It's been over three weeks since the transfer window swung open, and while there has been some movement here and there, it feels like clubs are waiting for the European Championships to end before really splashing the cash.

In the case of Arsenal, they have made two permanent signings thus far, welcoming 18-year-old Lucas Nygaard to the team and executing the option to buy in David Raya's loan deal from Brentford.

However, based on recent reports, Mikel Arteta looks set to welcome a player who has caught the footballing world's attention recently and shares many similarities with the Gunners' star right-back, Ben White.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are edging closer to securing the services of Bologna's star defender Riccardo Calafiori after agreeing personal terms with the Italian.

The journalist revealed that the Gunners are now the clear favourites to land the player's signature, as there have been no talks with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, or Chelsea Football Club.

An earlier report from Romano revealed that the North Londoners have agreed to a five-year deal with the 22-year-old that will see him earn €4m-per-year, the equivalent of around £3.4m.

Reports over the last week or so claim that the transfer fee will cost Arsenal around £42m, and while it's a lot of money altogether, Calafiori looks like an incredibly exciting defender, and the fact he shares some similarities with White is undoubtedly reassuring.

The similarities between Calafiori and White

So, while Calafirori enjoyed an exceptional Serie A campaign with Bologna last season and helped them qualify for the Champions League, he really caught the eye of the wider footballing world thanks to his impressive displays for a lacklustre Italy team at the Euros this summer.

He started and starred in all three group games for the Azzurri in Germany and only missed the round of 16 match against Switzerland – the game that saw the team eliminated – due to picking up two yellow cards.

In the three games he did feature, he played as a centre-back, but across his career, he's started more games at full-back, in the first fundamental similarity he shares with White.

Left-Back

49

Centre-Back

207

Centre-Back

43

Right-Back

100

Left Midfield

9

Defensive Midfield

13

Right-Back

2

Left-Back

4

For example, in 129 appearances, he has started 49 games at left-back and two at right-back while starting 43 at centre-back. The Englishman, who is four years his senior, has now reached 100 starts at right-back, and with how his career has progressed in recent seasons, he seems destined to surpass his 200 starts at centre-back within a few years.

Alongside their positional versatility, the two stars are also progressive and forward-thinking defenders. For example, last season, the Italian "monster," as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, scored two goals and provided five assists in 33 appearances for the Rossoblu, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.71 games.

Likewise, the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem scored four goals and provided five assists in 51 appearances for the Gunners, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 5.66 games for the Premier League runners-up.

Ultimately, if Arsenal are to go on and finally overtake Manchester City as the best team in England, they will need a squad bursting to the seams with talent. While they already had the best defence in the league last season, adding a player like Calafiori can only be a good thing, especially as he already seems to have a lot in common with the incredible White.

Arsenal struck gold on a star who's worth more than Calafiori & Gyokeres

The “phenomenal” talent has has been unreal for Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 7, 2024

أوضح المتحدث الرسمي باسم نادي آينتراخت فرانكفورت، بارتوش نيدزفيدزكي، حقيقة تلقيهم أي عروض رسمية للتخلي عن خدمات النجم المصري عمر مرموش في موسم الانتقالات الشتوي الحالي.

وتمكن مرموش من لفت أنظار كبار أندية أوروبا إليه بفضل تألقه المميز في صفوف فرانكفورت هذا الموسم.

وارتبط مرموش بإمكانية مغادرة صفوف فرانكفورت هذا الشتاء، مع رغبة عدة أندية في التعاقد معه على رأسها ليفربول.

وظهرت تقارير صحفية مختلفة في اليومين الماضيين تفيد أن مرموش مطلوب بقوة من قِبل نادي مانشستر سيتي لتعزيز صفوف الفريق، في ظل النتائج السيئة تحت قيادة بيب جوارديولا مؤخرًا.

ولكن نادي آينتراخت فرانكفورت، على لسان متحدثه الرسمي بارتوش نيدزفيدزكي، نفى تلقيهم أي عروض.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خبير ألماني: مرموش مختلف عن محمد صلاح.. وسيكون صفقة رائعة لأي نادِ

وقال بارتوش نيدزفيدزكي في تصريحات خاص لـ btolat.com منذ قليل: “نتلقى الكثير من التساؤلات حول شائعات الانتقالات، عندما يتعلق الأمر بهذا، نحن لا نعلق على ذلك”.

وأضاف: “نحن سعداء بأن عمر مرموش هو لاعبنا ولدينا أهداف كبيرة لهذا الموسم معًا”.

وشدد في تصريحاته كذلك: “لا يوجد أي عرض رسمي في الوقت الحالي للتعاقد مع عمر مرموش”.

كما أشار إلى أن وكيل عمر مرموش لم يطلب أي اجتماع مع مسؤولي فرانكفورت لبحث مستقبل اللاعب حتى الآن، مع العلم إنه يمتلك عقدًا حتى 2027.

في حين ذكرت تقارير صحفية أن نادي مانشستر سيتي تواصل بالفعل مع وكيل مرموش لبحث إمكانية ضمه نهاية هذا الموسم (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

How the game played outOutside of Shahid Afridi’s furious 23-ball 58, Jaffna Stallions were almost totally in control. They slowed Galle Gladiators down after the Gladiators got a decent start with the bat, made breakthroughs through the middle overs, thanks partly to an outstanding spell from Wanindu Hasaranga, and prevented Afridi from turning a good score into an imposing one.With the bat, the Stallions were measured but insistent, never allowing the required rate to get very high, even when Avishka Fernando – their star local batsman – was struggling early on. Part of the refusal to panic, was perhaps grounded on the knowledge that 176 was gettable on a fast outfield that was increasingly being slicked by dew.The rest was just trust in their skills and experience. Avishka recovered from a score of 10 off 20 at the end of the seventh over, to hit seven sixes and finish on 92 not out off 63. At the other end, Shoaib Malik – the most experienced T20 players in the most experienced player in the tournament – just kept turning the strike over to Avishka, and let him track the target down virtually on his own. Avishka hit 74 off 40 balls in Malik company, and Stallions waltzed home with three balls remaining.What was most impressive about the Stallions’ win, was that they didn’t need to use their depth. Dhananjaya de Silva was not required with bat or ball, and Thisara Perera’s batting went unused as well. Even Malik, who did actually bat, never saw it necessary to move out of third gear.Stars of the match (aside from Avishka)Hasaranga’s 2 for 12 off four overs headlined a solid Stallions bowling effort, for the team which – at least on paper – seems to have the best attack in the competition. One of their overseas bowlers – Kyle Abbott – had an expensive start to the tournament, but Hasaranga’s control allowed Stallions the leeway to have a few bad overs. He also took the wickets of Azam Khan, and the dangerous Danushka Gunathilaka.On the fast-bowling front, meanwhile, Duanne Olivier – the quickest on show in this match – took 4 for 44 from his four overs.The Gladiators would barely have been competitive if not for Afridi. He came to the crease with the Gladiators struggling at 92 for four after 13.1 overs, and bashed six sixes – four of them off a single Olivier over – to complete a 20-ball fifty, and propel the Gladiators to a decent score.The big missHasaranga did make a major mistake in this game, which perhaps turned what might have been a cakewalk for the Stallions into a slightly more competitive game. When Afridi was on 18, he mishit a ball to deep midwicket, where Chaturanga de Silva was lining up the catch beautifully. Hasaranga, though, ran across from deep square leg and attempted to steal the catch, and in the course of all this, dropped it. Afridi would go on to hit 40 off the next 11 balls.Thankfully for Hasaranga, he’d done enough with the ball, and the Stallions had enough talent at the top of their order to see them through.

The Australia keeper says there will be “an announcement in the coming days”

Alex Malcolm17-Nov-2020

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey may be on the move to a new BBL franchise.Carey’s performances for the Adelaide Strikers, particularly in their title-winning season in 2017-18, played a major part in his ascension to the national side where he has been vice-captain at various times. But it is unclear whether he will play for the Strikers after Australia’s limited-overs series against India and Australia A’s tour match against the Indians, for which he has also been selected.ESPNcricinfo understands that as late as last week Carey had not signed with the Strikers, and when pressed on whether he would return to play for Adelaide he gave a cryptic response.”I won’t give anything away at the moment,” Carey said, speaking from quarantine in Sydney, having just returned from the IPL where he played three games for the Delhi Capitals. “Watch this space. There should be an announcement in the coming days and I’m really excited to play in the Big Bash this year.”After the three-day game I’ll join the franchise that I’m going to. Watch this space.”Meanwhile, Carey says he has been given no guarantee that he will get his Australia T20 spot back, after being dropped for the the last T20I on the tour of England in August. With Carey sitting out, Matthew Wade took the gloves for the game in Southampton, and opened the batting while David Warner was rested.Carey returned to the side for the ODI series and made a series-winning century in the final ODI at Old Trafford.”I’m not sure what the line-up would be,” Carey said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t a successful T20 series for us in England which always allows some doors to open in terms of selection. I don’t have any indication at this stage. But I’m fully focused and excited about what’s going to be a huge ODI series.”Alex Carey clings on to a swirling catch•BCCI

It was the second time Carey had been dropped from the T20 side in the last two years. He was also left out of the two-match series in India in 2019 when Peter Handscomb took the gloves. He returned to play in all six T20Is last summer but did not bat in any match due to the dominance of Australia’s top order.He then managed scores of 27, 14, and 7 on the tour of South Africa before scores of just 1 and 2 in the first two games in England forced the selectors’ hand.”My numbers in the past few T20s probably allowed the opening of the door for Wadey to come in and Davey (Warner) obviously didn’t play that last T20 and Wadey got an opportunity opening the batting,” Carey said.”Unfortunately, I never like getting left out of any team but it’s allowed me to go away and develop, if it is a lower order role or if it’s back up the top of the order, doing everything I can to get back into that team is something I want to do. But again, since then I felt like I finished off that UK tour really strongly and took a lot out of the IPL working with Punter (Ricky Ponting). We’ll see how this summer starts with both my form and selection.”Carey’s family is also in limbo at the moment with his wife and young son forced to flee Adelaide to Sydney at short notice yesterday after a spike in Covid-19 cases in Adelaide changed travel protocols for people attempting to leave South Australia. He has not seen his family since leaving for England in August and won’t be reunited with them until he has completed the mandatory 14-day quarantine that applies to international travellers, which concludes on November 26.It is further evidence of the enormous complexity of the situation for Cricket Australia, the BCCI, the players, and staff. But Carey said the players had been checking in on each other in the various travel bubbles in the UK, the UAE, and now in Sydney.”I think the relationships we have in this group is something that we all fall back on and joining this little bubble here, we get to see our mates and some familiar faces,” Carey said.”All the guys’ spirits are really strong from all the indicators I’ve seen. The training effort and the physical shape that everyone is in is fantastic. It’s obviously a little bit different than what we’re used to, being away from home for this long, but CA has been fantastic and all the players are really close and checking in on one another.”

Gary Neville has questioned the decision to appoint Thomas Tuchel as England manager, saying it could be "damaging" to the national team.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Tuchel to take over England in JanuaryDecision mocked by media, pundits and fansNeville says more suitable options availableFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The German coach has been appointed as the incoming England boss on an 18-month contract, bringing an end to the Football Association's (FA) search for a permanent replacement for Gareth Southgate, who left after the Euro 2024 final.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The news of the ex-Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain coach's appointment has sparked an intense reaction, with even the media in his homeland criticising the FA. English fans and pundits have also voiced their anger, and former England full-back Neville believes there were more suitable options available.

WHAT NEVILLE SAID

"It doesn’t feel like a strategic decision it feels like an instinctive one off the back of what's happened in the last two weeks," he said on .

"Thomas Tuchel has been available for months, there was no need to appoint an interim if they wanted him. This to me smacks of it being a recent decision. I don't think Thomas Tuchel should be in any way, shape or form questioned in a difficult way this afternoon when he sits in the press conference because I think that he's a great coach, he's taken a job with a group of talented players and I think everybody in our country including myself will wish him all the best and hope we can get over the line and win a trophy, but I think there are some serious questions for the FA to answer in respect of English coaching.

"I do think we are damaging ourselves accepting Thomas Tuchel is better, he is better than any of the other English coaches. But with the English coaches that have managed in the upper echelons of the league with Eddie Howe at Newcastle and Graham Potter. I do think there are outstanding coaches that could have been appointed that were English."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Interim manager Lee Carsley will remain at the helm of the England squad for the remainder of the year before Tuchel takes over in January 2025. Carsley will see out the games against Greece and Republic of Ireland next month before he returns to the England Under 21s.

Arsenal employees have cast their eyes on a Euro 2024 star recently, following some concerns within the club over a £250,000-per-week duo in Mikel Arteta's squad.

Edu and Arteta targeting new defenders for Arsenal this summer

Over the coming weeks, it wouldn't be a surprise to see one or two defenders come through the door at Arsenal, as various reports have suggested that is a serious possibility.

Related Arsenal now offered £50 million PSG star as Bayern Munich consider talks

The Gunners could also beat PL rivals to his signature…

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jun 29, 2024

Sporting director Edu Gaspar continues to be linked with new centre-backs, who would come in as alternatives to star defensive duo William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. The pair have been crucial to Arteta's on-field success in the last two years, but if injury or absence were to befall either of them, it would spell trouble for the Gunners boss.

Arsenal have been considering a bid for Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, according to some media sources – coming amid his impressive individual campaign for England at the Euros. The 23-year-old has been one of the major plus points for Gareth Southgate this tournament, and he'll be a sore miss for Switzerland on Saturday due to suspension.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are also believed to be in the race for Riccardo Calafiori, who also impressed for Italy at the Euros before Luciano Spalletti's side crashed out last weekend.

Arteta's side actually boasted the most superior defensive record out of any Premier League side last season, but if they're to challenge Man City again and potentially go that one step further, it is arguable they need more strength in depth.

Fewest goals conceded in the Premier League last season

Arsenal

29

Man City

34

Liverpool

41

Everton

51

Man United/Crystal Palace

58

The north Londoners have Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko as their current makeshift left-back choices as well, but it is believed Arteta is keen on bringing in a more natural option for the position.

Turkey defender Ferdi Kadioglu, who is set to face off against Austria on Tuesday in the Round of 16, has been repeatedly mentioned as a target for Arsenal by sections of the press.

Reports have claimed that the 24-year-old, who has starred for Fenerbahce at club level, is subject to interest from Hale End. Turkish media even stated last month that Arsenal made an opening £17 million bid for Kadioglu, which was rejected out of hand.

Arsenal run rule over Kadioglu amid Tomiyasu and Zinchenko concerns

News outlet Football Transfers don't go that far, but do claim Arsenal have run the rule over Kadioglu at Euro 2024, following concerns over Tomiyasu and Zinchenko.

Arteta's side apparently hold fitness worries about the Arsenal duo, who earn a combined £250,000-per-week at the club. Indeed, there is doubt over their reliability in terms of injuries – prompting scouts to cast their eye on Kadioglu ahead of a potential move.

Arsenal are not alone in their admiration for the Turkish Super Lig star, though, as Erik ten Hag and INEOS have dispatched Man United scouts to watch over Kadioglu as well – given the Red Devils' similar dilemma over Luke Shaw.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ruthless streak continues as INEOS has decided to call off Manchester United's Christmas bash for staff members.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ratcliffe stops Man Utd's Christmas bash
• INEOS' ruthless streak continues
• Man Utd face Brentford next

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After taking the harsh decision of removing legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson as the club's global ambassador, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group have decided to stop the Christmas bash which is usually celebrated by the club's staff in the build-up to December 25, according to The Athletic.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The strict measures are being taken as part of INEOS' cost-cutting policy which Ratcliffe took after buying a minority stake at the club earlier this year. Since the British billionaire's arrival at Old Trafford, several senior staff members have already had club credit cards taken from them, and staff were made to contribute to the travel to the FA Cup final in May.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While the staff's Christmas party has been stopped, players can still enjoy the festivities provided manager Erik ten Hag allows them.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  The Red Devils will be back in action on Saturday as they aim to end their five-game winless run across all competitions against Brentford in the Premier League at Old Trafford.

Liverpool's summer transfer window is shaping up to be something of a puzzle. Where, exactly, do Liverpool need to strengthen? What, precisely, is Arne Slot's primary concern heading into his first term as Anfield's head coach?

The lion's share of the Reds supporters would cry for reinforcements in defence; Joel Matip's contract expired last month and Ibrahima Konate suffered a landslide in form at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Leny Yoro continues to present himself as a jewel waiting to be whipped from LOSC Lille but Liverpool, interested though they are, are resigned to Real Madrid winning that race.

Klopp redesigned Liverpool's midfield last summer but there remains a feeling that a long-term star needs to be signed at No. 6. Whether such a player is welcomed by September comes down to options and the right opportunity.

But, of course, there's been a more notable kernel of the Merseyside outfit's focus over recent days. Indeed, recent reports have suggested that the Reds have been in the market for Anthony Gordon, but it wasn't to be.

Liverpool's interest in Anthony Gordon

It's been known for several months that Liverpool are interested in strengthening their flanks, though the right-hand side seems to be the more pressing concern, with Mohamed Salah entering the final year of his contract and little in the way of alternatives.

However, that hasn't stopped rumours surfacing regarding Newcastle United's Gordon, who was actually offered to the Anfield side last weekend as Eddie Howe's outfit scrambled to stay in line with the Premier League's profit and sustainability (PSR) rules.

Reports suggested that Newcastle had canvassed an interesting proposal Liverpool's way, asking for cash plus centre-back Jarell Quansah for the England international's sale. Liverpool turned the offer down, never making an actual move for his signing.

The Magpies will probably now save their prized slices of silver, having placated PSR after selling Yankuba Minteh to Brighton & Hove Albion for £30m and cashing in on homegrown talent Eliott Anderson, who signed for Nottingham Forest for £35m.

Gordon alternatives

With the ex-Everton player unlikely to be moving back to Merseyside this summer, he does want to move to the club he grew up supporting, though Newcastle's £100m asking price is a steely deterrent.

Luckily, Liverpool have mapped out a list of alternatives, with Spain's Euro 2024 sensation Nico Williams on the shortlist. According to Caught Offside, Slot's side could turn to the Athletic Bilbao star this summer.

Williams is one of the hottest names on the block right now given his influential role in his nation's international campaign, and with a £49m release clause, it's no wonder so many top European teams have taken note.

Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea are among the rival suitors for the fleet-footed winger, so Liverpool will need to act with dispatch to get this one over the line.

What Nico Williams could bring to Liverpool

Pace, and lots of it. Williams is only 21 but he's enjoyed an emphatic introduction to his professional career, starring alongside his brother (Inaki, 30) in the Basque Country and ending Bilbao's 40-year wait for a trophy after defeating Mallorca in the Copa del Rey final in April.

Last season, the "mind-blowing" – as remarked by scout Antonio Mango – Spaniard scored eight goals across 37 matches in all competitions, though his haul of 19 assists highlights his staggering playmaking ability that derives from his blistering, ballsy style of play, barrelling forwards and splitting backlines asunder, stretching and dragging defenders out of position.

As per FBref – to underscore this point – Williams ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

Gordon, while we're on the topic, ranks only among the top 33% for progressive carries and the top 50% for successful take-ons per 90. He's fast, yes, but not with the same unceasing volume as his Basque-born counterpart.

It's no surprise that he has been described as a "pace demon" by podcaster Adam Keys, offering skills that would provide Liverpool with Gordon's package and more.

The Newcastle man has been hailed for his "unbelievable" 2023/24 campaign by his Tyneside teammate Bruno Guimaraes, who was gobsmacked by his attacking abilities, posting 12 goals and 11 assists last year and winning the club's Player of the Season award for his daring and dynamic performances.

Matches played

3

Matches started

3

Goals

1

Assists

1

Pass completion

93%

Shots per game

2.3

Key passes per game

3.0

Ball recoveries per game

3.0

Dribbles per game

3.0

Duels won per game

4.0

As the table above shows, Williams is producing a rather almighty campaign with Spain at the ongoing Euros, proving to be a deadly wide attacking option with boxes of pace and a load of creative quality besides.

Is this isolated? A case of international tournament syndrome, where players eclipse expectations and play like prime Diego Maradona, garbed in their country's colours?

Perhaps not. Williams averaged 1.5 dribbles, 2.8 dribbles, 4.2 ball recoveries and 5.2 successful duels per game in La Liga last season.

He's shaping into quite the talented player, and given that he's available for a slice of the price that would be required to bring in Gordon, it's surely a no-brainer. Liverpool just need to beat off some of Europe's most illustrious outfits for his signature.

Liverpool favourites to sign “world-class” £25m star who's like Rodri

The Anfield side have the advantage in the race for this high-class midfielder.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 2, 2024

The former cricketer will be NZC’s representative on the ICC board, a role he is familiar with

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2020Martin Snedden has been elected as the new chairman of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), after the post became vacant following Greg Barclay’s election as the ICC chairman.Snedden, who played 25 Tests and 93 ODIs between 1980 and 1990, has played prominent roles at NZC in the past too – as chief executive and a board member of the organisation from 1990 to 1992; 1999 to 2001 and again from 2013 until present.In his new role, Snedden will be NZC’s representative on the board of the ICC, “a task with which he is very familiar, having been seconded to the role in 2013 and 2014 during Stuart Heal’s tenure, as well as being a member of the ICC chief executives committee from 2001-2007″, as an NZC statement put it.”I’d like to thank Greg for the outstanding direction and guidance he’s given the board since being elected as chair in 2016,” Snedden said in the NZC statement. “It is a measure of the success he has overseen in this role that he has now been elected the ICC chair.”Equally, I’d like to thank my fellow NZC directors for their support. I know that, together with chief executive David White and his excellent management team, we’ll help lead the sport out of this global pandemic and embrace a strong and sustainable future.”I look forward to working with the members of NZC, the Major Associations and Districts Associations, as well as the New Zealand Cricket Players Association and the wider cricket family in New Zealand.”Snedden has been in senior positions elsewhere too, including as chief executive of the 2011 Rugby World Cup and as a director of the World Masters Games 2017. He is currently part of the NZC Board’s Women in Governance project sub-committee, member of the board’s High-Performance Advisory Group and director on the board of Women in Sport Aotearoa, and a trustee of the Cricketers’ Hardship Trust.He will, however, have to immediately stand down from his role as consultant lead of One Cricket project, an initiative aimed at reviewing and improving the delivery of cricket in New Zealand.

More than 100 professional women's footballers have signed a letter calling on FIFA to end its partnership with Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

FIFA have partnership with Saudi oil company106 players sign open letter calling arrangement to endGoverning body accused of damaging the gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Saudi Aramco, the country's national oil company, was announced as a major worldwide partner with FIFA in April and as a result it will hold sponsorship rights for the 2026 men's World Cup and the 2027 women's World Cup. Now, according to , 106 women's footballers from 24 countries have signed an open letter addressed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino criticising the partnership with the company.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The letter, which has been signed by the likes of USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn, Canada skipper Jessie Fleming and Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema, draws attention to Saudi's negative record on women's and LGBTQ+ rights. Concerns were also raised about Saudi's apparent disregard for trying to reduce their carbon footprint.

The letter reads: “FIFA’s announcement of Saudi Aramco as its ‘major’ partner has set us so far back that it’s hard to fully take in. The Saudi authorities trample not only on the rights of women, but on the freedom of all other citizens too. Imagine LGBTQ+ players, many of whom are heroes of our sport, being expected to promote Saudi Aramco during the 2027 World Cup, the national oil company of a regime that criminalises the relationships that they are in and the values they stand for?”

It concludes: “We urge FIFA to reconsider this partnership and replace Saudi Aramco with alternative sponsors whose values align with gender equality, human rights and the safe future of our planet.”

WHAT BECKY SAUERBRUNN SAID

Portland Thorns defender Sauerbrunn said: “The fact that FIFA is aligning itself with a company and regime that treats women in this way is condemnable, and as female players at the top of our sport we’re using our voices to say this is not a partnership we can support. The safety of those women, the rights of women, LGBTQ+ rights and the health of the planet need to take a much bigger priority over FIFA making more money.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

In response, FIFA stated the revenue generated from deals such as the Aramco one is reinvested into the women's game.

A FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA values its partnership with Aramco and its many others commercial and rights partners. Sponsorship revenues generated by FIFA are reinvested back into the game at all levels and investment in women’s football continues to increase, including for the historic FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and its groundbreaking new distribution model. FIFA’s updated Women’s Football Strategy for 2023-2027 further highlights how commercial revenues are reinvested back into the development of the women’s game."