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After a seismic summer which saw the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke arrive at Arsenal, it’s fair to say that it has been Mikel Arteta’s old reliables doing the business so far this season.

With that trio all enduring mixed starts to life at the Emirates, scoring just nine Premier League goals between them, the onus has been on those already at the club to deliver the goods.

Indeed, two of the Gunners’ emerging cult heroes have been particularly influential, with Leandro Trossard racking up his ninth league goal involvement against Aston Villa last time out, while Mikel Merino has scored five times himself in all competitions so far.

Whether it is as an auxiliary striker or in his usual midfield berth, Merino has largely been something of a revelation in north London, having already scored 14 times in 67 games, after netting 27 times in total in 242 outings for former club Real Sociedad.

In an era of youthful, long-term signings, the Spaniard has proven the benefit of acquiring ready-made additions, with that trend perhaps set to be repeated in 2026.

Arsenal holding talks over another midfield signing

Led by Andrea Berta, there appears to be something of a win-now policy developing at Arsenal, with new arrivals Gyokeres and Eze both 27, while Martin Zubimendi turns 27 early next month.

While London rivals Chelsea continue to seek out a raft of under-23 signings, the Gunners are reaping the rewards of their slightly more short-term thinking, with last summer’s acquisition of a now 29-year-old Merino the obvious case in point.

Although not deemed a glamour signing at the time, the towering left-footer has proven to be such a valuable, versatile asset, with Berta seemingly targeting a similar figure if reports are to be believed.

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According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are among the clubs interested in Bayern Munich powerhouse, Leon Goretzka, with the likes of Manchester United, Spurs and Juventus also in the mix.

As per the report, there is the suggestion that talks have already been held with the Premier League trio, in particular, with the piece outlining that the German’s representatives have made contact with those three clubs.

The report does add, however, that while both United and Arsenal are likely to be more inclined to move in the summer, with the 30-year-old out of contract in June, rivals Spurs could look to strike in the winter window.

Why Goretzka could be Arteta's new Merino

Arteta’s set-piece kings have formed a fearsome unit across recent windows, echoing the early Arsene Wenger era with a string of towering, intimidating operators all across the park, be it Gabriel at one end, or Gyokeres at the other.

Merino, at 6 foot 2, has added further physicality in the centre, alongside the far more slight Martin Odegaard, with Arteta having praised the £30m for being a “big, big threat” earlier this season.

While a bargain deal for soon-to-be free agent Goretzka would be unlikely to end in the Champions League winner operating as a makeshift centre-forward, the 6 foot 2 monster could also be a similar box-crashing threat from an advanced midfield role.

Described as a “machine” by ex-teammate Sami Khedira – who also praised his compatriot for working “like a madman” to regain his place back at Bayern – Goretzka has been something of an unsung hero at the Allianz Arena for over half a decade now, recording 49 goals and 48 assists in 310 games across all fronts.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Arsenal transfer insight Want deeper transfer context? Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth Arsenal coverage – tactical fits, data-driven breakdowns and clear analysis of targets like Leon Goretzka, showing how a signing could mirror Merino’s role.

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That return, like Merino, has also come with the bulky midfielder showcasing a versatility to feature in a variety of positions, having operated on either flank, as well as even in a full-back or centre-back berth on occasion.

Goretzka – Bayern Bundesliga record

Season

Games

Goals (Assists)

25/26

14

0 (0)

24/25

26

4 (1)

23/24

30

6 (9)

22/23

27

3 (2)

21/22

19

3 (3)

20/21

24

5 (6)

19/20

24

6 (9)

18/19

30

8 (5)

Total

194

35 (35)

Stats via Transfermarkt

For a squad competing across four fronts, such flexibility is a real asset, with Goretzka surely the type of figure that Arteta would relish the chance to work with and repurpose for his own demands.

Like Merino, it is the 67-cap German star’s physical prowess that is the main attraction, having ranked in the top 12% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref, just behind the Arsenal man who ranks in the top 2%.

Again, like Merino, however, who ranks in the 6% for assists per 90, there is also a creative quality to be admired with regard to Goretzka, with one-time Schalke man ranking in the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 15% for progressive carries.

The all-round midfield asset in many ways, the experienced talent could well prove to be Arteta’s next Merino-style addition, should Berta manage to win the race for his signature – be it this month or over the summer.

Related He's the new William Saliba: Arsenal hold talks to sign a £35m defender

Arsenal could sign their new William Saliba in 2026.

Posts ByMatt Dawson

	The IPL continues to rake in the money with huge bids being received for the franchises (file photo) © AFP

The Indian Premier League (IPL) took a huge step forward on Thursday with the naming of the eight city franchises and their owners, a mix of the biggest names in business and Bollywood. The auction to pick the owners fetched the IPL – which is backed by the Indian board – US$723.59 million, almost double the combined base price of US$400 million. Mumbai was the most expensive team, costing over US$111.9 million.The franchisees come from several areas previously unconnected with cricket, testifying to the sport’s growing profile as a blue-chip investment in India. Among the successful bidders were Bollywood’s top stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, a Hyderabad-based newspaper group, a UK-based media rights company and the regular big players, Reliance Industries – owned by Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian, and Vijay Mallya, who also owns a Formula 1 team. The failed bidders included Deutsche Bank and construction major DLF, and among those disqualified was ICICI Ventures.”We can say that all the hard work fructified and the IPL is here to stay,” the IPL chairman and commissioner, Lalit Modi, said. The league, which has the ICC’s sanction, sees the teams play on a home-and-away basis and is due to begin on April 18.A large part of the IPL’s success will depend on its entertainment value as much as its sporting value and Modi, in his interaction, harped on how Bollywood and cricket are the two biggest box-office draws in India. The involvement of Khan, Zinta and Juhi Chawla – Khan’s partner in the Kolkata franchise – takes care of the glamour quotient; Zinta’s presence alone at the BCCI office in Mumbai saw a larger-than-usual media turnout.Khan said he would take expert help before putting together a winning combination. “I have already decided on the entertainment part but we have not decided on the core and content of the team,” he told the news channel CNN-IBN. “We want to put together a winning combination … [but] I hope [Sourav] Ganguly leads my team.”The sporting element was established last month, when the IPL unveiled its roster of more than 70 international cricketers. They included some of the biggest names in current limited-overs cricket, and some from the recent past: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Kumar Sangakkara and Graeme Smith. The affiliation of these players, and the Indian players involved, will be decided by a draft pick; it was originally slated for February 7 but will be finalised after consultation with the franchisees.However, four top Indian players – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh – will not be included in the auction but will play for their home teams, to ensure maximum support.The next step is for the IPL to be marketed, and Modi spoke of a multi-million-dollar campaign, with US$15 million coming from the media deal with the Sony Entertainment Television-World Sports Group combine and the IPL chipping in as well.The one sour note was struck when Modi was asked whether there was a conflict of interests in India Cements, of which BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan is vice-chairman and managing director, becoming a team owner. “Mr Srinivasan is just a stakeholder there, he is not the owner,” Modi said. “So there is no conflict of interests.”

The winning bids

City	Franchise Owner	Cost (in US$ millions)
Bangalore	Vijay Mallya’s UB group	111.6
Chennai	India Cements	91
Delhi	GMR Group	84
Hyderabad	Deccan Chronicle	107
Jaipur	Emerging Media-led consortium	67
Kolkata	Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment	75.09
Mohali	Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, Karan Paul and Dabur’s Mohit Burman	76
Mumbai	Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance India Limited	111.9

Michael Vaughan: still struggling for fitness © Getty Images

England are facing up to the likelihood that their captain, Michael Vaughan, will not be fit enough to lead the side in their must-win encounter against New Zealand at the WACA on Tuesday.Vaughan damaged his left hamstring while fielding during England’s solitary victory of their CB Series campaign, against New Zealand at Hobart on January 16, and Andrew Flintoff, his deputy, admitted England could not be sure he would be ready in time.”Vaughan is doubtful, there is a doubt surrounding his fitness,” Flintoff told a news conference on Monday. “I think the final decision will be made tomorrow, see how he rocks up. He’s done some running out there today but I think a final decision will be made in the morning.”And, as if that was not bad enough for a flatlining side, both of their most impressive fast bowlers to date, James Anderson and Jon Lewis, have been ruled out of contention with niggling injuries.The absences will be another devastating blow to a team whose morale is, in Vaughan’s opinion, as low as he has ever known it. New Zealand thrashed England by 90 runs in their last meeting, at Adelaide last week, before running Australia improbably close in a high-scoring encounter in Perth on Sunday.Defeat at the WACA would leave England needing victories in both their final matches, against Australia and New Zealand, to qualify for the finals. “I think the one thing now is we can’t dance around it,” Flintoff said. “We have got to be honest with ourselves.”We have just got to stand up. I could sit here and tell you all types of different things — but we have got to score some runs.”

There was no place in the squad for Jason Gillespie © Getty Images

Australia’s selectors turned the clock back to the Ashes by recalling Damien Martyn, Michael Kasprowicz and Shaun Tait for the three-Test tour of South Africa starting next week. The team has undergone a rash of changes with Brad Hodge dropped in favour of Michael Clarke while Nathan Bracken and Shane Watson will return home next week with the other members of the one-day squad. Stuart MacGill won a place as Shane Warne’s back-up and there was no spot for Jason Gillespie.The announcement ends the international hiatus of Martyn and Kasprowicz, who feared their globe-trotting days were over after they were scapegoats for the Ashes loss. “Martyn has had some time out of the team and we feel this is the right time to slot him back in at No. 4,” Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, said. “The reintroduction of Clarke follows some productive time away from the Test team. Hodge can count himself unlucky not to be included.” Hodge has missed the big scores in the Pura Cup that were necessary for inclusion.Kasprowicz and Tait have benefited from strong domestic seasons and the absence of Glenn McGrath, who has stayed home to be with his family. “The decision on the make-up of the fast bowling quartet was not an easy one, given that we are without McGrath,” Hohns said. “We wanted a blend of pace, youth, experience and line and length and believe we have all of these covered with our selection. Tait is coming back from a shoulder injury and he’s bowling at full pace so we’re happy that the injury isn’t hampering his bowling.” The squad will be reviewed after the series for the two-match tour to Bangladesh next month.MacGill was wary ahead of the team announcement after previous disappointing misses, but Ricky Ponting has pushed for him to be part of a twin-spin offering in the first Test at Cape Town on March 16. “I’ve believed I was a certainty to make tours in the past at times but was proven wrong,” MacGill told the . “I missed one against Pakistan and two against India when I thought I should have been pretty close. But I do feel I deserve a spot and that I’ll be up to the task.”Australia chose two legspinners in five home Tests this summer as doubts about MacGill bowling in tandem with Warne eased. “I’d pick me for a number of reasons, one of them being that having been around for a while now, I have a reasonable level of experience in various situations,” he told the paper. “That could be particularly valuable around a young attack … for this tour and the future if players like Glenn McGrath aren’t available. Australia doesn’t have a bloke like [the former coach] Bob Simpson around, so the teaching for the younger guys comes from the player group.”Australia squad Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz, Stuart MacGill, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait.

South Africa 380 for 6 (Prince 101*, Kallis 58) lead Zimbabwe 265 by 111 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Graeme Smith looks on in horror as he gives his wicket away© Cricinfo

Ashwell Prince struck his maiden century in his ninth Test as South Africa finally took control on the second day at Centurion. He showed the application that had been missing from his colleagues after Zimbabwe had kept them in check for the first two sessions. His partnership of 118 with Jacques Kallis finally overcame the spirited efforts of the Zimbabweans who produced their best performance on tour.Prince, who made his debut against Australia in 2001-02, was particularly strong through the off side, but had a huge slice of luck when he was dropped on 53, the second catch put down during the day. His partnership with Kallis finally took the steam out of Zimbabwe, who had chipped away manfully. Kallis did not appear until No 7, resting his injured hip, but was quickly into his stride. He notched up yet another half-century but after batting cautiously to ensure he would be around for the new ball, dragged Heath Streak into his stumps (338 for 6). The batsmen looked in no real hurry, but they may be down to three fit bowlers in the second innings and wanted to make their lead as large as possible.Zimbabwe’s attack started to wilt towards the end of play, and Nicky Boje took advantage of some loose offerings to boost the lead. Zimbabwe were not helped when Tatenda Taibu had to leave the field with a shoulder problem, thrusting the wicketkeeping duties to Barney Rogers.Until the final session there had been a feeling that South Africa’s batting was fairly slap-happy – a hangover from the complacency shown on the first day. Each time a batsman, or partnership, had looked like breaking loose Zimbabwe struck back. Much credit has to go to Graeme Cremer, who suffered a fierce pasting at Cape Town, but bowled 26 overs off the reel here, picking up two vital wickets. Jacques Rudolph, dropped before lunch, never looked on song before dragging Cremer onto his stumps via a bottom-edge and boot (133 for 3).Herschelle Gibbs was very comfortable at the crease – maybe too comfortable – and the return of Streak for a second spell caught him off guard. Streak began to find the rhythm that has eluded him so far this series, and had a huge appeal for caught behind turned down. Four balls later he forced Gibbs into playing a strangely loose pull shot, the ball looped in the air and Taibu ran around to short fine-leg to take the catch (194 for 4).Mark Boucher’s wicket was well deserved as it came through some good captaincy from Taibu. He had just moved Hamilton Masakadza into short extra-cover and Boucher obligingly drove a catch straight to him (219 for 5). Credit, too, must go to Cremer, who was good enough to induce the shot.

Heath Streak lets fly© Cricinfo

The first hour suggested there would be a similar mauling on the cards to Newlands. Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers tucked into the new ball against Christopher Mpofu and Streak, as the opening bowlers failed to find a consistent line and length. However, just as Taibu was starting (or continuing) to look lost Elton Chigumbura removed Smith. He went for a pull but could only top-edge to deep midwicket, where Rogers called loud enough to prevent a collision as three fielders converged (93 for 1). The expression from Smith, the bowler and the crowd suggested it was a surprise all round. de Villiers then seemed to lose concentration as well, playing an expansive drive at Mpofu and edging a catch to Masakadza at first slip, who held on well (106 for 2).South Africa have had a somewhat dismissive attitude towards this match, but today’s Zimbabwe performance has made them sit up and take notice. They should go on and win quite comfortably, but the ruthless side that was on view at Cape Town seems to have retreated once again.How they were outSouth AfricaTop-edged pull to deep mid-wicketExpansive drive, edged to first slipInside-edge onto foot, rolled back into stumpsTop-edged pull, looped in the air, keeper ran round to catchDrove to short extra-coverInside-edge onto off-stump