Nikhil Gorantla, the 23-year-old right-hand batter, has become the latest graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to achieve professional status, after signing a multi-year, full-time contract with Surrey.Gorantla has impressed for Surrey’s second XI this season, having been part of SACA since 2023, while also joining the relaunched MCC Young Cricketers Programme this year.He has previously represented Essex Second XI, for whom he made a double-hundred against Yorkshire in 2022, and Northumberland. He is due to link up with Surrey’s first-team squad this week as he begins training.”I’m delighted to sign my first professional contract at Surrey,” Gorantla said. “I’m incredibly proud that my hard work over the past few years with SACA, Durham University, club cricket and the MCC Young Cricketers has been rewarded with a contract at the biggest club in the country.”SACA was founded by Dr Tom Brown in 2022 as a means to provide a second chance to British-Asian cricketers who had missed out on county cricket’s traditional pathways. The programme has produced a range of notable players in recent seasons, including Worcestershire’s prolific batter, Kashif Ali, and Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner who featured on England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean last year.”I’d like to particularly thank the South Asian Cricket Academy for keeping me in the professional mix over recent years,” Gorantla added. “The work they continue to do for young cricketers has been phenomenal.”I’m looking forward to getting around the group and learning from the wealth of experienced players and coaches at the club.”Born in Cambridge, Gorantla was part of the Cambridgeshire set-up from U10s to U15s before being part of the Essex age group system and Academy until 2022.He recently graduated from Durham University with a degree in Chemistry and played for the universities cricket team. While at university, he also played for South Northumberland Cricket Club in Newcastle before moving to Sawston and Babraham in the East Anglian Premier League this summer.Alec Stewart, High Performance Advisor at Surrey, said: “Nik has shown good potential and has earned this opportunity after impressing in the Second XI this season, not just with Surrey but what he has achieved for other county Second XIs.”Not every journey to a professional contract is seamless. Nik’s a shining example of how hard work and patience can be rewarded. The guidance and coaching he has received from SACA, who help with opportunities for young cricketers, has been exceptionally important.”The reemergence of the MCC Young Cricketers programme, along with Durham University, gave Nik the opportunity to receive quality coaching alongside his studies.”Brown, Co-founder and Managing Director at SACA, added: “Nik has worked incredibly hard to get this opportunity and everyone at SACA is so pleased for him. He’s a shining example of how the programme works; his talent and his work rate have never been in doubt and he’s shown that he deserves this chance at Surrey.””On his debut for SACA back in 2023, you could tell straight away what a quality cricketer he was and we’re so proud to see him take that next step in his journey.”

The Kansas City Royals had been thinking about making the move for a while, so when general manager J.J. Picollo approached catcher Salvador Pèrez and asked him to consider playing more first base, the executive was ready with his argument: 

Pérez scoffed. , he said. 

, Picollo said.

That was all it took. Pérez, a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover and four-time Silver Slugger at catcher, has spent a third of his time at first this season. (Even on those days, he does not entirely relinquish his role; he sits in meetings with backup Freddy Fermín and still makes mound visits from first base.) The result? At 34, Pérez has put together one of the best seasons of his career and helped key the Royals to a likely playoff berth, their first in a decade. The people around him are talking about enshrinement in Cooperstown. Pérez thinks about that honor—“I think any player [wants that],” he says—but right now, he is focused on one thing. 

“What I want so bad is for these guys to make it to the playoffs, because I know when you make it to the playoffs, and you feel that energy, that crowd—next year they’re just gonna want that again,” he says. “ I didn’t know until 2014 how that feels. But after that …” 

He smiles. He knows how it feels. And he wants to feel it again. 

It is the end of an era for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers after a string of disappointing results across all competitions led to the manager tendering his resignation this week.

The Hoops did beat Sturm Graz in the Europa League last week, to their credit, but they have also lost three of their last five matches, including their last two in the Scottish Premiership.

Dane Murray scored an own goal and conceded a penalty in a rare start against league-leaders Hearts on Sunday, taking their opponents eight points clear at the top of the table.

The Hoops are in a position they do not often find themselves in, chasing the team at the top of the table, and Rodgers has decided that he is not the man to take the club forward.

Celtic have already confirmed that incredibly experienced manager Martin O’Neill will lead the team in the interim period until a permanent head coach can be unveiled.

The former Hoops boss will have some big calls to make for the team selection against Falkirk, with Arne Engels one of the players whose future at the club is in some doubt because of his performances.

Why Arne Engels' future at Celtic may be in doubt

The Scottish giants broke their transfer record to sign the Belgium international from Augsburg for a fee of £11m in the summer of 2024 to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

For a 21-year-old playing in Scotland for the first time, with the pressure of his transfer fee, a return of ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, was an impressive haul.

Unfortunately, Engels has failed to kick on in the current Scottish Premiership campaign, as he has only been named in the starting line-up in four of his eight appearances.

xG

0.42

Top 33%

Goals

0

Bottom 3%

xA

0.48

Top 49%

Assists

0

Bottom 3%

Duels won

16

Bottom 31%

Duel success rate

29%

Bottom 4%

Interceptions

2

Bottom 18%

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian central midfielder has failed to provide much quality in possession, whilst he has struggled badly off the ball in midfield.

His dismal form in the Premiership, and lack of starts, may put his future up in the air ahead of the January transfer window, because he is an £11m asset who will not increase in value if his performances are poor.

However, there were positive signs against Sturm Graz last week. He assisted the winning goal, as shown in the clip above, and ended the game with five key passes and three ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore.

That performance was a step in the right direction for Engels and shows that he can still deliver quality in the middle of the park for the Hoops, which is why O’Neill should not drop him from the XI.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, one player who should be instantly ditched by the interim manager, though, is Reo Hatate, whose performance levels have dropped significantly this season.

Why Reo Hatate should be dropped

Like Engels, the Japan international was an influential figure in the middle of the park for the Hoops in the 2024/25 campaign with his attacking contributions.

Hatate scored ten goals and created 14 ‘big chances’ in 37 appearances in the Scottish Premiership last season, which shows that he provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Bhoys.

The Japanese star was even linked with a move to Serie A side Udinese off the back of his impressive performances for the club, but he remained at Parkhead until the close of the summer transfer window.

Unfortunately, Hatate has one goal and no assists in 13 appearances in all competitions so far this season, and was recenty criticised by a former Celtic manager in the win over Sturm Graz.

Speaking on TNT Sports’ coverage of the game, Neil Lennon was unimpressed by the midfielder, saying that his play on the ball was “so sloppy” throughout the first half.

Minutes

90

60

Key passes

3

1

Assists

0

0

Possession lost

16x

5x

Ground duels won

1/5

0/1

Aerial duels won

0/1

1/3

Tackles won

0

0

As you can see in the table above, Hatate gave the ball away 16 times against the Austrian outfit, whilst also losing five of his six duels, before going on to lose 75% of his duels against Hearts on Sunday.

The Japan international has, now, scored one goal and failed to provide any assists, with just 0.7 key passes per game, across seven starts in the Premiership this season, on top of his struggles in duels.

With Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo both waiting in the wings, and Lennon criticising his play on the ball last week, it looks like Hatate is finished in midfield unless his performances drastically improve.

Engels, at least, showed signs of life with his impressive display against Sturm Graz, creating as many ‘big chances’ (three) as Hatate has managed all season in all competitions (three), per Sofascore.

Whilst it remains to be seen who the next permanent manager of the club will be, it also remains to be seen whether or not Hatate has much of a future left in Glasgow, if his performances do not improve.

Unlike Engels, he is not currently showing signs of revival and that could mean that a transfer is considered in January, particularly given the interest from Udinese in the summer, as it may be the best option for all parties involved if Hatate cannot recapture his best form.

علق محمود عبد الرازق شيكابالا، قائد الزمالك السابق، على اختيارات حسام حسن المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر لقائمة معسكر الفراعنة المقررة خلال شهر نوفمبر الجاري.

وقال شيكابالا في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “مدرب منتخب مصر يختار اللاعبين بناءً على ماذا؟، على مدى جاهزيتهم وقدرتهم على تقديم الإضافة والأداء الفعلي في المباريات”.

وأكمل: “مثلاً ضم مروان عثمان مهاجم سيراميكا جاء بعد أدائه المميز أمام الأهلي، فهو يقدم شيئاً مختلفاً وقادرًا على تقديم إضافة للمنتخب”.

وواصل: “أما بخصوص ضم لاعبين مثل مصطفى شوبير حارس الأهلي أو خالد صبحي لاعب المصري، رغم عدم مشاركتهما كثيرًا مع أنديتهما، فهذه قرارات قد تثير الجدل، الاختيار المثالي يكون للاعبين الأكثر جاهزية ونشاطًا حتى لا يعانون من غياب روح المنافسة والرغبة في إثبات الذات، خصوصًا في المشاركة الدولية”.

طلع | شيكابالا: الزمالك فريق “معمول غلط”.. وهذا اللاعب لا يستحق ارتداء القميص الأبيض

وتابع: “ناصر ماهر كان مخطئًا في تصريحاته السابقة قبل المباراة، كان من الأفضل له التركيز والالتزام بالعمل داخل الملعب ورفع مستوى الفريق في البطولة”.

وأردف: “بعدها كان من الممكن أن يتحقق له الاعتراف والجماهيرية التي يستحقها، وأنا أرسلت لـ ناصر ماهر وقلت له بعد ما نشرته، ركز وأغلق على نفسك وركز على مباراة النهائي، واجعل الناس هم الذين يحكمون”.

Leeds United have long established themselves as a club who promote young talent from within, but they may now have a battle on their hands to keep an exciting gem at Elland Road.

Farke sets out aims as pressure mounts in Leeds dugout

After two-and-a-half years in the dugout at Leeds, Daniel Farke had led his side to the promised land of the Premier League and will hope they can retain their top-flight status despite a mixed start to life against the elite.

Speaking to Sky Germany, the former Norwich City boss made clear that his intention in Yorkshire is to leave the club in a better state than he found it, something everyone will be able to see he has carried out with distinction.

He said on podcast Speilmacher, recounting his time at SV Lippstadt: “Back then at SV Lippstadt, it was thanks to my old president, because he knew I had respect for horses. So he thought of it as a sort of ‘Lap of Honor’ and decided I had to ride a horse.

“Yes, back then, my hair was a bit longer, and there was a bit of a resemblance. How I would leave this stadium here, I have no idea. Hopefully, in a positive way. My aim is always to leave the club better than I found it. Of course, I would be happy if it’s in a positive way. But in this business, you never know. So I hope it’s a good farewell.”

Farke must finally bench Struijk to unleash "monstrous" Leeds talent

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With Archie Gray and Harry Gray two examples of bristling Thorp Arch talent, among other academy graduates, there is hope that the Whites can continue to breed prodigies to serve the club in the long-term, though they may need to fight to retain one of their latest stars.

Leeds offer new terms to youngster Sam Alker

According to Leeds United News in conversation with Graeme Bailey, Leeds starlet Sam Alker is on the radar of Newcastle and the Whites may be powerless to prevent his exit due to his status as a domestic player.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are also reported to be in the conversation. However, the midfielder is only 16 and won’t be able to move to a club in mainland Europe until his 18th birthday. On the flip side, English clubs could sign him straight away.

Sam Alker with Leeds’ U-18 side

Appearances

12

Goals

1

Assists

2

Bailey said on his situation: “I’m told there is a bit of interest in him. I’ve only heard domestic interest. I did hear Newcastle are one of the ones in for him. Alker can’t move abroad until 18. Leeds’ real fear is domestically. Dortmund or Leverkusen, that doesn’t do him any favours.”

Leeds have offered him terms, but find themselves waiting for more news on his future because he cannot yet sign a professional deal. They will hope Harry Gray’s contract renewal at Elland Road can provide an example to follow, though Alker has some key factors to weight up before committing his future.

For now, Whites supporters will need to bide their time, but it is clear the club are doing all they can to ensure he remains in Yorkshire.

Everton are keeping tabs on the availability of a Premier League striker as they look to kick on after a dramatic late win against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Grealish dedicates winner to Everton fans

The Blues picked up a massive 2-1 win at home to Palace in the Premier League, ending the Eagles’ 19-game unbeaten run in dramatic fashion.

It was Jack Grealish who scored the winning goal in stoppage time, and speaking after the game, the delighted 30-year-old dedicated his big moment to the Everton fans, via the club’s official site.

“I’m over the moon to get my first goal and to do it here at Hill Dickinson in front of the fans, my family and in the last minute as well to win the game. It was an unbelievable feeling. Do you know what’s mad? In the last few games when we’ve been here, we’ve been drawing and I keep saying to myself in the 85th minute: ‘Come on Jack, imagine if you scored now’.

“I did it against Villa and West Ham and didn’t score, so today I said the same thing again and scored! I ran to where my mum and dad were, that was nice, and that goal goes to all the Evertonians who’ve made me so welcome.”

Despite their largely positive start to the season, Everton could still do with some more attacking quality, especially in the number nine role.

Thierno Barry was poor against Palace and is clearly still adjusting to his new surroundings, while Beto has proven time and time again he is not the long-term solution up front.

Everton keeping informed over deal for Premier League "baller"

According to TEAMtalk, Everton will be “kept informed” about the availability of Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, with the forward open to joining another English club in January and the Blues in the market for attacking signings.

Despite struggling to consistently impress in a Red Devils shirt to date, the £105,000-a-week Dutchman is also wanted by fellow Premier League side West Ham, who tried to sign him when David Moyes was in charge, with the Scotsman clearly a fan.

Zirkzee could be a divisive signing for Everton among the fanbase, considering he hasn’t exactly set the world alight for United yet, having arrived from Bologna in a big-money move last year.

So many Red Devils players appear to thrive more when they leave Old Trafford, however, from Scott McTominay to Antony and Marcus Rashford, so Zirkzee could do the same, having been hailed by Lee Sharpe.

Fewer touches than Pickford: 4/10 Everton dud was saved by Grealish & Ndiaye

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ByEthan Lamb Oct 5, 2025

Zirkzee possesses a nice touch and a strong awareness, dropping deep into the midfield and linking with others, and he could be an ideal foil for Barry or Beto for Everton, adding even more depth to Moyes’ attack at the same time, as they look to potentially push for Europe this season.

Wales and Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow hopes to end his Wembley heartache against England – the country he once wanted to represent.

The Leeds stopper has twice been denied playing under the Wembley arch by red tape, at Newport in 2012 and in the 2023 Carabao Cup final for Newcastle.

Darlow was on loan from Nottingham Forest when he missed out on Newport’s FA Trophy final against York. The Exiles had failed to sign the then 21-year-old before the international clearance deadline and subsequently lost an appeal, claiming a paperwork delay was not their fault.

Over a decade later, Newcastle were unable to recall Darlow from a loan spell at Hull after Nick Pope had been ruled out of a Wembley date against Manchester United.

“I’ve been slightly unfortunate and it would be nice to finally tick it (Wembley) off the list.” Darlow said ahead of Wales’ friendly with England on Thursday.

“The Newport one was on the morning of the final. They were still waiting on confirmation and the manager Justin Edinburgh was optimistic it was going to be done.

“In the end I wasn’t even allowed to be part of the matchday squad and I watched the game in the stands. I’m 35 on Wednesday, so it’s been a long time coming.

“It’s one of the biggest and the best stadiums in the world. As a footballer you want to be playing in the biggest stadiums and testing yourself on that level.”

Darlow’s grandfather Ken Leek was a member of the 1958 Wales World Cup squad that reached the quarter-finals of the competition.

Darlow once wanted to represent England over Wales

But Darlow was born in Northampton and grew up with aspirations to represent England, saying in a previous interview there “would be no bigger achievement”.

Having rejected previous attempts from Wales managers to get him on board, Craig Bellamy persuaded him to join up last year and he has since established himself as the number one goalkeeper and won eight caps.

Darlow enters the international break – Wales also play a crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium in Cardiff on Monday – having started Leeds’ last four Premier League games.

He has taken over the gloves from the injured Lucas Perri and been in fine form, with one of his stops at Fulham nominated for September’s Premier League Save of the Month award.

“If you’re drip-fed a game here and a game there, it’s tough,” said Darlow.

“You like to get into a rhythm of playing week in, week out and knowing you can prepare properly for each and every single game

“It’s a massive plus that I’ve had a run of games now.”

Arsenal are determined to hand star winger Bukayo Saka a new contract, with the England international set for a massive pay hike. After tying down William Saliba to a long-term deal, the Gunners have now shifted their focus to Saka and want to wrap up contract talks as early as possible amid fears that the wide man could draw transfer interest in the future.

Arsenal want to retain existing squad members

Arsenal spent heavily in the summer transfer window to rebuild their squad as they brought in as many as eight new players. The Gunners' outlay has had an impact already as they have won eight out of their first 10 Premier League games and are being considered as early favourites to win the league title. 

However, new sporting director Andrea Berta had mentioned that retaining existing key squad members on a long-term basis continues to remain the club's top priority. In the past few months, they have extended the deals of Gabriel, Ethan Nwaneri, William Saliba and Myles Lewis-Skelly and are now hoping Saka agrees to their offer.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSaka set to be offered blockbuster deal

Per , Arsenal have met Saka's representatives on multiple occasions in recent times, which has made it clear that the Gunners are determined to retain their star player. The Premier League leaders want to wrap up the process as early as possible amid fears of transfer interest from across Europe. The club want to tie down Saka until the summer of 2030 and are planning to offer wages in the region of £12 million ($16m) gross per season.

The report adds that Saka's renewal will reflect owner Stan Kroenke's confidence in the player and will also send a message to other clubs that Arsenal can hold onto their star players. The Gunners remain confident that Saka will agree on the new deal.

Saka 'believes' Arsenal can win Premier League

In a recent interview, Saka expressed his confidence in Arsenal winning the Premier League this season, as she said: "This year, I feel we’re a very strong group and we’ve got a lot of quality. We’ve already suffered a lot of injuries, but you know, the players that have come in have shown that we can all keep the level at the top at the highest. That’s what it’s going to take for us to go all the way. I think that’s where we’ve slipped off in a few seasons, but this season, I think we’ve got that. And you know, it’s making me really believe we can do it."

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Getty ImagesCan anyone beat Arsenal this season?

Mikel Arteta's side, who have won eight out of their first 10 league matches, have been hailed as favourites to lift the trophy in May. As by far the most consistent side in the division so far, the Gunners have been told the trophy is theirs to lose, although there is one club who could challenge them.

Speaking on his self-titled podcast, ex-Manchester United defender Gary Neville said: "This has got to be them, hasn't it? This has got to be their year. This is the fourth season on the bounce that I've had them to win the league, but they're not necessarily miles better, they're repeating their levels of consistency, and that's all they're going to have to do this year to win the league. They're not going to have to go and get 100 points, they're not going to have to get even 90 or 95 points to win the league, mid-80s, high 80s will win them this title, and they can do that."

He added: "The reason I say I’m confident Arsenal will win the league is because you always think about what can stop a team. If Liverpool lost Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah in previous seasons they would be in trouble. But I can’t think of any player Arsenal might lose now and it would mean they would lose the title…even the two centre-backs because of the summer signings. Every position is covered. Bukayo Saka was that player in the past but Noni Madueke came in when he was injured. Everywhere, they are properly doubled up with the same level of quality or only a small drop-off. So who’s going to take it off them? Arsenal would have to beat themselves not to win it. I don’t think Man City are going to get back to a level they’ve been at previously and come back at Arsenal. Pep Guardiola is a genius but he hasn’t got the players or the team playing at the level needed. Liverpool are the only team but they would have to get back on track very quickly."

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke was hit with an injury blow ahead of the trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.

It was revealed that summer signing Noah Okafor would be out of action for up to ten days with an adductor injury, which means that he is also a doubt for the club’s clash with West Ham United on Friday night.

The Switzerland international, who joined from AC Milan in the summer, was missed against Burnley in the 2-0 loss to the Clarets, as Leeds spurned all four of the ‘big chances’ that they created.

Okafor is the club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League this season, with two goals, and boasts the best conversion rate in the squad, at 33%, per Sofascore.

The 25-year-old star has shown a clinical edge in front of goal that could have helped the Whites to get more out of their trip to Turf Moor on Saturday.

Instead, Jack Harrison came into the team to replace him on the left flank, with Wilfried Gnonto also unavailable, and he was never likely to offer much of a threat as a goalscorer.

Why Leeds cannot rely on Jack Harrison

Farke cannot rely on the former Everton loanee to provide quality at the top end of the pitch because his form in the Premier League in recent seasons has simply not been good enough.

The left-footed dud, who returned to Elland Road in the summer, has failed to register a single goal or assist in eight appearances in all competitions for the club this season, per Sofascore, taking two shots and failing to hit the target once against Burnley.

Harrison had one presentable opportunity to test Martin Dubravka in the second half on the volley, unmarked inside the box, and steered his effort well off target, to cheers from the home support.

That was not a surprise, unfortunately, because his form during a two-year spell on loan with Everton showed that Leeds could not rely on him to offer a threat in front of goal on a consistent basis.

Jack Harrison (Premier League)

23/24

24/25

Appearances

29

34

Starts

25

24

xG

3.57

3.52

Goals

3

1

Minutes per goal

742

2,088

Conversion rate

9%

3%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Harrison scored four goals from 7.09 xG for the Toffees, and only managed one goal in 34 matches in the 2024/25 campaign.

This means that the former Manchester City youngster has scored four goals in his last 70 games at Premier League level, and just one in his last 41 outings in the division, including seven games for the Whites this term.

Injuries to Gnonto and Okafor have left Leeds incredibly exposed out wide, because of their lack of quality and depth, and Farke may have to get creative to solve the problem.

Whilst the easy, if that is how you want to describe it, option would be to keep Harrison in the team and hope that something changes before the other two players are back, the German head coach could take a risk on a young player.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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You could argue, though, that it is not a risk to throw an academy player into the side if the first-team player, Harrison in this case, is consistently failing to deliver when he plays.

Therefore, Farke could finally bin the underperforming English winger from his starting line-up by boldly unleashing U21s winger Connor Douglas.

Why Leeds should unleash Connor Douglas

The 20-year-old talent is a versatile forward who can play on the right or the left wing, per Transfemarkt, which means that the manager could unleash him directly over Harrison on the left, or he could unleash him on the right and move Brenden Aaronson over to the left.

Douglas, who has also played in central midfield and at right-back, has scored one goal and provided two assists in five appearances in the Premier League 2 so far this season, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that he is making an impact and impressing at the top end of the pitch at U21 level, which suggests that he would be full of confidence when heading up to the first-team to make an impression.

Douglas was once hailed as a “joy to watch” by PureFootball writer Trent Gaffney. The same could not be said of Harrison right now, unfortunately, due to his dismal form in front of goal.

Leeds supporters may be more encouraged by the team’s efforts if they see a young and promising winger from the academy who wants to take players on and make things happen, as Douglas is, than seeing Harrison struggle once again.

There is no guarantee that Douglas will be able to translate his form for the U21s over to the first-team, so it is a risk in that sense, but the Whites do not have much to lose with the injury issues that they have been hit with.

Leeds United’s attackers in the 25/26 Premier League

Player

Goals

Assists

Noah Okafor

2

0

Lukas Nmecha

1

0

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

1

0

Brenden Aaronson

0

0

Dan James

0

0

Wilfried Gnonto

0

0

Jack Harrison

0

0

Joel Piroe

0

0

Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, Okafor is the only winger in the squad who has delivered a goal or an assist in the Premier League for the Whites this season, after eight matchdays.

That should be a huge concern for Farke and is why it may be worth unleashing Douglas from the start against West Ham, if Okafor remains unavailable through injury.

The 20-year-old starlet has scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in 65 matches at U21 and U18 level combined, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has the potential to offer a threat in front of goal.

Related Not just Harrison & Aaronson: Leeds star is now on borrowed time under Farke

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With the situation that Leeds are in with their wide options, Douglas may offer an interesting solution for Farke in the next Premier League game against the Hammers.

Mikel Arteta has explained why Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is training with Arsenal. The former England international has become a surprise addition to the ranks in north London, with the 32-year-old being spotted working with the Gunners’ youth team. Oxlade-Chamberlain knows Arsenal and Arteta well and is looking to stay sharp after dropping into the free agent pool.

• Former Arsenal team-mates reunited

  Arteta is delighted to have a “top character” alongside him once more. Arsenal’s current boss moved to Emirates Stadium in the same summer as Oxlade-Chamberlain back in 2011. They struck up a bond when performing as midfield team-mates and have continued to keep an eye on how the other is faring.

  While Arteta is now in management, Oxlade-Chamberlain is eager to prolong his playing career at 32 years of age. He does, however, find himself without a club after being released by Turkish side Besiktas in August. That has freed the Southampton academy graduate to head home.

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• Getty
  

  Why is Oxlade-Chamberlain training with Arsenal?

  He finds himself in familiar surroundings, with Arteta happy to give a confident character the opportunity to build his fitness and catch the eye of a new employer. Oxlade-Chamberlain is also considered to be a useful role model for those in the Gunners’ academy system.

  Arteta said when asked why Oxlade-Chamberlain is back in north London: “Top. Top character. One of the best characters I’ve met in football.

  “If we can help him and give him the space for him to get up to speed and have the capacity to find a club. It’s a joy, the boys will learn from it. I had the privilege to play with him and if he is around he will be a really good role model to have around the team.”

• Oxlade-Chamberlain's career: Trophies & appearances

  Oxlade-Chamberlain made 198 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 20 goals. He helped them to three FA Cup triumphs before joining Liverpool for £35 million ($46m) in 2017. He made a further 146 appearances for the Reds, claiming Premier League and Champions League winners’ medals along the way.

  The 35-cap England international stepped out of his comfort zone when heading to Turkey in 2023. He savoured more success with Besiktas, winning the Turkish Cup, and figured in 50 matches before seeing his contract terminated.

  Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is engaged to Little Mix popstar Perrie Edwards, is now mulling over his next move. It was suggested back in September that he could be offered another Premier League opportunity, or be added to an ambitious project at St Andrew’s being overseen by Tom Brady and Co. reported that: “There’s interest from clubs in the Premier League, Championship and across Europe as well, with Leeds and Birmingham among them.”

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  Where next? Linked with Premier League & EFL teams

  There has been no movement there, with squads being completed for the first-half of the 2025-26 campaign. It has, however, been suggested that Oxlade-Chamberlain could be approached by another familiar face.

  Ex-Arsenal and England star Jack Wilshere is now calling the shots as manager of League One outfit Luton. Former Premier League title winner Tim Sherwood believes that Oxlade-Chamberlain would be a useful short-term addition there.

  He has told : "It depends what level he wants to play at, but if I'm Jack Wilshere – and I know it's League One – I am absolutely ringing his phone off the hook for him to come and play for his old mate, and help out that group at Luton. But he might have his sights a lot higher – and he probably has.”

  For now, Oxlade-Chamberlain will continue to make use of the facilities at Arsenal. He could look to put Arteta’s network of contacts to good use, with there clearly still plenty of football left in him.

  He has not made a competitive appearance since May 11, 2025, but has vast experience to call upon and will not take long to get back up to speed. If the hard-working midfielder is prepared to bide his time, then it could be that a Premier League team comes calling as managers looking to add more energy to their engine room take a calculated gamble on a man that made his senior debut for Southampton at just 16 years of age.