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Arsenal are now rivalling Tottenham Hotspur to sign a “truly fantastic” midfielder, but it could take a huge bid to get a deal done this month.

Gunners looking to sign midfielder despite Zubimendi's fine form

Martin Zubimendi has adapted remarkably well to life in the Premier League since arriving in the summer, and Declan Rice recently praised his midfield partner, saying: “He’s not the biggest player or the strongest, but his brain, the way it works, allows the team to function in such a good way.

“He’s been unreal. He’s played so many minutes for us, the way he gets on the ball, obviously he’s Spain’s No.6 at the minute and rightly so, you see the quality he brings, the calmness, the composure, the way he thinks.”

Rice has also remained a key player for Mikel Arteta, and the Englishman’s brace against AFC Bournemouth last time out could be priceless in the Premier League title race, with the north Londoners now six points clear of Manchester City, after a late Chelsea equaliser.

Although Arteta is blessed with some top-quality options in the middle of the park, Arsenal have now set their sights on another midfielder, according to a report from TEAMtalk, which reveals they have joined the race to sign AZ Alkmaar star Kees Smit.

A whole host of Premier League clubs are in the race for the central midfielder, including Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool, with a scout saying: “He is a very clever footballer, many clubs actually thought they had spotted a player that others might not be aware of, but it has become apparent in recent months that everyone is watching him.”

However, should the Gunners be keen to get a deal done this month, they may need to make a huge bid, as there is a belief Smit’s current employers could hold out for as much as £65m.

Related Contact made: Arsenal leading Man Utd in race for "unstoppable" £61m star

The Gunners have made an approach to sign an attacker.

Posts ByDominic Lund "Truly fantastic" Smit is destined for the Premier League

Scout Jacek Kulig has admired the 19-year-old for quite some time, taking to X to commend his performances for AZ Alkmaar during the 2024-25 campaign.

Since then, the young Dutchman, who is represented by the same agent as Jurrien Timber, has continued to impress for Alkmaar, chipping in with two goals and five assists in 27 matches across all competitions this season, having established himself as an important player.

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The starlet is also a skilled dribbler of the ball, who is capable of driving the ball forward, averaging 2.38 progressive carries per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 94th percentile, compared to other midfielders.

The next logical step is for Smit to move to one of Europe’s top leagues, but signing a new midfielder shouldn’t be a priority for Arsenal, given the partnership Rice and Zubimendi have formed.

Tottenham are set to hold talks over signing a highly-rated AC Milan transfer target this week as Thomas Frank looks to bolster his options this month.

Tottenham set for January transfer spend amid Frank pressure

Following a dismal run of just three wins from their last 11 games in all competitions, pressure is mounting on Frank with the Champions League places growing further out of reach.

A lot can happen between now and May, with just seven points separating 13th from 4th in what is an increasingly tight battle for Europe, but Spurs quite simply need inspiration from somewhere amid their lacklustre spell.

The sale of Brennan Johnson — last season’s top goalscorer and Europa League final hero — for around £35 million has also left Frank even more bereft of star attacking options as we head into the second half of 2025/2026.

Tottenham’s lack of creativity in the final third has been a key theme of their struggles throughout the campaign, but Johnson wasn’t fancied by Frank after the arrival of star winger Mohammed Kudus last summer.

Spurs did make an approach to Antoine Semenyo and tabled an attractive offer, according to journalist David Ornstein, but the Ghanaian politely snubbed their advances in favour of a move to Man City.

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The Hammers are open to selling.

Posts 3 ByEmilio Galantini

With both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski still sidelined, and Kudus’ knock against Sunderland adding to their shortage of depth in attack, Spurs’ mission to sign a new attacker must surely take centre stage.

However, there is another key target on their agenda — Santos left-back Souza.

The highly-rated Brazilian was subject to a rejected offer from Spurs this window, but according to journalist Eduardo Burgos, the Lilywhites are by no means giving up in their chase for him.

Tottenham to hold fresh Souza talks this week as second bid prepared

Sharing a fresh update this afternoon, Burgos took to X and shared news that Tottenham will hold fresh talks to sign Souza “this week”.

A second offer for the 19-year-old is also being prepared by the north Londoners, who saw an opening offer of around £8.5 million turned down.

Souza made 29 appearances for Santos last season, bagging a goal and two assists from left-back, and the teenager has been impressing in South America for quite some time.

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Como first-team scout Ben Mattinson has publicly branded Souza an ‘outstanding’ left-back with a ‘balanced’ profile, as well as a ‘quality delivery’ from out-wide.

AC Milan and BlueCo are also reportedly targeting Souza, according to Burgos at least, so it is clear just how highly-rated he is among elite club circles, with Spurs now looking to steal a march on them.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair

Oxford United are now reportedly considering a move to hire a former Premier League manager to replace Gary Rowett.

John Terry delivers Oxford United verdict

The Championship side have been on the hunt for a manager ever since they sacked Rowett exactly one week ago. With one win in 10 games, Oxford were left with no choice but to commence their search for a new name and attempt the great escape out of the bottom three.

Releasing a statement confirming Rowett’s dismissal, chairman Grant Ferguson, said: “Gary joined during a challenging period and deserves immense credit for the hard work and leadership that saw us retain our Championship status last season.

“However, following a disappointing run of results, we have had to take this difficult decision in the best interests of the Club. On behalf of the Board, I would like to place on record our thanks to Gary and Mark for their contribution to the Football Club and to wish them all the best for the future.”

Currently sat three points adrift of safety having played one game more than teams above them, the U’s can ill-afford to get their next appointment wrong and have already reportedly looked towards Chelsea legend John Terry. The former Premier League defender has already ruled himself out of taking his first job in the dugout, however.

Terry’s verdict leaves Oxford back to square one on the hunt for their next manager. The last thing they need is to waste any time in their search too, with fixtures coming thick and fast.

With that said, reports are now claiming that the U’s are now considering a move to hire a former Premier League manager who has more than enough experience for the job.

Oxford United considering Steve Bruce move

According to former U’s manager Mick Brown, Oxford are now considering a move to hire Steve Bruce to replace Rowett. The veteran manager has been out of a job since leaving Blackpool in October, but could be set for a return to the dugout courtesy of those at the Kassam Stadium.

Brown told Football Insider: “He’s still got a good reputation and he’s got a lot of experience in the Championship, keeping clubs up and getting other promoted, it’s been a long career.

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“He’s gone from one club to another in the Championship and the lower leagues. That could be valuable for Oxford because he has got that experience at this level.

“The issue there is, there comes a time when he stops being capable of doing the things he’s built his reputation on, and you saw that when he left Blackpool.”

The 64-year-old has taken charge of the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa in the Premier League and is no stranger to Championship football. Whether Oxford decide to make their move remains to be seen, however.

The confusion surrounding Praveen Kumar, the Uttar Pradesh allrounder, has been put to rest with the player confirming that he was joining the Bangalore Royal Challengers for the forthcoming Indian Premier League.Both Delhi and Bangalore had claimed they had snapped Kumar but he clarified to Cricinfo that he would join Bangalore franchise for US$ 300,000. Rajeev Shukla, a vice-president of the Indian board, had said Kumar was to join the Delhi Daredevils but TA Sekar, the cricket operations manager for the Delhi franchise, also confirmed the same.It is learnt that Kumar was first signed up by Bangalore before Delhi entered the picture with a bigger offer. The Bangalore franchise objected and raised a complaint with the IPL governing council. The IPL then stepped in and said that the initial agreement had to be upheld and Bangalore decided to match Delhi’s price and rope in Kumar.Kumar is currently part of India’s one-day squad that’s taking part in the CB Series in Australia. He was the only member of the squad not part of the 77 players included in the IPL pool. Kumar’s stocks rose after his fine domestic performances this season and the fact that he fell in the Under-22 category added to his demand.

Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif fear life bans if traces of Nandrolone are found in their systems © AFP

In a development that’s likely to be a major factor, as Pakistan ponders whether or not to take Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif to the Caribbean, the ICC has refused to rule out the possibility that it may carry out targeted dope tests during the World Cup.In a communication to the boards of all countries participating in the event, the ICC has said it will maintain its right to target test players at any point during the event, a PCB official told Cricinfo.As per the communication, the ICC is likely to carry out testing in 16 matches with four tests (two per team) in each of the matches. It adds that while the tests are intended to be random and will not be announced in advance, the ICC will reserve the right to target test players.Pakistan have more reason than most members, of course, to fully comprehend the implications of such a policy. Though it is appearing increasing unlikely that either Asif or Shoaib will actually travel to the World Cup, for whatever reasons, in the event that they do, there is nothing stopping the ICC from targeting both.The ICC openly expressed its concern with the decision by a PCB-constituted appellate committee last November, to overturn bans on Shoaib and Asif for testing positive in internal dope tests for an anabolic steroid on technicalities. An earlier committee had found both guilty.The ICC was unable to intervene, correctly deeming the matter to be an internal one (the dope tests were conducted out-of-tournament by the PCB with decisions made under its own doping policy), instead expressing the hope that the PCB would bring its anti-doping policy in line with international codes. It has since also said that it is willing to support the decision by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) to refer Pakistan’s decision to an international Court of Sport Arbitration.Traces of Nandrolone are said by medical experts to remain in the body for a considerable period of time after use. The fear in Pakistan is that may be the case with Shoaib and Asif and if they were to test positive in an ICC tournament, they may not be as forgiving as Pakistani authorities were.

Great news for Nottinghamshire fans – Chris Cairns is back, albeit temporarily. The allrounder Cairns will stand in as captain for Stephen Fleming next season, when he will lead the side for three matches of the C&G Trophy.Fleming will be on tour with New Zealand in South Africa at the start of the season, and his fellow international, Cairns, is only too pleased to step into the breach. “Everyone knows that Trent Bridge is my second home,” he said, “and I’m delighted to have another opportunity to return to Nottingham.”Notts’ director of cricket, Mick Newell, was understandably delighted to have secured his services: “Chris ticks all the boxes and is going to be in the UK anyway, playing league cricket. I’m pleased he’s coming back.”But what he won’t be doing is playing any Championship cricket. Newell is keen for upcoming players to take their chance, saying: “Unless we have a real problem with injuries, I don’t see Chris being involved in the competition.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Lasith Malinga gave Sri Lanka the vital breakthroughs© Getty Images

The opening Test drifted towards stalemate during the fourth day as Sri Lanka’s first innings ran out of steam in the afternoon and then New Zealand idled in the second innings, apprently content to gain a psychological advantage and rest their bowlers for the second and final Test, which will start after a two-day break over the weekend. Having bowled out Sri Lanka for 498, New Zealand closed on 64 for 2 after 30 overs, with a lead off 123.James Franklin was the star performer for New Zealand, rescuing his bowling figures after a lacklustre third day, with a fine display of reverse-swing bowling. By the middle of the afternoon the ball was swerving around dangerously and Sri Lanka’s long tail crumbled, with five wickets falling in a 96-minute afternoon session. Franklin finished with 4 for 126 and Chris Martin, previously the most penetrative bowler, took 4 for 132.Lasith Malinga, another reverse-swinger, also posed problems with the old ball and provided some much-needed entertainment with an exciting spell late in the day. Bowling curling yorkers at a brisk pace, he produced a painful toecrusher to send Craig Cumming limping off the field adjudged leg-before. Shortly afterwards, with the light starting to fade, he rattled Hamish Marshall and should have been awarded a caught-behind decision by Steve Bucknor, who followed the mistake with an even worse misjudgment later in the over, adjudging Marshall lbw to a delivery that was swinging down to fine leg.New Zealand sent in a nightwatchman, Paul Wiseman, who was then relieved to be offered the light before Malinga’s next over. James Marshall was unbeaten on 33 at the close with an excellent chance to cement his place in the side in good light on the final day. The pitch remained docile and the only serious threat to the batsmen – in absence of both the team’s match-winning spinners – has thus been reverse-swing.Sri Lanka started the morning brightly with Thilan Samaraweera (88) unveiling several well-timed drives to the boundary to quickly bring up his fifty. At the other end, Mahela Jayawardene waited patiently for over 20 minutes before opening his account for the day, which he did in some style with a mountainous thwack over deep mid-wicket off Wiseman that sailed over the ropes. It looked ominous for New Zealand as a fast rate of scoring might have left Sri Lanka with a handy lead mid-way through the final session and a chance to apply some pressure.But halfway through the morning, Nathan Astle started to banana-swing the ball and then Franklin found just enough away movement to find the edge of Jayawardene’s defensive bat, ending a 125-run stand. His huge disappointment was obvious: while 141 from 243 balls was a wonderful effort and an innings full of delightfully silky strokeplay, he knew he’d missed an opportunity on such a flat pitch to really cash inThe departure of Jayawardene slowed Samaraweera’s progress and he added just a handful of runs to a 45-run stand with Dilshan, who played a strange cameo, never quite looking at ease. Dilshan started with a legside-heave off Wiseman and thereafter concentrated mainly on the cover-drive and finding the boundary rather than working ones or twos. Stephen Fleming sensed an impatience within Dilshan’s approach and filled the covers with catchers. In the end, though, the short covers were not necessary as Dilshan self-destructed, slapping a delivery from Martin straight to Lou Vincent at orthodox extra-cover. If Jayawardene had chided himself quietly on his departure, Dilshan should have been fuming inside at his wastefulness.After lunch, Samaraweera looked set to notch up a fifth Test hundred. But Martin, arms still pumping like a high jumper despite a heavy workload, extracted some extra bounce which surprised Samaraweera. He tried to take evasive action too late and in the end almost guided the ball to Fleming at first slip. The breakthrough laid the tail bare and precipitated a final collapse.Then Franklin swept into action, reverse-swinging the old ball away from the right-handers and darting it into the left-handers. After Chaminda Vaas had top-edged a sweep off Wiseman – who lacked fizz and struggled against spin-loving batsmen – Franklin ripped through Rangana Herath’s defences and then found Nuwan Kulasekera’s outside edge before Upul Chandana skied a catch looking for quick runs.How they were outSri Lanka
Nibbled at a short-of-a-length ball angled towards the slips.
Slapped an on-the-up drive straight to extra-cover.
Surprised by extra bounce and edged, almost guided, to first slip.
Caught at short fine-leg while sweeping.
Beaten by a ball that darted back through the gate.
Edged an outswinger to first slip.
Skied a catch looking for quick runs.New Zealand
Missed an inswinging toecrusher.
Unluckily adjudged out to a delivery that swung in late and appeared to be missing leg.