ESPNcricinfo previews the first one-day international between Ireland and Pakistan

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan17-Aug-2016Match factsAugust 18, 2016
Start time 1045 local (0945GMT)Azhar Ali’s ODI form slumped in Pakistan’s most recent series and the results also nosedived•Getty ImagesBig PictureThere is not much time for Pakistan to bask in their Oval victory. They have since hopped on a plane to Dublin as they switch into one-day mode with a two-match series against Ireland.The contrast between their rise in Test cricket and struggles in the one-day game has been stark: they sit ninth in the ODI rankings, outside of the automatic qualification places for the 2019 World Cup.Since the 2015 World Cup they have been captained by Azhar Ali who suffered a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh before two series wins over Zimbabwe – although they lost a match to them in Harare – and one against Sri Lanka. They took the lead against England last year before being comfortably beaten 3-1 and were overturned 2-0 in New Zealand in January.There are three players in this current squad who will have memories of the first meeting between these sides on that famous day in Jamaica: Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Umar Gul were part of the three-wicket defeat. Six years later, Hafeez and Malik were also involved in a tie in Dublin.But, like Pakistan, Ireland are struggling in the one-day rankings, currently adrift of Afghanistan and Zimbabwe at the bottom. Their crown of leading Associate has been challenged; they shared their recent series against Afghanistan 2-2. There is a concerning reliance on Ed Joyce at the top of the order – against Afghanistan he was almost 200 runs ahead of Ireland’s next highest scorer – and they need much more from the likes of Paul Stirling and captain William Porterfield.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland WLWLL
Pakistan LLLLLIn the spotlightAzhar Ali regained his form in the final two Tests against England, making a fine century at Edgbaston, a solid 49 after being promoted to open the batting and then finishing the series with a six. Now he has to switch his focus back to trying to find a winning formula in one-day cricket. And he needs to score runs as well. After being appointed captain he enjoyed an early bounce with two centuries in first five games, but has now gone 11 innings without a fifty. His strike-rate, too, has come under scrutiny with the pressure it can put on the rest of the top order.Barry McCarthy, who plays county cricket for Durham, has enjoyed an impressive start to his Ireland career with 14 wickets in six ODIs. He helped cover for the absence of Boyd Rankin against Afghanistan and will be asked to do the same again after Rankin was ruled out of the rest of the season with injury. He can be expected to share the new ball with Tim Murtagh.Teams newsRankin has been ruled out with a stress fracture of the tibia which removes one of Ireland’s senior pace bowlers. But they have not called in a replacement with Craig Young now available after an elbow injury. The batting will be boosted by the return of Niall O’Brien.Ireland (probable) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Ed Joyce, 3 Niall O’Brien, 4 Gary Wilson, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Paul Stirling, 7 Stuart Poynter (wk), 8 Andy McBrine, 9 Tim Murtagh, 10 Barry McCarthy, 11 Peter Chase/Craig YoungPakistan may need to strike a balance between giving some of new arrivals, and those who have been sidelined during the Tests, some cricket and ensuring they do not take a half-hearted approach to these matches. Sharjeel Khan has been called up after a successful A-tour of England, while Umar Gul has the opportunity to show he can still deliver his pinpoint yorkers.Pakistan (from) Azhar Ali (capt), Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Mohammad Hafeez, Baber Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Umar Gul, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Mohammad NawazPitch and conditionsThe forecast for Thursday is promisingly dry between two days of significant rain. Of the surface, Ed Joyce said: “We’re expecting two good pitches here as they normally are at Malahide.”Stats and trivia William Porterfield and Kevin O’Brien are currently jostling to be Ireland’s leading ODI run-scorer: Porterfield sits on 2591 and O’Brien has 2561 Sharjeel Khan made 253 runs in four innings during the recent tri-series involving England Lions and Sri Lanka A The overall head-to-head for these sides is 4-1 to Pakistan with one tie.Quotes”In the last few years we haven’t played very good cricket in one-dayers. Our performances are not as consistent as in Test cricket, and we need to really improve our skills.”
“These guys are definitely favourites but we’ve got a good one-day team and are hopeful of giving them a few good games. There’s a lot of guys in good form in England which bodes well for us.”

أعلن نادي الكرخ العراقي عن التعاقد رسميًا مع اللاعب المصري صالح جمعة، وذلك بعد فسخ تعاقده مع الإسماعيلي.

وكان نادي الإسماعيلي قد أعلن قبل ساعات قليلة عن فسخ التعاقد مع صالح جمعة بالتراضي، ليعلن نادي الكرخ عن ضمه خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية.

رسميًا.. الإسماعيلي يعلن رحيل صالح جمعة

الجدير بالذكر، أن المدير الفني المصري هيثم شعبان يتولى يقود نادي الكرخ بدايًة من شهر يناير الماضي.

ويحتل نادي الكرخ المركز السادس عشر في سلم ترتيب بطولة الدوري العراقي برصيد 11 نقطة. بيان نادي الكرخ بشأن التعاقد مع صالح جمعة

وأصدر نادي الكرخ بيانًا رسميًا قال فيه:

تعاقدت الهيئة الادارية لنادي الكرخ مع لاعب الاهلي المصري بكرة القدم والإسماعيلي والمنتخب المصري صالح جمعة خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية للموسم الجاري، فيما وصلت بطاقته الدولية اليوم الإثنين الموافق الخامس من شباط ٢٠٢٤.

ومن المؤمل أن يصل اللاعب الى بغداد خلال الايام القليلة المقبلة بعد إتمام الإجراءات الخاصة بسمة الدخول الى الاراضي العراقية.

وبدأ صالح جمعة مسيرته الكروية عام 2010 في فريق “إنبي” المصري، وفي عام 2013 تم إعارته إلى نادي “ناسيونال ماديرا” البرتغالي، ثم انتقل إلى النادي الأهلي المصري عام 2015، وخلال 2018 تم إعارته إلى نادي “الفيصلي” السعودي، ولعب أخيرًا للإسماعيلي المصري.

Shan Masood all but confirmed his place in the Pakistan side for the third Test at Edgbaston with a patient half-century in the tour game against Worcestershire

George Dobell at New Road29-Jul-2016
ScorecardAzhar Ali found some timely form ahead of the third Test•Getty Images

Shan Masood all but confirmed his place in the Pakistan side for the third Test at Edgbaston with a patient half-century in the tour game against Worcestershire.Masood, who has looked less than immoveable at the top of the order in the Test series, came into the game under a little pressure, but easily out-scored his most obvious rival for a spot, Sami Aslam, and has almost certainly done enough to retain his spot.That news may not cause any sleepless nights for James Anderson. He has dismissed Masood, who has scored 71 in four innings this series, in all six innings in which they have confronted one another in Test cricket and on four of those occasions he has failed to pass 2.But here, confronted by a modest attack and a painfully slow pitch being used for the second time in a week (it was described by Azhar Ali as “a very tired pitch”), he took the opportunity to gain some time at the crease and build some confidence with a determined innings that belied the low-key nature of this two-day contest.There was one nervous moment early on when he played and missed at Charlie Morris on 1 and another on 52 when Morris put down a tough chance at backward square leg off George Rhodes’ offspin. But in between times he demonstrated patience – he did not score his second run until his 27th delivery and it took him 124 balls to reach his half-century – some familiar nicely timed strokes off his legs and one pleasing off-drive against the medium pace of Alex Hepburn.Aslam may reflect that he has not been given the best opportunity to shine on this tour. Having not played a first-class game since December, he had had to wait until now for his first innings of the tour and, having clubbed the first boundary of the innings – a lofted drive over mid-on off the out of sorts Jack Shantry – from the penultimate ball of the 14th over, then followed one angled across him and edged to slip. Aslam may look back on this as a frustrating tour but, aged just 20, he has time on his side. Pakistan also hope to bat again in the latter stages of the second day of this game, so he should have one more opportunity to impress.There were also runs for Azhar. He is captain in this game in place of the rested Misbah-ul-Haq and has also endured a modest start to the series – he has scored 39 in four innings – but here he looked a class above in making an accomplished 81 that included a straight six off Rhodes and a slogged four through midwicket to bring up his half-century from 103 deliveries. “Teams do work you out in international cricket,” he said afterwards when asked about England’s bowlers exploiting his habit of falling over towards the off side. “You need to cope with it.”While Worcestershire are close to full strength – Brett D’Oliverira, who has just signed a three-year contract extension with the club, and Ben Cox and Joe Leach, who have both played every game this season, were the only three rested – this was a used surface and their attack is a good deal more sedate than the one Pakistan will experience at Edgbaston next week. Three of them – Rhodes, Hepburn and Alexei Kervezee – have nine first-class wickets between them, while Ed Barnard is just 20.Barnard can bowl, though. He produced a beauty to account for Azhar- the ball reversed just enough to clip the top of off stump – and, as he grows and strengthens, looks as if he could be a good prospect.The decision to rest Cox provided an opportunity for Joe Clarke, arguably the most talented 20-year-old batsman in England, to keep wicket and although he fumbled a couple of times, he took a nice catch to end Masood’s innings as the batsman skipped down the pitch, was beaten by some turn and edged his attempted drive.That allowed Mohammad Rizwan to compile an unbeaten 49 full of elegant strokes – his late cut and sweep, in particular – and Iftikhar Ahmed, whose first scoring stroke was a slightly mis-hit six off Kervezee, to make an unbeaten 41 in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 80 before the declaration. Younis Khan, slightly surprisingly given his form, was rested but batted in the nets. This two-day game does not have first-class status so there is some potential for the teams to change on the second day, though both sides have said they will resist that temptation.Meanwhile, Mohammad Hafeez worked with Carl Crowe, the former county spinner turned coach, in the nets. Crowe helped Sunil Narine re-model his action after it was deemed illegal and is trying to help Hafeez through a similar process now. As yet, though, there is no re-test booked for Hafeez and, until there is, he cannot be cleared to bowl in a match. As a result, it seems there is no chance of him bowling in the third Test and very little in the final Test.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is close to a departure from Chelsea, with the Englishman set to join AC Milan, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's going on with Chelsea and Loftus-Cheek?

Chelsea are set to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their next manager following a disastrous season, which has seen them fail to qualify for European competition.

Two windows of heavy spending has meant that Chelsea need to sell players and dramatically reduce the size of their squad, and it seems that Loftus-Cheek will lead an exodus of players from Stamford Bridge.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano confirmed that Champions League semi-finalists AC Milan are close to agreeing a deal for the 27-year-old, who is keen for a fresh start abroad.

"I have an important exclusive update on Chelsea, because from what I understand, one of the first outgoings is to be completed in the next days. We know they have to be smart, that they have to sell or offload players as soon as possible in June, this is going to be a priority for Chelsea," he stated.

"For Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Milan are in very advanced talks, from what I understand. AC Milan are really pushing on that one, negotiations are advanced between clubs, the player is open to the move.

"There is still time to discuss the terms of this deal between the clubs and the player's side, but the conversation is concrete, it's advanced and so Loftus-Cheek could leave Chelsea, and try a new experience in Italy with Milan leading the race."

Who else could Chelsea look to sell?

Loftus-Cheek seems an obvious departure, given that £120k-per-week midfielder never nailed down a starting spot at Chelsea since coming through the academy, but the midfielder did make 30 appearances this season and could have perhaps been a useful backup in the squad.

Mateo Kovacic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mason Mount have all been linked with exits, and the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy could also be shown the door as Chelsea aim to move on from some of their older players.

Pochettino is rumoured to desire a younger squad in order to get Chelsea back on track and competing at the top again. The club invested heavily in Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez, and may seek to build the team around these promising talents, whilst finding exit routes for a number of others.

Arsenal, it could be argued, have borrowed heavily from Manchester City's model of late in an effort to earn success akin to theirs.

Having first put their trust in the understudy of Pep Guardiola, welcoming Mikel Arteta into the Emirates dugout, the Spaniard would then implement a philosophy mirroring the Citizens', utilising inverted full-backs and a box midfield to strangle the opposition of the ball.

Last summer added the final touches to this replication, as the Gunners would then swoop to sign the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, tempting two effervescent characters from the Eithad to join in their revolution.

Whilst the one man they would want to replicate more than any is Erling Haaland, given his record-breaking 52-goal haul this season in all competitions, they simply do not make many like him on the planet. However, looking elsewhere at another integral cog of their system, Arsenal do lack a viable alternative for Rodri within their squad.

However, that could all be set to change this summer, as another window of vast change is in the offing. To bridge that gap true world-class quality must be attained, and arguably few boast more pedigree than Joshua Kimmich, who has been linked with a £52m move to north London amongst a host of top European clubs.

How good is Joshua Kimmich?

To have featured 346 times for Bayern Munich is a testament to the quality of the 28-year-old, who boasts a trophy cabinet laden with copious amounts of silverware.

Having begun as a natural successor to Philipp Lahm, the former right-back has since established himself as a key player in the engine room for the Bavarian giants. He does everything for Thomas Tuchel's side, from spearheading attacks to creating from deep, even quelling opposition threats. The German international is truly one of the game's most versatile assets.

Therefore, the notion that he could occupy the Rodri role for Arsenal is well-founded, as the Spanish stopper has earned particular praise this season for his work in holding down the midfield despite having little cover.

Indeed, Guardiola waxed lyrical over his efforts just a matter of weeks ago: "[He has been an] incredible signing for us.

“Seeing his development as a football player, to read better some situations. He solved it with his incredible mentality. He’s so important.”

As a side so dominant in possession, his proficiency with the ball is of paramount importance. On average, they have boasted 65.2% ball possession, just over the 58.4% of Arsenal's, via Transfermarkt.

So, for the former Atletico Madrid man to maintain a 91% pass accuracy with 0.9 key passes and 1.9 tackles per game is impressive, not least due to the fact he has eight goal contributions to boot, via Sofascore.

However, despite his key assets being elsewhere, Kimmich too shows a penchant to dominate such a role, acting as the experienced defensive metronome who can keep a side ticking.

In the Bundesliga, his 7.75 average rating gives way to 11 goal contributions, supported by a 90% pass accuracy, 2.8 key passes and 2.4 tackles per game, via Sofascore. There are few areas in which Rodri outclasses the £326k-per-week general, who has also been lauded as a "leader" by former sports writer Cristian Nyari.

With Guardiola set to make history with the 26-year-old at the heart of his revolutionary philosophy, Arteta too could once again seek to mimic such a masterclass with a move for Kimmich this summer.

واصل فريق إنتر ميلان انتصاراته في بطولة الدوري الإيطالي، الموسم الحالي، بعدما فاز على ساليرنيتانا، مساء اليوم الجمعة.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة والعشرين من الدوري الإيطالي، موسم 2023/24، حيث فاز إنتر ميلان بأربعة أهداف دون رد. أهداف مباراة إنتر ميلان وساليرنيتانا

تقدم إنتر ميلان بفضل هدف ماركوس تورام في الدقيقة 17 من عمر الشوط الأول، قبل أن يسجل لاوتارو مارتينيز الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 19.

وتمكن دينزل دومفريس من تسجيل الهدف الثالث لفريق إنتر ميلان، في الدقيقة 40 من الشوط نفسه.

وأنهى إنتر ميلان رباعيته في تلك الليلة المميزة بعدما سجل ماركو أرناوتوفيتش هدفًا في الدقيقة 90 من عمر اللقاء.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد إنتر ميلان إلى 63 نقطة في المركز الأول، بينما تجمد رصيد ساليرنيتانا عند 13 نقطة في المركز العشرين والأخير.

It was hard to work out which captain was more stunned after South Africa’s incredible win over Australia in Durban

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-20162:38

We could’ve made Miller’s job easier – du Plessis

It was hard to work out which captain was more stunned after South Africa’s incredible win over Australia in Durban.But it was left to Faf du Plessis to sum up a result that looked highly unlikely when Australia ran up 371 batting first at Kingsmead, and even more so when a middle order stumble left South Africa needing a miracle – duly provided by a thumping innings from David Miller.”To win a game like that when you’re supposed to lose, when you’re down and out then you have someone put their hand up and take you across the line, it’s as good as it gets,” du Plessis said. “I don’t have any words to be honest.”I think there’s a lot of people if you asked them 3-0 to South Africa against the No. 1 team in the world, they would have possibly laughed. It just shows which direction we’re going as a team at the moment, we’ve played some really good cricket in all formats and I’m really excited about what lies ahead.”I’m just out of words, I’m so happy at the moment because I never would have thought 3-0 would have been possible against this Australian side.”Steven Smith bore the thousand-yard stare of a captain who has now lost seven of his past nine matches in charge in all formats. All he had asked for, from his batsmen in particular, had been achieved, still he ended the night in defeat.”I wanted the top four to get the bulk of the runs, someone to go on and get a hundred, we had two blokes do that,” Smith said. “It’s a very tough loss. Today was our quarter-final to keep us in the series and when you get to halfway and you’ve got 370 on the board, you don’t lose too many games with 370 on the board.”For them [bowlers], it’s about trying to bowl their best ball as much as possible…we just haven’t been able to do it as well as we would have liked.”It hasn’t gone to plan so far, that’s for sure. I’m sure the guys will be able to take a lot out of playing against these South African batters. There’s some quality batters in their line-up and you’ve got to learn to play against the best if you want to play international cricket.”1:46

‘Was trying not to show any nerves’ – Miller

Much has been written and said about Australia’s understrength bowling line-up on tour, which again copped heavy punishment throughout. But du Plessis was pointed in stating that could not take anything away from his team’s achievement.”I think as an international team you cannot use that as an excuse, never,” he said. “I’ve been part of a South African team when we had no Dale Steyn and no Vernon Philander in our Test team, and you can’t use that as an excuse.”You have to find a way as a team to try and compete against the best teams in the world and we didn’t in that series against England and it would have been a lot different with the two of them playing.”But you can’t use that as an excuse, you have to find a way as a squad to try and compete. There’s a little bit of inexperience there but they would be the first guys not to blame their weakened attack. They’re the No. 1 team in the world and they know they still have to put up a good fight against us.”

Arsenal have now "agreed personal terms" with Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo, according to a recent report from Ecuadorian outlet Teradeportes.

Who will Arsenal sign this summer?

The Gunners are searching for a new central midfielder, with Granit Xhaka set to depart, and they have identified Declan Rice as a key target, having recently agreed personal terms with the West Ham United captain.

With Mikel Arteta keen on bringing in three new midfielders this summer, Mason Mount has also been identified as a potential target, although the Chelsea midfielder now appears to be poised to complete a move to Manchester United.

As such, Arsenal may have to turn their attentions elsewhere, and they could look at signing Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan, who will be available on a free transfer later this month, upon the expiration of his contract.

Another midfielder the Gunners have been linked with is Caicedo, and according to Terdapatores, they have now "agreed personal terms" with the Brighton star, who has made a move to the Emirates Stadium his "priority."

However, there will be competition for the Ecuadorian's signature from some other Premier League clubs, with Chelsea "willing to pay a higher figure" than Arsenal, although they will not be able to offer him European football of any description next season.

Liverpool are also name checked as potential suitors, however the Reds have not made the £15k-per-week youngster a priority signing, as they do not want to meet Brighton's asking price.

Who will Caicedo sign for?

Given that Arsenal have Champions League football to offer the 21-year-old, and the report claims he favours a move to north London, they should be well-placed to win the race for his signature this summer.

If the Gunners do sign the central midfielder, he could be an excellent addition to the squad, given his stellar defensive abilities, making 100 tackles in the Premier League last season, the second-highest amount of any player in the top flight.

Hailed as "incredible" by members of the media, the Ecuador international also excels in his distribution of the ball, ranking in the 94th percentile for his pass-completion rate per 90 over the past year.

With Arsenal set to return to the Champions League next season, Arteta needs to bolster his squad with players who can make his side competitive in Europe's elite competition, and Caicedo has proven he is capable of making the step up.

Tottenham Hotspur's manager search has gone exactly as the fanbase knew it would, drawing out a process that takes other clubs mere days.

Take Brighton and Hove Albion for example. Having enjoyed a fine start to the season, it looked like their success would be thrown into jeopardy when Graham Potter moved to Chelsea in September. However, less than ten days after that Sky Sports announcement, Roberto De Zerbi had been appointed as his replacement. They have since gone on to surpass the Lilywhites, claiming one of the European spots that they would miss out on.

Given the relative stature of both clubs, it is a miserable indictment of the shambolic running of the former Champions League finalists.

Having dismissed Antonio Conte in late March, it has now been over two months and they are no closer to naming his successor.

Julian Nagelsmann was first ruled out of the running, before Arne Slot snubbed the offer to stay in his homeland. Now, as of late May, rumours are circulating linking them with a swoop for the out-of-work former River Plate head coach Marcelo Gallardo.

Whilst a newer name on the media merry-go-round, he could actually provide an upgrade to the Dutchman who turned them down last month.

Would Marcelo Gallardo be an upgrade on Arne Slot?

Although the Argentinian has been unemployed since leaving his hometown club in 2022, the 47-year-old is still a revered name by many given the success he earned at River. Pep Guardiola even claimed: "What Gallardo has done with River is incredible."

Across his eight years and 424 games in charge of the club, he would win 12 separate honours, meaning his trophy cabinet is filled to the brim. Although Slot's exploits in this campaign might have made him an attractive proposition, he does not boast half the title-winning acumen of this potential alternative.

Not only this, but Gallardo's time in his homeland also saw him maintain a points-per-match average of 1.88, made all the more impressive given his longevity. He would also concede fewer goals than games, highlighting a defensive solidity that Spurs have lacked this season, having shipped 63 goals in 38 games.

Meanwhile, whilst the Feyenoord boss did lead his team to the Eredivisie title, it marked his first-ever piece of silverware. Levy, whilst he has been lambasted for chasing proven winners like Conte and Jose Mourinho in recent years, must surely avoid going too aggressively in the other direction.

He needs someone young and willing to forge a team to compete in the long run, and there are few in the modern game who can boast such longevity and success as Gallardo, supplemented by his free-flowing 4-3-3 style.

It is the closest they will get to repeating their success with Mauricio Pochettino, which is the very least they must aim for after allowing him to join Chelsea. In fact, journalist Alasdair Gold even suggested in a Q&A: "Gallardo is certainly growing his reputation and some people believe he's similar to Pochettino in style".

With everything Levy needs in a manager, plus that passion and title-winning mentality to boot, Gallardo would mark a surprising but stunning capture to surely surpass what Slot would have achieved in north London.

Arsenal have not made an official proposal for Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Ivan Fresneda?

Fresneda was a key target for the Gunners during the January transfer window, but he turned down a move to the Emirates Stadium, in order to ensure he received regular game time with Real Valladolid.

The 18-year-old has emerged as a key player for the Spanish club this season, after graduating from the youth academy, making 22 appearances in La Liga, and there are a number of top clubs now vying for his signature.

Newcastle United have been credited with an interest in the Spaniard, with the same report from Football Insider claiming that Borussia Dortmund have held talks, while a recent report from Germany indicated that Arsenal have made an offer.

According to BILD (via Football London), a lucrative offer was made for the youngster, with Dortmund also said to be monitoring the situation, however, Romano has since claimed that update was false.

Taking to Twitter, the transfer guru confirmed the Gunners are interested in the right-back, but claimed they are yet to make an offer, saying:

"Arsenal appreciate Ivan Fresneda since January but told they have NOT sent any official proposal, despite reports.

"No concrete negotiation at this stage, race remains open – with Borussia Dortmund interested."

How did Fresneda perform last season?

The starlet has adapted very well to men's football, playing a key role for Valladolid defensively, averaging 2.2 tackles per game, the fourth-highest figure in the squad, while he also ranks very highly for blocks and clearances per 90 over the past year.

Not only is he competent defensively, the Valladolid academy graduate can also pose a threat on the front foot, as highlighted by the La Liga Lowdown's Matt Clark, who said:

"He is a remarkably complete right back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too."

Although he has exhibited some very promising signs, the £2.6k-per-week defender is not yet the finished article, and he has struggled in recent weeks, being ranked by SofaScore as the joint-worst performing starter in his side's 0-0 draw against Almeria last time out.

As such, it is vital that Fresneda continues to get consistent game time, and so if Arsenal decide to move for him this summer, it may be wise for Mikel Arteta to send him out on loan in order to continue his development.