai Emery is keen to strengthen his squad in the transfer window as they look to book themselves a place in Europe.

The priority position seems to be an attacker, where the side is slightly lacking in depth despite the exploits of Ollie Watkins, Moussa Diaby and Co.

The latest on Morgan Rogers to Aston Villa

This weekend, Fabrizio Romano took to X (formerly Twitter) to provide the latest on Aston Villa's hunt for Middlesbrough livewire Morgan Rogers.

The young forward is allegedly Emery’s main target, and the boss will hope to secure it his man this month. A move is likely to occur, with the Middlesbrough man eager to move to the Premier League side.

Speaking about the situation this weekend, Boro boss Michael Carrick stated: "Not really [much I can tell you]. It’s just that time of year where there is plenty of rumours and speculation. From my point of view, watching Morgan today, he played well. There is nothing to say really on that one.

"It’s all eyes on Tuesday and we expect him to be with us. From my point of view, it’s pure speculation. Nothing surprises me in football and I don’t get involved in that. I’m only interested in the players we’ve got here to choose from. I picked a team today to try and win the game and we just couldn’t quite pull it off."

The stats that prove Rogers would be a good signing

When Watkins joined Villa for £28m in 2020, the Villans faithful could only have dreamed of what the ex-Brentford striker has become.

Indeed, the 27-year-old has been arguably Villa’s most consistent performer since his arrival, scoring 57 goals in 145 appearances.

The Englishman has developed even further since Emery was appointed, as displayed by his 14 goals and ten assists in 27 games across all competitions this season.

However, Emery could sign Watkins 2.0 in the form of Rogers, who would be following the strikers' footsteps by taking the step up to the top flight from the Championship.

The former Man City star has improved massively under Carrick after moving to Middlesbrough in the summer, with his boss describing him as a “huge talent." Although the 21-year-old has only scored twice in the league, he has become vital to the way his side plays and the table below shows a selection of Rogers’ stats from this Championship season that prove he would be a good signing for Villa.

Rogers seemingly has the perfect profile for Emery’s second striker role in the 4-4-1-1 variant. This season, the former Lincoln City player has played in the number 10 role, displaying creativity and providing for those around him, as shown by his impressive shot-creating actions, key passes, and assists.

What makes Rogers unique is his immense technical ability, despite being 6 foot 3. His stature enables him to pick up second balls, and it would allow Villa to play much more direct, acting as Emery’s version of Kai Havertz to Mikel Arteta in a way. The Boro star would also help Villa overcome their Achilles heel, therefore, which has been teams that sit in and defend in numbers.

The artist is also extremely effective out of possession, winning tackles to retain the ball up the field and stop transitions, which suits Emery’s intense, fluid system. It's clear that this signing would be excellent, with Rogers ticking every box needed to succeed at Villa under Emery.

Dani Ceballos reached out to Roberto De Zerbi to explain his decision to reject Marseille's offer as the midfielder opted to stay at Real Madrid. The French side approached the Spaniard late in the transfer window and even reached a deal with Madrid, with De Zerbi eager to make him a key player following Adrien Rabiot's exit.

Why Ceballos' move to Marseille never materialised

Madrid splashed lavishly in the transfer market, signing the likes of Alvaro Carreras, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Franco Mastantuono. New head coach Xabi Alonso reportedly demanded a midfielder, too, but the Spanish heavyweights didn't sign one. As the transfer window approached its end, speculation surrounding Ceballos' future started to intensify. After rumours of a return to Real Betis, all signs pointed towards Ceballos calling curtains on his Madrid career by writing "Last dance" on his Instagram story. This action was followed by Marseille ramping up their efforts to close a deal to sign the ex-Arsenal loanee. An agreement worth €15 million (£13m/$16m) had been finalised between Marseille and Madrid, but Ceballos' last-minute change of heart and hesitation to leave Madrid led to the deal collapsing.

AdvertisementAFPDe Zerbi receives apology from Ceballos

In the wake his decision to reject the offer, the 29-year-old personally called Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi over phone and asked for forgiveness, reports. The Italian coach had gone to great lengths to sign him and had convinced Ceballos that he would be central to his plans at Stade Velodrome. Nevertheless, the Spaniard opted to remain part of Alonso's team.

“The Dani Ceballos situation stays between us. He is a great player. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and he missed out on playing for a special club," said De Zerbi on Monday.

Ceballos could still be crucial to Alonso and Madrid

With Alonso eventually confirming that Ceballos would remain a part of his roster for this season, expectations were that he would struggle to find regular playing time. Aurelien Tchouameni has already been described as the "pillar" of Madrid by Alonso, Fede Valverde remains a guaranteed starter and Arda Guler has become the team's chief orchestrator. It became increasingly difficult to see where Ceballos would fit in, but Alonso has given him reason to be optimistic.

Ceballos clockied 68 minutes as a starter against Real Sociedad at the weekend after making three appearances off the bench. Given how congested the calendar is, Ceballos will fancy his chances of carving out an important role in midfield as the season progresses.

(C)Getty ImagesWill Ceballos start against Marseille?

Whether he keeps his place in the starting XI for Tuesday’s Champions League clash hinges on whether Valverde is fit enough to start. The Uruguayan was left out of the starting XI after personally requesting a rest from Alonso, citing fatigue from the international break. Ceballos put in a solid performance against Real Sociedad on Saturday and will likely be the obvious choice if Alonso decides to give Valverde another game off.

He also expressed his confidence in Joe Root despite the England captain’s struggles with the bat in recent times

George Dobell in Hamilton28-Nov-2019

Ross Taylor believes the depth in New Zealand cricket is “definitely the best” it has been at any point of his career.Despite losing Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme to injury ahead of the second Test in Hamilton, Taylor is confident New Zealand can continue to flourish as a result of the quality of recruits coming into the side.Allrounder Daryl Mitchell has been confirmed as the replacement for de Grandhomme, while either Matt Henry or Lockie Ferguson will replace Boult. On a surprisingly green surface that looks as if it may start just a touch damp and not offer much pace, it seems Henry is slightly more likely to play.”The depth is definitely the best it’s ever been during my career,” Taylor said. “When I first started, I thought if we had a guy on debut we sort of hoped the player would do well. Now we expect the player to do well and that’s a good place to be.”It’s exciting to be giving other guys an opportunity and test the depth of this team. That’s probably been a strength of the side in recent times: guys who have come in have succeeded straightaway and put pressure on the incumbents.”ALSO READ: From extreme to mainstream – How Neil Wagner has wanged his way to the topTaylor is well placed to comment. He started his international career in 2006 – on the same day as Alastair Cook – and is now the fourth most-capped men’s player in New Zealand’s history.His words are backed by the Test rankings, too. New Zealand currently have three men in the top eight of the batting rankings and five in the top 18. They also have three men in the top 14 of the bowling rankings. There is also excitement over the impact South African-born Devon Conway could make in international cricket when he becomes eligible to play for New Zealand in September 2020.Conway was the leading run-scorer in last season’s Super Smash (New Zealand’s domestic T20 tournament) and Plunket Shield (the first-class competition) and recently compiled an unbeaten triple-century for Wellington against Canterbury. It was just the eighth triple-century in first-class cricket in New Zealand and he went on to score the highest match aggregate in a first-class match in the country: 393.Getty Images

“Colin de Grandhomme leaves some big shoes to fill but Daryl has some experience of international cricket at T20 level,” Taylor continued. “He had a very good campaign around the first-class scene, too, so I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes.”Whoever plays – Henry or Ferguson – will do very well. They are slightly different bowlers – Lockie has that extra pace, but Matt has been outstanding for us with the new ball – but they’ve both got their strengths. They have big shoes to fill, too, but both can do a great job and perform a similar role. Whoever we go with, we’ll have a lot of confidence in.”Meanwhile, Taylor expressed his confidence in Joe Root despite the England captain’s struggles with the bat in recent times. Admitting he found captaining and performing as a batsman a “tough balance”, Taylor nevertheless expressed his confidence that Root would return to form.”I wasn’t captain for as long as Root,” Taylor said. “And as captain of England, the scrutiny of the media is probably a little bit more than we get in New Zealand. It’s a tough balance. Cricket can be a tough game, and it can be a lonely place at times.”But, first and foremost, you’re a batsman and it’s a lot easier to give those messages [as captain] if you’re scoring those runs. I’m only looking from afar but it seems they have a pretty good team dynamic and a good senior leadership group. Those senior players will be taking the heat off him in other ways, so that he can focus on his batting.”He’s got to be himself and authentic to the way he plays and trust himself. He’s a class player. It’s only a matter of time before he scores runs.”

The ACB has said the wicketkeeper did not adhere to a policy that requires players to seek the board’s permission before travelling out of the country

Umar Farooq10-Aug-2019The Afghanistan Cricket Board has suspended Mohammad Shahzad for an indefinite period due to a breach of the board’s code of conduct.According to an ACB release, Shahzad did not adhere to a policy that requires players to seek the board’s permission before travelling out of the country.In addition, the ACB said Shahzad had been summoned to meet the board’s disciplinary committee on July 20 and 25, “in relation to a disciplinary matter during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019”, and had failed to show up. The disciplinary committee, the release stated, would meet after the Eid holiday to decide on further sanctions.ESPNcricinfo understands that Shahzad is based in Peshawar, Pakistan, and was recently seen practising there. Last year, the ACB had fined Shahzad and asked him to relocate to Afghanistan permanently or risk having his contract terminated.Shahzad spent his early years in a refugee camp in Peshawar, but his parents are originally from Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Like many of his Afghanistan team-mates, Shahzad grew up near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; he also got married in Peshawar. A significant number of Afghans, once refugees, now reside in Pakistan, mainly in Peshawar, registered in the country as temporary residents.The suspension is the latest development in a testing phase in Shahzad’s career. In June, he was sent home early from the World Cup in England and Wales, ostensibly with a knee injury, but the wicketkeeper-batsman insisted he was fit and claimed he had been unfairly left out.

Arsenal have endured a slight slump in form over the last few weeks, with three losses on the bounce seeing them fall from first to fourth in the Premier League and crash out of the FA Cup.

The frontline's return of just one goal in those three games is clearly the most significant problem at present, but aside from Martin Odegaard, the midfield does look light on creativity and flair.

Mikel Arteta and Edu seem to be of the same opinion as the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates has been compared to the talented Norwegian and has been on fire this season.

Arsenal look to the Bundesliga for creative reinforcements

According to reports from Germany (via TEAMtalk), Arsenal have entered the race for Manchester United target Xavi Simons.

The report has revealed that, alongside the Gunners and United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan are all keen on the youngster.

Simons is currently on loan at RB Leipzig from parent club Paris Saint-Germain, who themselves sold the young Dutchman to PSV in summer 2022 to only go and activate his €6m – £5m – buy-back clause in the summer.

Interestingly, his agent is currently Darren Dein, the son of Arsenal's former co-owner David Dein.

Despite only re-signing him a few months ago, reports from Spain (via TEAMtalk) reported in October that the Parisian club would listen to offers around €50m – £43m – for their young starlet to turn a quick and hefty profit.

While that is a significant amount of money for a 20-year-old, the fact that he has been so effective in Germany – racking up 11 goal involvements in 17 games – and considered similar to Odegaard should be all the convincing Arteta needs.

How Xavi Simons compares to Martin Odegaard

Now, before discussing the things that make these two brilliant footballers so similar, it would make sense to note some of their differences, notably that while Odegaard has started all of his games for Arsenal in the midfield, the "fantastic talent" that is Simons, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, floats between being a winger and midfielder.

That said, the Norwegian has started a considerable number of games on the wing earlier in his career.

Nevertheless, when the exciting Dutchman starts in the middle of the park, FBref considers the Arsenal captain to be statistically the eighth most similar player across Europe's top five leagues.

FBref has come to this conclusion based on where the pair rank as midfielders for specific attributes and figures across these leagues. For example, both players rank in the top 1% of players for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for non-penalty goals, and the top 4% for non-penalty expected goals.

There are more examples of staggering similarities where the pair aren't exact matches, such as the "special" Simons, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, being in the top 1% for total shots, while Odegaard is in the best 2%.

Top 1%

Shot-Creating Actions

Top 1%

Top 2%

Non-Penalty Goals

Top 2%

Top 4%

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

Top 4%

Top 1%

Total Shots

Top 2%

Top 2%

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

Top 4%

Top 2%

Progressive Passes Received

Top 5%

Top 4%

Expected Assists

Top 10%

As we can see, both players are creative supremos from the middle of the pitch, ranking particularly high with regard to assists. They also usually find themselves in crucial pockets of space between midfield and defence as well, something substantiated by their high ranking for progressive passes received.

Ultimately, with Arsenal looking to add some extra creativity and flair to their midfield as their current crop of young players continues to improve, they should be going all out to secure the services of PSG's flying Dutchman, especially as, according to Kulig, he's got a "big future ahead".

Jonny Evans has signed a new one-year deal at Manchester United.

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• Evans returning on one-year deal
• 36-year-old says United will "challenge"
• Defender a key player in 2023-24

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United have announced that Evans has signed a new one-year deal at Old Trafford, having emerged as a surprisingly key player for the club last season. The Northern Ireland international is 36 and returned last summer as a stop-gap addition, but he ended up playing 30 games in all competitions.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United were beset by injury problems last season and Evans remained a model professional throughout his first season back at the club, having previously left in 2015. He also won the FA Cup, ensuring that he has now won every domestic trophy available for the club during his career.

• WHAT EVANS SAID

  Evans told the club's official website: “I am delighted to have extended my contract at Manchester United for another season.

  “To play for this great club and feel the support from our incredible fans is always a privilege.

  “Returning to the club last season was an honour; representing the team on the pitch alongside fantastic team-mates under an excellent manager.

  “Winning the FA Cup together was an unforgettable experience; I know we can challenge for more trophies in the season ahead.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  United play their first pre-season friendly on July 15, against Norwegian club Rosenborg. They will also play Rangers, Arsenal, Real Betis and Liverpool before the Community Shield against Manchester City on August 10.