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Mikel Arteta has built a squad full to bursting with world-class talent at Arsenal.

However, when it comes to picking the club’s most important player, their talisman, it’s impossible to ignore Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End superstar is still just 24years old and has already amassed a staggering tally of 76 goals and 71 assists in 277 games for the club.

So, fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to an up-and-coming talent who has been compared to Saka.

Arsenal target the next Saka

There is over a month to go until the transfer window actually opens, but that hasn’t stopped Arsenal from being linked with a plethora of exciting talents.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, for example, has been touted for a £120m move to the Emirates, as has Crystal Palace’s equally exciting Adam Wharton.

However, as talented as the two midfielders are, neither one can really be compared to Saka, unlike Jean-Mattéo Bahoya.

Yes, according to a report from Germany, Arsenal are one of a few teams interested in the Eintracht Frankfurt gem.

However, on top of beating the competition, the Gunners would have to stump up a fee of around €80m, which is about £71m, to get their man.

That is a lot of money to spend on a young talent, but given Bahoya’s ability and potential, it might well be worth it for Arsenal, especially as he’s been compared to Saka.

Why Arsenal should sign Bahoya

So, first and foremost, the comparison between Bahoya and Arsenal’s talismanic number seven comes from analyst Spencer Mossman, who described him as being “like a younger Bukayo Saka.”

That might sound like a bold thing to say, because it is, but it does make sense.

For example, on top of being an “excellent wide area creator” who is “on a continuous upward trajectory”, he’s more than happy to track back and “do the dirty work.”

That ability to influence proceedings at the sharp end of the pitch, while also willing to do the less glamorous things, was one of the reasons Saka quickly became an essential part of the first team.

Another reason the young Frenchman is such an exciting prospect is that, in the words of Mossman, “he’s able to get quality crosses away with both feet.”

This means that he’d not only be able to cover for the Hale Ender on the right but also play on the left, in turn pushing the likes of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to step up their games.

Finally, despite still being just 20 years old, Mossman has highlighted the winger’s physicality as a key strength, claiming that he’s like an “Olympic-level athlete.”

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.67

Top 1%

% of Dribblers Tackled

61.8%

Top 2%

Passes Blocked

1.54

Top 2%

Tackles

2.36

Top 3%

Dribblers Tackled

1.08

Top 3%

Blocks

1.64

Top 4%

Tkl+Int

2.77

Top 6%

% of Aerials Won

54.1%

Top 6%

Goals/Shot on Target

0.50

Top 7%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

0.82

Top 8%

Successful Take-On %

52.1%

Top 8%

Aerials Won

1.03

Top 15%

Finally, on top of passing the eye test, the former Angers gem has also got some brilliant underlying numbers to his name this season.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the attacking third, the top 4% for blocks, the top 7% for goals per shot on target, the top 2% for successful take-on percentage and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even though it wouldn’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Bahoya, as he could be another Saka in the making.

Arsenal have the next Gabriel and he's the "best CB Hale End has produced"

The incredible youngster looks like he could go to the very top for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

The good times keep rolling on for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side continued their winning run against Burnley on the weekend and remain seven points clear of Liverpool atop the Premier League.

It was another convincing performance from the North Londoners, and one in which Declan Rice once again proved that he is one of, if not the best, midfielders in the league.

However, the former West Ham United captain was not the only standout performer, as another of Arteta’s men continued the Ballon d’Or-level campaign he’s having this year.

Rice's sensational season

When Arsenal spent a club-record £105m on Rice in the summer of 2023, there was an awful lot of pressure on the Englishman.

Everyone knew that he was a sensational footballer at the time, but it’s a rare thing for someone to justify being worth more than £100m.

Fortunately for Arteta and Co, he has achieved that and more over the last two and a bit years, first shining as an out-and-out six and then transitioning more into a marauding eight.

His first two campaigns in North London were brilliant, with him producing 17 goal involvements in the first and 19 in the second, but this year, he has taken another massive step forward.

With Martin Zubimendi now in the side, Arteta has once again modified the 26-year-old’s role in the team, with him telling the press on international duty that the manager has “adjusted my position at Arsenal a bit this year to give me a bit more freedom to drop deeper but to also get in the box when I can.”

This has seen the “world-class” international, as dubbed by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, spend more time in the middle of the park breaking up opposition attacks, but also then bursting forward to help create opportunities for the team.

For example, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 13% of midfielders in the league for touches in the middle third, and also in the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 4% for expected assists, and more per 90.

Progressive Carries

2.80

Top 1%

Inswinging Corner Kicks

2.69

Top 1%

Total Passing Distance

1104.63

Top 4%

xA: Expected Assists

0.22

Top 4%

Dead-ball Passes

7.84

Top 4%

Crosses

5.82

Top 4%

Corner Kicks

4.03

Top 4%

Total Carrying Distance

304.48

Top 4%

Progressive Carrying Distance

143.28

Top 4%

Carries into Final Third

2.57

Top 4%

Shots from Free Kicks

0.22

Top 6%

Passes Completed

61.34

Top 6%

Passes Attempted

72.54

Top 6%

Progressive Passing Distance

281.08

Top 6%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

1.23

Top 6%

GCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.22

Top 6%

Touches

80.93

Top 6%

Touches (Att 3rd)

22.28

Top 6%

% of Aerials Won

68.4%

Top 7%

Passes Completed (Long)

5.93

Top 8%

Live-ball Passes

64.48

Top 8%

Switches

0.67

Top 8%

Carries

48.69

Top 8%

In other words, the Gunners’ monstrous number 41 is, in the words of Ashley Williams, an utterly “complete midfielder.”

Finally, on top of everything he does during open play, Rice has a shout for being the best setpiece specialist in the world, as whether it’s a corner or a free kick, he can and will drop the ball exactly where his teammates want it – just as he did against Burnley.

With all that said, there is another Arsenal star who is performing at a Ballon d’Or level this season.

The Arsenal star at a world-class level

With Arsenal doing so well this season, there are several players who could be described as playing at a Ballon d’Or level.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

For example, Zubimendi has hit the ground running, Jurrien Timber has been sensational in attack and defence, and Riccardo Calafiori is a joy to watch.

However, when it comes to picking Arsenal’s best player so far this year, it’s impossible to look past Gabriel Magalhães.

The Brazilian has almost entirely rid his game of the mistakes that led to some questioning him in the past, and has instead become one of the most reliable defenders in the league.

Whether the ball is in the air or on the ground, the former LOSC Lille ace always seems to know how to deal with it, and perhaps the most complimentary thing you can say about him is that William Saliba looks that little bit less assured without him in the backline.

Moreover, the 6 foot 3 “colossus,” as dubbed by Adam Keys, has made the Gunners a far more physically imposing team, as few, if any, opposition players can cope with his physicality.

So far this season, he has made 15 appearances for the North Londoners, 13 of which have been starts, playing a massive role in the side, conceding just three goals and standing a chance of beating Chelsea’s record of conceding just 15 in a league campaign.

Finally, it’s not just his defensive brilliance that makes the Brazilian a world-class talent, but also his offensive prowess.

For example, his assist for Viktor Gyokeres means no other defender in the Premier League has been involved in more goals than him since his arrival in 2020.

Moreover, just this season alone, the 27-year-old has been able to score twice and provide three assists, which would be a great return for a top-quality ten, let alone a centre-back.

Ultimately, due to his outstanding defending and exceptional attacking qualities, it has become increasingly clear that Gabriel is currently performing at a Ballon d’Or level this season.

Arsenal's "signing of the summer" has turned Rice into the best in the PL

Arsenal have hit the jackpot with one of Mikel Arteta’s latest additions at the Emirates.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 3, 2025

Rangers need to replace sporting director Kevin Thelwell, and a highly qualified candidate who also happens to be a boyhood Gers fan is currently out of work.

McCoist fumes at Rangers after defeat to Brann

Danny Rohl’s first game in charge of the Gers was not a game he will want to remember in a hurry, with his side losing 3-0 away to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

One person who appears to have reached breaking point is Rangers legend Ally McCoist, who slammed the team the morning after the game, describing it as his lowest ebb with them yet.

“Last night is probably as depressed as I have been during this whole debacle, because I actually feel for the manager. I don’t know what he is going to do.

“He might improve them in terms of a little bit of organisation – set plays, you can do all that, bits and pieces, but I do not think there is anywhere near the level of improvement in that team that will even be required to get them up the league domestically, to tell you the gospel truth. There are just absolutely miles off it. They are getting outfought, outrun, outmuscled – I mean, it’s actually very sad to watch.”

There is so much unrest at Rangers right now, both on the pitch and behind the scenes, with potential big changes happening now that Rohl is in charge.

Rangers backed to make key backroom change

Writing on X, Hearts & Hand’s David Edgar urged Rangers to replace Thelwell with David Weir, who was most recently technical director at Premier League side Brighton, a club famed for their top level recruitment.

Weir, a boyhood Gers fan and former player, started at Brighton as the pathway development manager, and his brilliance in player development saw him progress to assistant and later chief techincal director, a role he left in September of this year.

It’s fair to say that Thelwell and CEO Patrick Stewart are unpopular figures at Rangers right now, and for Rohl’s sake, a fresh start makes sense in those backroom roles. In Weir, the Gers would be bringing in a man who has been hailed as a “recruitment mastermind” who also knows the club extremely well, and who was a popular figure during his playing days.

Worse than Antman: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who's "nowhere near ready"

Glasgow Rangers manager Danny Rohl should drop this flop who was even worse than Oliver Antman.

ByDan Emery Oct 24, 2025

It remains to be seen if a decision will be made with the likes of Thelwell and Stewart, but it does feel as though they have reached the point of no return at the club now.

While the glory is yet to arrive, Mikel Arteta has utterly transformed Arsenal over the last five years or so.

He took charge of a team that were stuck in mid-table and, within a few years, turned them into genuine challengers for the Premier League and Champions League.

This incredible evolution is certainly due in part to his philosophy and tactics, but it has also been aided by the exceptional players he has signed along the way.

That said, there is a superstar in the team today, signed by Unai Emery, whose valuation has exploded over the years, someone who has been pivotal to the evolution of the backline.

The evolution of Arsenal's backline

The first game of Arteta’s tenure was away to Bournemouth in December 2019, and to say the backline for that match was underwhelming would be an understatement.

Arteta’s first Arsenal XI

GK – Bernd Leno

RB – Ainsley Maitland-Niles

CB – Sokratis

CB – David Luiz

LB – Bukayo Saka

CM – Lucas Torreira

CM – Granit Xhaka

RW – Reiss Nelson

CAM – Mesut Ozil

LW – Aubameyang

CF – Alexandre Lacazette

In fact, the only player still at the club is Bukayo Saka, and the idea of the Gunners’ now playing their best attacker at left-back is patently absurd.

Fortunately, Gabriel Magalhães was signed from LOSC Lille the following summer to replace Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

The manager still opted for a three or five-at-the-back system for the start of the 20/21 season, which was soon replaced with the four-at-the-back system that fans were clamouring for at the time.

That season saw Gabriel start most games, and then, depending on who was fit, it would be David Luiz or Robert Holding next to him, with Hector Bellerin or Maitland-Niles on the right and, again, when fit, Kieran Tierney on the left.

That summer saw another key figure join the club in Ben White, who, for the 21/22 campaign, became the other regular starting centre-back alongside the Gunners’ current number six.

The Englishman would move to the right-back position just a year later, the same summer Oleksandr Zinchenko joined the club.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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However, his defensive fragilities would see him start to lose his place within 18 months and then altogether with the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly and the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori two years later.

Finally, the defence everyone recognises today was completed upon the return to fitness of Jurrien Timber, David Raya making the goalkeeping role his own, and a certain signing made by Emery, who is now worth a king’s ransom.

The Emery signing now with a fortune

Arsenal’s defence is now a beast but there’s one man, despite Gabriel’s best efforts, who always maintains the same standards.

That man is William Saliba, who joined Arsenal for around £27m in the summer of 2019 when, remarkably, Emery was still in charge.

He didn’t actually play a competitive game for the club until the start of the 22/23 season, when his arrival saw White move to the right.

Impressively, the Frenchman is now valued at a staggering €103m by the CIES Football Observatory, which works out to around £89m, or 229% more than he cost the Gunners over five years ago. To put that into context, CIES believe that he is the most valuable player in the whole squad, even ahead of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

That is an incredible increase, but it’s one that his performances and potential more than justify.

For example, in just his first game for the club, away to Crystal Palace, he helped the team to keep a clean sheet and was named the Man of the Match.

He then went on to play a crucial role in the North Londoners’ surprise title challenge, which unsurprisingly started to come apart following his back injury against Sporting CP towards the end of the season.

Since then, he has undoubtedly become an even better defender, someone who is as capable of putting in a last-minute goal-denying challenge or pinging the ball from the defence up to Saka to create a chance.

William Saliba’s Arsenal Career

Competition

Appearances

Premier League

106

FA Cup

3

League Cup

6

Champions League

22

Europa League

4

Community Shield

1

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 1% of centre-backs in the Premier League last season for pass completion, the top 4% for live-ball passes, the top 6% for total shots, the top 8% for passes blocked and more, all per 90.

Moreover, he has also helped the Gunners produce the best defence in the league for the last two seasons, and considering they’ve conceded just three goals in seven games this year, it may well be three in a row come May.

It cannot be overstated just how vital the Bondy-born “monster,” as dubbed by content creator Connor Humm, is to Arteta’s project, and so the news that he signed a five-year contract extension last week was as exciting as a new signing.

Ultimately, Arsenal have created arguably the best defence in Europe over the last three years, and Saliba has been a massive part of that.,

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Oct 8, 2025

Ballance played 23 Tests for England as well as spending more than a decade in the county game

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2025

Former England and Zimbabwe batter Gary Ballance has been added to the coaching staff for Zimbabwe’s tour of England later this month. Ballance, who spent more than a decade playing county cricket with Yorkshire, will join as a coaching consultant for the one-off, four-day Test at Trent Bridge starting on May 22.”We are thrilled to welcome Gary Ballance to our coaching set-up for this historic tour,” Givemore Makoni, Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director, said. “His deep understanding of English conditions, gained over years of playing at the highest level, will be a valuable asset to our team’s tactical preparation.”Having made his Test debut on the 2013-14 Ashes tour, Ballance became the third-fastest England player to 1000 Test runs, taking just 17 innings (a mark since equalled by Harry Brook). But his returns dipped sharply, and he did not play again for his adopted nation after 2017.Ballance played 23 Tests for England and subsequently opted to represent Zimbabwe, the country of his birth, playing one Test, five ODIs and one T20I in 2023 before retiring. His 137 not out on his Zimbabwe Test debut made him only the second man to score centuries for two Test nations.Zimbabwe are set to leave for the UK on Friday and will play a warm-up match against a first-class County XI in Leicester ahead of the four-day Test. They are also scheduled to face South Africa in Arundel on June 3-6 as part of the South Africans’ build-up to the World Test Championship [WTC] final against Australia.

Nottingham Forest have made an indifferent start to the 2025/26 campaign. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have just four points to their name so far, and have struggled since their opening day victory over Brentford, in which they thrashed Keith Andrews’ side 3-1 at the City Ground.

Since then, the men in Garibaldi Red have picked up just one point, which was a resilient draw away to Crystal Palace. Their most recent outing saw them lose 3-0 at home against the struggling West Ham United, a result which surprised some, given Forest’s result at home on the opening day.

Perhaps the lack of goals in their last two games has coincided with one thing in particular: Chris Wood’s short drought in front of goal.

Chris Wood’s start to the season

Drought is a harsh word to use when discussing Wood’s recent form. The New Zealand international scored a brace in Forest’s season opener against the Bees, but did not find the back of the net in the next two outings, which saw his club score once, thanks to Callum Hudson-Odoi.

His first goal was a resilient finish, winning the second ball from a corner after missing the initial header and poking home inside a packed penalty box.

His second goal was sublime, teed up by an exquisite first-time ball through the lines from Elliot Anderson. Wood ran onto it, rounded the goalkeeper and scored.

Of course, it is no surprise to see Wood on the scoresheet already for Nuno’s side this term. His record in Garibaldi Red is excellent, with 38 goals and four assists in just 85 appearances. Last season was his best in the Premier League, with 20 goals across the campaign.

That form earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year, in a frontline alongside new Liverpool duo Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah. Wood’s campaign in 2024/25 and his form for Forest across his career have both been exceptional.

However, Forest sold a striker back in July 2023 who has enjoyed an even more successful time than Wood.

The ex-Forest star who can’t stop scoring

The past few years under their current owner, Evangelos Marinakis, have seen Forest spend significant amounts on transfer fees. However, that has meant they have needed plenty of sales to help balance the books. Departures such as Brennan Johnson to Tottenham Hotspur and Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United are the notable exits.

Yet, someone who left the City Ground for only £5m just over two years ago may have slipped under the radar since his departure.

The man in question here is Sam Surridge, a key figure in their promotion success. He has been on fire for Nashville in the MLS since his departure.

More on those numbers in a moment, but first, it’s important to highlight the Slough-born star’s contribution for Forest.

Once described as a “sensational” striker and “one of the best finishers in the Championship” by Garry Birtles, Surridge scored 11 goals in 50 appearances, including a hat-trick against Swansea City and one in the Premier League, against Bournemouth.

Looking at his form since his £5m move stateside, Surridge has been largely unstoppable. He’s bagged more goals than Wood has managed as a Forest player, with 42 strikes in Nashville yellow, in just 77 appearances, four clear of the Kiwi.

His best campaign for the club has been the most recent season. He’s bagged 20 MLS goals in just 29 games, which is the second time he has hit double figures in the competition since he joined the club two summers ago.

Games

15

32

30

Minutes

948

2631

2595

Goals

5

15

22

Assists

2

3

3

Mins per goal & assist

135

155

118

The 27-year-old has been in scintillating form for the Coyotes in his two-year spell so far with the club, and is showing no signs of slowing down. As per the official MLS website, he currently leads the race for the Golden Boot by one goal, ahead of the legendary Lionel Messi.

Looking back on this sale, perhaps it is one Forest fans wish the club had never made. If Surridge had stayed at the City Ground, maybe he would have hit this vein of form and been competing with Wood for a starting spot.

He'd be exciting with Bakwa: Nottingham Forest in talks for late signing

Nuno Espirito Santo will be spoilt for choice with his attacking options at Nottingham Forest with this late purchase.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 1, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Mais uma Cria do Terrão está a caminho do Zenit, da Rússia. Nesta quinta-feira (29), o Corinthians oficializou a venda de 50% dos direitos econômicos do atacante Pedro por 9 milhões de euros (R$47,5 milhões na cotação atual) ao clube russo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansConfirmado no Corinthians, Rojas revela carga emocional e diz que gostaria de permanecer no RacingCorinthians29/06/2023CorinthiansMesmo com vitória sobre o Liverpool, Luxemburgo diz que Corinthians não vai priorizar a Sul-AmericanaCorinthians29/06/2023CorinthiansAlessandro admite dinheiro parcelado na venda de Pedro e explica negociação da joia do CorinthiansCorinthians29/06/2023

+ IMPERDÍVEL! Transmissão ao vivo dos jogos do Timão na Liberta por apenas R$1,00!

A diretoria alvinegra não irá receber o valor total à vista, e sim em três parcelas, sendo a maior parte inicialmente. O Timão permanecerá com 30% dos direitos econômicos do atleta, que só irá para a equipe russa após completar 18 anos, no início de 2024.

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Pedro era visto como uma das maiores revelações do Corinthians nos últimos anos, e o presidente Duílio Monteiro Alves justificou a venda pela necessidade do clube em quitar dívidas à curto prazo.

continua após a publicidade

– Não acho uma venda pequena, pode ser que ele valha mais lá na frente, e torcemos para isso, é patrimônio do clube. Infelizmente, o Brasil não vende no valor final, na segunda venda na Europa os valores são mais altos. Isso é mercado, não Corinthians. Então 9 milhões de euros por 50% do jogador é uma excelente venda. Podíamos esperar mais? Não podíamos – disse o mandatário ao programa Os Donos da Bola, da TV Bandeirantes.

Ronaldinho is regarded as one of the most skilful footballers of all time, however, the Brazilian icon once admitted he was jealous of one England legend’s ability.

The former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan star almost signed for Manchester United, with those at Old Trafford viewing him as a replacement for David Beckham. However, those at the Nou Camp hijacked any deal with the attacker going on to become a Barcelona star.

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Posts ByCharlie Smith Aug 26, 2025

Ronaldinho never played his club football in England but did break the Three Lions’ hearts in the 2002 World Cup, scoring the winning goal by lobbing David Seaman in the quarter-finals.

The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner also came up against Premier League sides in the Champions League, a competition he won with Barcelona in 2006.

During his playing days, one specific Premier League and England icon caught Ronaldinho’s eye.

Ronaldinho wanted to be like England legend Paul Scholes

Talking previously, Ronaldinho shared his admiration for Manchester United and England legend Paul Scholes.

Regarded as one of the best midfielders the Premier League has ever seen, Scholes starred under Sir Alex Ferguson after coming through the Red Devils’ academy.

Known best for his range of passing, technical ability and midfield intelligence, Scholes won 11 league titles and scored over 150 goals in more than 700 appearances for Man Utd.

Ronaldinho came up against Scholes in the 2002 World Cup and then again in the 2009/10 Champions League round of 16 with AC Milan.

Man Utd and Scholes got the better of Ronaldinho and AC Milan, defeating them 7-2 on aggregate, and the Brazilian admitted he was jealous of the Englishman’s passing ability.

Thierry Henry was “scared” of Man Utd icon Scholes

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry was someone who Scholes faced more regularly during his career, with the French forward losing eight times in 19 games against the Englishman and Man Utd.

Henry once revealed that he and his Gunners teammates were “always scared of what Scholes could do” with the ball at his feet.

The duo helped Stars break a five-game BBL 2025 losing streak while also consigning Heat to a third-straight defeat

AAP01-Jan-2025Melbourne Stars broke an eight-game BBL losing streak thanks to a Marcus Stoinis batting masterclass and a stunning Glenn Maxwell catch in the outfield.Stars defeated defending champions Brisbane Heat by five wickets at the Gabba in a breakthrough win after losing their opening five games this season and the final three of last year’s campaign.Heat made 149 for 7 batting first thanks to a blistering and unbeaten 77 off 48 deliveries by Max Bryant, during which Maxwell took one of the greatest catches seen in the BBL in an all-round brilliant individual fielding exhibition.

GLENN MAXWELL!

CATCH OF THE SEASON. #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/3qB9RaxHNb

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 1, 2025