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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been praised for making the "narrative" at Wrexham "like Hollywood", with three successive promotions being enjoyed, but they are being warned that sacking record-breaking manager Phil Parkinson would be "absolute madness". The odd question has been asked of the Red Dragons’ boss this season, with Steven Gerrard rumoured to be a possible contender to take over at SToK Racecourse.

• Questions of Parkinson despite stunning Wrexham record

  Those inside the Wrexham camp have been doing their best to ignore the outside noise, with there little substance to the managerial speculation for now. A slow start to the 2025-26 campaign, on the back of a big summer spend in the transfer market, delivered inevitable gossip in North Wales. Coaches, regardless of their history, are always under pressure to deliver positive results.

  Parkinson has done that for the most part since picking up the reins at Wrexham in 2021. He has overseen 140 wins from 231 games at the helm, with the faith shown in him by Hollywood co-owners being richly rewarded. Whatever happens from here, the 57-year-old is assured of a place in Red Dragons folklore.

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  Links to Gerrard: Why they make little sense

  More successes on the field will help to bring the unwelcome rumours to a close, as links to Liverpool legend Gerrard die down, with Ally McCoist among those to have been left baffled by suggestions that Parkinson could be relieved of his duties after guiding Wrexham out of the National League and into the Championship.

  Ex-Scotland international McCoist told football betting site talkSPORT Bet: "Steven Gerrard has unfinished business in management, and I believe he'll want to return, whether in Scotland or England. Regarding Wrexham, how can their manager be under pressure? The whole narrative has been like Hollywood, and it's been fantastic to follow. It couldn't have been easy for the manager to keep everyone grounded amidst all the excitement.

  "I said last year that this season Wrexham would find their level. I'd put Birmingham in the same category, they were never going to keep getting promoted all the way to the top. There was always going to be a leveling-off period.

  "The most important thing for Wrexham now is to avoid slipping backward. They shouldn't get a new manager or start throwing their toys out of the pram just because the rise has levelled off. It was always going to happen, and it's levelled off exactly where I expected.

  "What's needed now is calmness and a reality check. This is where they are, and it's crucial they don't go down. Having leveled off, they need to maintain this position, perhaps for a couple of seasons, and continue to invest and strengthen the squad. As I said, this period was always going to come, and it's no surprise to me. To get rid of the manager now would be absolute madness."

• Director rubbished Parkinson exit rumours

  Wrexham director Shaun Harvey has done his best to rubbish the Parkinson gossip, telling the podcast: "It's an absolute disgrace. I think we're all disappointed we've not got more than four points at this moment in time. But to start quoting discussions and meetings that have taken place is the bit that's the disgrace.

  "Phil has everybody at the club's full support. I know before somebody starts writing headlines, 'Harvey gives Parkinson the vote of confidence'. That is not the vote of confidence. What I'm saying is, he's got our full support. You can only give somebody a vote of confidence when you've actually discussed the future. It's not even been on anywhere near an agenda as yet.

  "So, if that day comes, the decision has to be taken. But Phil's our man. We've backed him from the start. We backed him from four years ago. We've had all the success under that regime. Why should we start panicking now?"

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  Next up for Wrexham: Brady & Birmingham approaching

  Wrexham sit 15th in the Championship table at present, with eight points being collected from seven games. They did acquire Premier League pedigree over the summer, when spending more than £30 million ($40m), and have another intriguing tussle with Tom Brady’s Birmingham fast approaching – with the Blues due at the Racecourse on Friday.

Seamer backs himself to adapt well despite batters trying to anticipate his variations

Hemant Brar16-Jun-20220:36

Harshal -‘Playing consistently on pitches like Delhi can hamper your confidence’

India seamer Harshal Patel is not worried that batters have started anticipating his variations. In the first T20I, Rassie van der Dussen had smashed Harshal for three sixes and a four in an over to turn the game around. After the match, van der Dussen had said that post the first two sixes, he knew Harshal would turn to his slower balls.”People have been trying to anticipate for the past two years,” Harshal said on the eve of the fourth T20I against South Africa. “To be very honest, with every bowler, the longer they play, the more the opposition will realise what their strengths are, what the patterns are, and try to adapt to it. But as a bowler, my job is to stay one step ahead of batters.”At the end of the day, you can have 15 different plans, but on a particular day, in a pressure situation, if you don’t go out and execute with confidence, everything doesn’t really fall in place. So my focus has always been on how to read the game better in that particular moment and how to execute the best possible delivery at that point in time.”Related

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• Anrich Nortje 'not 100% there yet' but hopes he is on the right path

Harshal is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in the series, with six scalps in three games. In the third T20I, the Visakhapatnam pitch was on the slower side, which suited Harshal’s style of bowling, and he duly picked up 4 for 25 in 3.1 overs.”Although there was not a lot of variable bounce or lateral movement from the pitch, it was definitely slow,” he said. “So that allowed us to bowl hard length and slower balls into the pitch. It was difficult to clear the boundary from those lengths.”I would certainly prefer playing on slower pitches because it allows you a bit of fighting chance. If you consistently keep playing on pitches like Delhi, it can hamper your confidence a little bit. We also have world-class spinners in the team, who can bowl well on any pitch, but it does bring them a little more into the game when we have slightly slower pitches and slightly bigger ground dimensions.”From head coach Rahul Dravid to stand-in captain Rishabh Pant, everyone has spoken about how the team has been building towards the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia in October-November. Harshal said while that is true, they are also focused on winning this series.”To be honest, you cannot play your cricket thinking too much about the future or past. Like everyone has said before as well, the World Cup is at the back of our minds and we are trying to work towards that goal. But at the same time, we are 2-1 behind in the series, so the focus is on how to win the next two games. After that, we are going to Ireland, so things will move towards that direction but at this point, our focus is on how to win this series.”

Michael Olise has been labelled a "miserable f*cker" after he refused to sing Jingle Bells in a Bayern Munich singalong.

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• Bayern players sing Christmas songs
• Musiala, Kane & others sing Jingle Bells
• Ex-Palace star Olise remains tight-lipped

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The £50 million signing from Crystal Palace was part of a festive club event where the squad posed for holiday photos and sang the classic 'Jingle Bells'. While his team-mates, including England captain Harry Kane, enthusiastically participated, Olise stood out for his lack of engagement.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In footage shared widely on social media, Olise appeared disconnected, staring blankly at the camera as his fellow players sang with festive cheer. The moment quickly went viral, prompting mixed reactions online.

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  An X user, @lxnchossard, wrote: "Olise is deadass corny man drop the gimmick you're not a vibe."

  An angry @DMarsti wrote: "Miserable f*cker."

  While another, @7headking, wrote: "He’s begging it now. Just smile and sing along. You’re not too cool for this. You were at Crystal Palace a few months ago."

  Meanwhile, @Kumar0Akshay, wrote: "This Olise nonchalant/disinterested gimmick is so lame."

  @tonjomes1 wrote: "Getting boring now, just like Zlatan."

  "Why's he trying to act hard lmao it's just jingle bells bro you do not have any opps," wrote @thfcm14.

  Whereas, @JoeAfc1, suggested: "Someone tell him it’s not illegal to smile."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR OLISE?

  Despite the social media drama, Olise’s performances on the pitch have been nothing short of extraordinary. Since joining Bayern Munich five months ago, the 23-year-old winger has adapted seamlessly to life in the Bundesliga. The French international has contributed nine goals and nine assists in 23 appearances across all competitions. His stellar form saw him earn the Bundesliga's 'Rookie of the Month' accolade for October, cementing his reputation as one of the league’s brightest talents. He will return to action on January 11 when Bayern faces Borussia Monchengladbach.

A leaner Virender Sehwag came in at No. 4 for Delhi in their Challenger Trophy match against India Blue and produced a typically belligerent innings

Sidharth Monga26-Sep-2013A leaner Virender Sehwag emerged to play for Delhi in the Challenger Trophy, batted at No. 4, and scored only his second fifty since being dropped by India in March this year. The runs he scored – 59 off 38 balls, treating the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Vinay Kumar and Piyush Chawla with scant respect – are incidental. Sehwag made two statements: like Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh he has come back fitter, and more importantly he might have finally made his mind up to present himself as a middle-order Test candidate, something he said he wanted to do even when he was at the top of his powers as a Test opener.A big crowd built around noon at Holkar Stadium in Indore with the prospect of watching Virat Kohli and Sehwag batting. There was disappointment in store when Sehwag didn’t come out to open. Further disappointment arrived when Kohli went chasing a wide delivery in the third over, and edged it through.At 7 for 2 out came Sehwag, beginning what looks like a longish audition at No. 4. In attendance was chief selector Sandeep Patil, sporting the mo’ and rat-tail that is the trademark of Sehwag’s replacement as Test opener – Shikhar Dhawan. After this Challenger Trophy, the clean-shaven and follically less-blessed Sehwag has two first-class games against West Indies A and the start of the Ranji season before the selectors pick India’s next Test squad.Albeit against an average attack, Sehwag came out with most of his trademark strokes intact. The first three balls he faced – from Bhuvneshwar – were typical Sehwag: a driven four through cover to widish delivery, a cut to third man for two, and then a flick through midwicket. Then came Vinay for his dose: a cut for four and a loft over extra cover for six.The crowd in Indore was getting post-lunch delicacies, and it made its pleasure known through loud cheering. Sehwag pushed their vocal limits with shot after shot of authority. The run-out of Unmukt Chand didn’t slow him down, but a familiar foe soon turned up: spin. Sehwag decided Chawla and Iresh Saxena were not to fit to bowl to him, and fell to Saxena after taking 19 runs off 11 balls of spin.He was down the pitch, beaten slightly in the flight, but went ahead with the drive, and provided Saxena a return catch. It was an interesting end because he will have to face a lot of spin – at least in India – if he wishes to move down the order.Delhi lost by 18 runs with 13 balls still to go. Will Sehwag be thinking a little more discretion against spin might have won them the game? Will he be thinking a little more discretion against spin might help him in the future if he indeed wants to be an India middle-order batsman?

Pace-bowling allrounder was already recovering from quadricep tear picked against West Indies in February

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Apr-2022Deepak Chahar’s potential return to IPL remains doubtful after the India and Chennai Super Kings strike bowler suffered a back injury during his rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. The gravity of the injury remains to be ascertained, as it is learned that Super Kings are yet to get a formal report from BCCI.Chahar has been at the NCA for more than a month now, recovering from the quadricep tear he picked during India’s T20I series against West Indies in February. While the initial assessment by the NCA physios projected Chahar was set to miss major chunk of the IPL, the pace-bowling allrounder’s quick recovery kept Super Kings optimistic of a return in late April.However, the back injury is likely to further endanger Chahar’s return to the IPL, considering the BCCI and the Indian team management would want him to be in peak shape as India prepare for the T20 World Cup due to begin in October.A swing bowler with the new ball as well as an able lower-order hitter, Chahar’s absence has already hurt the balance of Super Kings’ side so far this season. They have lost all four matches to begin with, most crucially missing him with the ball in the powerplay, where they have managed just two wickets at an economy rate of 8.62 in 24 overs across the four games, and have not yet been able to find an ideal replacement for him.However, Chahar’s record for Super Kings in the same phase reads a lot better: he has an economy rate of 7.61 with 42 wickets in 58 innings for them during the first six overs with the ball.Super Kings shelled out INR 14 crore (approx. US $1.84 million) for Chahar at the IPL 2022 auction, but now seem to struggle in his absence. Although the likes of Mukesh Choudhary, Tushar Deshpande, Adam Milne and Chris Jordan have been used with the new ball, none of them has been able to provide them with the required control in the early stages of the match.Among still other options, Super Kings have KM Asif and Rajvardhan Hangarkekar who can take the new ball for them in the matches to come.

Jan Oblak has thrown support behind Atletico Madrid's match winner against Barcelona Alexander Sorloth to fire the club to the La Liga title.

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• Sorloth scores winner against Barcelona
• Oblak offers support for Norwegian
• Atletico lead La Liga by three points

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Norwegian striker fired home the last-gasp winner to leave the Barcelona players stricken on the turf and three points behind Atletico in the title race. Sorloth moved to the Spanish capital after his goalscoring feats last season at Villarreal caught the eye of Diego Simeone and is starting to repay some of the faith the club showed in him. He has scored eight goals and registered two assists in eighteen games and his goalkeeper is tipping him to catch fire in the second half of the season and potentially replicate the scoring numbers of his compatriot Erling Haaland at Manchester City.

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  WHAT OBLAK SAID

  After the game, Oblak said to : "At 1-0 we resisted, and in the last minute, Sorloth gave us victory again.

  “Sorloth was needed to come on, to get the win here. It’s not easy to come on and do that. When he comes in, he always does his job. He’s the striker we need, who scores goals.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sorloth's goal ensured Atletico earned their first win away to Barcelona for almost 19 years. The club also extended their impressive form to 12 consecutive wins in all competitions to climb to the top of the summit. After the game, Oblak could not hide his relief at finally winning away at the Catalan giants. He said: "Since I’ve been at Atletico, I’ve never won here. We’ve finally done it! A difficult game, but three points. Let’s continue in this vein."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ATLETICO?

  Atletico enter 2025 on top of the table and will have a home game against Osasuna on 12 January when they return to La Liga action after the winter break. Before they continue their title charge, however, they must contend with Marbella in the Copa del Rey in a fortnight's time. Oblak and Sorloth will be desperate to maintain their good form as they eye a potential treble.

Some days, Upul Tharanga bats so well, his innings seem like a dream. Other times, he falls asleep at the crease. It is a vacillating pattern he must arrest immediately, with the team’s batting future at stake

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele27-Jul-2013When Upul Tharanga made his debut for Sri Lanka in August 2005, his was one of the more remarkable tales in international cricket. Eight months earlier, his family lost their home in the Boxing Day tsunami, that claimed thousands of lives in his home town of Ambalangoda. Only 19 then, Tharanga had played a match in Colombo the day before, and was setting out for home when he had news of the disaster. When he returned to his neighbourhood, he found “nothing was there”.Tharanga took three months’ leave from the game, as he and his family began piecing their lives together, and found a friend in club teammate Kumar Sangakkara, who gave him money and equipment to help set his cricket on track again. Upon his return to the game, he caught the selectors’ eye and had an international hundred one month after making his debut. Next year, five more ODI tons made him one of Sri Lanka’s surest long-term prospects. Tharanga has rarely lived up to that promise since.Serene and unyielding in full flow, but cagey and hapless all too often, few other batsmen have stretches of good form as fragile as he. Slim rewards from January’s tour to Australia had him left out of the side for four months, but on his return series, Tharanga struck a scintillating 174 that raised hopes he would own Sri Lanka’s troublesome second-opening spot for some time. Since that innings, he has made 7, 6, 11, 43, 3 and 5. The 43 could so easily have been 0, had he not been dropped early at second slip.His latest innings, in the third ODI, was a fumbling, frustrating, familiar mess. Groping endlessly at balls outside off stump as the seam bowlers worked the channel, Tharanga edged a boundary between the keeper and slip, and made one run from his remaining 22 deliveries.How blinding a difference from his innings in Kingston just over three weeks ago. That day, Tharanga caressed the ball so languidly, he seemed to be batting in slow-motion fantasy. He cut so late, yet drove and pulled so powerfully, it seemed no delivery imaginable could ever get him out. Tharanga had begun Sri Lanka’s innings in a graceful trance, and finished with devilish fury, plundering 66 from his last 22 deliveries to punch out unbeaten, with a strike rate of 109.4.Tharanga also has 13 ODI hundreds – only three fewer than Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayawardene who have both played in twice as many ODIs. How to reconcile that record with the batsman who eats up Powerplay overs, then routinely presents his wicket to slip, thanks to an incurable technical malady, which is almost untenable in the age of two new balls. This pained effort against South Africa bore a resemblance to his 20-ball torture for two runs in the 2011 World Cup final, that sucked the wind from Sri Lanka’s sails and set India off apace. Some days Tharanga bats so well, his innings seem like a dream. Other times, he falls asleep at the crease.It is a vacillating pattern he must arrest immediately, because at 28 now, and with eight years of international experience behind him, Tharanga is perfectly placed to ease the coming loss of Sri Lanka’s senior batsmen. No one who sees him on his best days will doubt he is capable of greatness, yet he is now two innings away from having his place in the side roundly questioned, again. Sri Lanka have already tried two other opening combinations this year, and there are talented others in the domestic circuit capable of catching the selectors’ fancy.”We’re not trying to chop and change our openers too much because we’re trying to have the same combination and give the players a good run,” Angelo Mathews said after the match. “Upul has shown in the recent past, when he got a big hundred, that he can bat through the innings. Unfortunately he couldn’t do that in the first three matches, but I’m sure he’ll come to the party in the next two.”As batsmen we have to be consistent, and apart from TM Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, we aren’t among the runs for long. If we want to win a lot of matches in the future, we can’t just leave it to the seniors. We all have to contribute.”Tharanga now approaches a fork in his career. If the inconsistency that has ruled his career so far cannot be vanquished, he may forever be banished to the cricketing purgatory so many talented men have known before, when they have flourished yearly in domestic cricket without earning a recall. But if he can discover a route to the sustained batting success he promised in his youth, Sri Lanka will be some way to solving the crisis that rushes towards them.

Ex-Tottenham and Everton star Dele Alli shared an update on his condition on social media as he steps up his injury recovery.

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• Injured Dele posts on Instagram
• Suffered fresh injury last month
• Could remain sidelined for rest of season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former England star's last competitive appearance came during a loan spell for Besiktas back in February 2023. The midfielder has struggled with injury since then but had been hoping to make his long-awaited comeback in the 2024-25 season. However, those hopes took another hit as Dele suffered a setback with his hamstring in training last month.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The fresh injury setback could keep Dele out of action for the next six months, as per former Everton scout Bryan King, who told that the midfielder is unlikely to play senior minutes until the summer. However, the 28-year-old took to Instagram to share an update on his condition, posting images from workout sessions.

• WHAT DELE ALLI SAID

  On Instagram, Dele wrote: "Create it." He also shared an anime image with a motivational quote which read: "The life you want isn't out there. It's within you, watching for you to create it."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DELE ALLI?

  Dele is currently a free agent after his contract with the Toffees expired at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. However, he continued to train with the club in the hope of landing a fresh deal, but his latest injury could prove to be a major hindrance in reviving his career in the English top flight.

Newcastle United’s pursuit to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi feels as though it has been going on for months on end, with the Magpies yet to agree a deal for the 24-year-old.

With less than two weeks left in the transfer window this summer, Eddie Howe’s side have already had three offers rejected for the England international – as the club try to bolster the backline ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

His side have already added defensive reinforcements in the form of Lloyd Kelly, but are still targeting another central defender to avoid the injury crisis which occurred during the previous campaign.

After having three bids turned down, you would think that a deal should be getting closer day by day, but with no agreement yet in place, the Magpies may turn to other alternatives.

One player they could decide to pursue a move for is a talent who has been told he’s free to leave this summer, whilst also available for over half the price of Guehi, who could cost up to £75m.

Newcastle could land £25m talent this summer

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle still have interest in a move for Chelsea centre-back Trevor Chalobah despite the recent bids for Palace star Guehi in recent days.

He’s previously been on Howe’s shortlist this summer, following his omission from the Blues’ pre-season tour of the US and being forced to train with the club’s under-23 squad.

However, they could face stiff competition from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa for his signature, with Unai Emery’s side also in the race for the 25-year-old, who is said to be available for £25m.

His potential arrival at St James’ Park could be perfect for one player who has already impressed during his time on Tyneside.

Why Chalobah would make Guimaraes unplayable for Newcastle

Bruno Guimaraes has been a pivotal part of the Newcastle squad since his £40m move to the club back in January 2022.

He’s since made over 100 appearances for the Magpies, with last season his best campaign to date, registering seven goals and eight assists – prompting £100m interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.

The Brazilian still remains at the club despite the transfer rumours, potentially being an integral part of Howe’s side – but he could become unplayable with the arrival of Chalobah, with the Englishman producing some figures in 2023/24 that fall perfectly into the hands of the 26- year-old.

The Chelsea “monster”, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has excelled defensively, winning 1.5 tackles and making 4.8 clearances per 90, but it’s his stats in possession that could allow Guimaraes to take his game to the next level.

He averaged 74 passes per 90, at a completion rate of 89%, demonstrating how comfortable he is in possession, fitting perfectly into Howe’s system which requires all players to play out from the back.

Chalobah also managed to complete an average of 2.9 progressive passes per 90, showcasing his ability to play through the lines, allowing Guimaraes to gain more opportunities in forward areas, potentially increasing his goal and assist tally this season.

While Guehi undoubtedly remains the club’s main target for the centre-back role, Chalobah would provide an excellent alternative, whilst also costing a significantly lower fee.

His talents in and out of possession would hugely improve Newcastle’s defence unit, but also prove to be a key player in building from the back and creating more opportunities for the players in forward areas, allowing Guimaraes to be unplayable further up the pitch.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may not be able to call upon a "warrior" in his squad for the rest of the 2024/2025 Premier League season, with a decision on the matter seemingly looming.

Arsenal prepare for Tottenham after 1-1 draw with Brighton

The north Londoners have two vital Premier League games awaiting them right after the international break, with trips to both north London neighbours Tottenham and title rivals Man City on the horizon.

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The north Londoners have a key advantage over every other suitor.

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Emilio Galantini

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Arsenal will also be looking to put their first dropped points of the season behind them, following their disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Brighton last weekend, when they also lost star midfielder Declan Rice to suspension.

Rice picked up two yellow cards during the encounter, and was perhaps harshly sent off, after his second bookable offence for kicking the ball away. The England star will therefore miss Arsenal's all-important clash against Tottenham, dealing a big blow to Arteta who must now cope without such a crucial player in his starting eleven.

As well as Rice, Arsenal will be without summer signing Mikel Merino for nearly two months, after the Spaniard fractured his shoulder in his first ever training session at London Colney – not exactly the ideal start to life in London for him.

Arteta now has to decide how they will cope without both Rice and Merino. Some reports suggest that Arsenal are planning to slot Havertz into midfield with Sterling as a false nine, and as Arteta contemplates this tactical tweak, he must also decide on his final squad for the season.

Kieran Tierney could be ineligible for the rest of Arsenal's season

The deadline for each club to submit their full and final Premier League squad is September 13, and left-back Kieran Tierney will be a point of much debate within the club in this regard.

While the former Celtic star has now been included in their Champions League squad, which was seen as a shock choice considering he hasn't played for them for a year, Arteta still has some thinking to do in regard to Tierney as a domestic choice.

As relayed by London World, Tierney may not be included in Arsenal's final Premier League squad, and that would make him ineligible for the rest of this Premier League season domestically.

While the £120,000-per-week ace could return from his hamstring injury after the international break, and could be available for Spurs, it is a point of contention whether Tierney will even be selected in Arteta's final Premier League draft.

If Arsenal opt to leave the Scotland international in Premier League limbo, they must inform him soon, so he could potentially decide to chase up a move to Greece or Turkey if he doesn't want to solely be a squad player for Europe.

The Turkish and Greek windows remain open until the end of next week, so a loan move abroad would be a solution for the 27-year-old who's suffered from a plague of fitness issues in recent years – despite some praise.

"He has been solid," Ashley Cole told Sky Sports in 2021 (via The Metro). "I think he would have liked to see more game time, he’s had a few injuries that hampered his season. When he’s in the team, they are a different team, he’s willing to defend, he’s that kind of leader and warrior they need in this team.

"He’s got those leadership qualities which are needed along with the younger players in there. When he doesn’t play they miss him on he left. for me, he can defend which is a plus."