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A “world-class” player has held talks to join Arsenal via his representatives, and it is believed sporting director Edu Gaspar is prioritising a deal for him.

Arsenal make 2025 transfer plans as Arteta prepares for Tottenham

Head coach Mikel Arteta, after signing a new three-year contract and committing his future to the club, is now focusing all of his attention on Sunday’s looming North London Derby against Tottenham.

Arteta confirms "great news" for Arsenal ahead of Spurs with injury update

A key player looks ready to feature against Tottenham.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 14, 2024

Arteta has a few selection headaches to deal with ahead of tomorrow’s 14:00 kick off, with summer signing Mikel Merino sidelined after a shoulder injury. According to reports, Merino may not return until mid-October at the earliest, so he is certain to be unavailable, while another star midfielder in Declan Rice is also absent through suspension.

Odegaard was expected to miss Tottenham too, but in some good news for Arsenal, Arteta has refused to rule completely him his captain out of their trip to Spurs. Both Gabriel Jesus and Riccardo Calafiori are racing to be fit for Sunday as well, so the Gunners’ injury crisis isn’t as bad as first feared.

However, with both Merino and Rice out, there is a major shortage in Arsenal’s midfield. This has led to suggestions that Arteta could drop Kai Havertz into midfield with new arrival Raheem Sterling potentially playing a false-nine role, so it will be interesting to see how the team is indeed set up.

Meanwhile, Edu and the club’s recruitment team are already said to be working on new signings for next year off the field. Arsenal are believed to be eyeing Benjamin Sesko ahead of 2025, and have apparently already made contact to gain a head-start on their rivals.

Arsenal have also been linked with Jonathan David this week, as one of Ligue 1’s most prolific scorers of the last few seasons will soon be up for grabs at zero cost.

Arsenal open talks with Jonathan David ahead of January swoop

According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal have opened talks with David’s representatives ahead of a move in January – rather than a pre-contract arrangement which would see him join for free next summer.

The Canadian international is said to have rejected two new contract offers from his current club as he seeks a move away, and it is believed Edu is set to prioritise David’s signing in the winter window.

Other reports state that Arsenal could tempt David with an offer north of £96,000-per-week, which is surely a real incentive for them to move, considering that salary wouldn’t even put the forward in line with Arteta’s biggest earners.

Called “world class” by ex-Canada manager Iain Hume, the 24-year-old already boasts 153 senior career goals for both club and country combined.

“At his age, to have such a calmness, and a cool head like that? He is a world class player right now,” said Hume in 2022. “That’s a Canadian kid. That’s the realism now. Name more than five/six strikers in the world better than him — I think you’ll struggle.”

Nuno Mendes is set to reject a move to Manchester United this month, with the defender targeting a new contract at Paris Saint-Germain.

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• Man Utd keen to add new wing-back
• Mendes was Amorim's top target
• Defender set to stay at PSG

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ruben Amorim has had a tough start to life at United and the Portuguese boss is now facing another setback with compatriot Nuno Mendes set to snub a move to Old Trafford. The wing-back had been at the top of the head coach's wishlist for either a January or summer move, but reports claim Mendes is keen to remain in France and sign a new contract with PSG.

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  United's change of shape under Amorim means different personnel are required if they are to succeed under their new boss. Wing-backs are essential in the ex-Sporting man's formation and Mendes has impressed during his time in Paris. Despite the Red Devils being set to miss out on the 22-year-old, there is some hope that Luke Shaw – poised to return from injury – can add a new dynamic to United on his return until reinforcements can be added.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  United are yet to win consecutive Premier League games under Amorim. The English giants have pulled off some brilliant results against the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, but have then failed to build any momentum, dropping points against the likes of Wolves, Ipswich and Bournemouth.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Now Mendes is reportedly off the table, United will focus their efforts on other targets. Viktor Gyokeres is one name linked with a switch to the Theatre of Dreams, while Ipswich's Liam Delap has also been touted for a move.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer marked his return to management in spectacular fashion, guiding Besiktas to a 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in Europe.

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• Solskjaer starts Besiktas reign with a win
• Beat Athletic Bilbao by a 4-1 margin in UEL
• Besiktas had been struggling in Europe before his appointment

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Norwegian coach, appointed just days earlier, oversaw a dominant performance that breathed new life into the Turkish side's Europa League campaign. Prior to his arrival, Besiktas had endured a disappointing run in European competition, securing only two wins in six matches while losing the remaining four. The team’s hopes of advancing seemed dim, but Solskjaer’s influence appears to have rejuvenated the squad.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Besiktas wasted no time making their intentions clear. Milot Rashica opened the scoring in the 17th minute, capitalising on an early opportunity to put the home side ahead. However, Bilbao’s Unai Gomez had other plans, levelling the score just before halftime. Rashica was once again at the forefront, reclaiming the lead for Besiktas with his second goal of the night just 15 minutes into the second half.

  The Spanish side’s hopes of a comeback were extinguished late in the match when Rashica completed his hat trick, securing a commanding lead for Besiktas. Whereas, Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario added the finishing touch in stoppage time, confidently converting a penalty to make it 4-1.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Solskjaer took charge of Manchester United in 2018 and led the Red Devils in nearly 150 games. He inspired them to a second-place finish in the Premier League and also guided them to a Europa League final in the 2020-21 campaign.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SOLSKJAER?

  Building on the European success, Solskjaer will aim to replicate their strong performance in the domestic league, where Besiktas will face Antalyaspor on Sunday.

A big Leeds United earner could require surgery after a new Thorp Arch injury update was shared by Adam Pope.

Leeds results and fixtures

It has been an interesting start to the season for the Whites and Daniel Farke. Leeds currently sit inside the Championship playoff places after picking up 11 points from a possible 18.

Wins were recorded against Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City and most recently Cardiff City, draws against Portsmouth and West Brom, with their only defeat coming to Burnley. The games come thick and fast for Farke and his side, with Coventry City next up at Elland Road.

Leeds, who recently announced a plan to expand Elland Road, will be without a number of players for the game, and a concerning injury update has emerged on one specific player.

Leeds injury update – Max Wober

Taking to X, Pope, who was at Thorp Arch for Farke’s pre-match press conference on Thursday, stated that Wober is still out and that he may now even need surgery on his knee, with a decision to be made over the coming days.

Farke said how the defender had a setback last week before Cardiff and explained the next steps for the player: “Max will also miss this game, he had a set-back in training on Friday before Cardiff, that was why he wasn’t in the matchday squad.

“Some ongoing problems with his knee. Our medical department tries everything to find a conservative solution and we’ll find out in the next days. We tried to push him back into team training but we need to make a decision in the next days if this doesn’t work and he can’t return. Probably our choice would then be surgery and then he’d miss out a few weeks. But we’re hopeful we can bring him back into training in the early stage of next week.”

Wober, who returned from a loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer, is yet to make an impact in Leeds’ 24/25 campaign, with his only appearance coming against Middlesbrough in a 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat.

The Austria international, on £35,000-a-week, has been third choice behind Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon but could have been in line to feature if he was fit, with Struijk also a doubt this weekend.

However, that won’t be the case, with Wober still sidelined. Former RB Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund has heaped praise on the 26-year-old in the past, saying: “Max is not only a really good defender just in the way we want of him. He is also a real leader in the team who is happy to take on responsibility, which is an important factor for our young team.”

Liverpool are the club most interested in completing the £66m signing of an “irreplaceable” world-renowned player, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are still being linked with new signings despite the window closing over a month ago now, with Arne Slot no doubt wanting to bring in the right players in the upcoming transfer windows after an extremely quiet summer.

One such figure is Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu, with the versatile 19-year-old potentially seen as a long-term option to replace the legendary Andy Robertson. He is equally adept in more attack-minded roles, however, and Slot could like the idea of having a player who is capable of excelling in several positions.

There continues to be concern over the long-term futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, and in the case of the former, it looks as though Sevilla’s Juanlu Sanchez has been earmarked as a possible successor at right-back. The 21-year-old played for Spain at the 2024 Olympics, and like Dorgu, can also play in midfield.

If Salah departs, the Reds are reportedly keen on snapping up Athletic Bilbao and Spain winger Nico Williams, whose stock grew at Euro 2024, as he won the competition and shone alongside Lamine Yamal. The 22-year-old could be a fantastic option for Slot, but the boss will still surely hope the Egyptian King stays put instead.

Liverpool interested in "irreplaceable" Real Madrid star

Now, according to a report from Spain, Liverpool are the club showing the most interest in Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in the near future. The Reds are believed to be willing to pay £66m to land the highly-rated Frenchman, who has already won the Champions League since arriving from Monaco in 2022.

Tchouameni has been considered a target for Liverpool in the past, prior to him opting for Madrid instead, and he would be a magnificent signing for them, should his current club be willing to let him leave. The 24-year-old has grown into one of Europe’s leading midfielders, often anchoring it and allowing more attacking players such as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham to shine, and Carlo Ancelotti recently said of him: “Tchouameni is a fantastic defensive midfielder. At a defensive level, he is irreplaceable, he helps our defense a lot.”

For this reason, it does feel unlikely that Madrid would be happy to part ways with such an important player, especially with Toni Kroos retiring in the summer and Luka Modric now close to turning 40. Ancelotti will surely see Tchouameni as a key midfielder for many years to come, but if the situation does prove to be different, Liverpool should do all they can to sign him.

Slot could finally drop Szoboszlai by unleashing "special" Liverpool ace

The Hungary star is leaving fans wanting…

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By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 30, 2024

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are shining in a double pivot so far this season, but the France international would make the Reds more solid in a defensive sense, having averaged 2.6 interceptions and two tackles per game in La Liga in 2024/25 to date.

Willian is close to a Premier League return after agreeing a deal in principle to re-sign for Fulham.

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• Willian held talks with three clubs
• Has agreed to make Fulham return
• Left Olympiakos in December

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazilian was said to have travelled to London over a week ago to hold talks with three clubs over a possible transfer. The 36-year-old has now reached an agreement with Fulham, journalist Dharmesh Sheth reports, with the deal expected to be confirmed on Tuesday.

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  Willian will join Fulham as a free agent after leaving Greek side Olympiakos in December. He spent two years with Fulham before leaving for Olympiakos in 2024 and made 67 appearances for the club. Having also played for Chelsea and Arsenal, the winger racked up over 300 Premier League appearances.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Willian was present at Stamford Bridge on Monday evening to watch his former team come from behind to beat West Ham 2-1 in the Premier League.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Willian's transfer is expected to be announced in the next 24 hours and Fulham will hope to have their former star available soon.

Newcastle United head into their next Premier League fixture looking to get another win on the board, after failing to pick up a win from their last three games in the division before the international break intervened.

Eddie Howe will have had sufficient time on the training pitch – away from games coming thick and fast – with his Magpies players in order to try and get more of a tune out of them for the test of Brighton and Hove Albion up next, which won’t be a walk in the park for the Tyneside hosts by any stretch of the imagination.

Howe’s men will even come up against one of their former players in this clash, which will add some spice to the affair at St James’ Park, who is a sale that could go down as being as big of a blunder as Ivan Toney – who exited in 2018 for just £500k.

Toney since leaving Newcastle

Before his mega money move to Al-Ahli came to fruition, Toney had to prove himself away from the Magpies, having been discarded for that low amount to League One outfit Peterborough United.

The 6 foot 1 attacker more than achieved that, going on to notch up a devastating 49 strikes from 94 games at his new Cambridgeshire outfit, before Brentford then also benefitted from his midas touch in-front of goal.

Away from a controversial betting ban that soured his time with the Bees towards the end, Toney would cement his reputation as an ice-cold finisher in West London, with a mightily impressive return of 72 goals from 141 contests.

In truth, the Magpies were made to look unbelievably foolish for offloading Toney without ever allowing him to realise his full potential at St James’ Park, with the now Saudi League striker only managing a mere four first-team appearances on Tyneside.

Yet, even with how much of an impactful error this was, Newcastle could lament the sale of this former player even more, especially if he dazzles back on his old patch with the Seagulls this coming weekend.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

The sale that Newcastle could live to regret

Yankuba Minteh would be barely known as a Magpies player, having signed for his new club before a ball was kicked on the eve of the 2023/24 season, to then be immediately loaned out to Feyenoord.

You would have anticipated that Newcastle would then be willing to give the Gambian winger a shot in the first-team when he returned from the Netherlands, especially after he tore the Eredivisie to shreds at points, but the Premier League side would just allow Minteh to join their weekend’s opponents for £30m, in the wake of PSR constraints.

Looking at the table above, it’s clear why Fabian Hurzeler’s side forked out such a lavish amount to win Minteh’s services this summer, with a deadly 15 goal contributions registered from the promising attacker in league action last season for Feyenoord.

Described as possessing a “Vinicius quality” on the ball – referring to Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior’s ability to bamboozle defences – by Premier League Panel’s Raj Chohan when the 20-year-old’s future was up in the air at St James’ Park this off-season, Howe and Co will just hope Minteh has a quiet return to Newcastle on Saturday away from further proving those wrong at the Toon.

Unfortunately for the hosts, Minteh will come into this game even more eager to cause the Magpies misery after opening his Brighton account just last match versus Tottenham Hotspur, when firing home a fierce finish to kickstart his side’s dramatic 3-2 comeback.

Whilst it took Toney many years to rise back up to the Premier League, Minteh looks to already be a sound fit for the challenges of the top division, with the ex-Feyenoord man capable of exploding even more in the men’s game over time.

With Newcastle also a little threadbare down the right flank away from Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron, the decision to move the 20-year-old on continues to look more and more baffling, with Minteh wanting to haunt Howe’s men even more when Premier League action resumes very soon.

Forget Wilson: Newcastle could unearth their next Isak in academy sensation

Newcastle United are very excited about this young hotshot.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 16, 2024

Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli reportedly faces more than a month out after picking up a hamstring injury against Newcastle United.

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• Newcastle knock Arsenal out of Carabao Cup
• Martinelli suffers hamstring injury in 2-0 loss
• Winger set for more than a month out

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Martinelli was forced off during Arsenal's 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg defeat to Newcastle in midweek. Now, states the 23-year-old could be out for at least four weeks with this hamstring issue.

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  Arsenal already have a depleted attack as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus are long-term absentees. The Gunners also tried and failed to sign a forward in January, so to lose Martinelli is really rubbing salt into the wound.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Martinelli will now miss Arsenal's upcoming Premier League games against Leicester, West Ham and Nottingham Forest, and would be doubtful to face Manchester United and Chelsea over the next five weeks or so.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It remains to be seen when the Brazilian will return to Arsenal's side, with the forward potentially missing their last 16 Champions League tie, too.

And so it remains quiet. Manchester United’s executive committee have held talks, but as yet, there are no suggestions that Erik ten Hag is set to join the ever-growing list of managers to have faced the axe in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

There was so much progress in year one, a third-place finish and a Carabao Cup success, with Alejandro Garnacho emerging and Marcus Rashford looking reborn after netting 30 times in all competitions. Were United coming back?

No, frankly, is the answer to that question, with year two providing a car crash of a campaign, resulting in the club’s worst-ever Premier League finish. A triumph at Wembley, however, served as a more than adequate sticking plaster and a reminder of what the Dutchman could achieve in the dugout.

The 54-year-old had cried injuries last season – and rightly so – but after another summer of heavy spending and with largely a fully fit squad at his disposal, the excuses have run dry. There is nowhere left to turn.

This is Ten Hag’s team, and on current evidence, it simply isn’t a very good one. The Red Devils find themselves languishing in 14th after their poorest start to a Premier League season. The records just keep tumbling.

A week of chaos in Porto but relative calm at Villa Park has provided more confusion than clarity over the former Ajax man’s future. Now the question remains as to how many United execs does it take to change a lightbulb? Or sorry, rather how many United execs does it take to change a manager?

Man Utd's manager search

Is it Sir Jim Ratcliffe? Is it Omar Berrada? Is it Dan Ashworth? Quite who will be the man to pull the trigger at Old Trafford remains to be seen, with the club’s new boardroom gaggle now facing a pivotal week to contemplate just what to do with their floundering manager and his team.

If recent reports are to be believed, candidates are already being lined up, with Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst reporting earlier this week that out-of-work boss, Thomas Tuchel, is under consideration.

That has been backed up by talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, who also threw another contender into the mix who is already operating in the Premier League – Thomas Frank.

It is believed that the Brentford boss has ‘admirers’ at the Theatre of Dreams and could come into the equation, having also been linked with the Chelsea vacancy over the summer, prior to Enzo Maresca’s appointment.

Thomas Frank's record vs Ten Hag

On the face of it, there may be those who would see the hiring of the Dane as rather uninspiring, considering that he has only thus far managed Brondby and the Bees at senior level.

Vocal United content creator, Mark Goldbridge, is among those to have voiced his opposition to the 51-year-old in recent times, as he stated that the club wouldn’t be that “stupid” to turn to a manager who “thrives on 30% possession and counters.”

In truth, it would be stupid not to consider Frank amid the work he has done in the capital in recent years, having steered Brentford into the top flight and kept them there with relative ease for three seasons.

He may not be a glamorous name – nor play the tippy tappy type of football of the likes of Maresca, as Goldbridge alluded to – but boy is Frank’s approach effective. As shown above, he’s also not one to mince his words…

Ten Hag himself has no doubt come unstuck against the west Londoners in recent years, memorably seeing his side ship four goals at the Gtech Community Stadium back in August 2022, as the rampant hosts piled the pressure on the new United boss.

United did win the next two meetings between the two sides, although it took a desperate double from Scott McTominay last October at the death to seal a 2-1 triumph.

That was followed by a 1-1 draw in March in which the Red Devils were simply overrun, even despite taking an initial lead through Mason Mount, with the home side attempting 31 shots to United’s 11, while their xG of 3.29 was also far ahead of the visitors 0.59, as per Sofascore.

Yes, Frank’s methods may not be conventional, but he has found a way of playing that can prove almost unplayable, as indicated by his side’s quick starts so far this season, having scored inside the first minute in three successive league games, prior to last weekend.

With Brentford also currently ahead of United in the table – despite Ten Hag’s £600m spend over the last two years or so – it provides further evidence of what Frank can do and just why he could represent an upgrade on the under-fire Dutchman.

With Ten Hag seemingly possessing “no playing style” – as per his compatriot, Rene Meulensteen – the former Denmark youth coach would, at the very least, arrive with a plan in mind.

Such an appointment may not go down well with everyone – including the likes of Goldbridge – but having consistently gone down the route of high profile managers, perhaps a final roll of the dice is needed with someone who has proven his worth in the Premier League already.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t end up being David Moyes 2.0…

Man Utd can forget Van Nistelrooy & Tuchel by hiring amazing Fergie signing

Manchester United could be on the hunt for a new gaffer.

By
Matt Dawson

Oct 8, 2024

Kelly Cates has quipped that Liverpool's FA Cup loss to Plymouth Argyle could either be a "blip" or the "beginning of the end" for manager Arne Slot.

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• Plymouth upset Liverpool in the FA Cup
• Cates jokes this was either a "blip" for the Reds
• Or "beginning of the end" for Arne Slot

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After Liverpool's shock fourth-round FA Cup loss to Plymouth on Sunday, incoming Match of the Day co-host Cates felt the Reds were "lowkey" in the 1-0 defeat. In a tongue in mouth remark, she said this could be where things start to go wrong for Dutchman Slot at Liverpool.

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  WHAT KELLY CATES SAID

  She said in jest on The Sports Agents podcast: “There were goals in that team. It just was a really low-key performance. I think it's either going to be a blip in a fantastic season, or the beginning of the end, and this will be marked as the turning point of the of the whole season!”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Liverpool's early FA Cup exit was a shock, Slot has done a remarkable job so far. His side are top of the Premier League, are flying high in the Champions League, and are into the Carabao Cup final. It doesn't seem like the beginning of the end is nigh for the ex-Feyenoord boss.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool will look to bounce back from the Plymouth loss when they take on rivals Everton at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Wednesday.