Tag Futebol

It is practically indisputable that Arsenal are in the market for a new striker this summer, and Mikel Arteta’s side have now been handed the chance to get one over on arch rivals Tottenham by signing a key target of Thomas Frank’s side.

Arsenal make contact to sign trophy-laden £400k-per-week ex-Man City star

He’d be quite the addition to Arteta’s dressing room.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 17, 2025

New sporting director Andrea Berta is currently busy attempting to negotiate agreeable terms on a deal for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, but find themselves some way off the Bundesliga side’s asking price of around £68-85 million, according to Sky Germany’s (Florian Plettenberg).

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Arsenal negotiations for Sesko have been ongoing since late May, but if a deal cannot be struck for the Slovenia international, Berta does have other reported striker targets on his shortlist.

Arsenal have also worked on a deal for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, who is currently keen on a move to north London and open to joining other high-profile Premier League suitors like Man United.

“Viktor Gyökeres prefers a move to the Premier League, and would welcome an Arsenal bid,” reported Ben Jacobs on X recently.

“Arsenal still deciding between Benjamin Sesko and Gyökeres. Andrea Berta simultaneously advancing both deals. Gyökeres would be open to Manchester United. There has been no formal rejection, but a deal to date has also never been at an advanced stage, despite suggestions.

“United have not made any formal approach to Sporting. Swedish striker one of several striker options discussed. Gyökeres believes he’ll still be allowed to leave Sporting for €70m. Arsenal have always been one to watch, but it will depend on Berta now because he is also in ongoing talks for Sesko at the same time, with a bid for one of the two targets expected soon.”

Either centre-forward would be an upgrade on Arteta’s current options. Sesko is fresh off a career-best Bundesliga campaign at Leipzig, while Gyokeres has just guided Sporting to their first domestic double in 20 years after scoring 54 goals in all competitions.

However, Arsenal now also have a new left-field option.

Arsenal offered Dynamo Kyiv striker Vladyslav Vanat

According to website Just Arsenal, Dynamo Kyiv striker Vladyslav Vanat has been put forward to Arteta’s side.

Vanat scored 21 goals in all competitions last season, helping Kyiv to lift the Ukranian Premier League title whilst ending the season unbeaten. He also finished 2024/2025 as the division’s top scorer with 17, and this has attracted some attention from England.

It is now believed that Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Vanat, who has a reported £17 million release clause in his contract. Arteta doesn’t view the 23-year-old’s signing as an urgent need right now, but is fully aware of Vanat’s quality, so it’s apparently a situation they could revisit later in the window.

However, if they do decide they want him, Arsenal will need to be wary of rival interest. Manchester United, Leeds United, Everton, and Tottenham are all keen on Vanat, with the latter even viewing him as a “priority signing” for new manager Frank.

Arsenal’s season of disappointments has finally come to an end.

While it would be fair to say that they probably exceeded expectations in the Champions League, Mikel Arteta’s side certainly underdelivered in the Premier League.

Now, injuries and suspensions certainly played their part in this, but many of the Gunners’ first-team stars have been seriously underwhelming, including the reigning Player of the Year, Martin Odegaard.

In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, the Norwegian’s lacklustre form could cost him his place in the team next season, as one of the league’s most exciting midfielders has now been touted for a move to the Emirates.

Arsenal transfer news

With yet another trophyless season under their belt, it seems as if Arsenal are determined to make significant additions to the team this summer, as the last few weeks have seen them linked to a number of seriously talented players, such as Eberechi Eze and Kaoru Mitoma.

Transfer Focus

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

The former has a release clause worth around £68m in his current contract, and while that is a lot of money, he’s certainly worth it, as on top of playing a key role in Crystal Palace’s FA Cup triumph, the Englishman has scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 games this season.

Mitoma could end up costing the Gunners around £80m and has amassed a reasonable enough tally of ten goals and four assists in 36 games.

However, another name has now entered the picture, someone who could end up being the perfect upgrade on Odegaard: Morgan Gibbs-White.

Yes, according to a recent report from former scout Mick Brown via Football Insider, Arsenal are now interested in signing the Nottingham Forest star this summer.

The report claims that Arteta views the Englishman as the ‘perfect option’ to add some added drive and tenacity to the Gunners’ midfield next season, although he could be an expensive addition, with prior stories claiming he could cost around £100m.

It would likely be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Gibbs-White’s immense ability, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he could be the perfect upgrade on Odegaard.

How Gibbs-White compares to Odegaard

So, the first thing to say is that even though Gibbs-White is talented and capable enough of playing in several different positions, from right-wing to central midfield, his best and most played position is undoubtedly attacking midfield.

Moreover, the ten position is where he has truly excelled and reached another level for Forest this season, so were he to move to Arsenal in the summer, it seems like a sure bet that he would come in to play as the most attacking player in the midfield.

Therefore, his most significant competition for game time at the Emirates would be Odegaard, so how do the pair stack up against one another?

Well, when it comes down to their pure output from this season, which is ultimately what matters most and what the Gunners need to focus on, it’s the Tricky Trees star who comes out on top.

For example, in 38 appearances across all competitions, totalling 3142 minutes, the “exceptional” 25-year-old, as dubbed by Pep Guardiola, scored seven goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or every 184.82 minutes.

Appearances

38

45

Minutes

3142

3447′

Goals

7

6

Assists

10

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.4

Minutes per Goal Involvement

184.82

191.5′

In contrast, the North Londoners’ captain scored six goals and provided 12 assists in 45 games, totalling 3447 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Norwegian star, the difference is even more stark when we just look at their Premier League record, as his tally of 11 goal involvements in 30 games comes out to an average of one every 2.72 games.

In contrast, the Forest ace’s haul of 17 in 34 appearances comes out to one every other game.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to add more goals and assists to their midfield next season, and while Odegaard may well get back to his best, Gibbs-White has shown that he can do just that.

Therefore, even though it’ll cost a king’s ransom, the North Londoners should do what they can to bring him in.

£45m star who's shades of Patrick Vieira must never play for Arsenal again

The international ace has served Arsenal well, but it’s time to go.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 27, 2025

Ahead of the summer transfer window, a La Liga club’s President has now confirmed that sit-down talks have been scheduled with Manchester United to sign a highly paid attacker.

Man Utd ease into Europa League final

After some unforgettable chaos against Lyon at the quarter-final stage, it seemed unlikely that Manchester United would be in for a simple affair against Athletic Bilbao in the final four. Yet, as the final whistle sounded at Old Trafford last night, there was no sigh of relief thanks to a stressful encounter. Instead, it simply confirmed what the Red Devils had known for some time following a 7-1 aggregate mauling of the Spanish outfit.

Into the Europa League final as a result of their impressive victory, Manchester United will now square off against Tottenham Hotspur in a game that both sides desperately need to win to salvage what have otherwise been disastrous campaigns.

United boss Ruben Amorim had his say on the final following the Bilbao game, telling reporters: “I’m just worried about the next game, trying not to get any injuries for the final. We need to win it. If we don’t win it, it means nothing for us. So let’s see.

“We have to have a full squad, that is really important. And we need to study the game quite well. And we need to have a little bit of luck. Today we suffered a goal, but we had so many transitions to score a goal and we didn’t.

Man Utd now prioritising move to sign "dominant" Champions League finalist

He’s a Champions League finalist.

ByTom Cunningham May 8, 2025

“We have to be clinical. It’s quite similar for me and Ange [Postecoglou]. It’s a tough moment, one of us is going to win. But it’s going to be a big final and we are going to try to win.”

Meanwhile, whether they win the Europa League or not, Manchester United could be set to bid farewell to one particular player with talks now reportedly scheduled over his exit.

Real Betis chief confirms Antony talks

As confirmed by club President Angel Haro, Real Betis have now scheduled sit-down talks with Manchester United about signing Antony for another season. The Brazilian, who makes over £10m-a-year in wages, has enjoyed a revived spell away from Old Trafford – taking his tally up to nine goals in all competitions – and could now spend another campaign away from the Premier League.

Haro told El Partidazo, as relayed by Sport Witness: “Keeping Antony as our own is very, very complicated.We’ll have a meeting with Manchester United to extend the loan for another year, to be able to share a percentage of the player. It’s about seeing the willingness of the player and Manchester United.”

Dubbed “special” by Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini during his loan spell at the club, the Antony revival may only be set to continue if he stays put in Spain for another season, but it seems clear from Haro’s comments that the La Liga outfit cannot afford his wages and transfer fee for a permanent move.

The Seidler family, who have owned the Padres since 2012, will be exploring a potential sale of the franchise, they announced on Thursday.

Peter Seidler purchased the San Diego franchise in 2012 for $800 million. He acted as chairman for the Padres from that point until his death in November 2023. His brother John took over in his stead and oversaw the last two seasons for San Diego, in which the team made the postseason twice and won one playoff series.

This year the Padres went 90-72 but bowed out in the wild card round to the Cubs. Manager Mike Shildt announced his intention to retire shortly after their elimination. Now the organization might undergo even more significant changes with a possible sale on the horizon.

“The family has decided to begin a process of evaluating our future with the Padres, including a potential sale of the franchise,” Chairman John Seidler said in an announcement. “We will undertake this process with integrity and professionalism in a way that honors Peter’s legacy and love for the Padres and lays the foundation for the franchise’s long-term success.

“During the process and as we prepare for the 2026 season, the Padres will continue to focus on its players, employees, fans, and community while putting every resource into winning a World Series championship. We remain fully committed to this team, its fans, and the San Diego community.”

The Seidlers will engage with BDT & MSD Partners in an effort to explore the sale.

The price tag for the Padres will be hefty should the Seidlers sell. The most recent MLB franchise to be sold, the Rays in September, went for $1.7 billion. San Diego figures to go for a higher number than that, and potentially higher. The Rays were in the middle of figuring out a new stadium situation when they got sold; the Padres don’t have such questions, with Petco Park widely recognized as one of MLB’s better venues.

Furthermore, the Padres have found much more on-field success than Tampa Bay in recent seasons, qualifying for the playoffs in four of the last six seasons with an NLCS appearance to boot. The roster boasts multiple big names and even bigger salaries. There’s a built-in diehard fan base in San Diego. There’s a lot to like about the Padres for any potential buyer.

As this is only the beginning stages of a possible sale it will be a while before any notable movement occurs. Potentially years. But the first step has been taken—the Padres may be under new ownership for the first time in nearly 15 years.

The top four had another bad time of it in the second innings in Barbados, and Sam Konstas is under increasing pressure after falling to an incoming ball for a second time in the game

Andrew McGlashan28-Jun-20252:05

Travis Head made back-to-back fifties

Australia’s top order is spluttering, but the middle-order engine room purred nicely on the third and, in the nick of time, final day in Barbados – as it has on numerous occasions in recent times to help the team out of trouble.It does fuel the notion that such performances, along with the strength of the bowling attack, are papering over cracks, and a team with less brittle batting and better catching than West Indies could have made them pay – like South Africa in the World Test Championship final – but that should not diminish what Australia were able to achieve at Kensington Oval.While the result was comfortable for Australia, their position at the start of the day was anything but with a lead of 82. The performances of Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey provided a big enough cushion of runs that they could attack with the ball without too many concerns and the trio, while playing largely against an older ball, belied how tricky the surface remained.Related

• Smith ready for the real stuff after passing baseball-cage test

• McDonald asks for 'a bit of patience' as spotlight remains firmly on Konstas

• Chase calls out 'so many questionable calls' in Barbados Test

• Jayden Seales reprimanded for Cummins send-off

• Hazlewood's five helps Australia surge to victory inside three days

“I thought those three were brilliant,” Pat Cummins said. “They kept the scoreboard ticking over. I thought they took really good options. They were always looking to score. Really, that was the difference. [You are] turning up today thinking that if we didn’t get a big lead it was 50-50, really. Those guys took the game away from West Indies.”There was some luck, such as Head profiting from the seventh dropped catch of the match by West Indies, but they made it count. Head was named Player of the Match for his twin half-centuries and Carey produced some of the most free-flowing batting of the game, highlighted by stunning straight sixes off Jayden Seales and Justin Greaves. Yet, in many ways, given his inexperience at international level, it was Webster’s innings that stood out most.It was the second time in five Tests that he has made a half-century on a very tricky pitch after the debut effort against India at the SCG. He also nipped in with a brace of important first-innings wickets. Barbados was perhaps not quite as spiteful as that Sydney surface, but a batter always knew there could be one that misbehaves, as Head found out against Shamar Joseph and a few of the West Indians did later in the day.2:25

Webster’s 63 steadies Australia

At a time when so much attention is on Sam Konstas and how he is attempting to learn as he goes at international level, it is worth noting that Webster has a decade of domestic experience under his belt and earned his chance by churning out runs and wickets in the Sheffield Shield. That isn’t to say the route Konstas is taking – a youngster plucked out after a handful of games – won’t eventually work, but Webster has seen and done plenty before moving up a level.”I think it’s pretty much the same as what he does for Tasmania,” Cummins said. “He seems to always contribute in some way. He’s kind of knocked down the door with his performances over the years in Shield cricket. It’s great when you’ve got someone like that coming to the team. They know their craft so well and you saw that today, even on a tricky wicket, he knew where his areas to score were. He’s been a fantastic asset to the team over the last six months.”Konstas, meanwhile, is being thrust into a new situation almost every time he bats. In this match, he was twice dismissed by deliveries angling back – once lbw and once bowled – to highlight a technical flaw that has been visible before. In the second innings, he became increasingly flustered trying to break the shackles, albeit Shamar Joseph bowled superbly to him.”One of the hard things about playing Test cricket is you get thrown into different conditions all the time,” Cummins said. “And you might not have the flying hours under your belt as a youngster coming in, so you’ve got to work out your craft on the bigger stage.2:15

Alex Carey’s swashbuckling 65 sets up Australia’s lead

“What we’ll keep working [on] with the young guys over the next little bit is: where are your options? Because that’s probably the hardest thing when the pitch is doing a lot, is getting out of your little bubble, still trying to score and taking good options. You saw it today, how hard it can be to try and fire a few shots.”Sammy, he tried a few different options yesterday. Not too many of them worked out, but full confidence [in him].”When Webster fell, glancing down the leg side, the lead was nudging 200 and Carey, who had a superb 2024-25 season across formats, flicked a switch and took 14 off an over from Seales. There is a fine balance of risk and reward in Carey’s batting; he was criticised for his missed reverse sweep against Keshav Maharaj in the World Test Championship final, but here he found the perfect balance.”I went in before tea and try to get a bit of a feel for the wicket,” Carey told ESPN. “I think when you see Travis Head not scoring at 90 strike rate you know it’s probably a pretty tricky wicket. I was trying to get into my innings, and then just try to continue to put the bowlers under pressure. We lost Beau Webster and I thought my role was just to stay positive and try to keep the scoreboard ticking – the messaging today was, runs are going to be crucial, however you can get them.”Scoring runs however you can: it’s something a few of Australia’s top order will hope to be able to do in Grenada.

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal defender Gabriel will be unavailable for "weeks" after sustaining a thigh injury on international duty. The defender limped off during last weekend’s friendly against Senegal at the Emirates Stadium and missed the subsequent match against Tunisia. His injury now presents a significant setback for a team sitting four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Gabriel to sit out for an extended period

Gabriel, 27, has been central to Arsenal’s outstanding defensive record this season, with the Gunners conceding just five league goals in 11 matches. However, his injury during the international break will be a major reason for concern for Arteta. The manager confirmed further tests will take place next Wednesday, though early indications suggest a worrying layoff.

"Gabi is going to be out for weeks," said Arteta. "It's clearly a blow because he's our leader in our backline, and to me, it's never a positive thing. The good thing is that we have very good options, and people have to stand up now and do the job."

Reports via indicate fears that the Brazilian could miss up to two months, ruling him out for the rest of 2025 and potentially all the way into mid-January. A best-case scenario would see him return after a month, possibly just before Christmas.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHincapie and Mosquera in line to step up

With Gabriel unavailable for Sunday’s north London derby, Arteta will turn to deputies Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera. Both defenders are under consideration for the crucial clash at the Emirates Stadium, a fixture that could have early implications for the Premier League title race. Riccardo Calafiori is also a doubt after withdrawing from Italy duty with a hip issue. The defender has not trained since returning to England, though Arteta confirmed he will be evaluated in Saturday’s final session.

"He has been carrying a few things," said Arteta. "He hasn't trained yet. Tomorrow we have another training session, let's see how he is."

Before the international break, Arteta was already without Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus. Arteta has hinted that several of those could return soon, but timing remains uncertain. Odegaard is expected back in early December, while Jesus is on track to return in January following ACL recovery.

Tottenham receive huge boost before the derby

In stark contrast to Arsenal’s growing injury list, Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank delivered a series of positive updates ahead of Sunday’s derby. Spurs will welcome back Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Randal Kolo Muani, all of whom trained on Friday and are available for selection. Sarr suffered a scare while on international duty with Senegal after limping off against Brazil, while Bergvall had withdrawn from the Sweden squad following further concussion checks. Kolo Muani, meanwhile, missed France’s qualifiers after picking up an injury in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United, but will feature against Arsenal wearing a protective mask. Mohammed Kudus, who missed Spurs’ last two matches, is also in contention to return.

"Pape trained today,” Frank said. "He's ready, available. Lucas trained today. Ready, available. Kolo Muani, yes. Trained today. Available, of course, has a mask [he] needs to play with."

Frank did, however, rule out Dominic Solanke, who is still recovering from an ankle injury that has plagued his season. Solanke’s last appearance came in August, and although the striker insists progress is being made, Spurs are unwilling to rush him.

On Solanke, Frank said: "Dom is not ready yet. I think he also had an article recently where he spoke about it. So we are very, as I said, the same. Very aware that when we put him out there, we want to be absolutely sure, as sure as we can be, that no setback going forward. So I'm comfortable he will soon be ready, but I will not put a timeframe on it."

There was further positive news for Spurs as Radu Dragusin, Archie Gray, Ben Davies and Kota Takai all returned to full training this week.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportDerby stakes raised as Arsenal and Spurs prepare for collision

Sunday’s derby promises to be an exciting affair as Arsenal will be battling to protect their position at the summit despite key injuries, whereas Spurs will arrive with renewed energy as major players return. For a defence built largely around Gabriel’s presence, the timing of the injury is far from ideal. If the worst-case prognosis is confirmed, he could miss 15 matches across the Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.

Liam Scott made his maiden first-class century and Jake Lehmann also made a ton as South Australia dominate Tasmania

AAP06-Dec-2025Liam Scott had the finest day of his cricket career, scoring a maiden first-class century and helping South Australia to a commanding position over Tasmania.After team-mate Jake Lehmann also made a ton, Scott plundered 147 as the home side surged to 426 and a first-innings lead of 231 at Adelaide Oval.Tasmania then went to stumps at 73 for 3 in reply, still trailing by 158 runs at the end of day two after being all out for 195 on Friday.A win would be vital for South Australia, who entered this round in fourth spot on the ladder, just behind Tasmania.And their dominance was best summed up by Scott’s innings, with the bowling allrounder having shown talent with the bat since his debut in 2019-20.The 24-year-old fired from the moment he arrived at the crease, attacking Billy Stanlake and cutting him for five separate boundaries. He also took to the spinners, bringing up his century and pumping the air in joy after one of two slog-sweeps that went for six off Ruwantha Kellepotha.Another six came when he used his feet and hit Nivethan Radhakrishnan back down the ground, before he later took Jackson Bird and Gabe Bell over the legside boundary.Scott’s innings came with Lloyd Pope (36) offering support in a 76-run ninth-wicket stand that completely took the game away from Tasmania.It came after Lehmann reached his second century of the summer, continuing on a late-career resurgence that began at the end of last season.He reached 100 from 96 deliveries, before being bowled next ball when chopping onto his own stumps off Brad Hope.After being put to the sword in the field Tasmania then slumped to 42 for 3 early in their second innings, with Jordan Buckingham removing both Radhakrishnan and Hope.

أعلن أحمد عبد الرؤوف، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، قائمة بدلاء الفارس الأبيض لمباراة اليوم أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية في المواجهة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الرابطة.

ويلعب الزمالك ضد كهرباء الإسماعيلية، اليوم ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية، على أرضية ملعب استاد المقاولون العرب.

وتقام منافسات بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية في نسختها الخامسة، بعد أن أقيمت 4 نسخ من قبل، توج بها فيوتشر في المرة الأولى وسيراميكا كليوباترا حصل عليها 3 مرات متتالية.

طالع | تشكيل الزمالك أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية في كأس الرابطة المصرية

ويشهد تشكيل الزمالك، أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية، الدفع بمجموعة من الشباب والناشئين لتعويض غياب اللاعبين الدوليين المنضمين إلى منتخب مصر الأول الذي يستعد لأمم إفريقيا، ومنتخب مصر الثاني المشارك في بطولة كأس العرب. بدلاء الزمالك أمام كهرباء الإسماعيلية في كأس الرابطة

حمود الشناوي وزياد مدحت ويوسف وائل الفرنسي وأحمد صفوت ومحمد حمد وأنس وائل وحازم أسامة وأحمد حمدي وناصر منسي.

Northamptonshire delay trophy presentation but can’t escape defeat

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Leicestershire 429 (Eskinazi 155) and 260 for 5 dec (Patel 76, Cox 51*, Budinger 50) beat Northamptonshire 189 (Zaib 62, Wright 3-19, Holland 3-28) and 333 (van der Merwe 116, Zaib 58, Bartlett 50, Trevaskis 6-85) by 167 runsNorthamptonshire’s Stuart van der Merwe held up Leicestershire’s Division Two trophy presentation with a century on debut on the final day of this Rothesay County Championship match at Wantage Road.The 20-year-old who trialled at Leicester earlier this season was recently awarded a two-year rookie deal by Northamptonshire after impressing in the One-Day Cup and duly celebrated by scoring 116 from 209 balls, with 12 fours, to frustrate Leicestershire’s push for their seventh win of the season.Already assured of promotion and the Division Two title, Leicestershire finally wrapped up victory by 167 runs just before tea, bowling out Northamptonshire for 333, Liam Trevaskis taking a career best 6 for 85.Van der Merwe shared a sixth-wicket stand worth 80 with Saif Zaib who rounded off a spectacular year with 58, finishing as county cricket’s leading run-scorer with 1425 runs. With six centuries and seven half-centuries, Zaib has scored the third most runs in a Championship season for Northamptonshire this century.Van der Merwe also shared a seventh-wicket stand with of 128 off 187 balls with George Bartlett who scored his third half-century of the season.Earlier Northamptonshire resumed on 120 for 5, chasing an improbable 501 to win. van der Merwe was dropped off Trevaskis by Rishi Patel at wide first slip, but Zaib soon worked Holland off his legs to bring up Northamptonshire’s 150 in the 53rd over.He straight drove Holland for four before running a single off the next delivery to reach his 50, before bringing up the 50 partnership with van der Merwe in style by pulling Trevaskis over midwicket for six.Van der Merwe also started to locate the boundary ropes, dispatching two short balls through the off side in the first over of a fresh Josh Hull spell before driving Holland through the covers.Zaib’s long summer of batting finally ended though when he drove loosely at one from Hull, Stephen Eskinazi taking the catch at gully.Trevaskis had two lbw shouts turned down against van der Merwe as he went to sweep but the Northamptonshire youngster deposited him over deep midwicket when he served up a juicy full toss. With the floodlights on, van der Merwe then took a single off Trevaskis to reach 50 off 103 balls. Bartlett, meanwhile, pulled Chris Wright square for four to get off the mark.After lunch, van der Merwe and Bartlett both swept the spinners for boundaries, while van der Merwe drove Patel through midwicket to bring up Northamptonshire’s 250 and then pulled him for another four next ball.Bartlett hit a wide ball from Wright over the vacant gully position to the ropes before driving Ian Holland straight down the ground as the partnership gathered pace.Van der Merwe had a couple of nervous moments during a testing spell from Wright, playing his final game, but drove Holland confidently through the covers, while Bartlett drove Wright sweetly through midwicket and then punched Holland off the back foot through cover to bring up the 100 partnership off 160 balls.In an eventful over from Logan van Beek, van der Merwe hooked for four before running a single which allowed Bartlett to run one and reach his half-century. Van der Merwe reached three figures off the final ball of the over as he pulled to fine leg, becoming only the third man to score a century on first-class debut for Northamptonshire after Alastair Storie in 1985 and David Sales in 1996.Bartlett fell to the very next ball though when he steered Hull straight to backward point, with Trevaskis soon trapping both George Scrimshaw and Ben Whitehouse lbw. Finally, the left-arm spinner then had van der Merwe brilliantly caught by Budinger at short leg to allow the celebrations began.

Sunderland are sitting inside the Champions League slots and could now be set to put forward a record bid for a European star that would represent a major shift in mentality at the Stadium of Light.

Regis Le Bris has continued to thrive in the North East after leading the Black Cats to the Premier League last season, and his side emerged with major credit over the weekend after securing a last-gasp 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal.

Despite the visitors defence being near-impenetrable in the top-flight before kick-off, Sunderland managed to carve their way through Mikel Arteta’s backline on several occasions.

More importantly, the Black Cats withstood immense pressure from the Gunners, throwing bodies on the line to secure a valuable point that keeps them on course for an excellent campaign as a newly-promoted outfit.

Dan Ballard played a significant role in helping Sunderland claim the result. However, the Northern Ireland international has stressed that his teammates have a long way to go before achieving their initial target of retaining their place in the division.

He told Match of the Day: “It’s a good morale boost to show we can go against a really top team – probably one of the best in Europe at the minute – and delighted with that. But it is just one point and we’ve got a lot of work to do to achieve our goal of staying up this year.”

Of course, Ballard’s comments are fairly routine for a side who are exceeding expectations. Still, Sunderland have definitely shown a healthy sense of ambition this term, and appear on course to achieve an excellent points total if they can maintain their current form.

With that in mind, they could now be set to target a record signing who would change the landscape of what could be to come at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland could submit record offer for Fermin Lopez

According to reports in Spain, Sunderland could be set to submit an offer of over £70 million to sign Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez, contingent on whether they secure a dream Champions League slot this season.

Given their financial structure allows Le Bris to compete with elite sides across the continent, there is now internal debate at the Catalan giants over whether to accept a money-spinning sum for one of their rising stars, who would instantly be Sunderland’s most expensive signing ever.

Five similar players to Fermin Lopez (FBRef)

Leroy Sane

Galatasaray

Serge Gnabry

Bayern Munich

Christian Pulisic

AC Milan

Luis Diaz

Bayern Munich

Dani Olmo

Barcelona

Labelled “sensational” by Hansi Flick, the attacking midfielder has already notched six goals and four assists in 11 matches this season, and he is also capable of playing on the left flank or in central midfield.

Sunderland have bid for the new Chemsdine Talbi

Talks are at an initial stage and Barcelona are yet to give a definitive signal whether they are going to let him depart, though it is clear that Sunderland have given them something to think about ,and a high-profile transfer saga could be set to follow.