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Arsenal are currently flying high in the Premier League, and despite the recent home defeat to title rivals Manchester City knocking the Gunners off top spot, avoiding victory in their game in hand would re-establish their lead.

Having failed to qualify for Champions League football in each of the past six campaigns, Mikel Arteta must be praised for the manner in which he has maintained an upward trajectory since his arrival at the helm, having previously starred for the club during his playing career.

After winning the FA Cup in 2019/20, his debut managerial campaign, the 40-year-old has made steady improvements at the Emirates Stadium, with the current campaign leaving the club firmly on course for a return to Europe’s premier club competition, 11 points above fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and with a game in hand.

Arteta can indeed take pride in the job he is doing at Arsenal, but he might have never had the foundation to build upon had the club succeeded in a past bid for Thomas Lemar…

Were Arsenal right to reject Thomas Lemar?

In 2017, AS Monaco seismically triumphed in Ligue 1, defeating overwhelming favourites Paris-Saint Germain to the crown and enjoying a memorable Champions League run to the semi-finals.

Winger Lemar, who was then 21, was integral in these endeavours with £92m bid for the pacy Frenchman, which the player rejected following concerns over the club’s failure to clinch Champions League football that year.

Last year, L’Equipe reported that the Gunners turned down the opportunity to dive back in for the now 27-year-old, who has succumbed to a significant plummet from the prominence of his early feats in his homeland.

In hindsight, Arsenal can be glad with that decision, with his fall from grace laid bare since moving to Atletico Madrid for £53m in 2018, one year after Arsenal’s exorbitant attempt to land him from Monaco.

As evidenced by the graphic displayed above, Lemar’s decline has been stark, and those close to the 27-cap dud must be somewhat incredulous as to quite how it happened.

At Diego Simeone’s Atletico, he has only scored nine goals and provided 19 assists from 163 appearances, and his current market value of just £11m (via Football Transfers) is indeed an illustration of the player’s bitter woes.

Once heralded as “lethal” by compatriot Hugo Lloris, Lemar now offers little more than a toothless bite, having failed to score from 20 appearances this season, setting up a mere two goals.

While his transitional play remains impressive – the 27-year-old ranks among the top 8% of positional peers over the past year for progressive carries and successful take-ons – his lack of dynamism would not knock Arsenal’s established wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka off their respective perches.

The club did sign Nicolas Pepe in a £72m deal two years after their failed Lemar bud, a transfer which was widely acknowledged as a failure, with former Gunners boss Unai Emery saying of the Ivorian: “He didn’t give me the performances.”

Arsenal dodged a bullet, and despite the club being grazed by the expensive and lacklustre deal for Pepe in 2019, Arteta will count his lucky stars that both deals were not completed.

It’s hard to imagine that the club’s meteoric rise of late would have been quite so fluid had they blundered on Lemar too.

And what’s the lowest score a batter has a Player-of-the-Match award for?

Steven Lynch14-Jun-2022I spotted that Mustafizur Rahman took 28 wickets in his first ten ODIs. Was this a record? And what’s the most by anyone in any spell of ten ODIs? asked Khaled Hossain from Bangladesh

Mustafizur Rahman’s tally of 28 wickets in his first ten one-day internationals for Bangladesh – starting with 5 for 50 and 6 for 43 against India in June 2015 – has been bettered only by another left-arm seamer, New Zealand’s Mitchell McClenaghan, who managed 29; the West Indian Ottis Gibson also took 28.The purplest ten-match patch at any stage in ODIs belongs to Pakistan’s Waqar Younis, who claimed 35 wickets in ten games between April and November 1990, a run that included five five-fors, three of them in succession, and even one wicketless match. Ajantha Mendis once took 34 wickets in ten ODIs for Sri Lanka, while Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and Oman’s Bilal Khan (earlier this year) have both managed 32.All nine Bengal players who batted reached 50 in their recent match against Jharkhand – is this a record? asked Peter Dayson-Smith from England, among others

This was reasonably fresh in the memory, as a few weeks ago I answered a similar question after seven Surrey players reached 50 in an innings against Kent. And so it’s easy to confirm that Bengal’s nine half-centuries against Jharkhand in Bengaluru last week is a record for any first-class innings, beating eight by the Australian tourists in their match against Oxford and Cambridge University Past and Present in Portsmouth in 1893. There have been 26 instances of seven scores of 50 or more in an innings, including Surrey’s total of 671 in that match in Beckenham in May, which remains the highest in first-class cricket without an individual century.In the same round of Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, in Alur, Mumbai thrashed Uttarakhand by 725 runs, another first-class record: the previous-heaviest defeat by a runs margin was 685, by New South Wales against Queensland in Sydney in 1929-30, in the match in which Don Bradman made 452 not out, the highest score in first-class cricket at the time. There have been heavier innings defeats, the grand-daddy of them all being Pakistan Railways’ victory over Dera Ismail Khan in Lahore in 1964-65, by the little matter of an innings and 851.What’s the lowest all-out Test total that included a 200-run partnership? asked Vipul Shah from India

There have so far been four completed innings in Tests which were less than 300 but nonetheless featured a partnership of 200 or more. Lowest of all is Australia’s 284 against West Indies in Brisbane in 1968-69, which included a stand of 217 between Bill Lawry and Ian Chappell (no one else made more than 17).When Pakistan made 288 against West Indies in Georgetown in 1999-2000, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Abdul Razzaq put on 206, quite a recovery from 39 for 5. India’s 293 against England at Headingley in 1952 included a partnership of 222 by Vijay Hazare and Vijay Manjrekar, while South Africa made 296 vs India in Kolkata in 2009-10, with a stand of 209 between Alviro Petersen (who was making his debut) and Hashim Amla. New Zealand’s 283 against West Indies in Kingston in 1984-85 included a stand of 210 between Geoff Howarth and Jeff Crowe – but only nine wickets fell in that one as Jeremy Coney had broken his arm and was unable to bat.If we look at innings which were not all-out, Pakistan’s 230 for 3 to beat New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1984-85 included a partnership of 212 between Mudassar Nazar and Javed Miandad.Asif Ali faced only seven balls and made 25 runs in his Player-of-the-Match performance against Afghanistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup•ICC via GettyI noticed that Aiden Markram has played 31 Tests, and has not yet taken part in a draw – is this a record? asked Keith McKenzie from South Africa

You’re right that the South African batter Aiden Markram has so far taken part in 19 Test victories and 12 defeats – and no draws yet. This is indeed a record: Jason Gillespie took part in 26 Tests before playing in a draw, while his Australian team-mates Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden had 22 and 21 respectively; the 19th-century England allrounder Johnny Briggs played 20 Tests before his first draw.Markram currently has the most Tests in a complete career without a draw, although he might yet lose that distinction. George Lohmann, another 19th-century Englishman, played 18 Tests without ever featuring in a draw; next comes Alok Kapali, who played 17 Tests for Bangladesh and lost them all. Keaton Jennings has so far appeared in 17 Tests for England, all of which ended in definite results, while Shimron Hetmyer has played 16 for West Indies.In the second match in Sri Lanka, Matthew Wade was Man of the Match for his 26 not out from 26 balls; he didn’t bowl, or make any catches or run-outs. Has anyone won the award after scoring fewer than this as their only formal contribution to a T20 international? asked Rohan Kennedy from Australia

Australia’s Matthew Wade won the match award in the second T20 international against Sri Lanka in Colombo last week for his run-a-ball 26, which came after he entered at a tricky time – 80 for 5 in the ninth over, chasing only 125. You’re right that he didn’t otherwise feature on the scorecard, although that wouldn’t show, for example, any particularly good pieces of fielding; Wade did keep wicket through a Sri Lankan innings that included no extras.However, Wade’s 26 balls is a long way from the smallest involvement by a player who ended up with the match award in a T20 international. Playing for Pakistan against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup in Dubai in October 2021, Asif Ali was given the award after having an active involvement in only seven deliveries, from which he hammered 25 not out. Brad Hodge (21 not out) faced eight balls for Australia against South Africa in Durban in 2013-14, as did Dinesh Karthik (29 not out) for India vs Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final in Colombo in 2017-18 (he did also complete a run-out while keeping wicket). Against England at The Oval in 2009, Ramnaresh Sarwan won the award for his nine-ball 19 not out as West Indies chased a rain-reduced target.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

اختتمت مباريات الجولة الأولى من مواجهات المجموعة الثانية، لـ بطولة كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26″، المقامة في الكويت، بعد فوز العراق على اليمن وانتصار البحرين أمام السعودية.

وانطلقت بطولة كأس الخليج “خليجي 26” مساء أمس السبت، وتستمر حتى 3 يناير 2025، بمشاركة 8 منتخبات.

وتضم المجموعة الثانية، ببطولة كأس الخليج “خليجي 26″، العراق والسعودية والبحرين واليمن.

وفي المباراة الأولى التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد، فاز منتخب العراق على اليمن، بهدف دون رد.

طالع | ترتيب المجموعة الثانية في كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26” بعد فوز السعودية على اليمن

وفي المواجهة الثانية من المجموعة، حقق منتخب البحرين انتصارًا مثيرًا أمام السعودية، بنتيجة 3-2.

وبتلك النتائج، يتصدر منتخب البحرين ترتيب المجموعة الثانية، في بطولة كأس الخليج “خليجي 26” برصيد 3 نقاط، متساويًا معه العراق بنفس عدد النقاط، لكن الأفضلية في الأهداف لصالح منتخب البحرين. ترتيب المجموعة الثانية في كأس الخليج “خليجي 26”

1- البحرين – 3 نقاط.

2- العراق – 3 نقاط.

3- السعودية – بدون نقاط.

4- اليمن – بدون نقاط.

يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب مجموعات بطولة كأس الخليج 2024 “خليجي 26″، بشكل محدث باستمرار.. من هنا

Nottingham Forest are now set to sign Odysseas Vlachodimos from Benfica, with reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano sharing a deadline day update.

Who are Nottingham Forest signing today?

The Reds and Steve Cooper have really stepped up their transfer activity in the final days of the window, with a number of players set to join in the final hours of the window.

Prior to deadline day, Forest had brought in Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga, Murillo, Matt Turner, Ola Aina, Andrey Santos and Gonzalo Montiel. Those signings ranged from permanent deals, free transfers and loan moves, with Forest spending around £46m.

In the last few hours, a move for Arsenal’s Nuno Tavares has been announced by those at The City Ground, with the left-back joining on a season-long loan.

Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is expected to be the next through the door on Friday, whereas Bologna defensive midfielder Nicolas Dominguez is also set to undergo a medical at the Midlands club in a deal that will see Remo Freuler head in the other direction on loan with an option to buy.

Forest won’t stop there, though, and by the looks of things, Vlachodimos is also on course to arrive. Romano took to X in the last few hours to share what he’s heard on Vlachodimos and a move to Forest. The transfer expert said that a deal has been agreed, with the goalkeeper on his way to the UK.

“EXCL: Odysseas Vlachodimos to Nottingham Forest, here we go! Deal agreed with Benfica right now, it’s all sealed between clubs.

“Player now travelling to the UK for medical tests later today. New goalkeeper for Forest.”

Who is Odysseas Vlachodimos?

Vlachodimos, who has a £51m release clause in his Benfica contract, is 29 years of age and has been on the books with the Portuguese giants since 2018.

A 33-cap Greece international, Vlachodimos began his career in Germany coming through the ranks at Stuttgart and made just three senior appearances for the club before moving to Panathinaikos.

He turned out on 63 occasions for the Greek outfit, keeping 34 clean sheets and then made the move to Benfica. Since then, Vlachodimos has gone on to make more than 200 appearances for his current employers, regularly featuring in the Champions League.

However, he admitted earlier this summer that he wants to move, saying:

"I'm ready to move on. It's something I want now. I established myself, won titles, experienced great successes, played in the Champions League and the Europa League. Benfica gave me a lot, it helped to develop me, but I think that the conditions are met to take the next step."

It looks as if he will get his wish, and it’ll be interesting to see who Cooper’s number one will be between Turner and Vlachodimos as the season goes on.

The summer transfer window is due to slam shut at the start of next month and Aston Villa have made four additions to their playing squad to date.

Who have Aston Villa signed?

Unai Emery has bolstered his defence and midfield with the signings of Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, Moussa Diaby, and – most recently – Nicolo Zaniolo on loan from Galatasaray.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Villans are also interested in signing Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto to add to their attacking options.

Fellow Premier League side Everton are also interested in the Italy international, who is currently not for sale but a loan move could be on the cards before the deadline.

He has handed in a transfer request at Elland Road and made himself unavailable for their matches. However, the Whites have maintained their position that the talented teenager will not be sold.

How good is Wilfried Gnonto?

The 19-year-old whiz is still learning his trade and developing but his performances for Leeds last term suggest that the potential is there for him to be an exciting player for Unai Emery.

Gnonto could be a dream partner for Diaby as either the starting number nine ahead of him or as a supporting striker or attacking midfielder to link-up with him in the build-up phase, due to his immense versatility across the frontline.

The Leeds forward, who was once described as "pure gold" by scout Jacek Kulig, racked up two goals and four assists in 14 Premier League starts last season.

He also ranked within the top 13% of his positional peers for progressive carries per 90 (4.39) and in the top 19% for assists per 90 (0.27) during the 2022/23 top-flight campaign.

These statistics show that the £20k-per-week wizard was well above average for players in his role for progressing his team up the pitch with the ball as well as being able to create good enough opportunities for his teammates to score.

The Villa head coach could also look to unearth the Italian dynamo's goalscoring potential as he did strike 13 goals in 22 games for Inter at U16 and U17 level combined before finding the back of the net 12 times in 74 matches for Zurich's first team.

If he can build on that and use his experience with Leeds to kick on and develop then Gnonto could be a lethal partner for Diaby in the final third, as the France international is a player who has proven himself to be a terrific player at the top end of the pitch.

The French magician, who has scored one goal in two Premier League games for Villa, racked up 22 goals and 20 assists across 65 Bundesliga outings during his final two seasons with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

These statistics show that the summer signing has the ability to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis from out wide and having another attacker who can drive forward to create chances for him could help the talented ace to thrive in England.

Therefore, Gnonto, who the aforementioned Kulig also hailed as a "nightmare" for defenders, could form an exciting relationship with Diaby in the final third if Emery and Monchi are able to snap him up this summer.

Manchester City have made a “fresh” approach for Lyon forward Bradley Barcola, and a reliable journalist has shared the club’s stance on a deal taking place.

Who is Bradley Barcola?

Barcola, primarily a right-winger, is an academy graduate at the Groupama Stadium having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to Laurent Blanc’s first team back in January 2022, and since that time he’s gone on to make a total of 44 senior appearances to date.

The France youth international still has another three years to run on his contract in his homeland, but having established himself as the Ligue 1 outfit’s third best-performing offensive player last season, he’s grabbed the attention of Pep Guardiola and chiefs at the Etihad.

According to 90min, the Sky Blues regularly scouted the 20-year-old during the previous campaign, and after being hugely impressed by the talent they saw on offer, have reportedly identified him as an ideal replacement for Riyad Mahrez who left last month to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in a £30m move.

Are Man City signing Bradley Barcola?

Taking to Twitter X, Gianluigi Longari revealed that Man City have taken their initial interest in Barcola one step further by holding preliminary discussions with Lyon to discover what it would take to bring him to the Premier League before the end of the transfer window. He wrote:

“Fresh contact between Manchester City #MCFC and Olympique Lyon #OL for Bradley #Barcola. He’s one of the City’s target.”

How good is Bradley Barcola?

Man City have reportedly seen an opening £70m offer for West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta turned down, but with outlets claiming that a second bid is being prepared, Barcola could be following in the formerly mentioned player’s footsteps to put pen to paper with the reigning champions should negotiations continue in a positive manner, and what an exciting double move it would be.

Lyon’s £6k-per-week earner has posted 19 goal contributions (12 assists and seven goals) in 44 senior outings at his club, not to mention that last season he ranked in the 94th percentile for attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area, highlighting his desire to create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third, and this form saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards from WhoScored.

The Villeurbanne native, who has been dubbed an “elite” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has the versatility to operate everywhere across the frontline and even on the left side of the midfield, so he would give the manager great flexibility when it comes to choosing his formation and team selection should he want to include several different players altogether.

Finally, Barcola shares the same agent, Gestifute, as Ederson, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva, as per Transfermarkt, so this existing connection that his representative already has to the club could them a potential small advantage should they decide to continue pursuing a deal for the attacker in the closing stages of the summer market.

Lionel Messi has been invited to join Argentina’s squad at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, with Thiago Almada already committing to that cause.

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• World Cup winners want to be in France
• Overage players can be called upon
• Albiceleste also have Copa America in 2024

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 2022 World Cup winners are yet to book their tickets to France, but are confident of gracing another major competition. The Olympic tournament is an U23 event, but overage players – such as 36-year-old Messi – can be called upon to aid the collective cause.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Almada, who savoured global glory in Qatar and plays alongside Messi in MLS, is still eligible to coach Javier Mascherano at the age of 22. He could also be selected for Copa America duty later in the year, with the Atlanta United playmaker happy to be as busy as possible at international level.

• WHAT ALMADA SAID ABOUT MESSI

  Almada has told of plans for the Olympics and who could form part of them: “Lionel Scaloni's coaching staff notified me, then I spoke directly with Javier and I didn't even hesitate, I said yes. We are working very well, we have a nice group and great players. Hopefully we can qualify for Argentina, as we should be there, and then if Messi wants to come, he is welcome.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Almada added on his goals for the immediate future: “I have many dreams left to fulfil. I would like to have the opportunity to play in Europe, continue being part of the national team to compete and continue winning things. But now we have to try to qualify for the Games, then I will try to be in the Copa America and continue.”

Hundreds from opener Sanjay Ramaswamy and professional Ganesh Satish ensured Vidarbha stretched their first-innings lead to 258 against Punjab on the second day in Mohali.They put on 178 for the fourth wicket before thirties from Apoorv Wankhade and Akshay Karnewar took the score beyond 400. While Ramaswamy was dismissed by Pargat Singh for 161, Satish remained unbeaten on 126. Left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma – who was part of the India Under-19 squad that toured England earlier this year – picked up 2 for 110. On the opening day, Punjab had crashed to 161 all out in 42.2 overs.Bengal took strong strides towards an outright win against Chhattisgarh in Raipur. After piling up 529 for 7 declared, they reduced the hosts to 62 for 5 with fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Ashok Dinda sharing the first four wickets. Offspinner Amir Gani claimed the other wicket to fall, after which Manoj Singh and Abhimanyu Chauhan took Chhattisgarh to stumps without any further damage.Earlier, Sudip Chatterjee, who began the day on 58, completed his tenth first-class hundred and his second in two matches. While Manoj Tiwary (36), who was playing his 100th first-class match and Wriddhiman Saha (27) did not build on starts, Anustup Majumdar and B Amit made fifties to set up the declaration. Shami and Dinda then amplified the advantage with the new ball. Ashutosh Singh, however, counterattacked, hitting 51 of the side’s 80.Himachal Pradesh‘s openers Priyanshu Khanduri and Ankush Bains hit hundreds each in a 237-run stand to pave the way for a 101-run first-innings lead against Goa in Dharamsala. Both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession, but cameos from Paras Dogra (21) and Nikhil Gangta (32*) took the side past 350.Darshan Misal was the only Goa bowler to concede less than three runs an over. On the first day, medium pacer Pankaj Jaiswal picked up four wickets to bowl out Goa for 255.

Tottenham Hotspur could make Harry Kane the highest-paid player in the Premier League to keep him in north London, with the club willing to offer a deal in the "ballpark" of £400,000-a-week, claims transfers expert Graham Bailey.

Is Harry Kane leaving Tottenham Hotspur?

It has been an excellent start to the summer transfer window so far for Spurs this year.

The club have added genuine first-team quality to the side with the £40m signing of England international James Maddison from the recently relegated Leicester City.

The window has also seen the addition of Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Serie A side Empoli and Israieli international Manor Solomon, who looked good for Fulham last season when he was fit and playing.

However, all of that could mean very little if the club can't keep a hold of their talismanic striker and all-time record goalscorer, Kane.

The England captain has been the subject of many a transfer saga over the years, but with just 12 months left on his current deal, it feels different this time.

So far, he has been the subject of interest from both Manchester United and Real Madrid, but both clubs have seemingly cooled their interest over the price or the reluctance to enter into negotiations with Daniel Levy.

However, one club that has not been put off so far is German giants Bayern Munich, who have already made two bids for the player, with the second reported to be worth €94m (£81m), according to ESPN.

With both offers being rejected by the Lilywhites, ESPN have also reported that the Bundesliga champions will submit a third offer as they further test the resolve of the Spurs board.

It sounds like it might all be for nothing on the side of the Bavarians, though, as the North London side look to stick to their plan of keeping Kane over the summer before offering him a new and improved contract, per Graham Bailey.

He explained the situation on the Talking Transfers podcast:

"We're being told roughly the ballpark would be £400,000-a-week. That's what Tottenham would be willing to go to.

"Would he be the highest paid in the Premier League on that terms? I think he probably would."

Who earns the most in the Premier League?

While £400,000 would certainly make Kane one of the Premier League's highest earners of all time, and certainly Tottenham's all-time highest earner, according to French publication L'Equipe (via the Daily Mail), it would only be enough to make him the third highest paid player currently playing.

The highest-paid player in the league is Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, who earns an eyewatering £424,000-a-week at the Etihad. The 31-year-old has probably been the most important player at the club during Pep Guardiola's silverware-laden tenure, so it's hard to say it hasn't been money well spent in a footballing sense.

The man in second place has only been in England for a single season, but for his inhuman scoring ability, it's hardly surprising to see Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland make the list.

The former Borussia Dortmund man is on a reported £402,250-a-week in Manchester, and considering he is still only 22-years-old and showing no signs he's hit his ceiling, that wage will likely go higher still as the years roll on by.

The third spot on the list is where the Spurs legend would find himself should he accept the rumoured £400,000-a-week offer he might receive.

It would represent a 100% increase on his current £200,000-a-week pay packet and dwarf Spurs' next best-paid player Tanguy Ndombele who currently earns £200,000-a-week.

The 22-year-old has already struck 18 times in 16 appearances in all competitions this season and is now being linked with the likes of Real Madrid

Santiago Gimenez says Tuesday night's Champions League game against Atletico Madrid is going to be "one of the most important" of his career – and he's not wrong. For starters, Feyenoord need a win at De Kuip to climb above the current Group E leaders and their star striker is clearly key to them achieving their objective.

Gimenez missed the two teams' first meeting in Madrid through suspension and the Dutch champions still only lost 3-2 at the Metropolitano. The fans are cautiously optimistic, then, that Arne Slot's side can gain revenge with the Mexico international back in the starting line-up, and having already shown what he can do at this level with two goals in a 3-1 win over Lazio on matchday three.

But this isn't just a colossal clash from Feyenoord's perspective; it also very much feels like this could be a defining moment for Gimenez. A positive performance against one of Europe's biggest names – and best defensive sides – could well convince the numerous scouts certain to be in attendance that Feynoord's free-scoring forward should be their employers' top transfer target, if not in January than at the end of the current season.

We have, of course, seen plenty of strikers shine in the Eredivisie in the past only to subsequently disappoint at the very highest level, so are we looking at the next Robin van Persie here – or another Mateja Kezman?…

Getty'Already spoken with Atletico Madrid'

Just a month ago, Morris Pagniello claimed that while Gimenez's father Christian, a former professional footballer, is representing the 22-year-old's interest, he has been working alongside them as a consultant for nearly 18 months. Pagniello also claimed that several members of Europe's elite were interested in signing Gimenez.

“We have already spoken with Atletico Madrid," he told . "We also talked about him with Inter, AC Milan, Lazio and Napoli. For me, he could be perfect for both Inter and Juventus. They would be the best options for him. I've been telling various clubs to believe in him, his value went from €10m to €40m in just under 12 months. Now the teams closest to him are Real Madrid and Tottenham."

Pagniello's comments understandably caused quite the stir, but Gimenez, who has previously expressed his fondness for Madrid as well as the idea of plying his trade in Serie A by pointing out that he has an Italian passport, promptly took to social media to set a few things straight.

"In the last few hours, statements have come out about my future that have emerged from sources far from my environment," he wrote. "Given this situation, I would like to clarify that I do not have a representative and that the person in charge of my career is my father with the help of Mariel.

"It is important not to take into account claims that have not been made by them or by me. I am very grateful for the understanding and support that everyone shows me every day. We have always been very open with information and know that as soon as there is any news to give, we will gladly let you know."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesSet to surpass Suarez

Speculation surrounding his future hasn't abated, of course, and in a funny way, Gimenez only has himself to blame, given transfer talk is inevitable when a player is performing at such a high level.

Gimenez is tearing up the Eredivisie in a manner not seen since Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan sensation once scored 30 Eredivisie goals across a single calendar year; Gimenez already has 29 in 2023 – and another three games to work with. Not bad for a player that cost Feyenoord just €6 million (£5.2m/$6.6m) when he joined from Cruz Azul in the summer of 2022.

It's also worth remembering that he started slowly. It took him some time to get to grips with what Feyenoord's highly-rated coach Arne Slot was asking of him, particularly from a defensive perspective.The goals weren't exactly flowing either, though. He scored just twice during the first half of the 2022-23 Eredivisie season.

Getty From super-sub to leading man

However, at that stage, he was being used primarily as an impact substitute, with Slot often preferring to start with Danilo up front. There were flashes of Gimenez's enormous potential, though, most notably in a Europa League loss at Lazio, when he scored twice in a 27-minute cameo.

Furthermore, the longer the season went on, the more comfortable and, thus, confident he became leading the line for Slot. Gimenez became Feyenoord's first-choice forward in February and was integral to their title triumph, netting in nine consecutive games during the run-in.

He ended the campaign with a record of 23 goals in 45 appearances (only 27 of which were starts) – and his fine form unsurprisingly led to him being included in the Mexico squad for the 2023 Gold Cup, after failing to make the cut for Qatar 2022.

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Getty Argentina-born Mexico match-winner

Gimenez was tasked with serving as El Tri's super-sub by new coach Jaime Lozano – and, given his familiarity with the role, he played it perfectly. In a tight and fiercely-contested final against Panama, Gimenez was only brought on in the 85th minute. But it mattered not. Just three minutes later, he won the game – and the tournament – for Mexico by controlling a ball on halfway, turning his man, and then racing away to score with a low, left-footed strike.

It was the perfect illustration of everything he has in his locker: excellent technique, strength, speed and a cool head. For Gimenez, it was a beautiful moment that also felt like vindication for choosing to represent Mexico over Argentina.

People had told him he was crazy – and worse – for turning down the land of his birth. However for Gimenez, Mexico had always felt like home. He had lived nearly his entire life there, with his father having left Independiente for Veracruz in 2004, when Gimenez was only three years of age, before going on to spend the remaining 14 years of his professional career with Mexican clubs.

Cruz Azul was one of those clubs, and that's where Gimenez took his first steps towards stardom. He started out as a midfielder, but despite being considered a little shy and awkward at first, he developed into a lethal goalscorer, striking 100 times across four seasons at under-age level. He made his pro debut at just 16 years of age and there had been talk for some time that the boy was destined to play in Europe one day.

The move to Feyenoord still came as something of a surprise and Gimenez wasn't convinced at first. It was his father who felt that the Netherlands would be the perfect place for him to develop as a player, and he was spot on.