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The transfer window is in full swing, and like most other sides in the Premier League, Arsenal have been linked with a plethora of exciting stars.

The first significant saga of the window for Mikel Arteta's side was Benjamin Sesko, but following his decision to sign a new deal with RB Leipzig, attention has shifted towards a possible £76m move for Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedish international looks like an incredibly talented player, but the fee needed to get him out of Lisbon is undoubtedly steep and, based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co may be about to nab another prolific forward for far less.

Arsenal's striker search

According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal are one of several teams "still involved" in the battle to land Serhou Guirassy's signature this summer.

According to the German, Borussia Dortmund appear to be at the front of the queue, but the Gunners, Chelsea, and AC Milan are all still fighting to sign the VfB Stuttgart ace.

While the outside interest is less than ideal, the fact that the Guinean international's contract has a release clause worth just £15 million is good news, and according to Plettenberg, the forward's future will be sorted in the coming days.

While it may be a challenge to outmanoeuvre Dortmund, the prospect of acquiring a prolific forward at a bargain price is certainly enticing, especially considering the potential £61m savings compared to signing Gyokeres.

How Guirassy compares to Gyokeres

So, if Arsenal find themselves in the enviable position of having a choice between Guirassy and Gyokeres this summer, which player should they opt to sign?

From a pure output perspective, the choice between the pair is not as straightforward as it may seem. For instance, in his 50 appearances last season, the Sporting star demonstrated his prowess by scoring an impressive 43 goals and providing 15 assists, averaging a goal involvement every 0.86 games – a remarkable feat.

On the other hand, the Stuttgart star's performance was no less commendable. He scored 30 goals and provided three assists in 30 appearances, resulting in a goal involvement every 0.90 games.

So, while the Guinean was slightly less effective, the difference is so marginal that it's difficult to draw definitive conclusions from their output alone.Therefore, it's worth investigating what's going on under the hood and comparing the pair's underlying numbers from last season.

Interestingly, when doing this, it's the "insane" Bundesliga star, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, who comes out looking the far more impressive player.

For example, the "outrageous" goal machine, as dubbed by journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor, comes out on top in the majority of relevant metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals, progressive passes, shots, goals per shot, shots on target, goals per shot on target, passing accuracy, and aerial duels won, all per 90.

Ultimately, Arsenal would likely see their attack improve with either striker in the team next season. Still, when Gyokeres is set to cost £61m more and has just had knee surgery, it does feel like signing Guirassy might be the smarter play here, especially if bringing in the Guinean allows the club to spend big on other targets to really turn the squad into one capable of finally dethroning Manchester City.

Starring at the Euros: Arsenal could sign Martinelli 2.0 for £47m

The incredible talent would be unreal for the Gunners.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 23, 2024

Scorchers remain at the top of the table despite the loss, while Thunder are now tied on points with second-placed Sydney Sixers

Tristan Lavalette06-Jan-2022Gurinder Sandhu claimed a BBL hat-trick as Sydney Thunder continued their stranglehold over league leaders Perth Scorchers with a six-wicket victory in a rain-affected match at Gold Coast.Sandhu claimed his third hat-trick in Australian domestic competitions to help restrict Scorchers to a modest 9 for 133 off 18 overs on a slow Metricon Stadium pitch. Needing a revised 135 runs off 18 overs, Thunder overcame a late wobble to prevail with six balls to spare.Thunder have inflicted Scorchers’ their only two losses in ten matches this season after a 34-run win in Canberra on December 28. And they have now pulled level with second-placed Sydney Sixers on 23 points after winning their fourth straight game.Sandhu’s three-card trick
Sandhu is the only cricketer to have taken two hat-tricks in Australia’s List A competition and achieved the feat this time in the BBL.It took a while to happen, though, with Sandhu’s first wicket, of Colin Munro, off the last ball of the 12th over, and then he returned to the attack only in the 16th, when he outfoxed Aaron Hardie with a slower ball and then got Laurie Evans when the batter attempted a slog. That made Sandhu the seventh bowler to claim a BBL hat-trick.His heroics ensured Thunder did not miss Pakistani quick Mohammad Hasnain, who was unavailable because of Queensland’s Covid-19 border restrictions. Thunder showcased their array of talent with a disciplined performance as English import Sadiq Mahmood bade farewell to the BBL with two wickets.Munro fails to get going
Even though there was a forecast of rain, Scorchers stuck with their preference of batting first, and opener Kurtis Patterson did his best to vindicate that decision with a couple of boundaries in the opening over. But a 25-minute rain break during the third over halted his momentum as Patterson fell giving a catch to extra cover shortly after resumption.The onus was then on the big hitting Munro, who has had a superb season but looked out of sorts in his last start against Sydney Sixers with a scratchy 36-ball 27. Once again, Munro was unable to find his usual belligerence with a subdued knock of 18 off 20 balls.Scorchers were rocked by Sandhu’s double-strike in the 16th over, but were given a nudge by Ashton Agar, who threw the bat around – quite literally in the last over – in a handy late cameo.Jason Sangha top-scored in the Thunder chase•Getty Images

Thunder get home despite Hales’ struggle
Alex Hales has had a miserable BBL season, exacerbated by contracting Covid-19, which forced him to miss Thunder’s two matches against Adelaide Strikers. He returned, but his touch still deserted him as a frustrated Hales was completely overshadowed by Matthew Gilkes, who smashed Lance Morris for 14 runs in the opening over.Gilkes’ pyrotechnics eased the burden on Hales, who only scored one run off his first seven deliveries before finally smashing a boundary to end the four-over powerplay. He demonstrated his famed power with a six over long-on to bring up Thunder’s 50 in the seventh over.His partner departed soon after but Jason Sangha kept the momentum going with some blistering shots around the wicket to underline his burgeoning credentials.Hales couldn’t shake off his struggles and his 32-ball 26 ended when he holed out in the 13th over and Thunder still had work to do. When Sangha was bowled for 32 in the next over, Thunder appeared tense, needing 40 runs off the final four overs.But Oliver Davies and Sam Billings steadied the ship with the Englishman finishing his BBL stint in style with the winning boundary.Scorchers left to rue sloppiness on the field
Scorchers rested spearhead Jason Behrendorff for the second straight game, perhaps sensing it was a good opportunity to give him an extended breather with Tymal Mills playing his final match of the season.For much of Thunder’s chase, Scorchers seemed out of answers but in trademark style they slowly clawed back into the contest. Mills bowled tightly in the 11th over as Scorchers started turning the screws and they sensed another comeback when Matthew Kelly unleashed a superb yorker to knock over Sangha.But Scorchers were unusually sloppy under pressure, marked by a crucial drop by wicketkeeper Cameron Bancroft to reprieve Billings when Thunder needed 19 runs off 14 balls.Even though he struggled late, Mills will be an undeniable loss for Scorchers who will probably hope they don’t see their bogey team Thunder again this season.

From growing up in Kasur to his exploits in domestic cricket, everything you need to know about Pakistan’s rookie sensation

Umar Farooq30-May-2017Where’s he from?
He was born in Kasur, a city close to the Indian border, and about a 45-minute drive from Lahore. You might know the city for the shrine of Bulleh Shah, the celebrated Sufi poet-saint, and also as the birthplace of Noor Jehan, one of Pakistan’s most famous singers. If he plays for Pakistan, Ashraf could become another reason the city is known for – he would be the first from Kasur to play for Pakistan.Tell me a little about his riseThough Kasur is close to Lahore, for the PCB, the district comes into the Faisalabad region, and this is where Ashraf started his competitive cricket, playing in the inter-district Under-19 competition in 2010. He turned out for Kasur at the time as a fast bowler, picking up 10 wickets in 2010, and 15 in 2011. He was promoted to the Faisalabad Under-19 team and wasn’t able to make a major impact, taking 14 wickets, apart from 117 runs, batting with the tail.So what caught the selectors’ eye?In 2013, at a senior district-level tournament, he became the top wicket-taker for Kasur with 22 wickets at 11.13 and also scored 189 runs with the help of two half-centuries. Those performances won him a ticket to first-class cricket, as he broke into the Faisalabad team for the 2013-14 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.I see. And how did that go?Pretty good. He hit a hundred on first-class debut against Multan, at a healthy 60-plus strike rate. Since then, he has played 31 first-class matches, scoring 1207 runs at 32.62 – not a bad haul for someone selectors essentially consider a lower-order batsman. Oh, and he’s also picked up 94 wickets at 26.63. His List A numbers are decent, too, though it is with the ball that he has shone in that format: 60 wickets in 38 games, at a strike rate of 28.1.Any other performances I should be able to reel off like I’m a selector?He might not have compiled remarkable numbers, but with Ashraf, the cameos are the ones that are remembered. He scored 44 against WAPDA at a time when his side, HBL, was languishing at 21 for 6 in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Handily, that was in front of the selection committee last year in Karachi, and he has been on their radar since. He made it to the Pakistan ‘A’ team that played against Zimbabwe and England Lions recently, and 19 wickets in the Departmental One-Day Cup – the highest in the tournament – earlier this year meant he was pushing for an international debut.Is he the answer to…
Pakistan’s ongoing, eternal search for an allrounder? Hold your horses just a second and take a reality check. He is, currently, a kind of leader of the tail, batting mostly between Nos. 7, 8 and 9 for his domestic sides. He averages less than 16 in the format he is likely to make his Pakistan debut in. With the ball, he is usually first or second change, unless an especially grassy pitch presents itself, when he has been known to open the bowling. His nine overs in the two warm-up games have gone for 65, without a wicket, so…Still, don’t just take our word for it.
When he was working his way up from district level and onto the first-class scene, the current national selector and former offspinner Tauseef Ahmed was keeping an eye on him. Tauseef had a chance to monitor Ashraf closely in 2015 while at National Bank of Pakistan (he has since moved to Habib Bank). There, Ashraf made some valuable runs with the tail (271 altogether, at 38.71) and picked up 23 wickets. His ability to strike the ball clean and provide regular breakthroughs – in addition to the ferocity and confidence with which he played the hook shot – was something that stuck with Tauseef.”I actually saw him when he was playing for NBP, and his ability to strike the ball was impressive,” Tauseef said. “What else does a team want when a batsman batting with the tail can get a run-rate between 8 and 10 an over? He has great firepower, and I have seen him doing that quite often on the domestic circuit.”

Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce have made a significant amount of money in their respective careers—about $176 million combined in salary.

And yet! Even they couldn't help but gawk during Wednesday's episode of their podcast at the 15-year, $765 million contract the New York Mets handed to right fielder Juan Soto this past Sunday.

"Arguably the most ridiculous f—ing contract I've ever heard of in my life," Travis said.

Both Jason and Travis were shocked by the longevity and sheer size of the deal, with Jason calling it "a big gamble."

The ex-center then called on NFLPA to step up its game.

"The baseball union… I don't know how they've finagled this stuff, but wow. NFL union's gotta get their stuff together," Jason said.

The Kelce brothers have a number of baseball loyalties, having pledged allegiance at points to both their hometown Cleveland Guardians and their respective NFL teams' city-mates.

Soto's heroics against the Guardians didn't stop Travis from praising him, however.

"Congratulations, Juan Soto," Travis said. "That dude is a f—ing beast."

The Guyana pacer’s action had been found to be illegal for the third time in his career

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2023West Indies fast bowler Ronsford Beaton has been cleared to resume bowling after his action was found to be legal following an assessment in England.Beaton was suspended from bowling by Cricket West Indies in March this year after his action was deemed illegal by an independent assessor at Loughborough University, an ICC-accredited testing centre for suspect bowling actions.The pacer was reported during Guyana Harpy Eagles’ West Indies Championship first-class match against Jamaica Scorpions at the Guyana National Stadium, where he picked up five wickets. Beaton then underwent remedial work to remodel his action, and video footage was sent to Loughborough University for analysis earlier this month.This is the third time Beaton has faced suspension and subsequently cleared over a suspect action. After only his second ODI appearance against New Zealand in December 2017, he was reported and later suspended after failing an independent assessment of his action. But he successfully remodelled his action in the subsequent months, and was cleared to bowl again in late August 2018 before being suspended again in November 2019.Beaton has played two ODIs for West Indies, both in December 2017.

A young Cricket Australia XI, introduced to offer opportunities, has failed miserably in the first two games of the Matador Cup without any experienced figures to guide them through

Daniel Brettig07-Oct-20153:34

‘CA XI going to struggle but has lot of potential’ – Starc

So many writers in recent times have been offered unpaid work “offering great exposure” that a joke has emerged about said freelancers dying of said exposure. The line sprung to mind over the past three days in the first two matches for the Cricket Australia XI in the Matador Cup, beaten out of sight by New South Wales on Monday then razed still more brutally by Victoria on Wednesday – all in the name of “exposure at this level”.It had been the Bushrangers coach David Saker who first raised public concerns about such beatings being detrimental to a collective of young talents unaccompanied by players of significant first-class experience. Saker’s worries were brushed off by the national talent manager Greg Chappell, who predicted the tyros would be very competitive and “likely” to win a couple of games.Chappell’s long-time advocacy of youth, often to the expense of more seasoned players, was made manifest in the abortive Futures League experiment of five years ago. But even that competition afforded the young teams a sprinkling of experience to guide them. This time around the CA XI is bereft of even that kind of guidance, with only the opener Marcus Harris having played more than a handful of games for his state.This is not to say that more senior pros are unavailable. The reshuffling of Cup squads due to the cancellation of the Bangladesh tour left the likes of Ben Rohrer and Jon Wells without their former places, while South Australia had left out Mark Cosgrove from the team.Cosgrove has just completed a successful northern summer with Leicestershire, where he has found not only run-making form but also personal discipline as a result of fatherhood and a senior role with the Foxes. Might it not have been useful to have him around to walk younger players through their first few overs against the likes of James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, while also telling tales of his wayward, wasted younger days over dinner?There is an Australian precedent for a team composed entirely of stripling talent embarrassing far more travelled opposition. In 1994 the Cricket Academy team shepherded by Rod Marsh beat Mike Atherton’s England tourists twice in as many days at North Sydney Oval. At the time it was seen as proof of English cricket’s poverty, but later years were to prove that Australia’s talent stocks were at this point in unusually strong shape.What is more usual is for young players to face plenty of hard knocks and second thoughts in competition against older men in club and state tournaments. The truly outstanding youngsters – think Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke or Steven Smith here – will find their way through the system through a combination of advocacy and performance, but most others will take longer to find themselves.Chappell has always been eager to fast-track this process in the belief it will uncover more great players than the traditional way, but evidence of this is scant. To reason that more young players will emerge as outstanding simply through opportunities freely given on the basis of age group is a calculation that lacks nuance for the way so much learning is done, not only in cricket but in life.More prevalent is the kind of scenario glimpsed at Hurstville two days ago, on the same pitch the CA XI would be bowled out for 79 upon. Travis Head is a young identified talent as both batsman and leader, but he has learned to smooth the rough edges of his game by playing alongside older men, not just against them. Head’s reflections on how the gap-finding, field-manipulating Callum Ferguson had helped him add finesse to his favoured power game are worth taking note of.For their part, the CA XI are adamant they don’t need any extra help. Their leader William Bosisto is a former Australia Under-19 captain and a polished speaker, something he showed when asked whether some more senior cricketers should be drafted in alongside him. “I’ve heard people say ‘do you need an experienced player in your line-up’,” he said.”I guess that would be one approach but I think the whole idea of having the Cricket Australia XI in the tournament is to give 11 young guys exposure and see what it’s like at this level and see what we have to improve to be competitive. From a personal perspective I know I’ve learned lots of the last two days about where I need to get to be able to dominate at this level and I think that’s invaluable exposure.”There’s no point sitting around in the change room dwelling on today’s performance or Monday’s performance. We came up against two strong sides and we didn’t perform anywhere near as we expected ourselves to or as we would have liked, but the chat was straightaway about moving forward and we play Tasmania on Saturday, so we’re looking for ways we can get better and be competitive against Tasmania.”Cricket teams are generally chosen with their performance in mind. The CA XI has been picked for reasons of exposure instead, and it is now abundantly clear that this approach has created a crucible that only the most resilient young men will find a way to survive in. They are being offered no quarter by the opposition, and precious little advice on how to counter that. Some will work it out for themselves, some will not.Whether they can improve enough over the next few weeks to close the vast margins of their first two games, as per Chappell’s prediction, remains to be seen. But something else to ponder is how many of these young men will be chewed up and spat out of the game by the experience, then never seen in Australian colours again.

Every Chelsea fan will be loving life at the minute, with boss Enzo Maresca working wonders during his first few months at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian has guided the Blues to second place after the first 14 matches of the campaign, sitting just seven points off leaders Liverpool after their impressive recent run of form.

His side are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches, claiming a huge 5-1 victory against relegation strugglers Southampton on Wednesday night.

Maresca has implemented a beautiful attacking system that has led to 31 goals so far this season – the most of any side currently in England’s top-flight.

However, he could be about to add further firepower to his attacking department, potentially catapulting the club into an unexpected title charge in the closing months of 2024/25.

Chelsea targeting January move for £67m star

According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea are targeting a deal for a new striker in the January window, with a plethora of names put into the mix over a potential move to West London.

However, one player they appear to be interested in is Juventus talisman Dušan Vlahović, after the Serbian’s excellent start to the campaign which has seen him notch nine goals in his first 16 appearances in all competitions.

They would face competition from Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side, with the Spaniard also looking to solve their problem position to boost their own title ambitions.

Any deal for the 24-year-old would be an expensive one, with the report claiming that it would take a fee in the region of €75m (£67m) for the Italian giants to part with their star attacker.

Whilst on the face of it, it may be another massive sum for Todd Boehly to fork out, any deal for the towering ace would be well worth the price tag, especially given his comparison to one of Europe’s leading strikers in recent times.

Why Vlahovic would be Chelsea’s own Haaland

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been a dominant force in recent years, providing a constant source of goals for Pep Guardiola’s men in the league and Europe.

The Norwegian has registered 107 goals in his 118 appearances for the Citizens, helping them finally end their wait for a Champions League title back in 2022/23.

Haaland has also smashed all the English records, scoring 36 times in the same season, writing his name into history, and becoming the holder of the most goals scored in a single 38-game campaign.

However, after Vlahovic’s own impressive start to 2024/25, he’s been deemed as a similar player to the City star by FBref – a huge statement given the form of the former Borussia Dortmund talisman.

When delving into their respective figures from the ongoing season, the Serbian has matched or bettered Haaland in numerous key areas, leading to Italian legend Christian Vieri previously labelling him as “one of the best young talents in the world”.

The “phenomenal” Juve attacker, as dubbed by journalist Ollie Spencer, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has shown his ability to be that focal point the Blues have been craving since the summer, winning more of his aerial duels.

He’s also completed more progressive carries and progressive passes per 90, offering an all-round option that could allow the likes of Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke to continue to bolster their own goalscoring tallies with his service and hold-up play.

Whilst, on the face of it, any deal for Vlahovic would be another massive investment, he would be an option that could transform Maresca’s options in the final third.

No one could’ve predicted the Blues’ mega start to the league season, with any deal for the forward only enhancing their chances of either reaching the top four or doing the unthinkable and claiming title glory.

Chelsea need to sell their £64m problem who Boehly dubbed "world-class"

Chelsea must sell a problem player who was once described as “world-class” by the club’s owner.

By
Connor Holden

Dec 6, 2024

Three wickets in an over from Taskin killed Ireland’s revised chase of 104 in eight overs

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2023Rony Talukdar, Litton Das and excellent death bowling form Taskin Ahmed helped Bangladesh beat Ireland and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series in Chattogram. The home side won the rain-interrupted game by 22 runs.Talukdar made a rapid 67, adding 91 runs for the opening stand with Litton, who struck 47. The Ireland bowlers struggled to stop the boundary flow on a flat pitch.The play was, however, stopped between 3:37 pm and 5:40 pm local time due to the drizzle. It left the visitors with a revised target of 104 runs to chase in eight overs. They made a fist of it at the start, but Taskin, Hasan Mahmud and Shakib Al Hasan made sure Bangladesh did not let this game slip away from them.Taskin’s triple blowChasing at 13 runs an over, stand-in captain Paul Stirling and Ross Adair got Ireland off to a quick start. They scored 32 runs off the first two overs bowled by Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman. But Bangladesh worked back into the game quickly.Mahmud shot back with three dot balls before yorking Adair for 13. Taskin then doubled down on Bangladesh’s momentum with three wickets in his first over. He cleaned up Lorcan Tucker off the first ball before bowling out Stirling for 17 in the fourth ball. George Dockrell was then caught at third-man for a duck the next ball.Shakib pull things back for BangladeshIreland fought back with 16 runs off Hasan Mahmud in the fifth over. Harry Tector struck three fours in the over, top-edging one delivery and hitting the other two for four cleanly. Shakib followed it up with a superb sixth over, giving away just five runs to bring Bangladesh back into the game.Mustafizur Rahman then bowled a seven-run penultimate over, mixing his cutters with full-length balls that Tector and Gareth Delany couldn’t quite hit. The equation came down to 31 off the last over. Taskin dismissed Tector in the first delivery to complete his four-wicket haul and conceded just nine runs off the final over.Rony Talukdar reached fifty off only 24 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh’s rapid startLitton signalled his intent in the first over, hitting Tector for a six over long-on in an 11-run over. Talukdar hit Adair for his first six in the 14-run second over, before Graham Hume pulled things back slightly in the third over. Craig Young went for 16 runs in his first over since returning to international cricket after last year’s groin injury. Litton hammered him for a six over midwicket, before picking him over wide long-off for a four.Legspinner Delany conceded just one six in the fifth over, before Adair got hit for 20 runs in the sixth over. After Litton nearly got caught at cover, Talukdar smashed Adair for a six over long-off and three more fours.The big over took Bangladesh to 81 for no loss, their highest score in a powerplay in T20Is. It beat their previous best of 76-4 against New Zealand in Dhaka in 2013. Young removed Litton in the eighth over, when he was caught at mid-off after mistiming a drive, having made 47 off 23 balls with seven boundaries including three sixes. The 91-run partnership is now Bangladesh’s highest first wicket stand.Talukdar hits maiden T20I fiftyLitton’s departure, however, didn’t help Ireland stem the flow of runs for Bangladesh. Talukdar reached his maiden T20I fifty in the ninth over. He took 24 balls with a nicely-timed four through cover-point. Najmul Hossain Shanto struck a six in his 13-ball 14 before Tector had him stumped in the 11th over. Shamim Hossain, promoted to No. 4, smashed Ben White for one of two sixes in the 12th over, which went for 18.Talukdar struck the other six, a massive hit over midwicket. He fell shortly afterwards missing a slog against Hume, having struck three sixes and seven fours in his 38-ball stay. Shamim was caught in the covers for a 20-ball 30 before Tohwid Hridoy was the fifth man out in the penultimate over.The win was largely set up by Bangladesh’s batters, who put up their third-highest total in T20Is.

With his brilliant performance in the Nations League, he reached a total of 40 goals with El Tri

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• Jiménez scored four goals in Nations League this week

• He surpassed Cuauhtémoc Blanco to take third place

• Chicharito remains the top scorer with 52 goals

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Raúl Jiménez had a brilliant performance in the Final Four of the Nations League, scoring twice against Canada in the semifinals and another two in the final against Panama, helping Mexico secure its first title in the tournament’s short history.

  The forward reached 40 goals with El Tri, surpassing Cuauhtémoc Blanco for third place among the national team's all-time top scorers. The 'Lobo de Tepeji' is now just 12 goals away from matching Javier Hernández, Mexico’s all-time leading scorer, with a long schedule of matches ahead.

  The team led by Javier Aguirre will face Switzerland and Turkey in June before defending their 2023 Gold Cup title. There, Jiménez will aim to surpass Jared Borgetti’s 46 goals, moving into second place on the all-time scoring list.

  The FMF is planning four more friendlies before the end of 2025 as preparation for the 2026 World Cup, two against Asian teams and two against CONMEBOL teams. With this schedule, Jiménez is surely not far from surpassing Hernández.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Raúl Jiménez has maintained an impressive scoring rate with the Mexican national team, averaging a goal every 2.7 matches. Since making his debut in 2013 and scoring his first goal in that year’s Gold Cup against Canada, his journey with El Tri has been filled with highs and lows, notably failing to score in the three World Cups he has participated in.

  After a severe injury, his form dipped, but over the past two years, he has regained his sharpness. Between 2024 and 2025, Jiménez has played only five matches but has already netted six goals, raising his average to 1.2 goals per game – significantly better than his previous numbers.

  If he doesn’t reach the scoring record in 2025, he will have another opportunity in 2026. Mexico will play two friendlies before the World Cup and could feature in up to five tournament matches if they meet expectations.

  With as many as 21 potential games left before the end of the World Cup, Jiménez has a strong chance to cement his place as Mexico’s all-time top scorer.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT RAÚL JIMÉNEZ SAID

  "It's something that's there (being the top scorer). There are many matches ahead. I still have a lot to give to the national team, and I will give my best effort. If it happens, I’ll be the happiest", the forward said to TUDN.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Why does Jiménez have 40 goals for the Mexican National Team but only 39 according to FIFA? While El Tri and FIFA sort it out, the reason is simple: in the 2019 Gold Cup, the striker scored a goal against Martinique, a team not registered with FIFA.

  As a result, the football governing body officially recognizes Jiménez with 39 goals for Mexico.

GOAL selected the 50 best footballing talents from around the world born on or after January 1, 1998 – but did they go on to fulfil their potential?

Since NXGN's launch in 2016, GOAL has profiled the 50 best footballing wonderkids on the planet on an annual basis. Some of those recognised for their talent as teenagers are now household names, but others have not yet realised their potential.

So, after theNXGN 2025 list was revealed, check out where the stars of 2017 are now:

• AFP
  

  50Diego Lainez (Club America)

  2017: Having made his senior debut as a 16-year-old, Lainez was regarded as the best prospect in Mexican football as he bore a passing resemblance to Lionel Messi in his style of play.

  2018: Lainez continued to develop, and made his senior international debut for Mexico in September 2018.

  2019: In January 2019, Real Betis paid €12m to sign Lainez, making him the second-most expensive Mexican player bought by a European club. His first goal for the club came in dramatic fashion, as he netted a last-minute equaliser against Rennes in the Europa League.

  2020: Lainez's first full season in Spain yielded just 18 outings, though he did miss the final three months of the campaign due to an abdominal strain.

  2021: The forward again found himself on the fringes at Betis, making 25 appearances during the 2020-21 campaign. He also scored for Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League, though El Tri were beaten by the United States.

  2022: After a knee injury meant he missed the first two months of the season, Lainez fell right down the pecking order and made just 13 appearances in all competitions before being loaned to Braga at the end of the campaign.

  2023: Braga cut Lainez's loan short in January 2023 after he made just six league appearances in Portugal, and he was sent on a one-year loan to Tigres in his native Mexico a few weeks later. That deal was made permanent in July 2023.

  2024: Lainez was a regular contributor for Tigres, though he struggled to provide goals or assists, while he also fell out of favour with the Mexico national team.

  2025: The playmaker has made an encouraging start to the 2025 Clausura campaign and should be part of Tigres' squad for the Club World Cup.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  49Takefusa Kubo (FC Tokyo)

  2017: Nicknamed 'The Japanese Messi', Kubo was forced to return to his homeland in the aftermath of Barcelona's FIFA-imposed transfer ban having been invited to La Masia as a 10-year-old. In April 2017, he became the youngest goalscorer in J.League history as a 15-year-old.

  2018: Kubo was loaned to Yokohama F. Marinos in August 2018, and scored on his debut for his new club.

  2019: Having enjoyed the most productive season of his career at senior level in 2019, Kubo made his international debut after being called-up to the Japan squad for the Copa America (they participated as one of the guest teams in Brazil). At club level, many expected him to return to Barcelona, but Real Madrid managed to secure his signature, before sending him on loan to newly-promoted Mallorca for the 2019-20 campaign.

  2020: Kubo was one of the young stars of the Spanish season, directly contributing to nine goals as Mallorca fought against relegation. His form persuaded Villarreal to take him on loan for the following season.

  2021: The forward failed to force his way into Unai Emery's team, and had his loan spell cut short in January 2021, with Madrid instead sending him on loan to Getafe for the remainder of the season, though he struggled to make much of an impact.

  2022: Mallorca's promotion back to La Liga allowed them to make their move and bring Kubo back to the club on loan in 2021-22, and the Japan international's form having improved a little as a result.

  2023: Kubo left Real Madrid to join Real Sociedad for an initial €6.5m in the summer of 2022, and he was back to his best in San Sebastian, as he provided 18 direct goal contributions for a team that qualified for the Champions League.

  2024: The Japan international continued to impress for La Real in 2023-24, and he was linked with elite clubs around Europe.

  2025: Kubo hasn't quite hit the same heights so far this season in San Sebastian, leading to him being left out of the line up on a number of occasions.

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  48Dujon Sterling (Chelsea)

  2017: After impressing in the Blues' youth ranks, Sterling made his first-team debut under Antonio Conte in September 2017.

  2018: Sterling made one further appearance for the Blues senior side in 2017-18 before joining Coventry City on loan for the following campaign.

  2019: The full-back enjoyed a successful spell in League One, playing 40 matches in all competitions, before heading to Wigan Athletic on loan to test himself at Championship level the following season.

  2020: Sterling managed just 10 appearances for Wigan because of a hamstring injury, which was then compounded by him picking up a serious illness that kept him on the sidelines for even longer.

  2021: After missing 13 months of football, Sterling returned to action for Chelsea's U23s in the second half of the 2020-21 season. He proved his fitness enough to earn a new contract at Stamford Bridge, which he signed before joining Blackpool on loan.

  2022: Sterling was largely a starter for the Championship outfit, and impressed enough to earn another loan move, this time to Stoke City.

  2023: Sterling managed to lock down a starting berth for the Potters having been in and out of the side during the opening months of the campaign, and though he was subsequently released by Chelsea, he joined Rangers on a free transfer.

  2024: After a slow start to life at Ibrox, Sterling forced his way into Philippe Clement's line-up during the second half of the campaign, showcasing his versatility by performing well in midfield.

  2025: Injuries have meant Sterling has been out of action for long periods during 2024-25, though he has mostly been a starter when available.

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  47Niklas Dorsch (Bayern Munich)

  2017: Likened to Toni Kroos by those in the know at Bayern, Dorsch was being closely monitored by then-coach Carlo Ancelotti.

  2018: Dorsch marked his senior Bayern debut with the opening goal against Eintracht Frankfurt, but that proved to be his only appearance for the club, as a failure to agree a new contract saw him join second-division outfit FC Heidenheim in the summer of 2018.

  2019: A regular starter for Heidenheim through the 2018-19 season, Dorsch impressed with his maturity despite his lack of experience.

  2020: Dorsch helped Heidenheim reach the 2019-20 promotion-relegation play-off match, which they lost to Werder Bremen, before joining Gent at the end of the season in a €3.5m deal.

  2021: Having got his first taste of European football with Gent, Dorsch was outstanding for Germany as they won the 2021 U21 European Championship. Those performances earned him a €7m move to Augsburg.

  2022: After a slow start to life in the Bundesliga, Dorsch grew into his new environment, and played 30 times as Augsburg fought off the threat of relegation.

  2023: A broken foot meant that Dorsch missed the entire first half of the 2022-23 season, but he worked his way back into contention and ended the campaign as a regular starter.

  2024: Dorsch began the 2023-24 season in the Augsburg line up, but injuries limited his involvement after the New Year, and he thus begun to fall down the pecking order.

  2025: Heidenheim, who are now in the Bundesliga, re-signed Dorsch in August 2024, and he has been a key member of their team for much of the season.