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Mark Taylor, the Cricket Australia (CA) board director, has admitted that compromise must be found between the game’s governing body and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) before the game suffers further damage, in an ugly pay war that has put the national team’s upcoming series at risk of abandonment.In speaking at an Ashes event organised by the Nine Network in Melbourne on Tuesday, Taylor became the first senior CA figure connected to the MoU debate to offer a public opinion on the dispute in more than six weeks, since the chief executive James Sutherland was interviewed by the ABC on May 25. Taylor also remains the only board director to have spoken publicly about it at all.Prior to that, Taylor had spoken firmly about CA’s desire to breakup the revenue sharing model on Nine’s programme on May 14. But he took on a more conciliatory tone this time, 11 days after the expiry of the most recent MoU between the players and the board left more than 230 of the country’s cricketers unemployed and a mounting mess of commercial problems for the board. Not least of these is reassuring its chief broadcaster Nine – for whom Taylor commentates – that the Ashes will go ahead as planned.”I think there’s got to be compromise on both sides, I really believe that,” Taylor said on Tuesday. “I think at any negotiation you give and you take. I think when you get to that situation, which I hope we are getting very close to now, then you get close to a resolution. I’m confident there will be a resolution soon. I don’t know when but I just hope both sides keep working hard at it.”I think everyone has probably read and heard enough about things that don’t involve people scoring runs and taking wickets, me included, and I think that [the cricket] is what we all want to see. That includes sponsors, TV networks, past players, commentators, and I think the quicker we get to that situation the better for the game.”I’m still very confident there will be an Ashes series and I’m very confident there will be some Test-match cricket played by Australia before them. That’s certainly what I’m working towards and I’m assuming both parties are working towards that. It’s far from ideal and it’s cost an Australia A tour of South Africa which is disappointing, no doubt about it. But at this stage we haven’t lost a Bangladesh tour and we certainly don’t want to lose an Ashes tour here in Australia.”While Taylor has only recently returned home from holidays, he said all board directors had been kept informed of progress in talks by CA’s lead negotiator Kevin Roberts, including conference calls every three days that he had dialled in to from overseas. ESPNcricinfo understands that some progress appeared to have been made by the middle of last week before regressing and forcing the cancellation of the Australia A tour. While talks go on, little if any movement from entrenched positions has been discernible since.Mark Taylor said it was necessary for everyone involved to “be adult” about the pay dispute; Ian Chappell said while his sympathies lie on the side of the players, give how protracted this dispute is, there has to be fault on both sides•Getty Images

A director since 2004, apart from a brief absence in 2012-13 when the CA board was changed from a body of 14 state representatives to an independent group of nine, Taylor agreed that it was vital to find a way for the two parties to coexist in whatever new landscape was drawn up as a result of the next MoU.”Day to day it’s management’s job, I’ve been away for the last couple of weeks, only got back on Sunday night myself, but I’ve been kept abreast of the situation,” he said. “Calls every three days, sometimes a bit more often if need be, and now I’m back in Australia I’m well aware of the situation. And I’ll be doing everything I can to try and find a resolution to this.”I think we all have to be adult about it. It’s a big game these days. Players are fully professional. Cricket boards are trying to do what they think is right for the game in general, so there’s going to be times when you disagree and that’s where we are at the moment. But I think both sides have to work towards finding a resolution which is in the best interests of the game and the players.”From a game point of view, it’s far from ideal. We are in July, the Ashes are still four months away, but the Bangladesh tour is only a month away. The quicker we can get it resolved the better, the quicker we can move on and rebuild the relationship [that] I think is important between CA and the ACA. The quicker we can start rebuilding that, I think that’ll be good for the game.”The former captain Ian Chappell, meanwhile, termed the standoff as “the biggest bust up since World Series Cricket between players and administrators” and reckoned both sides of the argument, whatever their merits, had begun to be damaged from the moment the previous MoU expired on July 1.”I think once it went past the June 30 deadline I think it started to hurt the game from both points of view,” Chappell said. “I think the public were probably sick to death of it by then it was a plague on both their houses as far as the public are concerned. I think the quicker it gets resolved the better and if it’s going to be a partnership, which I think it needs to be, it’s not a boss-employee situation.”If it’s going to be a partnership there’s got to be give and take on both sides, and probably most importantly there has to be a bit more respect, that’s the first thing that needs to happen to help rebuild the relationship. My sympathies are always going to be on the side of the players, but when a dispute goes on this long there has to be fault on both sides.”The job of the players association is to work with the administrators. Your job as a cricketer is just to play the game and having come from an era where the players had to fight the fight, that’s not an ideal situation at all. To me it’s up to the players association to get the thing sorted out with the board, and for the players to just play their game.”

Celtic reportedly have an interest in Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.

What’s the latest Celtic transfer news?

The Hoops look set to back Brendan Rodgers in the transfer market following his return as manager, with up to £30m available to the Northern Irishman over the coming months ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Celtic’s finances were handed a boost after Jota completed a move to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad in a deal worth £25m.

There have been incomings, though, with two players already through the door in Glasgow. Odin Thiago Holm has arrived from Eliteserien club Valerenga on a five-year contract, and Australian winger Marco Tilio has also penned a five-year deal, signing from Melbourne City.

There could be more to come, though, with Gangwon FC for forward Yang Hyun-jun a firm target and a £2.1m offer seemingly accepted. Former defender Kieran Tierney has been linked with a sensational return to Glasgow, and another Scot in McTominay has also been linked.

Football Scotland have claimed that with McTominay potentially up for sale this summer, Celtic and Rodgers have been listed as an interested party. Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson labelled the player as a “star” for Scotland but admitted that finances over a fee and wages could be an issue over any possible Parkhead move.

“When was the last player you heard who took a wage cut to move? There is very few of them.

"I really like him and for Scotland he has been a star. He has that composure and he has played at a certain level where I think he would fit into the side. It's one, transfer fee and two, the wage – that is what it all comes down to."

Is Scott McTominay leaving Man United?

There could well be a clear-out at Old Trafford this summer, with up to 13 players reportedly up for sale, including McTominay. The central midfielder has progressed through United’s academy and has made 209 senior appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils.

However, he started just 10 Premier League games under Erik ten Hag last season and is out of contract in 2025, so could well be on the move over the coming months.

A move to Celtic has been mooted, although United’s reported £40m asking price could price the Hoops out of a move, especially when you consider their record arrival is Odsonne Edouard at €11.5m.

McTominay could be a shrewd signing for Rodgers and Celtic due to his experience at the highest level alongside his versatility of being able to turn out as a holding or central midfielder and even as a centre-back. But his price tag and £60,000-a-week wage could be a problem, as Wilson mentions, so a transfer could be unlikely.

West Ham United target Alex Scott has 'huge potential' and could help to fill the void that Declan Rice will leave once he completes his move away from the London Stadium, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Alex Scott and Declan Rice?

According to The Daily Mail, Arsenal have booked in a medical for Rice as they look to seal the signature of the England international for a fee in the region of £105 million.

The 24-year-old looks likely to be joined by Ajax defender Jurrien Timber and there is hope that both transfers can be officially announced by this weekend.

As per the same outlet, West Ham United are keen to add some personnel to their squad that may take the form of younger players and Bristol City playmaker Scott has been touted with a potential £22 million switch to the London Stadium.

Discussions are underway over a swoop for the player at the figure mentioned. At the same time, the likes of Denis Zakaria, Tyler Adams and James Ward-Prowse have been earmarked as David Moyes aims to strengthen his midfield.

Football London claim that Tottenham Hotspur have asked to be kept informed regarding Scott's situation this window and the race for his services continues to gather momentum.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones believes that Scott could be an exciting replacement for Rice in east London if he was to join West Ham United.

Jones said: "The saga is over and now West Ham are looking for their new Declan Rice. They will sign two midfielders with the right level of experience and quality to go straight in at the beginning of the season, but also they are interested in players that can make a big breakthrough with them. In that sense, one that really interests them is Alex Scott at Bristol City.

"He’s got huge potential. He’d be a player the fans can really get behind and watch grow, similar really to how they have with Rice on this stage. He’s only 19 and I think his £25m price tag is considered a little too high right now, but if they can find a way around that, they could have a new gem on their hands that grows into a Premier League star."

Would Alex Scott be a good addition for West Ham United?

Scott established himself as a shining star in the Sky Bet Championship last term and it is easy to see why Premier League clubs would be interested in his services.

In 2022/23, the 19-year-old amassed 49 appearances in all competitions for Bristol City, registering two goals and five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Earlier this year, Manchester City star Jack Grealish took to Twitter to praise the starlet following Bristol City's 3-0 FA Cup fifth-round defeat at home to the eventual winners of the competition, labelling him as a 'top top talent'.

As per FBRef, Scott also successfully carried out 87 shot-creating actions in the English second tier, showcasing his exciting potential as a creative midfielder.

With club captain Rice set to exit the London Stadium this summer, Scott could help to soften the blow and could become a star of the future for West Ham United.

Mushfiqur Rahim has said that his role as Bangladesh’s Test captain is open for “analysis” by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) but he is happy to continue in the triple role of wicketkeeper, batsman and captain. While there was always the odd question about his captaincy since he abruptly quit the ODI post in 2013, the criticism has increased since 2015 and it flowed into the Hyderabad Test, where his wicketkeeping also came under the scanner.After his proficient 127 in the first innings that kept Bangladesh in the game, it has become evident that his role as a dependable middle-order batsman is gaining importance.Mushfiqur, however, has said that since the BCB has entrusted him with the three roles since 2011, he will happily oblige as long as they decide otherwise.”My average is not more than 33 or 34, so how can I be the No. 1 batsman of Bangladesh? If you are entrusted with two or three roles, that means the management has shown faith in you,” he said. “So I need to deliver in all three departments. If I am not doing well, it’s up to the board to take a call on my future.”At the moment, I am enjoying what I am doing – I love to spend time in the middle and the way you can do your job is to spend time in the middle rather than in the dressing room. There are people who are sitting outside [BCB officials] who can take a decision but as far as I am concerned, I am happy to do all three. Captaincy is not in my hands. The board can analyse and take a call.”During India’s first innings, Mushfiqur made some errors as a wicketkeeper and captain, chiefly the missed stumping of Wriddhiman Saha when he was on 4. He also used Shakib Al Hasan for only 24 of the 166 overs. Although Shakib was expensive, he was used at times when Bangladesh were looking for wickets, so his high economy rate was justifiable at the time. According to Mushfiqur, they wanted Shakib to bowl high-impact spells rather than the long ones, which became the job of the two young spinners.Mushfiqur had given Wriddhiman Saha a reprieve in the first innings•AFP

“Our spinners led the bowling attack. The team management and I felt that Taijul Islam and Mehedi [Hasan] Miraz did their job properly, so we kept faith in them. It depends on who is bowling well on the particular day. I thought Taijul and Miraz were bowling well in partnership.”We want Shakib to bowl as much as it is useful to the team. He is not in a position to bowl a long spell. We want him to provide us a breakthrough. The rest of the work is for the other bowlers. We are happy with Shakib’s bowling. I thought he bowled well in the second innings.”It was surprising to hear of this new role for Shakib, who is the most experienced bowler in the line-up and someone with a proven capability of stemming the run-flow. Taijul and Mehedi ended up bowling 89 overs in which they took five wickets at an economy of 3.6 per over.Mushfiqur said that India should have been restricted to 550 in the first innings to give Bangladesh less batting time against their spinners in the second innings, pointing out that the bowling unit and top order in particular had to quickly make amends.”If we could have restricted them to 550 at least, they would have had to bat another session which means we would have batted three sessions instead of four in the second innings,” he said. “In that area, we gave 170 runs more. Also while batting, if someone from the top four could have gone big, we could have got closer. That first innings was crucial.”We need to execute our plans as a bowling unit. I hope the bowlers learn quickly. In the end, you need to take wickets to put pressure on other teams.”

A one-over eliminator was needed the separate the two teams after the match finished in a tie

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2016
Canterbury won the one-over eliminator
ScorecardLuke Ronchi’s unbeaten 31-ball 58 was not enough to take Wellington across the line•Getty ImagesCanterbury pipped Wellington in the one-over eliminator at Hagley Park after both teams finished their respective innings on 166, thanks in part to a late surge by Wellington’s Luke Ronchi and Luke Woodcock, who added 29 runs in the match’s last nine balls.With Wellington needing 20 off the final over, Ronchi and Woodcock managed 19. Then, in the one-over eliminator, Wellington finished on 5 for 2, losing both Woodcock and Ronchi to run-outs. Wellington’s Jeetan Patel struck first ball for them in their defence but followed that up with five consecutive wides. Tom Latham struck a four off the next legal delivery to give Canterbury the match and four points in an anticlimactic ending.Chasing 167, Wellington were reduced to 95 for 5 in the 14th over – courtesy Todd Astle’s double strike – but they clawed back by adding 71 runs in their last 40 balls. Woodcock, who came in to bat at No. 9 in the 19th over, smacked 17 in his six-ball innings, complementing Ronchi’s 31-ball 58, which included four fours and three sixes.In Canterbury’s innings, Henry Nicholls hit an unbeaten 66 off 40 deliveries. He came into bat two-down, and stitched together partnerships with Cam Fletcher (46 for the fifth wicket) and Tim Johnston (31* for the sixth wicket). Nicholls struck seven fours and two sixes, and with Johnston, added 16 runs off the last over to take Canterbury to 166 for 5.

Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak lost his gruntle. While Zimbabwe was able to take heart from the way they resisted defeat during the Test series, Streak opened the press conference after his side’s eight-wicket thrashing in the tri-series opener by admitting: “I won’t have too many positives today.”Streak seemed particularly vexed by the white flag Zimbabwe raised through their body language. “Your positivity and your mental outlook is affected by your body language and how you’re thinking,” Streak said. “Yes, you may not feel you’ve got enough runs on the board but it doesn’t stop you going out there and being positive and aggressive and supporting your team-mates. Diving around and getting energy going. You don’t need talent to do that. Those are things that anyone can do.”It’s something we talk about a lot, the scoreboard not impacting on your actions and your outlook on what you’re trying to achieve out there. But often it does and for people outside – media, supporters – they see that probably more than the players do inside. It’s certainly something that I’m putting a high priority on addressing.”Though Zimbabwe’s 154 was woefully under par, the tri-series opener really seemed to turn on the first ball of Zimbabwe’s bowling effort. Tinashe Panyangara, returning to the side after overcoming a back injury that kept him out of the squad since June, produced a delivery that curled away to take Dhananjaya de Silva’s outside edge. Almost immediately, however, Umpire Tiffin called a no-ball, and just as quickly Zimbabwe’s vim disappeared. The free-hit was clumped to midwicket, and the floodgates opened. Despite helpful conditions, the bowlers could make nothing more of the game.De Silva, Man of the Match for his unbeaten 78, admitted his dismissal at that stage could “very much” have made a difference to the result. “The ball was seaming around and if I had got out at that time, maybe three or more wickets would have fallen,” de Silva said.’Some guys just threw their wickets away. They could have achieved 200 or 220 and that would have given them a good chance’ – Dhananjaya de Silva•Associated Press

De Silva, who struck a fifty and a ton in the Tests, suggested Sri Lanka too was surprised by the depths of Zimbabwe’s batting woes. “Some guys just threw their wickets away. They could have achieved 200 or 220 and that would have given them a good chance to come back into the game.”No need to tell Streak that. “Certainly we had the tougher side of the batting, but when you look back, bar Chari no one really got a ball that they can say was an unplayable delivery,” Streak said. “Yes, conditions were in their favour, but there were not enough people coming in and saying they got out to a good ball.Despite batting on a green pitch and under gloomy skies in the morning that aided swing, Streak refused to blame the conditions – or the toss – for his team’s collapse. “Having had late rain yesterday, the covers came off late, and we had a bit of drizzle [this morning]. Losing the toss wasn’t great, but it also wasn’t any excuse for how we performed.”The toss has always been in the game of cricket and that’s not something you can guarantee. If you can only win cricket matches when you win the toss then there’s a serious issue to address. For me, today there was an advantage to the toss that would have made it 60-40 in favour of whoever wins the toss, but there are still no excuses for a batting performance like that. PJ Moor and some of the lower order guys like Cremer and Tiripano showed that when you applied yourself there were runs to be scored.”Still, Zimbabwe has three more games to play, and those will be in Bulawayo – Streak’s hometown and conditions he is familiar with. “I said to the guys the only positive for me is that we’ve got three more games,” Streak said.”There weren’t really many other positives. The reality is that we have to bat, bowl and field better than we did today otherwise we’re not going to feature in this series. It’s certainly within their own hands. There’s also lots of work for me and the coaching staff to do, but we talk about people taking responsibility and when you say that generally you’re looking at your senior players to do that. They’re going to have to start putting their hands up.”

Old footage of Ange Postecoglou has emerged online amid links to the Tottenham Hotspur job and it looks as though he could be the right man to motivate their underperforming squad.

What’s the latest on Spurs and Ange Postecoglou?

At last, a dreadful season has come to an end as Spurs finish eighth in the Premier League, without a head coach or a director of football with both Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici departing months ago.

Since then, a number of new names have been touted to become the club’s next boss but so far Daniel Levy has been unable or unwilling to pull the trigger and appoint a new manager.

However, at the moment it does look as though Celtic boss Postecoglou is the current favourite. Indeed, Sky Sports News have recently claimed that he is “emerging as the preferred candidate for the vacant Tottenham job”.

If he does arrive in North London, he’ll have a tough time getting the best out of the squad who were accused by Conte of being “selfish” shortly before he was sacked.

Indeed, after conceding two late goals to draw with Southampton, he told The Guardian: “I think it’s better to go into the problem, we are not a team.

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [into it]. This season compared to last, now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team you cannot improve.”

Well, if Postecoglou is appointed, he’ll still be dealing with most of those players but it seems as though he might be the sort of manager who knows how to get his message across.

Indeed, in footage which recently emerged on Twitter, the 57-year-old can be seen tearing into the Australian national team after they conceded a soft goal.

He screamed: “That’s just careless. And not only that, stop it there for a second. There’s one, two, three [players]. We cannot f**king concede a goal there.”

He then proceeds to punch the wall behind the projected image, shouting: “There’s f**king got to be a reaction there. Someone! F**cks sake!”

His shouts are so loud they actually echo around the room and there’s little doubt he got his message across to the players.

He was in charge of the Socceroos between 2013 and 2017 and helped lead them to a World Cup as well as winning the Asian Cup, so it seems as though his methods work. While he’s also had plenty of success with Celtic, winning the Scottish League Cup and the SPFL title in each of his two seasons with the club so far.

Plenty of fans seemed hyped about the idea of him laying into the Tottenham squad too. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter.

Everton's prospects of striking an investment deal with 777 Partners is now not something that will happen following news that they have reached an exclusivity agreement with MSP Capital, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest news involving Everton?

As per The Liverpool Echo, Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is 'inching closer' to closing a deal with MSP to give the Toffees some fresh investment, having entered an 'exclusivity agreement' that will last from a period of 30 to 60 days.

The report states that MSP will acquire a stake of 20-25% of Everton and will initially purchase preferential shares rather than equity and will also help to finance the building of the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

BBC Sport understand that a deal is not yet completed; nevertheless, talks are said to be 'progressing further' and they have stumped 777 in their own efforts to perform a takeover of the club.

Everton need finance to be ploughed into the club as they wait on the results of being referred to an independent commission over 'potential breaches of the league’s profitability and sustainability guidelines'. However, the verdict of the Premier League's investigation will not be made clear until October, as per Football Insider.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown has said that any deal with 777 is now 'off the table' due to MSP's exclusivity agreement.

Brown told FFC: "As far as I'm aware, any deal with 777 is currently off the table completely. MSP have a period of exclusivity with Everton and it does look like they want to proceed. The original offer from them was not dependent on which division Everton were in, so it doesn't in theory matter if Everton go down this weekend or not, it might affect the price they pay to buy in."

What next for Everton?

Everton face a massive final Premier League match this weekend and know that a win against Bournemouth will guarantee their top-flight safety for another season.

Sean Dyche will have to make do without right-back Nathan Patterson on Sunday and there is also concern over whether striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be able to feature, as per The Liverpool Echo.

Change could be in the winds on the blue half of Merseyside, with the Daily Record claiming that the Toffees have started to sound out potential replacements for manager Dyche.

Botafogo manager Luis Castro is believed to have had 'initial contact' with Everton over the possibility of replacing Dyche. However, it is unclear what the permutations of the long-term will be until full-time on Sunday as the Blues desperately try to secure their Premier League status.

If Dyche manages to keep Everton afloat, the 51-year-old will have achieved his remit set when he was brought to the club back in January and will have given a platform for the club to build on come 2023/24.

Journalist Paul Brown has admitted he would be stunned to see Everton make a move for their former midfielder James Rodriguez over the coming months.

Could Everton resign Rodriguez?

It has been a difficult campaign for the Toffees who continue to fight relegation for the second season running with just a handful of games remaining in their season.

Victory on Monday against Brighton & Hove Albion has provided Sean Dyche's men with some breathing room going into their game on the weekend against Manchester City.

However, results elsewhere could potentially see them fall back into the bottom three as they look to take more points off the side top of the league.

Looking ahead to the summer, there have been reports suggesting the Blues have been one of the sides to get in touch with the representatives of the Colombian playmaker.

They are not believed to be the only side from the Premier League with Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Brighton all credited with an interest.

Having heard the reports surrounding the 31-year-old free agent, Brown shared his concerns over a potential deal as he spoke to Football FanCast:

"I'd be absolutely amazed if James Rodriguez ever returned to Everton partly because his time there ended in quite a lot of acrimony. And he spoke out several times about what he felt was unfair treatment and the club briefed several times against him as well.

"He's also a couple of years removed from a season when, okay, he played and he was mostly brilliant, but his body just could not cope with the demands of a full Premier League season."

Should Everton give Rodriguez another chance?

If Everton are able to survive, it is certainly an option which could come under consideration given the pedigree the Colombian has from his previous clubs.

However, there are an awful lot of potential negatives surrounding this possible deal which could cause the Toffees some issues.

The first one being the salary of the 31-year-old who will have free rein over who his next club is as he is currently without a club.

With no transfer fee involved, it means the potential suitors could be forced into stumping up a higher salary than what they may have wanted to pay initially.

There are two possible concerns over this at Everton. The first one being the obvious in that they are struggling financially.

However, perhaps just as concerning could be the message it could send to the other players at Everton if he was to return and earn considerably high wages.

Although his statistics would suggest he could potentially provide Everton with some much-needed quality, his time on Merseyside did not end well after his stay was cut short.

And all of this does not even touch upon whether Dyche would be open to the possibility of the Colombian playing for his side.

A lot has gone on at Everton over the last two years. Stability is needed at the club and would bringing back Rodriguez contribute towards that?

Arsenal are preparing to make a €70m (£62m) bid for Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah, an offer that the Spanish club would find it difficult to resist, according to recent reports from Spain.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are interested in bringing in several new midfielders this summer, with journalist Manu Sainz recently claiming they will "most likely" win the race for Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga, if they decide to bid for the youngster.

According to the Daily Mail, Mikel Arteta is understood to possibly want two central midfielders, and the north London club's hierarchy will sanction a costly summer recruitment drive to target West Ham United captain Declan Rice.

Earlier this week, it was reported Arsenal have been "following" Musah since January, with the 20-year-old being tipped to leave Valencia this summer, and they now appear to have taken their interest one step further.

According to reports from Spain (via TEAMtalk), the Gunners are preparing a bid worth €70m (£62m) to sign the Valencia star this summer, and with the Spanish club struggling financially, they will find the offer hard to turn down.

Rice remains Arsenal's number one target, but they are the club with the strongest interest in Musah at present, although Liverpool and Inter Milan have also been named as potential suitors.

Is Yunus Musah worth £62m?

The starlet is having a solid season, with football scout Jacek Kulig particularly impressed with his performances for the USA at the World Cup, describing his displays out in Qatar as "superb", while he waxed lyrical about his vast potential.

Kulig lauded the maestro for his "elite engine", claiming he has a "huge future" ahead, and it is hard to disagree, given how impressive he has been for Valencia since breaking into the first team.

One of the American's most notable attributes is his ability to carry the ball, ranking in the 95th percentile for progressive carries per 90 in the past year, and in the 88th for successful take-ons.

That said, the New York-born midfielder will need to improve certain aspects of his game before he is good enough to regularly start for Arsenal, given that he only very rarely weighs in with goals and assists.

As such, it may be wise for Arsenal to go all out to sign Rice, rather than taking a risk by signing Musah, who is not guaranteed to be a success at Premier League level.