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Arsenal will take a 2-2 draw back to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their Europa League last-16 clash with Sporting CP next week for a place in the quarter-finals.

Both teams played out an entertaining four-goal thriller in Lisbon on Thursday evening, with both the Gunners and the Lions trading first-half headers from a corner before Granit Xhaka’s deflected effort salvaged a point after Paulinho fired the hosts in front ten minutes after the break.

Mikel Arteta’s side failed to assert their dominance in the final 28 minutes, despite registering more possession (68%) and registering more shots total shots (14).

It could have been a different story had Gabriel Martinelli bagged a goal with his sensational mazy solo run.

After picking up the ball near his own penalty box, the Brazilian winger danced past three players, then rounded the goalkeeper but the sheer speed of Jeremiah St. Juste thwarted him before he could fire the shot into the empty net.

His display certainly deserved a lot more as he was largely starved of service, whilst similarly for Bukayo Saka, his outing should have been rewarded with the victory in Portugal…

How did Bukayo Saka do vs Sporting CP?

In the words of analyst Statman Dave, the England international was “electric” at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, having earned the joint-highest Sofascore rating for the visitors (7.8).

Saka was successful with eight of his nine dribbling attempts, proving to be a complete nightmare for his opposite number, who registered the fourth-worst rating for the home outfit (6.4).

The Hale End sensation was at the forefront of every Arsenal attack, managing an 87% passing accuracy, 69 touches and two successful long balls and he did so without forgetting his defensive tasks, with a total of three tackles – only bettered by one other player on the pitch – and he won 12 of his 15 duels (80%), via Sofascore.

Valued at £106m by CIES Football Observatory, Saka was said to have ’caused Sporting all sorts of problems with his pace and trickery’ by journalist Chris Wheatley after the match.

Such a performance certainly warranted more than a draw, especially considering it could have easily been a game in which Arteta rested his star man, thus a win would’ve been just dessert for taking such a big risk, with the north London giants fighting for their first Premier League title in nearly a decade.

Arsenal’s “monster” – as once hailed by writer Mark White – was evidently one of the top performers in this encounter, it’s just a shame that his efforts were not rewarded with more.

AND in other news, Arteta could unearth Arsenal’s next Ashley Cole in “versatile” Hale End sensation…

England’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere began with the Test match at the Gabba. Mark Stoneman and James Vince gave them an excellent platform with encouraging half-centuries, adding 125 together, before failing to go on. England never had a foothold in the Ashes after that.Fast forward five months and the match situation is somewhat better – they lead by 231 runs and are well placed to push for a series-levelling victory and have something to show for their efforts with the pink and red ball. But for Stoneman and Vince, there is a feeling of deja vu. Half-centuries apiece, a stand of 123, the promise of more, but frustrating dismissals.

New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling is hopeful a Christchurch pitch losing some of its life will keep them in with a chance of saving – or even winning – the second Test and with it taking the series.
The second new ball is 14 overs away and represents New Zealand’s last chance of having a realistic target to chase, but the bounce and carry evident for the quicks over the first half of the day has lessened.
“It’s definitely a lot flatter than over the first few days,” Watling said. “It doesn’t look like it’s breaking up at all, it actually looks like it’s getting a bit deader. I don’t think it will do a hell of a lot on the final day so we just need to get ourselves into a position to hopefully win the game.”

Stoneman had significant fortune in his innings – dropped on 48 and 57 – but couldn’t make it count when he finally paid the price for flashing outside off. Vince played with increasing confidence during his third Test fifty – all of which have come at the No. 3 position – after regaining his place that he had to forego due to the batting reshuffle at Eden Park. As ever, the drives were working well and, almost as inevitably, one brought his downfall when he edged to slip with a spot-sealing maiden Test hundred on offer.”Going forward, I’m sure both would have loved to have got hundreds and gone on for themselves and their confidence,” Graham Thorpe, the England batting coach, said, “but they’ll still get good pat off us in the dressing room because it’s easy to shrink sometimes at this level so it was important they stood up and continued to play in a positive manner.”Stoneman now has five Test fifties – including two in this series – but none higher than this 60 while Vince averages 30.54 at No. 3 from his six Test against Australia and New Zealand. Since Trevor Bayliss took over in 2015, there has been one century from the opener who isn’t Alastair Cook (and his form is heading south) or the No. 3 who isn’t Joe Root – Keaton Jennings’ 112 on debut against India (Adam Lyth’s hundred against New Zealand came while Paul Farbrace was in temporary charge).There are alternative names who will be mentioned in the lead-up to the next series, against Pakistan in May, and a strong start to the domestic season could attract interest despite England Lions being beaten 3-0 by West Indies in the four-day matches. Liam Livingstone has been on this tour – he is not someone for the top three but the batting order is also far from settled – while the likes of Haseeb Hameed, Joe Clarke, Dan Lawrence and Nick Gubbins will be touted. Recently capped players such as Jennings and Tom Westley could also restate their credentials.However, both incumbents have probably done enough to mean they will start against Pakistan, but England will leave this tour without really having a clearer picture about the best way forward for their top order.”They are in the side so they are in charge of their destiny every time they walk to the crease so the more experience they gain they are in a position to go to that next level,” Thorpe said. “Ultimately it’s up to them to take that next step and go towards three figures.”There are areas of the Test side where we aren’t going to say everyone is guaranteed places. We are constantly trying to get more out of players who are in the starting XI. You have to look at your squad and think are there better players out there or do we have to keep working hard. We have to be patient with players, the more you learn you do get over those hurdles in Test cricket and start to feel very settled. We are hoping a few of them are close to that with the Tests they are starting to play.”England arrived in Australia with a batting line-up in a state of flux and will leave New Zealand in the same position. The attacks of Pakistan and India await. They will sense vulnerability.

Following the departure of Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur's need for a forward is no secret in the closing days of the summer transfer window.

The Lilywhites bid farewell to their star man, who swapped Spurs for Bayern Munich for a reported £86m, leaving the North London club with plenty of funds available to find a replacement. That search has now reportedly led them to out-of-favour Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku.

What's the latest on Romelu Lukaku to Tottenham Hotspur?

As they look to replace Kane, Spurs, and by extension chairman Daniel Levy, have made contact over a potential move for Lukaku, according to Calcio Mercato, without anything concrete taking place as of yet.

The move could certainly make sense for both parties, with Spurs in desperate need of a forward, and Lukaku in need of a career revival after struggling in is second spell at Chelsea – scoring just 15 goals – and enduring a transfer saga to forget, which failed to result in moves to either Juventus or Inter Milan.

With time running out in the transfer window, however, the North London club will need to act fast if they are to push on and pursue the Belgian's signature this summer.

They will have to do so by fending off reported interest from West Ham United, and Saudi Arabia, too.

Should Tottenham Hotspur sign Romelu Lukaku?

It's fair to say that Lukaku has had his controversial moments in the last few years, with his interview whilst at Chelsea the pick of the bunch. But, even so, his goalscoring talent still remains true.

At his best, the Chelsea man is a player capable of competing for the Golden Boot – as shown by his 30 goals in all competitions during the 20/21 season – making him an ideal replacement for Kane.

When showing that form, Lukaku has earned plenty of praise, too, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer previously saying, via All Football:

"He is a quality goalscorer. We need to have him more in front of the goal but he has done fantastic in his work rate, attitude, he loves scoring goals, he smiles every day, he does extra shooting in training.

"He has got the goalscorer's quality. He has the quality right foot, left foot."

Statistically speaking, too, Lukaku could be an upgrade on Richarlison, who is Ange Postecoglou's current option. Last season, as per FBref, whilst on loan at Inter Milan, Lukaku scored and assisted more goals than Richarlison, whilst enjoying progressive passes, and more progressive carries than the Brazilian throughout the season.

With that said, the positives seem to be outweighing the negatives, and if you add in the fact that Lukaku has defeated Spurs seven times in his career, the Lilywhites would be solving plenty of problems by securing his signature this summer.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

It's been a case of so far so good for Potecoglou in North London, of course, with his side most recently defeating Manchester United 2-0 following their 2-2 draw on the opening day against Brentford.

If they can now add Lukaku to their side, then Spurs may well be well-placed to compete for a top-four place in the current campaign, and it could be a deal to watch.

New Zealand’s left-arm spinner claimed Fakhar Zaman with his version of the carrom ball, but now he knows everyone is talking about it

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2018Inspired by watching R Ashwin. Honed in English county cricket. Unfurled against Pakistan in Hamilton. Mitchell Santner’s new delivery, his version of the carrom ball, has been the talk of New Zealand over the last few days.During the fourth one-day international at Seddon Park, Santner defeated Fakhar Zaman, who was well set on 54, when the opener advanced down the pitch and was bowled. Closer inspection revealed Santner had flicked the ball out of his fingers, rather than spinning it in the traditional way for a left-armer, and the delivery gripped to turn the opposite way, from the left-handers leg to off stump.”I’ve been working on a few things and the grip is very similar to Ashwin’s. He used it against us in the Test series over there and I thought ‘yeah, that’s not a bad ball’ so thought I’d give it a crack,” Santner said after New Zealand wrapped up a 5-0 whitewash in Wellington.”I actually used it in county cricket and some of the T20 stuff over there, but on a pitch that suits, it works better because it’s hard to put a lot on it. I am just flicking it out. If there is a little bit of spin, ideally I’d use it a little bit more.”The challenge now for Santner is that everyone is looking for the delivery, which has been termed the “Santner Claw” in New Zealand.”You guys have been analysing it quite a bit now so I might have to put it away,” he joked. “I might have to disguise it a bit more because every time I look up it’s on the big screen. It adds another element to my game. I tend to just work with changes of pace so if one can go the other way it puts a bit of doubt in the batsman’s mind. If you can stay one step ahead, predict what the batsman can do, then it’s ideal.”Santner chipped in with quietly effective performances with the ball during the five one-day internationals: 1 for 34 in Nelson, 1 for 43 in Hamilton (when the carrom ball came out) and then 3 for 40 in Wellington when Pakistan got closest to nipping a victory.He was aided by New Zealand’s quicks having invariably made inroads to leave Pakistan in recovery mode, although at the Basin Reserve responded to his captain’s call to quell a late charge which put New Zealand under a rare spot of pressure. Santner responded with the wickets of Haris Sohail and Shadab Khan, the two half-century makers, before adding Faheem Ashraf”On a holding wicket like that there was more chance for me to get a few wickets and that’s what happened,” he said.New Zealand are unbeaten during their season – 12 victories alongside an abandoned T20 against West Indies – as their attention now turns to the three T20s against Pakistan followed by the marquee part of their summer with the T20 tri-series involving Australia and England before the latter stay for one-day and Test series.”Looking forward to both those series, they are quite big for us,” Santner said. “But first things first it’s the T20s against Pakistan and hopefully we can take the momentum into the tri-series.”

Glasgow Rangers return to action this evening as they host Swiss side Servette at Ibrox in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.

What is the latest Rangers team news?

Light Blues head coach Michael Beale has revealed that left-back Ridvan Yilmaz and central defender Ben Davies will not be available for selection, although they are both expected to be back in action before the end of the month.

The club also confirmed on Tuesday that Fashion Sakala has officially left the club on a permanent basis to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Fayha.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

Glen Kamara, Kemar Roofe, Jon McLaughlin, and Tom Lawrence will also be absent for this game as the English manager opted against including them in his UEFA squad list.

Will Todd Cantwell start against Servette?

One player who must be unleashed from the start for the Gers tonight is attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell, after Beale placed him on the bench against Kilmarnock on the weekend.

Rangers lost 1-0 on the opening day of the Scottish Premiership and the former Norwich maestro was given less than 30 minutes to turn the game around as a substitute.

Meanwhile, Sam Lammers lined up in attack and failed to produce a shot on target or key pass in 84 minutes, which could lead to him being dropped for the Englishman.

The former QPR tactician must now name the 25-year-old maestro in his starting XI tonight alongside Kieran Dowell as they could cause serious problems for the opposition with their respective attacking quality and pre-existing relationship.

Cantwell and the ex-Everton prospect played 24 matches alongside each other on the pitch at the same time during their spell at Carrow Road and won a league title in the Championship together during the 2020/21 campaign.

This means that they already know how to function in the same team and know what it takes to be successful in doing so, which is why they could be an excellent partnership for the Gers in midfield.

Both players carry a goal threat and have the potential to be a match-winner tonight from the middle of the park. Cantwell showcased his ability for Rangers during the second half of last season after his move from Norwich in January.

The Canaries academy product, who was once described as "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting, scored six goals and provided four assists in 13 Premiership outings.

He also averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.36 in that time, which was the third-highest score at the club – only behind Borna Barisic and James Tavernier.

Malik Tillman (ten) was the only midfielder who scored more league goals than the 5 foot 10 wizard last season, which illustrates how important the talented maestro was to Beale when you consider that he was only at Ibrox for five months of the campaign.

Dowell is also a player with the potential to be a scoring threat as the left-footed dynamo produced ten goals in 26 Championship starts for Norwich across the 2020/21 and 2022/23 terms combined, which shows that he is able to regularly chip in with strikes when given the opportunity to start.

These statistics show that both midfielders are capable of scoring goals from the middle of the park, or from a wide position in Cantwell's case, and would be able to hit the ground running alongside each other because of their experiences in England.

Therefore, Beale must start them against Servette tonight in order to give the Light Blues the best chance of building up a healthy lead to take into the away leg later this month.

The BCB is expected to earn $30 million for the financial year 2017-18, but only 1.8% of the amount will be put aside for the national team’s salaries

Mohammad Isam11-Oct-2017The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is generating greater revenues than it ever has, but that growth has not filtered down to the men most responsible for it: the national team. For the financial year 2017-18, the BCB is expected to earn $30 million, but they will spend only 1.8% of that amount on the national team’s salaries.Documents obtained by ESPNcricinfo show that the BCB will spend $550,500 in total yearly players’ salary for the centrally contracted cricketers. Over half of the BCB’s earnings can be said to be generated from the senior team: $17 million comes from title sponsors for international home series, national team sponsorship, ICC and ACC events, as well as international TV rights. The BCB will earn $1.4 million in this period, as part of a $20-million broadcast deal with that ends in 2019. The players’ salaries constitute just over 3% of this $17 million.It isn’t as if the BCB has not recognised the players’ contribution at all. In May this year, the board raised player salaries, though they still didn’t match those of Zimbabwe or Ireland players. The highest paid Bangladesh players – Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim – are set to earn $63,000 annually, a 68% rise from the $37,500-retainer that Grade A-plus cricketers earned the previous year. In the next four grades, players are paid between $45,000 and $15,000 annually.The players’ match fees in all three formats have also seen an increase; a Test appearance fetches $4,300, an ODI $2,500, and for T20s, $1,250 per game.This year’s salary hike is mainly down to negotiations between senior players and BCB officials earlier in the year. Players like Mortaza, Shakib, Mushfiqur and Tamim Iqbal have been at the forefront of negotiations on big and small issues for the senior team. But what they put forward as their end of the bargain doesn’t usually contain properly vetted numbers from within the BCB’s financial reports, on which they can base their demands.For instance, they don’t know how much the BCB earns from ICC events ($9 million in 2017-18) or from the broadcast deal. They also aren’t fully aware of team sponsorship deals. It hasn’t helped that the players’ body, the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), has become largely ineffective over the years.The influence of these senior players is also limited to their team, and not for professional cricketers throughout the country. The BCB has been paying first-class cricketers a monthly salary since 2012, but has talked about shutting that down this year. Instead, most professional cricketers rely heavily on the Dhaka Premier League (DPL), the domestic one-day competition, for income. A top cricketer can earn between $40,000 and $60,000 there.Another source of income now is the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Mushfiqur, Tamim, Shakib, Mashrafe, Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman are projected to earn between $62,500 and $125,000 from BPL contracts for this year’s tournament (the franchises don’t disclose icon players’ fees). But the DPL is poorly run, often with no paperwork to back players’ claims for payment, or even a proper yearly schedule. In many seasons, the DPL is delayed for months, keeping even the top players uncertain about their financial future.In contrast, a six-man foreign coaching staff stands to earn around $1.1 million – double the total spent on player – in salaries. In the last few years, the BCB has relied on a number of foreign coaches, beginning with Chandika Hathurusingha and Heath Streak in mid-2014. They have since replaced Streak with Courtney Walsh. Coaching staff aren’t paid match fees, however.

Coach Chris Silverwood invoked memories of a victory following on against Hampshire when Essex last won the title 25 years ago – and they did it again

ECB Reporters Network22-Sep-20171:29

County Championship Round-up: Essex’s stunning comeback

Sam Cook took a maiden first class five wicket haul as champions Essex pulled off an extraordinary 108-run victory despite earlier being forced to follow-on against Hampshire.Fast bowler Cook blasted through Hampshire’s top order to end with figures of five for 18, and leave the relegation threatened home side with their lowest total since 1984 – as they were bowled out for 76.It was the first time since 1999, when they beat Nottinghamshire, that Essex managed to win a Specsavers County Championship match after being asked to follow-on.Incidentally, the previous occasion, the second of three in their history, was also against Hampshire, at Bournemouth’s Dean Park, in their last Championship winning campaign 25 years ago.Cook revealed that coach Chris Silverwood had invoked the spirit of that victory when Essex were at their lowest.”It is an amazing environment to thrive in with everyone so happy after winning the Championship,” he said.”Silvers talked about the 1992 following on win against Hampshire in the dressing room a few days ago when we were a few wickets down and looking down in the dumps.”He said ‘this happened 25 years ago, why can’t it happen again?’ and it just sums up our season as a whole that history has repeated itself.”Hampshire, who had bowled Essex out for 76 in the first innings, had been set 185 runs to win – after Neil Wagner and James Foster’s 82 run partnership for the eighth wicket put the wheels in motion for the remarkable win.Hampshire’s pursuit started poorly as Joe Weatherley was pinned lbw as he walked across his stumps by Sam Cook in his first over. It got worse five overs later as Tom Alsop edged Jamie Porter behind.Cook then deceived Jimmy Adams by coming around the wicket and wide of the crease to clatter a delivery into the left-hander’s off stump.The 20 year old, making just his third Championship appearance as he prepares for the final year of his history degree, then produced a wicked inswinger to bowl George Bailey.Hampshire had lost three wickets without scoring a run as they were stuck on 12.Sean Ervine was lbw to Porter, his 70th scalp of the season, leaving the hosts 25 for 5.Vince, one of three batsmen to depart for 10, was next to fall as he was lbw to the rampant Cook.Off spinner Simon Harmer entered the attack in the 21st over and struck with his first delivery as he bowled Liam Dawson with a vicious spinner – Hampshire now 37 for 7.Wagner then grabbed two wickets as Gareth Berg edged to first slip and Kyle Abbott guided to cover point.Cook completed the innings as Fidel Edwards edged behind, with Ian Holland unbeaten on an innings-high 16.Starting the day just 69 runs ahead, Essex saw skipper Ryan ten Doeschate depart just six balls into the day as Edwards continued where he had left off on the previous evening by striking him on the pads.Three balls into the next over Abbott produced an inswinging yorker to cartwheel nightwatchman Porter’s middle stump.Ian Holland grabbed the eighth Essex wicket by finding the edge of Harmer’s dangling bat but Foster and Wagner then put on their useful stand to swing the game in Essex’s favour for the first time.New Zealander Wagner in particular swung his bat with gusto to find himself reaching an entertaining 44 – before one shot too many saw him caught on the midwicket boundary.Foster was the last man to fall after a match-aware 47 before he was leg before to Abbott – his eighth wicket of the match.But Hampshire’s incredible collapse, which leaves them within touching distance above the relegation zone, made sure Essex remained unbeaten with the most unlikely of their nine wins this season.Hampshire’s head coach Craig White said: “We were hoping to chase a few less, maybe around 120-130 and it could have been difference, although that would have been tough the way they bowled.”Everyone needs to take a look at themselves in the mirror and find out why we keep losing clumps of wickets. It needs addressing.”

Manchester United's deal to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is still "absolutely on and absolutely close to being completed" despite reports suggesting otherwise, claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Andre Onana coming to Manchester United?

United have been making positive steps in the transfer window so far this summer, starting with the signing of Chelsea's academy star and former poster boy Mason Mount for a fee reported to be just £55m.

However, it was the goalkeeping position that needed the most attention after another poor season from David De Gea made his position as the club's number one increasingly untenable, and with his recent departure from Old Trafford, the need became even more acute.

Luckily, the Red Devils appear to have made good progress on their deal to sign Cameroon international Onana, with Fabrizio Romano reporting last week that the player had agreed to personal terms with the three-time European champions.

That said, the deal has been held up somewhat as United and Inter butt heads over the final fee for the player, with the Daily Mail reporting that the Italian giants want £51m for their star man, whereas Erik ten Hag's side refuse to go above £43m.

This was followed by an update from Rudy Galetti who stated that there has been an apparent breakthrough made, as they've verbally agreed a fee but final details are still being discussed.

However, these sorts of disagreements and delays are to be expected in deals of this magnitude, and fans shouldn't be too worried about the deal falling through as the next round of talks are expected to begin on Thursday, per Fabrizio Romano.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel:

"I am told that on Thursday, so in the next 24 hours, there will be a new round of talks to try and get this deal done. So, waiting for this new round of talks and waiting for the Andre Onana deal to be completed.

"It was a tense day yesterday (Wednesday) in terms of exchange between the two clubs, but the deal remains absolutely on and absolutely close to being completed, so this is a normal exchange at this stage of the deal when both sides are trying to have the best advantage on this situation.

"So, deal on and Thursday new talks to get it done, but Andre Onana remains very close to Manchester United."

Is Andre Onana a big upgrade on David De Gea?

The "masterful goalkeeper", as described by his former and potential future boss, ten Hag, is coming in to replace a former Premier League-winning goalkeeper, but how does he stack up to him?

In terms of their performances in their domestic leagues last season, the Inter man slightly edges it with an average rating of 7.13 from Sofascore. In contrast, the former Atletico man averaged just 6.96.

When it came to shot-stopping, again, Onana came out slightly ahead with a save percentage of 72% in the league to De Gea's 70%.

The biggest point of difference is in their passing ability. Where the 32-year-old could only average a passing accuracy of 68%, the 27-year-old achieved a pass accuracy of 79% in Serie A.

A final important difference is that, according to Sofascore, the Spaniard made two errors that directly led to a goal last season. In contrast, the former Ajax star didn't make a single error that directly led to a goal in the league for Inter.

United should do all they can to sign the keeper that former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop claimed "ticks all the boxes."

Arsenal seem set to continue their free-spending summer, having set their sights on a new target…

What's the latest on Benjamin Henrichs to Arsenal?

That comes from German writer Florian Plettenberg, who details Mikel Arteta's interest in German international Benjamin Henrichs.

The RB Leipzig star is described as a merely backup option for the Gunners, but remains a fine asset who would certainly bolster a squad searching for more squad depth.

Writing on Twitter, the Sky Sports man noted: "Talks between Arsenal and the player's management took place. Gunners considering Benjamin Henrichs as a backup target. Arteta, with a very good opinion about the German national. Contract at Leipzig until 2025; important player for coach Rose."

The 26-year-old still has two years left on his £63k-per-week deal.

Who is Benjamin Henrichs?

Having spent time in both his homeland and France in various stints, the defender has now settled as an important cog for a strong Leipzig outfit.

Although once regarded as a top attacking full-back as a youngster, he has swiftly grown into a mature, solid asset, who can often be relied upon.

As such, when compared to others in his position across Europe, he ranks in the top 16% for interceptions, 8% for tackles and 2% for blocks per 90, via FBref.

Such imperious defensive work could even be said to surpass Ben White's, who made a big impact last term whilst deputising on the flank.

In those three aforementioned attributes, he instead sits at the lower end of the spectrum, having made 0.68 interceptions, 1.77 tackles and 1.36 blocks per 90. The latter is supposedly his most impressive statistic, and yet he only ranks in the top 29% for it, via FBref.

However, that is not to suggest that Henrichs does not offer some potent attacking threat too.

Although a staunch stalwart, he does have the facilities to push on, which Arteta would likely develop even further to help him realise the potential he once had. Back in 2017, journalist Stefan Bienkowski even wrote: "Benjamin Henrichs is every young, talented, attacking full-back you've ever seen."

After all, just last season in the Bundesliga he would maintain a 61% dribble success rate, 78% pass accuracy and 0.7 key passes per game, via Sofascore. Whilst not outstanding figures, they paint the picture of a consistent performer who will seldom let his side down.

The all-around nature of his game would make him a fine asset to balance Oleksandr Zinchenko on the opposite flank and allow their system to continue flourishing.

The Ukraine international excelled stepping into midfield as the north London outfit pushed for the Premier League title, with his 88% pass accuracy, 80.3 touches and 0.7 key passes per game (via Sofascore) given the platform to succeed from White's defending.

He would maintain the joint third-highest pass completion rate of anyone within his squad too, to emphasise his importance in dictating the play.

Given Henrichs outperforms the England international in these defensive situations, plus has some creativity to push forward should a low-block be frustrating Arteta, he would mark an instant upgrade to allow even more freedom for his potential new 26-year-old teammate.

Tottenham Hotspur have frequently sent scouts to keep an eye on Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, who could be available for as little as £45m according to Fabrizio Romano.

Are Tottenham signing Tapsoba?

Now in charge of a defence that was in disarray last season, Ange Postecoglou has no time to waste in strengthening his backline this summer.

Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier have been tipped to leave Tottenham this window, while loanee Clement Lenglet has returned to Barcelona, meaning that Postecoglou is likely to need new faces to make up the numbers in defence.

One of those that has been readily linked with a move to north London is Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen. The Burkina Faso international has blossomed into one of the Bundesliga's best central defenders and it seems inevitable that he will move onto bigger and better things this summer.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Romano insisted that Spurs are one of the leading candidates for his signature, having claimed that Tottenham's scouts have frequently gone to watch the 24-year-old.

"I keep saying that Tapsoba is a priority target because they [Spurs] love Tapsoba. Tottenham scouts have been there many times this year to follow Tapsoba. So, he is a player they really love and they feel is perfect for Premier League football."

"He is a leader. So, there are many factors in a deal and Tottenham think he is a fantastic option".

When quizzed about how much he thought Tapsoba would fetch in the current market, Romano suggested approximately £45-50m, potentially with some add-ons. The top end of that valuation, excluding add-ons, would make him Spurs' second most expensive player of all-time, as per Tranfsermarkt.

Tapsoba, who has been hailed as "frightening", is not the only defensive name on Spurs' shortlist, however, with Marc Guehi, Tosin Adarabioyo and Micky van de Ven all having been linked.

Would Tapsoba make Spurs better?

Having featured 33 times in the Bundesliga last season and five times in the Champions League, Tapsoba was given plenty of opportunities to progress, and he took those opportunities.

Tapsoba is a modern centre-back and is comfortable stepping out of defence and moving the ball directly up the pitch. Compared to other centre-backs in the Bundesliga last season, he ranked in the top 13% for progressive carries per 90 (1.25) and the top 10% for progressive passes (5.30).

He is good under pressure, rarely gifting possession to the opposition, and generally employs a good range of accurate passing. However, his major strength is one-v-one defending, with the 24-year-old coming out on top on 71.4% of occasions he is dribbled at.

Spurs' defensive shoddiness last season must be improved upon if they have any hope of returning to the Champions League places, with Taposba potentially being a solid foundation on which Postecoglou can build.