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Ben Foster has attempted to recruit former Manchester United star Nani for Wrexham with the winger potentially open to a move.

What happened between Ben Foster and Nani?

The club goalkeeper emerged as a key figure for the Red Dragons over the course of their promotion-winning season, after joining the club midway through the campaign.

Indeed, Foster saved a late penalty against Notts County to help seal a win in what turned out to be one of the club's most important matches under owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Unsurprisingly, the 40-year-old has since been rewarded with a new one-year contract and it looks as though he's already working hard to improve the team for the following campaign.

Indeed, over the past weekend he was playing for England in the charity football match Soccer Aid. Also taking part at Old Trafford, was former Red Devil Nani.

The Portuguese winger is currently without a club after leaving A-League side Melbourne Victory at the end of the season, and Foster was happy to take advantage of that.

Indeed, while talking on his YouTube channel – Ben Foster – The Cycling GK – the shot-stopper could be heard saying: “Nani hasn’t got a club everybody, I think he should come to Wrexham…

"Do you want to come to Wrexham?"

To which, Nani then replied: “You never know…"

Foster then laughed and said: "Liar!"

How many times did Nani play for Man United?

Of course, it was only a joke and not an official proposition but seeing as Nani is potentially looking for a team and Wrexham have the sort of reputation to bring in some big names of the past, perhaps this could be something to keep an eye out for – after all, it's not as if the 36-year-old dismissed the idea out of hand.

The former Man United star netted 41 goals and provided 71 assists in a 230-game spell at Old Trafford between 2007 to 2015. This means his path would have crossed with Foster – who was at the club from 2005-2010 – but played just 23 times.

Foster has shown a great attitude to playing for the club, admitting that he asked for "peanuts" in his new deal just to remain part of the story.

Indeed, he said: “To be honest, I don’t really need much anyway so the negotiations honestly took about five minutes. It was the easiest conversation in the world.

“With regards to wages and kind of stuff. It’s a short-term deal, a six-week deal. Wages wise it’s literally peanuts. I said I don’t want much.

And if Nani is just keen to find a club where he'll get plenty of media attention at this late stage in his career, perhaps he'll be the next big name to arrive at Wrexham.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is looking likely to stay put beyond the summer, according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

How important has Martinez been to Villa?

The Villans hero has enjoyed arguably the most memorable season of his career to date, playing a starring role for both club and country. The £120,000-a-week 'keeper famously tasted 2022 World Cup glory with Argentina, performing plenty of penalty heroics and arguably his country's star player along with Lionel Messi, enhancing his reputation hugely in the process.

For Villa, Martinez made 27 Premier League appearances in 2022/23, playing his part in them qualifying for Europe after a huge resurgence under Unai Emery.

The 30-year-old has been linked with a move away from Villa Park during the summer transfer window, however, with plenty of interest in his services. Granted, his current deal doesn't expire until 2027, but a move to an even bigger club could potentially appeal if an offer arrives.

Is Martinez likely to stay this summer?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones provided an update on Martinez's future, admitting that it is still up in the air, but that the idea of him staying put is far from out of the question:

"I think obviously the Jose Sa one will depend on what happens with Emi Martínez. I keep hearing there is potential for Martínez to go if a big enough offer lands, but whenever Martínez talks at the moment, I kind of get the feeling that he's not going anywhere.

"So a tricky one but if they did lose Martínez, then yes, Sá would be an interesting one to turn to."

This would be a massive boost for Villa, with Martinez one of the most important players at the club these days, having now racked up 112 apparances since arriving from Arsenal back in 2020. He has been lauded as "world-class" by Gary Neville in the recent past, as well as "unbelievable" and "one of the best goalkeepers in the world" by teammate Matty Cash.

The fact that Emery's men have qualified for Europe could certainly sway the Argentine's thought process, and the fact that the club is thriving so much under the current manager, and the hope is that he continues to be a vital performer for many years to come for Villa.

Should he move on, which would clearly be a blow, it is then essential that the money is used wisely to bring in the best possible replacement.

Wes Durston has called time on his Derbyshire career by mutual consent

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2016Wes Durston has called time on his Derbyshire career by mutual consent.Durston, 36, leaves Derbyshire after making 218 appearances since his debut in 2010, scoring 7,628 runs across all formats. He also skippered Derbyshire in limited-overs cricket.Cricket advisory director, Kevin Dean said: “Wes has been a tremendous player for Derbyshire and we would like to thank him for his efforts over the last seven seasons. He made many notable contributions down the years, no more than in our 2012 promotion winning season, but both parties feel that the time is now right to move on. We wish Wes all the very best for the future.”Durston’s uncomplicated see-ball, hit-ball approach made him a favourite with Derbyshire supporters and probably testified to a late-developing career that had a reawakening in his thirties after he had been released early by Somerset. But he began to show his age in 2016 and with the new director of cricket, Kim Barnett, intent on a shake-up, his departure is no surprise.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag began his rebuild of the club by doing the majority of his transfer business in his home country, luring Lisandro Martinez, Antony and Tyrell Malacia from Ajax and Feyenoord respectively, to mixed success it must be said.

Martinez has been the standout, slotting into the heart of the defence with ease on his way to being dubbed the club's "player of the season" by MEN's Samuel Luckhurst. Therefore, it is no coincidence that United’s latest poor form is due to not having the Argentine available.

Antony has shone in spells, scoring ten goals so far this term but his inconsistency has let him down, spellbinding one match while drifting towards anonymity in the next game, and hopefully, he can improve on this next season.

Malacia, however, has started just 13 Premier League matches for Ten Hag this term, keeping only six clean sheets in those games while winning 50% of his total duels and with Luke Shaw being favoured at left-back throughout the campaign, Malacia could face an interesting summer with regard to his future chances at Old Trafford.

His place may also be under threat due to the emergence of youngster Alvaro Fernandez from the youth academy, who is currently shining out on loan at Preston North End.

Who is Alvaro Fernandez?

The 20-year-old arrived in Manchester from Real Madrid back in 2020, joining alongside Marc Jurado, who left Barcelona for United.

Yet to make a debut for the first team, the Spaniard has been excelling through the academy, especially with the U23 squad, where Nick Cox praised him for being a “standout performer” last year.

The youngster has certainly displayed his attacking qualities during his brief spell in the academy, scoring seven goals and registering 18 assists across 62 matches. Cox even lauded the defender as being an “excellent role model” suggesting that his maturity was one of his key strengths.

He was granted a loan move to Preston for 2022/23, and he hasn’t disappointed. Indeed, Fernandez has continued to display his attacking qualities in the Championship, recording four assists while also contributing 0.9 key passes per game and creating six big chances during his spell at the club.

While clearly excellent going forward, Fernandez has proved to be no slouch defensively either, winning 4.8 duels per game and also averaging 1.1 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 1.1 interceptions each match.

The 20-year-old's ability to be able to provide an attacking outlet at one end of the field but also perform his defensive duties at the other end suggests he could have a fantastic career.

Malacia will need to be on high alert during pre-season, as Fernandez could challenge him ahead of what could be the most important season in his career to date.

David Warner set up Australia’s 36-run win against South Africa at Basseterre with his sixth ODI hundred, and first outside Australia

The Report by Brydon Coverdale11-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIf there is any venue outside Australia where David Warner should feel at home it is the ground in Basseterre on the island of St Kitts. It is tailor-made for him with its short boundaries and hard surface. It is even named Warner Park. In his first international match at his namesake venue, Warner struck his sixth ODI hundred, and first outside Australia, to set up a 36-run victory over South Africa.Australia thus became the first team to win two games in this tri-series, which has now moved on from the slow, spinning surfaces of Guyana. Steven Smith had no hesitation in choosing to bat first and Warner’s 109 was the dominant contribution of the match, setting Australia on the path to 288 for 6.South Africa’s bowlers seemed to have done well to keep Australia under 300, but those same bowlers also formed a long tail that was unable to offer much resistance after Australia’s attack got through the middle order. Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood picked up three wickets each and the lower order collapsed, the last seven wickets falling for 42 runs.For a while, South Africa looked to be cruising in their chase. They had lost Quinton de Kock early, when he pulled Hazlewood to deep square leg for 19, but Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis set about building a typically solid platform that should have been adequate. They made it to 140 for 1 in the 26th over before Amla (60) was sharply taken by Smith at cover off Hazlewood.Life became tougher for the South African batsmen as Australia’s fast men found some reverse swing, which helped Starc get rid of du Plessis, who sliced to backward point for 63. AB de Villiers and JP Duminy then had the job of steering the rest of the innings, but de Villiers was also done by reverse swing when Hazlewood tailed one in to bowl him for 39.The loss of Duminy, through a somewhat lax sweep to deep midwicket off Zampa for 41, precipitated the lower-order collapse. Zampa had Farhaan Behardien lbw for 4 and had Wayne Parnell caught at long-on for 3, leaving too much work for the tail. Kyle Abbott had already been bowled, done by Starc’s reverse swing, before Aaron Phangiso also fell to Starc and Imran Tahir was run out to end the game.South Africa’s seamers had found almost no reverse earlier in the day. Like Australia, who dropped Nathan Lyon and Glenn Maxwell, South Africa strengthened their pace group at the expense of their spin attack, and while Abbott and Parnell especially were tight enough, they couldn’t manage to string enough wickets together, even after ending Warner’s innings.Warner’s previous five one-day international hundreds had all come in Australia, where the quick and bouncy pitches tend to suit his preference for the ball coming on to the bat. He started this one with two boundaries in the first over of the game and in all struck 11 fours and two sixes, and he was typically harsh on any width offered by the quicks.His opening partner, Aaron Finch, found no momentum and was bowled for 13 off 28 when he missed an attempted sweep off an Imran Tahir straight ball. Warner and Usman Khawaja put on 136 for the second wicket and a total well in excess of 300 looked like a strong possibility.Warner brought up his hundred from his 109th delivery when he cut a single off Abbott, and two deliveries later Khawaja raised his half-century from his 58th ball, but neither man was to go on much further. The second drinks break came at just the right time for South Africa, as Warner pulled Parnell to midwicket off the first ball after the resumption.Khawaja had swept the spinners effectively but the shot eventually brought his downfall on 59 when he top-edged off Phangiso and skied a catch that was taken by Amla from short fine leg. George Bailey was lbw to Tahir for 11 and Mitchell Marsh holed out deep midwicket for 10 off an Abbott full toss, and South Africa’s fightback was looking strong.However, Smith managed to steer the Australians into the high 200s with a half-century at better than a run-a-ball, with some assistance from Matthew Wade, who scored 24 off 14 balls. Smith ended up unbeaten on 52 from 49 deliveries, and Australia had enough to hold off South Africa.

HLTCO host Dan Cook has claimed that Brighton may be a more "attractive proposition" for Mateo Retegui amid transfer links to Crystal Palace.

What's the latest on Mateo Retegui and Crystal Palace?

The Italian striker made headlines last week as he scored on his national team debut against England and then followed this up with another effort against Malta.

The 23-year-old was actually born in Argentina – and is currently on loan at Tigres from Boca Juniors – but qualifies to play for Italy thanks to his grandfather.

After the most recent game, his national team manager Roberto Mancini was full of praise but warned that he still needed to do more to prove himself as a top player.

He told the press: "He unlocked the match, he was essential today. But I repeat: he needs time, he still needs to learn more about European football."

According to Corriere dello Sport (via FC Inter News), Retegui could be set for a move to a big team in Europe this summer with Inter Milan named as a possible option.

Beyond the Serie A team, Palace and Brighton were also linked and while speaking on the HLTCO podcast, Cook explained why it might be a hard deal to pull off for the Eagles.

He said (8:12): “I hate to say this in a Crystal Palace podcast, but I'm not sure we are necessarily anything like as an attractive proposition at the moment as Brighton and Hove Albion.

"They are upwardly mobile, there is every chance they will get into Europe by the end of this season.

"And you look at our current plight, you know, hopefully Roy Hodgson can steady the ship and keep us afloat in the Premier League.

"But without a permanent manager, and without a guarantee of even the division that we're going to be playing in next season, you do wonder whether or not he may well plump for the seagulls."

Why would Mateo Retegui want to join Brighton?

It's certainly true that Palace are struggling to maintain their status as a Premier League side sitting just three points above the bottom three with only ten games to keep themselves up.

All the while, bitter rivals Brighton have lofty ambitions as they look to bright European football to the Amex next season, currently seventh in the league, level on points with Liverpool in sixth (with a game in hand too).

With that in mind, it's not hard to see why Retegui – who has six goals in eight league games with Tigre this term – may feel as though Brighton is the more appealing destination should he seek out a move to England in the summer.

Alex Crook believes that Manchester United could finally hand Erik ten Hag the midfielder he craves in Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: Man United will look to improve

United were very interested and keen to sign De Jong last summer as Ten Hag tried to bolster his midfield options but instead, they decided to recruit Casemiro and many may believe they actually got a better deal with the Brazilian given his performances.

However, Man United are still being linked with De Jong despite his persistence against joining the Red Devils last summer as Ten Hag looks to build upon what has been a very solid season of progress and rebuild.

The Red Devils will have been buoyed recently by the news that Barcelona are set to be hit with a transfer ban this summer, which could indeed force them into a sort of fire sale, including De Jong.

The Latest: De Jong could move to Old Trafford

Crook has admitted on TalkSPORT that despite their failed attempts to land De Jong last summer, Ten Hag may finally be reunited with the former Ajax player this upcoming transfer window.

He said: (0:30) “Of course, De Jong got a bit of a taste of the feel-good factor that’s certainly reverberating around Old Trafford when Barcelona were dumped out of the Europa League at United last week.

“I think this is one that could happen and I think Manchester United fans should be excited, Casemiro alongside De Jong in midfield that is top quality.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-11/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Ten Hag could assemble monster midfield

It will be mouthwatering for Man United fans to imagine a midfield duo of Casemiro and De Jong, players who’ve played at the very top level of the game and the latter has been hailed as the ‘best player on the ball’ after his El Classico display on Thursday night.

De Jong may well have got a taste for moving to Old Trafford after experiencing the atmosphere last week during Barcelona’s Europa League defeat, however, given that the Catalonian giants are thriving in the league, it will be a tough choice for him to make.

If Ten Hag was to be handed De Jong this summer as well as a proven goalscorer then there would be no reason why the Red Devils couldn’t become serious title contenders next season based on their form as of late.

Even in the age of T20 cricket, India’s U-19 captain likes to take his time and take the game deep without worrying much about the strike rate

Raunak Kapoor11-Feb-20240:58

Saharan: Good to have a close semi-final before the final

Sri Ganganagar, the northern-most city in the state of Rajasthan, no more than 225 square km in area and, with a population of around 200,000, is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of the legendary Indian ghazal singer and musician, Jagjit Singh.By Sunday evening, the city might well have given India their sixth Under-19 Men’s World Cup-winning captain.Uday Saharan made the move from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan to play age-group cricket in Punjab when his father Sanjeev, who is also his coach, decided it was time to take cricket seriously.Singh’s music and Saharan’s batting both share an element of timelessness.Related

Bumrah's tips on yorker have helped a lot, says Naman Tiwari

India vs Australia in a title clash yet again as U-19 World Cup reaches climax

Sachin Dhas is playing his father's dream – live in Benoni

Saharan: 'I knew it was a matter of one partnership'

Going into the final against Australia, Saharan has batted for 644 minutes in this tournament, facing 493 balls and scoring 389 runs, the third highest for an India batter in a single edition. Shikhar Dhawan’s 505 in 2004 remains the record. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 88 in the final in 2020 took him to 400. A hundred for Saharan may well put him at the top.But it isn’t as much about his own runs as what, and more importantly how much, has happened for India while Saharan has been at the crease. Nearly 53% of India’s runs have come with Saharan in the middle.He has forged a partnership of more than 50 in every game, including four in excess of 100 and three over 150. His stand of 215 with Sachin Dhas against Nepal is a record for India in the Under-19 World Cup.In India’s two most important games this tournament, against Bangladesh and the semi-final against South Africa, Saharan walked in at 31 for 2 and 8 for 2, respectively. While Adarsh Singh (against Bangladesh) and Dhas (against South Africa) played the match-defining innings, Saharan is what kept the team from falling apart.The earliest any team has been able to dismiss India’s captain is the 37th over of the innings.Saharan is a throwback to the old school of batting. Take your time to get in, eliminate risk almost entirely, and don’t worry about the strike rate. Something he learned and inherited from his father.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”My father told me from the beginning to always take the game deep, as deep as possible,” Saharan told Star Sports ahead of the final. “These days, batters like to play shots and try to finish things off early, but my father’s thought process, which I know is old school, has always been to keep wickets in hand and take the game deep, because if you get to such a situation, then you can chase down anything, given the kind of batters you have today.”Saharan’s style of batting is often one that stirs up the intent debate at the senior level, particularly in white-ball cricket. But in a World Cup where surfaces have generally been challenging for batting, with just three scores in excess of 300 in 40 matches, two of those by India, his methods have worked wonders for his team.”If I’m completely honest, of course I want to go out there and play big shots,” he says. “Play shots in the air, try to hit sixes, because that’s what people like to watch today. But in reality, I want my team to win, I want my country to win, that’s what makes me proud. So if my game needs to be different, where I need to play a secondary role to keep the team in the game, I’m more than happy to.”Saharan’s team values his contributions. While his 81 off 124 winning him the Player-of-the-Match award ahead of Dhas’ 96 off 95 in the semi-final might seem debatable, the emotions of the Indian team right after, roaring and applauding their captain receiving the award, was perhaps an indication they might not have got to the final without him.

“I’ve played a lot of pressure games already… Those games taught me how to react to different situations, how the opposition is likely to react to what has happened, how the bowlers are going to bowl”Uday Saharan

Adarsh, Musheer Khan and Dhas, who had won Player-of-the-Match awards in previous games, have all credited Saharan for his game awareness and communication throughout the partnerships, on what to expect from different bowlers at different phases of the innings, something that even at 19, he feels comes naturally to him.”I’ve played a lot of pressure games already,” Saharan says. “I’m only 19, but from my cricket at the club, district and state level, I’ve played these innings before. Those games taught me how to react to different situations, how the opposition is likely to react to what has happened, how the bowlers are going to bowl. I feel I picked up a lot of knowledge from the cricket I have already played, so I just want to share that with the rest of my team. If my information helps my partner and makes him think about the situation of the game better, then that helps my team.”Ahead of the final, Saharan has become the leading run-scorer in the tournament. He wasn’t on the top at any point before the semi-final. He has also predominantly run his way to the top with just 29 boundaries (27 fours and 2 sixes) in his tally of 389, the least among the top six, which is also a testament to his fitness, inspired by his role model Virat Kohli.”Virat Kohli set the benchmark for fitness in the Indian team,” Saharan says. “That is something I’ve always admired. The benefit of fitness on your game is immense, and that inspired me. Also, the way he aces chases by taking the innings deep, that and his passion is something I try to emulate.”Sachin Dhas and Uday Saharan struck up a record 215-run partnership against Nepal•ICC/Getty ImagesSaharan has already outscored his role model, and any other India Under-19 World Cup captain. But Kohli’s 235 runs in 2008 came at a strike rate of 94.75, which caught the attention of Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the inaugural IPL season and paved the way for Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw and Yash Dhull to follow suit.Saharan may well be different despite the demands of the modern white-ball game. It is unlikely his runs at a strike rate of 78.90 would have impressed the IPL scouts who have been in attendance throughout the World Cup.Saharan is only 19 and may still evolve his game with time. But his ability to withstand pressure and exercise restraint in a tournament where every player grew up in the age of T20 cricket is what has brought India within one game of their sixth title.At a time where conversations linger on about the future of the ODI format, India winning 50-over World Cups, senior or junior, can only help with reviving its popularity.Jagjit Singh was widely credited for the revival and popularity of ghazals, a form of Indian semi-classical singing, by choosing poetry that was relevant to the masses. His work was regarded as genre-defining. Uday Saharan is one innings away from beating Australia, poetically, in an ICC final in the 50-over genre. Nothing is more relevant to India’s masses than World Cup wins.

West Ham are apparently big fans of a new manager target who their former boss, Sam Allardyce, has hailed as "incredible".

Moyes heading for 2024 exit

Since re-joining the Hammers in late 2019, head coach David Moyes has done an absolutely fantastic job of guiding West Ham through their most successful period for a long, long time.

The east Londoners won their first piece of silverware since 1980, and first European trophy since the 60s, with a Conference League triumph in Prague last season. This came after Moyes lead West Ham to consecutive European qualification campaigns, and they're in a strong position to seal a Europa League knockout round place this season.

These scenarios were scarcely imagine when Moyes first joined, but that being said, West Ham's league form hasn't been brilliant over the last 12 months. They were battling relegation for much of 2022/2023, and reports suggest Moyes could leave West Ham in 2024 when his current contract expires.

West Ham identifying Moyes replacements

As relayed by 90min journalist Toby Cudworth on the Talking Transfers podcast earlier this month, West Ham are identifying future replacements for Moyes and doing their due-diligence.

“Our understanding is that West Ham have been looking at future replacements for him," said Cudworth (via West Ham Zone).

"He won the Conference League in June, has one year left on his contract, but there’s been no engagement over a new contract. Our understanding is that West Ham are in no hurry to replace him despite the indifferent Premier League results. David Sullivan doesn’t really see an available candidate who offers substantially more than David Moyes.

“One thing we can say with near-certainty, David Moyes is not going to be signing an extension at West Ham barring a miracle.”

It would appear that the Scotsman is likely to leave next year, with talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook sharing a possible candidate to succeed him.

West Ham really like Steve Cooper

According to Crook, who wrote an X update on Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper and his future at the City Ground, West Ham have a watchful eye over him. Indeed, West Ham are apparently real admirers of Cooper, with the 43-year-old under fresh pressure amid a poor recent run of form for Forest.

The Welshman guided his side to promotion from the Championship in 2022, with Forest later maintaining their top flight status by the skin of their teeth. Former West Ham boss Allardyce, commenting on Cooper earlier this year, heaped praise on the tactician for his "incredible" job dealing with certain issues at Forest.

Average term as coach: 2.08 years

Preferred formation: 3-4-2-1

Points per game: 1.71

Coaching license: UEFA professional license

"What becomes difficult in terms of building team spirit is having too many players. Most managers don’t have enough. What they don’t have enough of is quality, and what they don’t want is quantity," said Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast (via Forest News).

“Steve is one of the only managers to say he has too many players. Dealing with that can distract your focus. You want to keep them all involved and use them if you can and see what they’ve got, but ultimately, it’s a very tough decision. Steve has done an incredible job dealing with these issues as well as getting good results.”

An update has emerged on Arsenal and their plans to make further additions to their playing squad during the upcoming January transfer window…

Arsenal transfer news – Ruben Neves

According to a report from Spanish outlet Sport, Mikel Arteta is eyeing up a deal to sign Al Hilal central midfielder Ruben Neves ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The outlet has claimed that the Gunners boss is pushing for the signing to improve his midfield options in 2024, and is making his case to the board.

It is stated that the Spanish tactician has identified Neves as a target due to the uncertainty over the future of Thomas Partey, with it being said that the Ghana international could be on his way out of The Emirates, although it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to seal an exit.

Arteta could now secure a dream heir to the former Atletico Madrid ace by landing his target in January…

Partey's Arsenal statistics

The 30-year-old enforcer has only played four times in the Premier League so far this season but was an integral part of their top-flight campaign last time out.

Partey played in 33 of the club's 38 league matches as they finished runners-up behind Manchester City in the title-race and he displayed his qualities in and out of possession.

Defensively, the veteran battler contributed with 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game and came out on top in 59% of his contests throughout the season.

In possession, Partey completed 88% of his attempted passes and made an impact at the top end of the pitch with three goals and two 'big chances' created in those 38 games.

The statistics that show why Neves could replace Partey

Neves, on the other hand, was lining up for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last season and caught the eye with his impressive displays.

The 5 foot 11 dynamo, who was lauded as an "incredible" player by former teammate Hugo Bueno, made an excellent 3.7 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with a duel success rate of 53% across 35 league outings.

These statistics suggest that the Portugal international has the ability to provide a defensive presence in front of the back four in a similar fashion to Partey, as they are both midfielders who can break up opposition attacks on a regular basis to win the ball back for their respective teams.

He also made his presence felt at the other end of the field with six goals and one assist for the Old Gold, alongside a pass success rate of 84%.

Neves also ranked within the top 20% of his positional peers within the Premier League last season for progressive passes (6.5) per 90, which suggests that he has the ability to play forward passes between the lines to progress his team up the pitch.

The 26-year-old magician has also made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game across 12 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al Hilal this season, to go along with five 'big chances' created for his teammates.

Arteta and Arsenal could, therefore, secure a dream heir to Partey's position, should he leave in January, if they are able to snap the former Wolves star away from his current club.