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Under Unai Emery, Arsenal are going through a massive rebuild and the fans in the Transfer Tavern are excited to see what changes will be made ahead of the new season. 

Arsenal’s new boss has already sealed deals for Stephan Lichtsteiner, Bernd Leno and most recently, former Dortmund man, Sokratis Papastathopoulos. However, it’s not just the first-team the club are looking to reshape but also it’s youth academy and are now linked with a move for Sunderland’s Sam Greenwood.

The Breakdown

According to ESPN, Arsenal are set to beat Manchester United and Stuttgart to the signing of the under-16 star.

Greenwood is regarded as one of the best young talents in his age group and has represented England at under-16 level. The young striker scored 21 goals in 26 appearances for Sunderland’s under-16s and 18s last season, which led to a host of Europe’s top clubs showing an interest.

Greenwood also turned down a new deal to remain at the club which opened the door for Manchester United and Arsenal to attempt to sign the youngster.

Sunderland’s academy has had a successful few years with the likes of Jordan Henderson, Duncan, Duncan Watmore and Jordan Pickford all progressing into the first-team.

With Sunderland now in League One, youth players have more chance of getting first-team football but with the club coming off back-to-back relegations, it seems it may be quite hard to keep some of their top talents who want to play at a higher level.

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Signing Greenwood could be an excellent steal for a new look Arsenal.

Happy with this Arsenal fans?

	Ryan Harris’ three-year deal with Queensland as a non-overseas player conflicts with ECB regulations © Getty Images

Sussex have confirmed Ryan Harris has terminated his contract with the club with immediate effect. The county was forced to withdraw Harris from their Championship opener against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl on Wednesday after he signed a three-year deal with Queensland.Harris, who grew up in and appeared for South Australia, was originally picked up as a Kolpak player and joined on the basis he held a British passport and met current ECB regulations. However, the conditions also stipulate players cannot perform in another country as a local.”This has been a very difficult decision for Ryan but the only decision he could make after it was announced on Wednesday that he had signed a three-year contract with Queensland to play as a local player and not as an overseas player,” Gus Mackay, Sussex’s chief executive, said.”This is extremely disappointing for the club given that Ryan is an exciting cricketer who we were looking forward to being part of our title defence.” Harris played in the season’s traditional curtain raiser – Sussex, the County Champions, against MCC – and bowled swiftly at Lord’s last week, picking up 4 for 36.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has, in an apparent change of heart, has reinstated the vast majority of the lower-grade employees who were sacked only two days ago.A board spokesman told Cricinfo that Naseem Ashraf, the board chairman, made the decision to reinstate 66 of those sacked on ‘humanitarian grounds.’ The decision to sack 11 high-ranking officials, however, still stands.Two days ago, the PCB had sacked 80 employees including 69 working in the lower cadre and 11 high-ranking officials after a comprehensive audit carried out by Ferguson and Associates recommended the employees were not suited to their specific roles.A board spokesman told that the employees were working either on a contractual basis or daily wages and their new contracts would be signed soon without any break in their services.According to the newspaper, earlier in the day, a majority of the sacked employees gathered at the PCB offices as the chairman arrived, demanding immediate restoration of services. The chairman assured them that he would do his best for them after considering their case.Meanwhile, the PCB also announced that there were no plans for further retrenchment in the board.

Lancashire’s head groundsman Peter Marron has been granted a benefit by the county for his long-serving commitment.The club have already granted Andrew Flintoff a benefit this year – he is projected to earn £3million, tax-free – but the England star has said that he doesn’t mind Marron being given one as well. Indeed, Flintoff has even pledged to support the groundsman at events where he can and, given that he was as good as his word in turning up to events for last year’s beneficiary, Gary Yates, then Marron could be in for a boost.There will be several fundraising events, including a dinner, and a statement on the club’s website said that it was nothing less than Marron deserved. “Peter has produced some of the best wickets in International and domestic cricket in recent years and in the process has become one of the most popular and well known figures at Old Trafford and this testimonial represents an excellent opportunity for Lancashire members to show their appreciation.”

Scorecard
Punjab’s tenacious methods inched them close to a spot in the finals of the Ranji Trophy and they needed 68 more, with six wickets in hand, to upstage Mumbai, the defending champions, in their own backyard. All their top-order batsmen chipped in with gritty efforts as they ended the day on 226 for 4, in a comfortable position.After collapsing for 126 in the first innings, the Punjab batsmen put together some vital partnerships this time. Ravneet Ricky and Reetinder Sodhi built a solid base while Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia and Pankaj Dharmani ground out crucial 40s. Dharmani was unbeaten when stumps were drawn and found good support in Gaurav Gupta, who was batting on 34.Earlier Mumbai had managed to stretch their lead to 294 thanks to Nishit Shetty’s superb 69. He added 75 with Nilesh Kulkarni, the No. 10, and in hindsight the game would have been over on the third day itself if that partnership hadn’t prospered.Mumbai have shown tremendous resilience and produced moments of magic over the last three years. However, this revitilised Punjab team possesses the big-match players to ensure against such minor miracles. Either way, it promises to be an enthralling first hour tomorrow.

Michael Kasprowicz: rewarded for his consistency in the domestic circuit © Wisden Cricinfo

Michael Kasprowicz has been drafted into the Australian squad in place of Andy Bichel for the best-of-three finals of the VB Series. Michael Hussey, who played in Australia’s last match, against India at Perth, has been left out of the 13-man squad.Commenting on the decision to drop Bichel, Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, said: “It is fair to say that Andy Bichel has not been bowling as well as we would like, and we feel that a spell at state level might help him recapture his form. Michael Kasprowicz deserves this opportunity. We were impressed with his work on the recent one-day tour of India, and his performances for Queensland over a long period of time have been first-class. The decision to leave Andy out of the side was a judgement call that we had to make.”Kasprowicz has taken 11 wickets in the ING Cup – the domestic one-day competition – this season at an average of 15.81. Bichel, on the other hand, has struggled with the Australian team all season. After less-than-impressive performances in the Tests, he has only managed three wickets in six matches in the VB Series at an average of over 65 and an economy rate of nearly five-and-a-half.The first of the three finals – for which Australia and India have already qualified – will be held on February 6 at Melbourne.Squad
Ricky Ponting (capt), Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Andrew Symonds, Ian Harvey, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz, Jason Gillespie, Brad Williams.

ICC President Malcolm Gray presented South African cricket captain Shaun Pollock with the ICC Test Championship Mace today to mark South Africa’s rise to the top of the ICC Test Championship table.”On behalf of the ICC I would like to congratulate Shaun and his team for the excellent standard of Test match cricket they have played over recent years, which has now earned them top position on the ICC Test Championship table,” said Gray. “Test cricket is hard work, and no side has worked harder than South Africa in terms of the series it has played against all other countries. One of the main aims of the ICC’s 10 year Test calendar is to encourage teams to play each other home and away on a regular basis, and South Africa has been prominent in achieving that. Their record proves that they are an extremely good side, consistently winning series in the toughest of conditions. For example, they are one of the very few teams to have won a series in India, and have also done well in other countries where Test match wins are never easy to come by, such as Sri Lanka and the Caribbean,” Gray added.On receiving the trophy, Pollock said he was proud to have been part of a squad which had deservedly taken its place at the top of Test cricket. “We have had a really good record away from home, which shows our cohesion as a unit,” Pollock said. “I would like to thank the players, team management and sponsors who have played such a vital role in getting us into this position over the years. It has been hard work, but I am sure I speak for all the guys when I say it has been worth it.”UCB President Percy Sonn and CEO Gerald Majola warmly congratulated the team on their effort and on the high standard of cricket they had maintained. “This Championship is about performing consistently well against all the Test-playing nations in all conditions. Shaun and the boys have done that,” said Sonn. Majola added: “This is the realization of all the effort and planning that has gone into South African cricket. It is part of our Strategic Plan to develop winners and to be the top nation in the world. By performing so well, Shaun and his team have laid a platform for our other strategic intention of making cricket a sport for all South Africans.”Castle Lager sponsorship manager Rob Fleming said: “Castle Lager congratulates the SA Test team on being top of the ICC Test log and bringing the prestigious trophy to our shores for the first time. We would like to take this opportunity to wish the Test champions the best of luck on the eve of the World Cup.””We are extremely proud of the Castle Lager/MTN Test cricket team and their recent series win over Pakistan which took them to the top of the ICC Test Championship table. The trophy hand-over must be a great confidence booster for the team with two days to go until the start of the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup,” said MTN sponsorship manager Andrew Sherwood.The ICC Mace is awarded to the country at the head of the ICC Test Championship table, which was introduced at the start of the England v Pakistan series in May 2001.The Crown Jeweller Asprey & Garrard was commissioned to produce a distinctive trophy designed to stand out from other cricket trophies. They produced a silver and gold-plated trophy based on a cricket stump as its shank topped by an orb that represents the cricket world – both geographically and through the inclusion of the emblems of the 10 Test-playing nations. The stump and the orb combine to portray a mace, regarded as a symbol of authority and prestige. This is an appropriate combination given the rich history of Test Match cricket and its image as the most traditional and purest form of the game. The Mace is valued at $US 45 000 and automatically passes from one country to another as results confirm a change of Championship leader. Apart from South Africa, Australia is the only other side to have held the Mace.

Unbeaten Kent Spitfires held their nerve to land a 31-run win over last season’s undisputed one-day kings Gloucestershire in a rain-affected clash in Canterbury.The odds seemed stacked against a Kent victory after they were unceremoniously dismissed for 114 inside 30 overs in an innings reduced to 33 overs because of rain.The hosts were struggling at 45 for two when the heavens opened, but worse followed the resumption as veteran Kim Barnett ripped out their late order with his medium-paced swingers to finish with four for 12 – the best return of his 23-year, 313-match career and figures that included his 100th one-day wicket.Only David Fulton (23) and Rob Key (21) made it into the 20s on a difficult, green-tinged pitch that also helped Mark Alleyne and Michael Ball to claim two wickets apiece.Chasing a revised total of 118, Gladiators lost Dominic Hewson to Ben Trott and then Matthew Windows and Chris Taylor from successive deliveries from Martin Saggers, who then trapped visiting skipper Mark Alleyne leg before in his next over.Trott removed Jeremy Snape to a catch at the wicket and Mark Ealham replaced Saggers to have the experienced Barnett caught in the slips after becoming Gloucestershire’s first player to reach double figures.At 32 for six much rested on the shoulders of Australian Ian Harvey, who teamed up with Jack Russell to double the Gladiators score before Ealham struck again by having the former England wicketkeeper taken at second slip.Harvey hit two fours and three sixes, one of which flew straight into a hospitality box at long off, on his way to a top score of 39 but once he holed out to deep mid-wicket off Saggers Kent began to scent victory.It was left to Saggers to finish the game in style, uprooting the off stump of James Averis to end the innings on 86 and secure career-best limited overs’ figures of five for 22 and help Kent maintain their unbeaten record as well as the joint-leadership with Leicestershire.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has stated that he was wrong to insinuate that there was a campaign against the west London club earlier this season.

The Blues boss was infuriated over refereeing decision midway through the 2014-15 season and stated that the footballing fraternity were out to get the Stamford Bridge club.

The Portuguese trainer debated a number of refereeing decision throughout the course of the season and felt that Chelsea were not given a fair crack of the whip.

Mourinho has addressed his comments now that the Blues have claimed the Premier League title and has admitted that his remarks were perhaps a bit over the top.

“I’m not the kind of person to regret,” The Guardian report Mourinho as saying.

“What you did you did. What happened happened. You cannot change things. Time does not go back. We had lots of mistakes against us. That’s the reality but that’s football.

“Maybe ‘campaign’ is not a nice word. Maybe I would take that word out from my explanation and my comments, but that’s the reality. We had very bad decisions over a big period of time. But I also made bad decisions, so no problem.

“The word ‘campaign’ was even the subject of punishment because the word was strong. My feeling was that we had lots of mistakes against us, that punished us in crucial matches in a crucial period – November, December, January.

“I would take the word ‘campaign’ [out] if the same happened next season. It would be out of my vocabulary. But that feeling is clear. We had lots of decisions against us.”

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Chelsea claimed a domestic double by finishing on top of the Premier League table and also defeating Tottenham in the Capital One Cup final.

The Blues were eliminated from the Champions League this season by Paris Saint-Germain and will hope for an improved European showing next term.

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ScorecardRain proved to be a spoiler in what could have been an exciting finish to the 129th Battle of the Blues schools-cricket encounter between Royal College and St. Thomas’ College played at the SSC grounds on Saturday.A sporting declaration by Royal left the Thomians a target of 244 to chase in a minimum of 71 overs in the fourth innings. After a cautious start, the Thomians took up the challenge with their openers Jehan Thahir and Fahim Saleem posting an unbroken stand of 59 off 20.1 overs before rain put an end to what would have been an exciting run-chase.The spectators, in true Royal-Thomian spirit, hung around hoping the rain would cease and the match would resume like it did on the first day but the contest was doomed to end in the 62nd draw of this time-honoured series. The game was stopped 20 minutes before tea on the third and final day and was never resumed.The Thomian last pair, Dinesh Walpita and Nilshan Fernando, added 17 runs off 59 balls before being separated when play resumed on the third day. The Thomian innings, which stood at a precarious 141 for 9 with the threat of a follow on, was eventually terminated at 198, giving Royal a first-innings lead of 102.Walpita was the last man out for 36, the top-scorer of the Thomian innings. The last-wicket stand was worth 57 runs in 76 minutes. Right-arm medium-pacer Bhanuka Rajapakse was the pick of the Royal bowlers with 3 for 32.Batting in their second innings, Royal suffered an early set back, losing opener Chalaka Bogoda for a duck, and slumped to 60 for 3 before they were rescued by Kusal Perera, who scored 41 and first-innings centurion Fernando, who took the total to 141 off 26 overs before declaring at the fall of the sixth wicket.