Arsenal may claim European glory before the season is out, yet if all else fails, Mikel Arteta and co can still reflect on what has largely been a positive campaign – not least due to the rise of the latest Hale End sensations.

In truth, this has been the year of Ethan Nwaneri. This has been the year of Myles Lewis-Skelly – the teenage pair following in the footsteps of Bukayo Saka by forcing their way into the first-team ranks.

In the case of Nwaneri, the playmaker’s emergence has almost been preordained, with talk surrounding the 18-year-old having been rife ever since he became the Premier League’s youngest-ever player back in September 2022.

For Myles-Skelly, however, those outside of the Emirates had likely heard little regarding his quality prior to his introduction off the bench against Manchester City just over six months ago.

Fast forward to the present day, and the 18-year-old is now a senior England international, having also surged past a sea of senior stars to become Arteta’s leading figure at left-back.

Transfer talk will dominate this summer, yet as the cases of Saka, Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly showcase, the biggest jewels can come from within. That being said, there are those in the youth ranks who also have to fly the nest to flourish elsewhere…

Arsenal's notable academy departures

A good place to start would be with regard to two of the most recent starlets to move on from the Gunners’ academy set-up, with Manchester United having snapped up Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven over the last year or so.

The teenage duo – who only made one senior appearance between them under Arteta – have already worked their way into Ruben Amorim’s first-team squad, with Heaven having started twice thus far against Real Sociedad and Leicester City.

Much like Obi, the north Londoners also saw another centre-forward prospect depart last summer, with Danish starlet, Mika Biereth having been sold to Sturm Graz for just £4m.

The 22-year-old – who joined Arsenal from Fulham in 2021 – has since linked up with another Hale End graduate, Folarin Balogun, at Monaco, having already scored 12 goals in just ten Ligue 1 games for his new side.

Speaking of Craven Cottage, the likes of Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi are all currently part of Marco Silva’s squad, with the trio chalking up 21 goals and assists between them so far this season.

Those examples showcase that moving on to pastures new can help to kickstart a career, with another Hale End product – Brooke Norton-Cuffy – no doubt hoping his own exit can prove just as fruitful.

Arsenal already sold Lewis-Skelly 2.0

One of the key features of Lewis-Skelly’s game is the teenager’s innate versatility, with the Englishman having comfortably slotted in at full-back, despite having largely featured in a central midfield berth in the youth set-up.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

What has also stood out regarding the promising left-footer is his impressive physicality, with teammate Declan Rice highlighting the youngster’s “Mousa Dembele-type strength”, following the north London derby win back in January.

Those key traits are also shared by Norton-Cuffy, with the 21-year-old having operated at right-back or in a wing-back berth in his career thus far, while also showcasing the flexibility to feature in central midfield if needed.

Now on the books at Serie A side Genoa – after being sold by the Gunners for just £3.5m last summer – the England youth international had previously been hailed as Arsenal’s “very own Reece James” by analyst Ben Mattinson, following a series of promising loan moves.

Like Lewis-Skelly, the versatile defender has been lauded for being “ridiculously physical” – in the words of Mattinson – while he is also an “insane carrier” due to his ability to drive his side up the pitch from deep.

That quality was on show last season on loan at Milwall, with Norton-Cuffy – who registered two goals and four assists in that time – ranking in the top 18% of Championship full-backs for progressive carries, as well as in the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.

While injury has ensured that the London-born gem has only made eight appearances since his switch to Italy – having failed to make a senior appearance at the Emirates – it would be no surprise to see him flourish if he is afforded a consistent run of game time over the coming years.

That lack of impact has ensured that Arsenal and Arteta won’t be regretting their decision to sell the one-time Coventry City loanee on the cheap just yet, although it might not be too long before that situation changes.

Perhaps, the Gunners have let another Lewis-Skelly slip from their grasp.

Arsenal's "special" teen was meant to be Ramsey 2.0, then Arteta sold him

The talented midfielder never made it at Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 29, 2025

Maurizio Sarri rejected big offers from Saudi Arabia and rejoined Lazio, saying he chose passion over money.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Sarri reappointed as Lazio coach after 15-month sabbatical
• Italian rejected big offers from Saudi Arabia
• Vows to make the best out of the situation in Rome

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sarri is one of the coaches who has risen from the bottom and has been deeply involved in the intricacies of the game. The Italian's spell with Empoli, which saw them gain promotion to Serie A, was a significant achievement in his career that eventually led him to join Napoli. After a spell away from the game, he recently returned to the Lazio hot seat after rejecting lucrative offers from the Middle East, with Sarri saying his motivation stems from chasing passion rather than material gains.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  When Sarri wanted to end his sabbatical, many Italian clubs tried to hire him, but his heart was set on Lazio. There were multiple offers from the Saudi Pro League as they sought to bring in more big names in the transfer window. However, for Sarri, it has always been his passion that has taken centre stage in his decision-making, and as a coach, he believes even if champions are moving to Saudi, he'll train the so-called 'less talented' ones at his disposal.

• WHAT SARRI SAID

  Sarri said to Alfred Pedulla: "This year too I had a negotiation with a Saudi team, where I would have earned in a month as much as Lazio would have earned in a year. Since last year I said that I would go where my heart would take me, not money. I’m not interested. I’ve always played football for passion, I wouldn’t want to start doing it now for money."

  Asked why he rejected Saudi money, the Lazio manager said: "I don’t know, it’s something that, if I think about it, doesn’t provoke emotional reactions in me and doesn’t give me motivation. It would be difficult for me to coach there. If they bring the champions there, I will train the bad ones here."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LAZIO?

  With Sarri's reappointment, the focus of the club shifts to bringing in players for their upcoming campaign. The Italian's first move was to extend Pedro's contract with the club. The Italian club will focus on bringing a balance of young and seasoned talent to Stadio Olimpico before the league kicks off in August.

Durham are on the verge of promotion to LV= Insurance County Championship Division One after defeating Sussex by seven wickets in their clash at Seat Unique Riverside.The home side required only one wicket to wrap up the Sussex second innings after reducing the visitors to 263 for nine on day three. Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Henry Crocombe defied the Durham seamers for 45 minutes before Matt Parkinson secured the final strike to finish with figures of four for 80, and eight for 138 in the match.Durham lost three wickets in their chase of 57 as Jack Carson found turn out of the fourth-day pitch, ending with figures of three for 15. But, Alex Lees and Ollie Robinson guided their team over the line to secure maximum points from the contest.Durham need only five points to secure promotion in their next outing, although if Leicestershire fail to beat Sussex next week, the North-East outfit will secure their spot in Division One.Resuming day four with a slender lead of 24, Sussex needed a special effort from their last-wicket pair to put the pressure back on the home side. Hudson-Prentice and Crocombe frustrated Ben Raine and Matthew Potts with the new ball, fending off their attempts to wrap up the Sussex innings.Raine almost prised out Crocombe, but his outside edge flew through the vacant gap between slip and gully. Scott Borthwick turned to Parkinson and he got the breakthrough in his second over, ending the stand for 45 as Hudson-Prentice advanced down the wicket and failed to connect with his drive, allowing Robinson to whip off the bailsAfter bowling out Sussex for 295, the hosts required only 57 runs to secure their sixth win of the season. Carson caused a mild stir in the ranks as bowled Michael Jones before removing Scott Borthwick and David Bedingham in the space of three deliveries. But, the hosts closed out the victory as Ollie Robinson slammed a drive to the fence, taking Durham to the brink of promotion.

Former South Africa batter replaces Pakistan-bound Nadine de Klerk

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2023Lizelle Lee, the former South Africa batter, has signed to play for the Blaze in the final rounds of this season’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Lee, 31, who retired from international duty last year, will replace South Africa allrounder Nadine de Klerk after she was called up for the tour of Pakistan.An experienced opener across formats, Lee featured for Trent Rockets in the most-recent edition of the Hundred, scoring 165 runs from seven innings.The Blaze, who also play at Trent Bridge, currently sit top of the RHF Trophy standings, with six wins from 10 games.”I am very excited to join up with the Blaze, particularly having played with some of my soon-to-be team-mates during The Hundred,” she said.”They have been playing really well across all competitions so far, and I hope that I can contribute and help push for qualification in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.”Chris Guest, the Blaze head coach, said: “Lizelle is a great addition for us as we get to the business end of the competition. We’ll benefit not only from her skills, but her knowhow in big games too. We’ve seen plenty of times how destructive she can be on her day.”We are in a good position with our focus solely on 50-over cricket now, which gives the team a real energy and drive to finish the season well, and Lizelle will add impetus to the group.”

Former Australia and Hobart Hurricanes captain will work under Jason Gillespie at Adelaide Strikers this summer following a coaching stint with Australia A later this month

AAP and ESPNCricinfo staff25-Aug-2023

Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine has joined the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL as an assistant coach.Strikers coach Jason Gillespie says luring Paine, who retired from first-class cricket at the end of last season, is a coup for the franchise.”Tim has all the skills to be a fantastic coach,” Gillespie said in a statement on Friday.”The experience he will bring is sure to help our players in all facets of the game and bring more positive elements to the way we play.”Related

New Hurricanes captain Ellis hopes to end BBL trophy drought

Adam Voges to coach Australia A against New Zealand A

Paine is also having stints as a part-time coach of the Australian U19s and the Australia A team that plays New Zealand A in a series starting next week. Paine is working under former Australia teammate, Western Australia and Perth Scorchers coach Adam Voges for the red-ball portion of the Australia A series. Voges told ESPNcricinfo earlier this month that he was excited to have Paine join the coaching staff.”I have had a fair bit to do with Tim over the journey and I’m really excited for him to start to dip his toe into coaching post-career and looking forward to him being around the group,” Voges said.”To have a former Australian captain in amongst it and to be able to lean on him and for him to provide that experience to a couple of the younger players I think will be great.”Tasmanian-born Paine, who captained Australia in 23 of his 35 Tests, played for the Hobart Hurricanes 44 times, captaining them 25 times.

MatériaMais Notícias

Há pouco mais de quatro anos, na Copa do Mundo de 2018, Ana Thaís Matos foi um dos destaques da cobertura do SporTV durante o torneio na Rússia. Apesar de não ter estado in loco no leste europeu, ela conquistou seu espaço no Grupo Globo e desde então não parou de crescer. Agora, em 2022, no Qatar, ela estará no time principal de comentaristas da Seleção Brasileira em TV aberta ao lado de Galvão.

RelacionadasFora de CampoNo clima da Copa do Mundo, Galvão Bueno pinta rua de casa nas cores da SeleçãoFora de Campo22/09/2022Seleção BrasileiraBrasil x Gana: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistir ao amistosoSeleção Brasileira22/09/2022Fora de CampoAo L!, Luis Roberto fala da expectativa para mais uma Copa e projeta o ‘pós-Galvão’Fora de Campo21/09/2022

GALERIA
> Veja calendário da Seleção Brasileira até o final da Copa do Mundo

TABELA
> Veja tabela e simulador da Copa do Mundo-2022 clicando aqui

Em breve entrevista ao LANCE! durante evento que apresentou a cobertura da Globo para o Mundial, a comentarista admitiu ter ficado surpresa ao saber que seria uma das escolhidas para analisar os jogos do Brasil. Nada disso, porém, fará com que ela deixe de “ralar” como tem feito nos últimos quatro anos desde a última Copa.

-É um privilégio, mas você tem que ralar bastante, né? E eu vou seguir ralando também. Um privilégio cheio de responsabilidades, de conquistas coletivas, de saber que a gente fez uma trajetória de quatro anos dentro do Grupo Globo trabalhando muito. Confesso que fiquei surpresa com a possibilidade de fazer a Copa do Mundo comentando a Seleção Brasileira Masculina que é um assunto que eu mais gosto no futebol. Então eu estou numa expectativa muito positiva. Eu acho que vai ser uma Copa muito legal.

Ana Thaís é um dos grandes ícones da conquista do espaço da mulher em um meio tão masculino como o jornalismo esportivo, principalmente quando se trata de futebol. Isso não apenas na TV, mas também em seus empregos anteriores no LANCE! e na Rádio Globo/CBN. Para ela isso significa mostrar para todas as meninas que é possível falar de futebol e seguir essa paixão em qualquer lugar.

-Eu acho que além de representar a menina que quer ser uma jornalista, é a menina que quer ser ouvida, né? Que não necessariamente vai ser uma jornalista, mas ela quer falar de futebol com o pai, com a mãe, com o coleguinha da escola, ela quer se sentir empoderada para poder falar de futebol, eu acho que é essa menina que a gente quer acessar e que a gente trabalha para acessar e aí quem sabe ela pode ser uma comentarista, uma jornalista, uma jogadora… – declarou.

Por fim, Ana Thaís celebrou a possibilidade de poder trabalhar com pessoas que eram referências para ela antes mesmo de estar inserida no meio do futebol e do jornalismo. Agora ela não apenas divide o ambiente de trabalho com esse pessoal, como também se tornou amiga compartilhando inclusive angústias de uma cobertura.

-Eu tenho uma foto que eu não acho em lugar nenhum, que sou eu criança e o Maestro Junior, no Beach Soccer. Como eu joguei Beach Soccer, eu era muito apaixonada pela Seleção Brasileira da modalidade e ele era um dos craques daquela Seleção. Hoje eu trabalho com ele, ele é um dos melhores seres humanos que eu já conheci na minha vida, uma pessoa do tamanho dele, com a projeção dele, que me trata assim de um jeito que eu nem sei explicar.

– Entre outros amigos, né? Galvão, gente, Galvão Bueno. Luis Roberto, Cleber Machado… Cleber narrou as emoções que eu vivi enquanto torcedora. É muito especial para mim, além de trabalhar com meus amigos, poder trocar ideias, tomar um café e dividir com eles as minhas expectativas e as minhas angústias dessa cobertura.

Ao lado de Galvão Bueno e de Junior, Ana Thaís estará nos comentários do jogo entre Brasil e Gana, nesta sexta-feira, às 15h30, na TV Globo. A partida acontece em Le Havre, na França, e será a penúltima da Seleção antes da convocação final para a Copa do Mundo, que será divulgada no dia 7 de novembro.

The general sale of tickets for all World Cup matches to commence from 8pm IST on September 8, the BCCI said

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2023With less than a month to go for the first match of the men’s ODI World Cup, the BCCI, the host board, has announced the release of as many as 400,000 tickets in the next phase of ticket sales.A BCCI statement on Wednesday evening said that the “general sale of tickets” for all matches of the World Cup will commence from 8pm IST on September 8, adding that “fans will be notified of the further sale of tickets in the next phase in due course”. The release did not mention any details of the next phase though.ESPNcricinfo has learnt these tickets are part of a further phased approach to meet the huge demand from fans, though there was no mention previously that such a batch would go on sale. The original phased approach of online sales (except for the knockouts) ended on September 3.Related

ODI World Cup tickets to go on sale on August 25

Date changes for India-Pakistan and eight other games

The BCCI arrived at the number of tickets to be sold in coordination with the state associations that will host the World Cup matches. It is understood that those associations were asked by the BCCI to release a certain number of tickets – usually meant for the former’s members – which were then added to public tickets quota.The BCCI had faced a lot of backlash from fans and other stakeholders for first releasing the schedule only 100 days before the start of the tournament, and then making further changes to it, which further delayed the release of tickets. The statement said the board “acknowledges the high demand for tickets” and planned to release more tickets after “discussions with the hosting state associations” to accommodate “as many passionate cricket fans as possible, ensuring their participation in this historic event”.”The BCCI deeply acknowledges that fans are the heartbeat of the tournament, and their unwavering passion, engagement, and contributions are pivotal to the success of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023,” the statement said.According to the original plan of ticket sales revealed by the ICC on the same day that they released the revised schedule, the tickets were to go on sale in seven phases, from August 25, 41 days before the tournament opener. August 25: Warm-up and World Cup matches not featuring India August 30: India warm-up matches in Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram August 31: India World Cup matches in Chennai (vs Australia, Oct 8), Delhi (vs Afghanistan, Oct 11) and Pune (vs Bangladesh, Oct 19) September 1: India World Cup matches in Dharamsala (vs New Zealand, Oct 22), Lucknow (vs England, Oct 29) and Mumbai (vs Sri Lanka, Nov 2) September 2: India World Cup matches in Kolkata (vs South Africa, Nov 5) and Bengaluru (vs Netherlands, Nov 12) September 3: India World Cup matches in Ahmedabad (vs Pakistan, Oct 14) September 15: Semi-finals and finalIn comparison, the 2019 World Cup (in England and Wales) had tickets go up for sale in September 2018 and then again on March 21, 2019, as an ICC response to the high demand for tickets.The 2023 World Cup will kick-off on October 5 with England vs New Zealand – a repeat of the 2019 final – in Ahmedabad. Nine other cities will host World Cup games in India: Hyderabad, Dharamsala, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata. The ten teams will all play each other in the first round before the semi-finals are played in Mumbai (November 15) and Kolkata (November 16), and the final in Ahmedabad on November 19.

Sussex have been docked 12 points in the County Championship and will be without their captain, Cheteshwar Pujara, for this week’s match against Derbyshire. Pujara received an automatic suspension after the club reached the threshold of four fixed penalties in the same season.Sussex have also made the decision to stand down three players – Jack Carson, Tom Haines and Ari Karvelas – for behaviour that in the words of head coach, Paul Farbrace, “tarnished” the dramatic, 15-run win over Leicestershire last week.Victory over their promotion rivals at Hove had kept Sussex in contention to go up, but they have now dropped to fifth in the table, 30 points behind second-placed Worcestershire with two games of the season left.Related

• Karvelas cleared by ECB after investigation into Leicestershire incident

• Sussex close in on victory to cap a season of awkward progress

• Sussex revive promotion challenge and deal Leicestershire's a blow after dominating at Hove

Carson, the 22-year-old England Lions offspinner, was spoken to by the umpires during Leicestershire’s fourth-innings chase of 499 after appearing to try to trip Ben Cox while the batter was completing a run at the non-striker’s end. He apologised via the Sussex website for “crossing the line in what is deemed acceptable within the spirit of cricket”.Opener Haines, who is Sussex’s One-Day Cup captain, also issued an apology after a heated final day on which the home side were spoken to about excessive appealing. Fast bowler Karvelas will remain unavailable while an investigation “into an incident in the Leicestershire game” is carried out.”We have made Jack and Tom unavailable for selection for this game at Derbyshire,” Farbrace said. “Following the umpires and match referee’s decision to charge both players with on-field level one and level two offences, we needed to take a stance, and show them we will not condone such behaviours.”Ultimately it has cost us the availability of Cheteshwar and we have been deducted 12 points.”We have also decided it is not appropriate for Ari Karvelas to be made available for selection until the investigation that is in place has been concluded.”This provides other players in our squad with a great opportunity to show they can perform at this level, and more importantly contribute towards the team challenging to win matches in the County Championship.”It is a great shame that these incidents have tarnished what was a fantastic game against Leicestershire, and all the hard work that has gone into the season. I am disappointed for our fantastic members and supporters and can assure them we will be working hard to make sure we are not in this position again.”Sussex had previously been sanctioned twice by the umpires in the early part of the season, with Pujara guilty of a Level 1 offence in the opening game against Durham and Haines reprimanded similarly after the visit of Yorkshire to Hove.

The Black and Gold forward could return to France this summer, according to a new report

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Lille reportedly targeting Giroud for summer transferFrenchman's contract expires end of 2025Has struggled in MLS since joining in summer 2024Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Ligue 1 side Lille are reportedly targeting LAFC striker Olivier Giroud for a summer transfer, according to Tom Bogert. French news outlet L'Equipe reported earlier Wednesday that Giroud was the subject of interest from Lille upon the end of his contract at the conclusion of the MLS season, but a summer deal could now be on the cards, ending the Frenchman's time in MLS after just one season.

Giroud, 38, has only scored five goals across all competitions since signing for LAFC in the summer 2024. In their last 16 regular sason matches, he has only started five of them.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

If Giroud were to leave LAFC, it would open up a Designated Player slot, while like providing a solution that benefits both parties. The 38-year-old has not adapted to MLS well and has struggled to maintain a starting spot or find any scoring prowess in the league.

LAFC were participants in the FIFA Club World Cup, but were eliminated in the Group Stage of the competition. Giroud started one match, and came off the bench in the other two as the lost to both Chelsea and Esperance de Tunis, and drew Flamengo.

DID YOU KNOW?

Giroud is France's all-time leading scorer internationally with 57 goals.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GIROUD?

LAFC next take the pitch on Sunday against Western Conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps.

دخل مسئولو نادي الزمالك، في مفاوضات مع أحد اللاعبين العرب من أجل ضمه خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية، استعدادًا للموسم الجديد.

ويواصل مسؤولو الزمالك، التحرك من أجل الحصول على تدعيمات جديدة لصفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، لتعويض الإخفاقات التي حدثت في الموسم الماضي على المستوى المحلي والقاري، إلى جانب الرغبة في العودة من جديد إلى دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وجدد الأبيض، اهتمامه بالتعاقد مع الفلسطيني عدي الدباغ مهاجم نادي شارلروا البلجيكي، خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

طالع.. عاجل | مصطفى شلبي يرحل عن الزمالك رسميًا وينضم لناديه الجديد

وكشف مصدر مقرب من اللاعب لـ بطولات، عن تلقيه اتصالات من جانب مسؤولي الزمالك، للاستفسار عن إمكانية ضمه في الصيف الجاري.

وأوضح المصدر أن عدي يدرس بعض العروض العربية في الوقت الحالي من ضمنها الزمالك، بعد حديث بعض الوكلاء معه.

وارتبط اسم الدباغ بالنادي الأهلي، خلال الفترة الأخيرة، حيث كانت هناك رغبة لدى مسؤولي القلعة الحمراء بضم اللاعب وتدعيم صفوفه.