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Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi has denied claims that he told Moises Caicedo he could leave this summer amid links to Chelsea.

What's the latest Moises Caicedo transfer news?

It's no secret that the Ecuador midfielder is much-wanted by the Blues right now and they've actually already made an attempt to sign him.

Indeed, as per Sky Sports, Chelsea tabled a bid of £70m for Caicedo but it was rejected out of hand by the Seagulls as they now value their asset at around £100m – which is in the same bracket as Arsenal's record-signing Declan Rice.

No doubt fans of the West London club will be concerned that they might be priced out of a move but there have been some suggestions that De Zerbi gave his midfielder his word that he would be sold this summer.

Indeed, when the player signed a new four-year contract toward the end of last season Fabrizio Romano reported that De Zerbi told Caicedo: "Stay here with us until the end of the season, and we will sell you in the summer."

The journalist added: "This was the plan, this was promised to the player."

However, now refuting these claims, the Brighton manager has insisted that no such promise was made.

Indeed, De Zerbi recently explained to the press the club's current stance, saying: “At the moment Moises is a Brighton player. I spoke with Tony Bloom and he told me if the conditions don’t change, Moises stays with us.

“For me it should be great news because it is difficult to find another player like Moises.”

He then denied talk of there being a verbal agreement to let his midfielder for a certain price, saying: “It is not true. I am coach, not owner, I’m not a sporting director. I’m only a coach. Believe me, it is difficult to be a coach.”

What did De Zerbi say about Colwill and Caicedo?

These claims from the Brighton boss will likely annoy many Chelsea fans who may feel as though this potential summer transfer is slipping through their fingers.

To make things worse, De Zerbi probably then upset even more Blues supporters when he suggested that Caicedo may even play for the Seagulls with their very own Levi Colwill next season.

The Chelsea defender spent last term on loan down on the south coast and is still wanted by Brighton, and they've already had a £30m bid rejected with Mauricio Pochettino keen on keeping him around.

De Zerbi also proposed a possible swap deal as a compromise. In full, he said: “There are two questions. Not only about Caicedo, also about Colwill, and maybe it can be [a swap].

“I would like to play with Caicedo and Colwill together but at the moment I can only speak about Caicedo as Colwill is not one of my players.”

It remains to be seen where the two players end up at the end of the transfer market but at the moment it feels as though any outcome could end up happening.

Perhaps both will stay put at their current clubs, perhaps both will play under De Zerbi for the Seagulls next term, and perhaps both will end up with Pochettino at Chelsea.

Tony Palladino finished with four wickets, but much Derbyshire discussion surrounded a derby debut for a South African loanee from Surrey

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge02-Jun-2017
ScorecardThe vision of a prosperous future that Derbyshire were eager to embrace after Kim Barnett’s dismantling and reconstruction of a failed coaching model over the winter is still more than a little blurred but this was one day, at least, when the picture had a sharper focus.So far this season, Nottinghamshire have for the most part looked like a team playing in the wrong division. Some of Derbyshire’s more cynical supporters have reflected that the same might be true of their side… except there is no Division Three.For Derbyshire to bowl out the leaders for their lowest total to date – the first time, in fact, they have not passed 300 – therefore came as something of a surprise, although having opted to forego the toss and bowl, skipper Billy Godleman clearly thought there might be something in the conditions to exploit on a warm but overcast morning with rain about.He also had something new to toss into the mix in Conor McKerr, who became the 14th player to bowl in five first-class matches for Derbyshire this season, which says something about how far they are from a settled line-up, although injuries have been a factor too.McKerr, on loan from Surrey for 28 days, arrived as an unknown quantity. Aged 19, born in South African and with a UK passport, he had not played a first-class match even in his homeland before this one. All manner of divides – geographical, social – have meant the Peakites have never much cared for the Brown Hats down the years so to be borrowing from their Second XI may for some have been hard to stomach.Yet it did not take long for it to become clear that bringing him north was a shrewd move on director of cricket Barnett’s part, or at least one based on trustworthy advice. Standing 6ft 6ins tall and with a strong upper body, McKerr has a quick arm and some skill too. He took his maiden first-class wicket with his fourth ball.There was a rocky patch after lunch when he conceded 25 runs in three overs but the other 15 cost only 28. That he could come back from that mauling and take his second wicket with the second ball of his next spell suggests a strong temperament too. Had Tony Palladino, at the other end of the experience scale, not dismissed three of Nottinghamshire’s top four, McKerr could arguably have claimed to be Derbyshire’s bowler of the day.Tony Palladino picked up four wickets but an unusual signing also caught the eye•Getty Images”It all happened pretty quickly,” Kerr said. “I got a phone call from Alec Stewart and he said there was an opportunity to go to Derby, would you like it? There wasn’t even a debate. That’s the dream, that’s what I moved from South Africa to England for, I couldn’t be happier.”It was a strange day for the leaders. They were asked to bat first in their first two home matches and made well in excess of 400 in both. Even after Jake Libby’s early demise, edging McKerr to first slip, there looked every prospect of the pattern being repeated.Cheteshwar Pujara, after his home debut century last week, fell for 29 when Palladino had him taken behind the wicket (where Daryl Smit has displaced Gary Wilson), but when Steven Mullaney and Samit Patel then began picking off boundaries seemingly at will, Godleman might have wished he had paid more heed to what happened to Gloucestershire last week, and to Sussex before them.In less than 10 overs, the third-wicket pairing added 72 runs. The punishment suffered by McKerr – slapped almost nonchalantly for six over cover by Patel – was meted out also on Tom Taylor, who leaked 28 runs in three overs. Mullaney took him for four boundaries in five deliveries in one of those.But then, almost out of the blue, Palladino dismissed them both within half a dozen balls, in remarkably similar fashion. Patel, driving extravagantly, missed what appeared to be a fairly straight delivery. Mullaney, similarly loose, followed suit in the next over. Perhaps there was some movement in the air, although by no means substantial.Thereafter, although Riki Wessels tried to rebuild it, the momentum of the innings rather dribbled away and Derbyshire had reason to feel that they had put it a satisfactory shift.They lost two wickets in the 19 overs that remained either side of an eight-over stoppage for rain, the dismissal of Shiv Thakor to a sharp slip catch by Patel in the last of those overs leaving them a tad disappointed. Irrespective of that, it was still their day.

An update has emerged on Liverpool's search for new midfielders to bolster their playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

According to FootballTransfers, the Reds are considering a swoop to sign Bayern Munich titan Leon Goretzka ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the German international is one of the 'prime' candidates to fill out Jurgen Klopp's squad as speculation swirls over Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and Thiago Alcantara's respective futures at the club.

It states that the Bundesliga giants want to overhaul their squad over the coming weeks and, for that reason, they are open to cashing in on the central midfielder for a fee in the region of €40m (£35m).

He would be the third new addition of the summer for Liverpool after they snapped up Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to improve their options in midfield.

How old is Leon Goretzka?

The Bayern machine is in what should be the prime years of his career at the age of 28 and would, therefore, arrive at Anfield as a player who is ready to make an instant impact.

He is not a young player with plenty of development still to come or an experienced veteran whose powers are waning, which could allow him to hit the ground running.

Goretzka has proven himself to be a combative midfielder who can also provide a significant goal threat and that could make him perfect for Szoboszlai next season.

The Hungary international, who recently signed from RB Leipzig, could provide the towering German with the opportunities he needs to find the back of the net as his time in the Bundesliga suggests that he is a creative magician.

Szoboszlai registered 2.3 key passes per match for his former club last season, which resulted in 14 'big chances' being created for his teammates. Meanwhile, no Liverpool player managed more than Trent Alexander-Arnold's 1.9 key passes per Premier League game.

This suggests that the 22-year-old wizard could be Klopp's outstanding creative presence in midfield next season, due to his impressive ability to unlock opposition defences on a regular basis.

Goretzka, who has scored 34 goals in 179 matches for Bayern, ranks within the top 1% of his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions over the last 365 days for non-penalty expected goals (xG) accumulated per 90.

This essentially means that the 28-year-old talent excels at finding himself in high-quality positions to find the back of the net, which indicates that he would be perfect for Szoboszlai.

The German international, who teammate Manuel Neuer hailed as "cold as ice", is a goalscoring midfielder who could benefit from his potentially new teammate's superb creativity to provide a significant goal threat from midfield.

His physicality in that position could also allow Szoboszlai to go about his business without worrying about that side of the game. The 6 foot 2 monster won 58% of his Bundesliga duels, including 67% of his aerial battles, last season, whilst the Hungarian star lost 72% of his contests in the air.

Therefore, Goretzka would perfectly complement the former Leipzig maestro in and out of possession as the £35m-rated colossus has the quality to provide the exciting youngster with a target to find within the box in attack whilst also being able to cover for him defensively with immense aerial ability.

West Bromwich Albion risk annoying head coach Carlos Corberan with their transfer activity as outgoings continue to take priority over incomings at The Hawthorns.

Who are West Brom signing?

A combination of their Premier League parachute payments expiring, plus owner Guochuan Lai simply being reluctant to spend, means it is likely to continue being a frustrating transfer window for the Baggies and their supporters.

Lai, via the Birmingham Mail, has already admitted that more players could be sold before the September 1st deadline should the right offers be made. This is despite captain Dara O'Shea already being sold to Burnley for £7m last month.

The likes of Jake Livermore, Tom Rogic and highly-rated Rico Richards have also departed, while no new recruits have yet been signed.

With it looking increasingly likely that Corberan will have to settle largely with what he has, the Baggies may have a new signing of sorts ready to be unleashed.

According to The Express & Star's Lewis Cox, youngster Reyes Cleary will get a chance to show what he is all about during pre-season, potentially opening the door for more first-team appearances in the 2023/24 Championship campaign.

Who is West Brom youngster Reyes Cleary?

Cleary made his senior debut for West Brom in an FA Cup third-round loss against Brighton and Hove Albion in January 2022 and a further five appearances last season, two of those as a substitute in the league.

The 19-year-old has not exactly been given a run of games just yet, then, meaning he has had to leave his talking to appearances in Premier League 2 Division 2. With 16 goals in 12 outings in the 2022-23 season, he did exactly that.

Indeed, no player could match that return in the division, with Cleary's tally made up of a couple of hat-tricks, four braces and single goals in two other matches.

Considered the crown in the club's academy ranks, 6 foot 1 frontman made the step up and was praised by U21 boss Richard Beale for working hard to get himself in shape and ultimately reaping the rewards.

"He's a really, really good finisher and he's got bags of pace," Beale said only last October. "They're not two bad attributes to have for a player in his position."

Throw Arsenal-linked Cleary's ability to play in different positions in attack, and it is all the more strange he was not given more of a chance to prove himself at senior level last season.

That could change this campaign, however, in what could pave the way for an exciting partnership with the returning Daryl Dike. The United States international is out until October with a long-term injury, but he can profit from having a player like Cleary playing alongside him.

Indeed, Dike was one of only two West Brom players to score at least seven goals last season, along with Brandon Thomas-Asante, despite the fact he played just 23 matches.

Corberan needs a player who can both link up with Dike and chip in with regular goals, which Cleary has the potential to do. It may be through necessity more than choice, but Cleary will surely now have a chance to show more regularly what he is capable of.

Roston Chase once against registered a fifty-plus score in Test cricket with his team in trouble, scoring an unbeaten 131 in Barbados

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-20171:07

Roston Chase, the Caribbean’s Crisis Man

On Sunday at Kensington Oval, local boy Roston Chase made his fourth score of over fifty in Test cricket, in his ninth match. Three of these four knocks have come after his team was four down for less than 70, including a match-saving 137 against India in Jamaica last August. The fourth, an unbeaten 131, has helped West Indies recover from 37 for 3, taking them within sight of 300 by stumps on day one of the second Test against Pakistan. No wonder then that Chase is nicknamed “Crisis Man”.”There’s a little joke in the dressing room, among the Barbados guys, that if it was a superhero movie, my superhero name would be Crisis Man,” Chase said with a laugh after the day’s play. “I relish these situations where we are on the back foot, under pressure. I just like to dig my team out of a hole all the time.”An added incentive to perform, Chase said, was the presence of his family at the match. “My parents always pushed me in the direction of cricket, because that was my first love. They always backed me 100%, gave me that encouragement to just go out there and play my cricket and do the best that I can. Also my brother is a big mentor for me, so I felt good about doing it in front of him today.”On getting to that hundred against India last year, Chase had crossed his arms to form an “X”. On Sunday, he brought out the same celebration, which he said was a reminder to him of his beginnings.”Before this Test match, my brother told me he wanted the X celebration I did for my first hundred in Jamaica,” Chase said. “That’s something I’ve started doing since I came back from England in 2015. Here in Barbados, the X is a symbol for Christ Church. That’s where we’re from, so it’s something to remind me of where I’m from and to just keep me going.”West Indies finished the day on 286 for 6, and Chase said they would want a minimum of 350 from here, especially as he expected the pitch to deteriorate quite a bit going forward.”It [the pitch] is very dry, so as it goes on, I think the spinners may come into play a bit more,” he said. “It’s only day one, there are a lot of foot marks out there already. So I think the spinners can play a big role in the latter stages of the game. We’re not looking to get less than 350; 350 and above is great for us.”

Bangladesh’s limited-overs captain Mashrafe Mortaza has been suspended for one ODI for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2017Bangladesh’s limited-overs captain Mashrafe Mortaza has been suspended for one ODI, and fined 40% of his match fee, for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Colombo.It was Mashrafe’s second over-rate penalty in 12 months after he was also sanctioned following the first ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch on December 26. It means he will miss Bangladesh’s first ODI against Ireland on May 12 which is part of a tri-series also involving New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy.The remaining Bangladesh players were also fined 20% of their match fees for the same offence after the match referee Andy Pycroft found the team two overs short.Bangladesh lost the third ODI by 70 runs as the three-match series was shared.

Fulham are currently in talks to sign Roma defender Roger Ibanez this summer, who is now their "first choice" to strengthen in defence.

Who will Fulham sign this summer?

Marco Silva's side enjoyed an exceptional first full campaign back in the big time following their Championship promotion last year.

Fulham chased Europe for a good portion of the 22/23 season, eventually missing out to Brentford, Liverpool and Aston Villa, whilst also finishing above west London rivals Chelsea.

Major clubs across England, as a result, have taken a liking to some of Silva's star players – with left-back Antonee Robinson and Joao Palhinha attracting real interest.

Fulham, though, could charge as much as £90 million for Palhinha and don't seem likely to be bullied around in this summer transfer market.

In terms of incomings, there has been no shortage of names linked with moves to Craven Cottage in the last two weeks, including Southampton star James Ward-Prowse, Japan international Ao Tanaka, Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres, Fenerbahce defender Ferdi Kadioglu and Roma centre-back Ibanez.

Sharing an update on Fulham's links to the latter player, a report out of Italy has some news for supporters.

Vocegiallorossa.it, in collaboration with Firenzeviola.it, claims Ibanez is now Fulham's "first choice" to strengthen their backline. It is believed the Whites are already negotiating to sign him, and with Roma eager to sell him for profit, they're looking to English clubs.

The report claims only Premier League sides can pay Ibanez's price tag, which is said to be around £26 million, and barring any last-minute surprises, he is set to be sold this summer.

It's added that Fulham are the team most interested in the South American centre-back.

What's been said about Roger Ibanez?

The 24-year-old totalled Roma's highest rate of interceptions per 90 in the Italian top flight last season, with only Bryan Cristante averaging more successful challenges per match (WhoScored).

Ibanez stood out as one of their best defenders, at least going by the numbers, with manager Jose Mourinho calling him an "untouchable" at one point.

"When we went to Seville to face Real Betis earlier this season, the morning of the game I saw him and thought it was going to be impossible for him to play. And yet he played," said Mourinho.

"He’s one who always fronts up. When we win, we all win together. When we lose, we all lose together. For me, he is untouchable."

The proposal could end a revenue sharing model between the board and the players that has stood for 19 years

Daniel Brettig21-Mar-2017Australia’s cricketers are considering the formal payment MOU offer announced by Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday, as the board pushes on with its attempt to break up the fixed percentage of revenue share agreement that has existed since 1998.While CA have agreed with the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) to include women in a single MOU for the first time, the remainder of the offer stays broadly in line with the initial pay submission presented to the players late last year. Talks have so far been the most fractious since the ACA was formed 20 years ago. The offer was formally submitted to the ACA this afternoon.The proposed changes

Total pay increases to A$419 million for 2017-22, from the current A$311 million

Average women’s pay increases by more than 125%, to A$179,000 a year from A$79,000 for international cricketers; it is A$52,000 from A$22,000 for domestic cricketers

Average international men’s central contract to rise to A$816,000 by 2021-22, with match fees up to an average of A$1.45 million from A$1.16 million in 2016-17

Average domestic men’s payments to rise to A$235,000 by 2021-22, up from A$199,000 in 2016-17

Minimum and average hourly pay will be the same for men and women domestic cricketers

Identical match fees for Women’s National Cricket League and Matador Cup

James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, heralded measures such as equal hourly rates of pay for male and female domestic players, an increase for women of 125% next to their current deals. He also outlined the overall increase in player remuneration from A$311 million over the current MOU period (2012-17) to A$419 million over the next MOU (2017-2022).”We are pleased that the Australian Cricketers Association agrees with us that women, for the first time, should be part of the MOU, and we have proposed a financial model that has gender equity at its heart,” Sutherland said.”Under the proposal, women will receive an immediate average pay increase of more than 125%. As a result, our international women cricketers will see their average pay increase from A$79,000 to A$179,000, as of July 1 this year. By 2021, we expect to see our international women cricketers earning an average of A$210,000.”And our state female cricketers, playing both WNCL [Women’s National Cricket League] and WBBL [Women’s Big Bash League], will see their average remuneration more than double from A$22,000 to A$52,000 this year. Under this offer, we will achieve gender equity by ensuring that the minimum and average hourly pay will be the same for state men and women in 2017/18. In addition, match fees for the WNCL and the Matador Cup will be exactly the same: a one-day game for a state cricketer is worth the same to both men and women.”We are also introducing, for the first time, prize money for the WNCL of A$258,000 and the WBBL of A$309,000 this coming summer.”The Australia’s women cricketers’ fees – those who play international cricket – have increased by 125% to A$ 179,000•Getty ImagesOne of the most hotly-contested aspects of the initial CA submission was that only the top male players deserved a fixed share of the game’s revenue because they helped provide most of windfall from international matches. Sutherland indicated that CA wanted to offer guaranteed minimums to the players while keeping any blue sky amounts over and above projections for funding other aspects of the game.CA’s figures come with the asterisk that the next round of television rights deals, both for Australian and overseas markets, are resolved over the next 15 months. Sutherland indicated that even if the revenue raised by these deals turned out to be comfortably above current projections, only international players would be entitled to a share in the upside.”We have placed the emphasis on increasing the guaranteed amount that the men will receive, rather than rely on any projected increase in revenue,” Sutherland said. “We understand that the ACA prefers the status quo, but CA believes that the model devised in the 1990s, which is based on a fixed percentage of revenue, has served its intended purpose – to make Australia’s cricketers some of the best paid sportspeople in the country.”It was a means to an end, not something that has to hold us back from providing players with financial certainty, a fair deal for all players including women, and the flexibility to invest in the grassroots of the game.”This is a landmark agreement. We are now looking forward to sitting down with the ACA to work through the details and we are confident we will be able to announce a completed agreement before June 30.”Another pillar of past MOU agreements was CA’s provision of an annual grant to fund the ACA, something the board openly questioned in their initial submission. Sutherland declined to indicate whether this was being maintained in the new offer.”That’s something that is in the detail of the proposal, I don’t want to go into that right now,” he said. “It’s something we can talk about later on. In the first instance we see that as a matter for the members and the ACA to consider and we can talk through that detail in the future.”Both Sutherland and the ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson have spent time with the Test team in India in recent days. The players have so far been united in their rejection of any attempts to break up the revenue sharing model, and have also rebuffed CA’s efforts to negotiate directly with the players rather than the ACA.The national captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning co-signed a letter to Sutherland to this effect in December after talks broke down. While they have resumed in the new year, the two parties remain a long way apart. Nicholson said that the ACA was positive about some elements of the pay offer, but also stated that much of its detail still needed to be digested before the players respond.”There is a lot of fine print to examine and a lot more forecast information still needed by the players,” he said. “Like all such proposals the devil is always in the details. For the moment, what can be said is that this proposal shows a number of promising signs that indicate that CA has been taking the ACA’s lead on various key points from our MOU submission.”However, with a lack of detail in the terms and conditions that underpin this proposal, the ACA will continue to seek clarification from CA and advise the players on this accordingly. The ACA will respond more fully in the coming weeks.”Australia’s looming series decider with India in Dharamsala should ensure that there will be little further jousting until the Test match concludes.

Liverpool’s summer transfer window so far has been pretty much perfect. They’ve welcomed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, as they finally start to rebuild their midfield ahead of next season.

It’s been maybe too good to be true, however. Too perfect. And that’s where the future of Thiago Alcantara enters the mix to add a flavour of negativity. The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona man has just one year left on his contract and is a firm fan favourite.

Injury issues have slightly limited his Anfield career at times, but when fully fit, Thiago remains one of the most important players at the club. At 32, though, his Liverpool future has come into question.

What’s the latest on Thiago and Liverpool?

As things stand, Liverpool do not plan to offer Thiago a new contract upon the expiration of his current deal next summer, according to The Athletic.

Meanwhile, reports back in April suggest that the Spaniard is on Barcelona’s shortlist this summer, meaning that a return to his boyhood club could be on the cards. According to Diario AS, via the Liverpool Echo, Thiago was on the La Liga club’s five-man list of targets a few months ago.

Having just signed Ilkay Gundogan, however, a move for Thiago could be unlikely this summer, especially since he’ll be leaving Liverpool on a free deal next summer, as things stand.

As also noted in The Athletic, Saudi Arabia can never be ruled out these days, either, considering club’s spending power this summer, attracting players nearing retirement, and even a couple of players in their prime currently.

Thiago removes Liverpool from Instagram bio

Amid speculation over his future, Liverpool fans spotted that Thiago has removed the club from his Instagram bio in what is potentially an alarming clue, regarding what’s next.

Given that the Reds have already welcomed two midfielders this summer, too, with interest also in Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, as per Fabrizio Romano, Thiago may not play such a large role at Anfield next season.

His injury issues mean that, despite his quality, Klopp can’t look to him for reliability. And that could have played a huge part in reportedly opting out of extending the midfielder’s current deal.

Thiago remains a fan favourite at the club, though, and his experience on and off the pitch could yet prove vital, especially as younger players arrive. Either way, it looks set to continue being a busy summer for the Reds ahead of the next campaign.

Arsenal could potentially have "two more" signings to come this summer after deals for Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber are all tied up, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Arsenal transfer news – who else are the club targeting?

Arsenal have already made a huge splash in the transfer window this summer, with their £105m bid for Declan Rice reportedly accepted by West Ham United, pending discussions over the deal's structure.

The North Londoners have also just announced their first signing of the summer, German international Havertz, from cross-city rivals Chelsea.

The deal cost a reported £65m, which puts the dynamic midfielder second – soon to be third – on Arsenal's list of most expensive transfers ever.

However, Mikel Arteta hasn't neglected the defence as a €45m/48 (£39m/41) deal to bring Ajax's exciting Jurrien Timber to the Emirates looks to be coming to a successful conclusion, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

In past windows, this would represent a stunning level of spending for a club synonymous with penny-pinching during the Emirates era, yet Edu and Co. might only be getting started.

What has Dean Jones said about Arsenal's transfer plans?

Jones was clear that despite the club already spending big this summer, he has heard information suggesting that they have plans to spend more.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: "I expect Arsenal to put their foot on the ball after they get these next two signings through the door. It's been an intense period trying to tie up Havertz, Timber and Rice, but they are in a very good place now, and my information is that more signings will be coming — but not just yet.

"They will start getting the players in for pre-season and then assess how, when and where they attack the market further. It wouldn't surprise me if there are two more to come — but not yet."

Before this summer, who were Arsenal's five most expensive signings ever?

The Gunners look like they are about to blow their previous spending records out of the water this summer, but who were the priciest players to don the famous red and white beforehand?

In fifth place is Gabriel Jesus, who joined the club from now title rivals Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for just £45m.

The Brazilian enjoyed a great first season in North London, and had it not been for his knee injury at the World Cup, he would have likely ended the season on more than the 11 goals he did.

At number four, Alexandre Lacazette who arrived in 2017 from French outfit Lyon for a hefty £46.5m.

Despite ending his time at the club with a rather slender goal tally of just 54 goals in 158 Premier League appearances, the Frenchman was a player fans respected for his tireless hold-up play, and since his return to Lyon, he has found his scoring form again.

Ben White holds the third spot, the £50m man that had his fair share of detractors upon his move to the club in 2021, detractors that have likely changed their tune by now.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion man played his first season for the club in his natural position at centre-half but was moved out to right-back upon the introduction of William Saliba, a position he has since flourished in.

Claiming the silver medal is former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who cost the club £56m after joining in the January transfer window of 2018.

While things may have ended poorly for the former Dortmund star at the Emirates when he was in form, he was nigh unstoppable.

In just 163 games for the club, the Gabon international racked up 98 goals and 21 assists, forming a particularly potent duo with Lacazette.

Unfortunately, first place in this list goes to a player that has to be described as somewhat of a flop, Nicolas Pepe.

The Ivorian winger joined the Gunners from Lille in the summer of 2019 for a club record fee of £72m, and despite showing occasional glimpses of brilliance, he never reached the potential so many had hoped he would under Arteta.