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Real Madrid have sent employees to run the rule over an Arsenal star who they are considering a deal for, as Carlo Ancelotti's side cast their eye to the Premier League in search of proven talent.

Arsenal preparing for all-important north London derby against Tottenham

The north Londoners have an all-important derby clash against Tottenham awaiting them after the international break, and Mikel Arteta will be desperate to return to winning ways after being held by Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

"Extraordinary" Arsenal player already considering exit in January

Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay in the summer.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 7, 2024

Kai Havertz's expertly taken chip over Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton net was later cancelled out by Joao Pedro's second-half strike in the second half, with the game finishing 1-1 and ending Arsenal's winning start to the new Premier League season.

"It was a very emotional afternoon, for sure," said Arteta on Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton.

"We started the game really well, created three or four chances that we didn’t convert. After that we had a period with some issues, particularly with the ball and we lacked some dominance in that period. We then score a really good goal in a moment when we take advantage of the opponent. Then we go in at half-time, come back and we were really strong. Then the referee makes a decision that changes the course of the game. With 10 men, the team reacted unbelievably well, the stadium reacts unbelievably well and we should have won the game."

To make matters more complicated for Arteta and his coaching staff, star midfielder Declan Rice was controversially sent off for two bookable offences on the day, so he is set to miss Arsenal's trip to Spurs next weekend.

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Arsenal will also be without summer signing Mikel Merino for nearly two months, following the Spaniard's shoulder injury. Merino fractured his deltoid in a collision with Gabriel Magalhaes during the Spaniard's first ever training session at London Colney, so it looks like Arteta will be pretty short in midfield.

There are even suggestions that Arteta could hand youngster Salah-Eddine Oulad M'hand his senior Arsenal debut against Tottenham as a result, while other reports state Havertz could be dropped into midfield so Raheem Sterling can play a false-nine role.

Real Madrid consider signing William Saliba from Arsenal

Whatever tactical tweaks Arteta is planning, one of the few certainties next weekend is that William Saliba will be playing a crucial role at the heart of his defence.

The Frenchman has starred since coming into the team on a regular basis at the beginning of 2022/2023, so much so that Real Madrid have been regularly linked with a move for Saliba.

The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey have an update on this, and they write that Real are indeed considering a move for Saliba, sending their club scouts to watch over him during Arsenal's 2-0 win over Aston Villa – where the 23-year-old put in an excellent display.

The centre-back, who Bailey claims could fetch around £100 million in this current market, is firmly on Ancelotti's radar as they carry on keeping close tabs.

Birmingham Phoenix struggle to contain home side after posting solid 140 for 4

Alan Gardner30-Jul-2021A scintillating innings from Danni Wyatt enabled Southern Brave to chase down an apparently taxing target of 141 with ease at the Ageas Bowl, as the home side joined Trent Rockets at the top of the women’s Hundred table with three wins from three. Wyatt bided her time before upping the tempo with a fusillade of fours and sixes during the second half of the innings, as Birmingham Phoenix’s attack was found severely wanting.Wyatt’s opening partner, Smriti Mandhana, holed out in the second set of five, hitting into the wind against Erin Burns. But none of the other Phoenix bowlers managed to pick up a wicket thereafter, with the run-out of Sophia Dunkley coming when Abtaha Maqsood dropped a return chance off Wyatt on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end.Wyatt could also have been out lbw a couple of deliveries later, but Phoenix’s captain Amy Jones opted not to review an lbw appeal off Maqsood that Hawk-Eye later showed to have been hitting off stump. Having been chugging along on 25 off 22 just beyond the halfway mark of the innings, Wyatt took 44 off the next 18, hitting the ball to all parts of the ground before finishing things in style by carting her fourth six over deep midwicket off Issy Wong.That completed the highest successful chase of the women’s competition, and rendered an improved display from Phoenix’s top order largely academic.Phoenix fire (apparently)
It has taken a few goes, but Phoenix look like they might have found a batting order they can settle on. Having started the tournament with Shafali Verma opening alongside Katie Mack, they pushed up Erin Burns in place of Mack in their second match and here partnered Verma with Eve Jones. The left-hand, right-hand combination brought immediate dividends with a 58-run stand – which included the third-highest Powerplay score in the women’s competition of 40 without loss.Eve Jones was ‘Hero of the Match’ in defeat in Phoenix’s opener, having anchored the innings with 47 from 41 at No. 3, but dropped down the order for the spin-heavy encounter in Manchester. Pushed up again here, she helped counter the twin pace threat of Anya Shrubsole and Lauren Bell, who played key roles in Brave’s opening two wins. Both had trouble adjusting to bowling to the left-hander in windy conditions, with Jones taking Shrubsole’s first three legitimate balls for 10 runs.Related

Jemimah Rodrigues sparkles, slow start for Shafali Verma

Every second counts – early takeaways from the Hundred

Priest leaves Spirit without a prayer in 18-run win at Lord's

The proactive start from Eve Jones also allowed Verma to take a bit of time to settle. Much has been expected of the India opener but she has had a quiet start to the Hundred after seeing her form tail off during the multi-format series against England. She only faced two of the first 14 deliveries, then pulled Shrubsole for a boundary, before tucking into Charlotte Taylor’s offspin with a couple of trademark biffs over mid-on (perhaps aided by Brave’s field placings). An encouraging start drifted somewhat, as she fell lbw to Amanda-Jade Wellington – but 22 off 20 represented her best outing of the Hundred so far.Jones the finisher
Amy Jones has looked Phoenix’s most-dangerous batter, but her returns had been affected by a malfunctioning top order and starts of 37 for 3 and 35 for 4 in the opening two games. Here she came out at No. 3 for the tenth set of five with her side in a strong position, and although Wellington struck again in her 10-ball stretch, Jones and Katie Mack had licence to go hard down the back nine, putting on a sparkling stand of 71 off 43.Amy Jones moves across to slog sweep•Getty ImagesThe pair initially saw off the middle-phase threat of Bell with a handful of nudged singles, and then combined intelligent hitting with hard running to get the scoreboard rattling. They successfully targeted the Brave spinners, four times hitting opening deliveries from Fi Morris and the two Taylors for four; and when Bell returned, Jones was confident enough to walk across her stumps to the inswinger and belt it imperiously through backward square leg. Bell went wicketless but Phoenix crucially lost altitude towards the end of the innings, only managing to score 22 off the last 20 deliveries.Slam Dunkley
The rise of Dunkley into the top tier of English batting has been one of the stories of the summer, after an unbeaten 74 on Test debut and 73 not out to see home a successful England chase in her maiden ODI innings. Her form had tailed off a little, with single-figures scores in the T20Is and innings of 6 and 16 in Brave green – but her boundary-laden assault after the early loss of Mandhana was key in giving the home side a chance of reeling in a 140-plus target.Dunkley’s aggressive innings featured a superbly timed flick off the pace of Wong and an impudent uppercut over third man to Emily Arlott. She might have been fortunate to survive after top-edging a spiralling catch to Jones, with Arlott’s delivery harshly judged a no-ball on height – but she was definitely unlucky to be run out backing up, when Maqsood dropped the ball on to the stumps. Her innings also allowed Wyatt to slipstream her way into form, as the game’s momentum swung towards Brave.Wyatt goes through gears
Wyatt is one of the most-destructive batters in the women’s game but she also showed her sense of game management to help snuff out a daunting chase with an eye-popping 18 balls to spare. She scored 6 from 6 during the Powerplay and was going at just above a run a ball when joined by Stafanie Taylor, but killed Phoenix’s chances with a clinical assault. Her first six saw her step outside leg stump and hammer Wong’s pace over extra cover, and she then swept Maqsood over deep square leg, before hitting Georgia Elwiss over long-off. The third-wicket stand with Taylor was worth 74, Wyatt crunching 51 of them, as Brave’s fans got a first glimpse of what their power-packed batting order can do.

Arsenal have a whole host of stars away on international duty this week as fans watch from behind the sofa in the hopes their squad returns to north London free of injuries, and one fan favourite will be coming away from national team duty with a spring in his step.

Arsenal players away on international duty

Mikel Arteta is already without Mikel Merino and Declan Rice in midfield for the north London derby against Tottenham, so will be praying his midfielders in particular return to London Colney in one piece.

On that note, Bukayo Saka featured for England as the Three Lions cruised past the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in Dublin on Saturday, and the winger was on the recieiving end of a couple of nasty tackles from Robbie Brady, but came away unscathed.

Martin Odegaard’s Norway meanwhile face off against Kazakstan and Austria, the former of which resulted in a disappointing 0-0 draw in which the skipper played the full 90 minutes.

Thomas Partey’s Ghana are in 2025 AFCON qualifiying action, as the 31 year-old played the full game in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Angola last Thursday, with a chance to redeem themselves on Monday against Niger.

The standout result from this international break from a Gunners perspective is undoubtedly what Kai Havertz and Germany produced this weekend, crushing Dominik Szoboszlai's Hungary 5-0 in a Nations League group match, as Arsenal's 25 year-old found himself in a new role and shone.

German media praise Havertz in new number ten role

While his finishing left a little to be desired – the former Chelsea star missed two "big chances" and hit the woodwork twice – he did get on the scoresheet from the penalty spot, and it was his general play as a number ten that earned him praise from the press in his homeland.

As shared by TBR Football, Frankfurter Rundschau said Havertz's general performance was "world class" outside of his inability to finish his chances, while Sky Germany praised his "good movement" and "good ideas".

Kai Havertz vs Hungary

Stat (via Sofascore)

Pass accuracy

92 per cent

Shots total

Four

Big chances missed

Two

Penalties won

One

Duels won

Seven

Fouls drawn

Five

Havertz, of course, has been forced to make the striker role his own in north London after they neglected to sign an out and out centre-forward, and has also shone for Arteta in a left centre-mid role, but featured here as a true number playmaker, sitting just behind West Ham target man Niclas Füllkrug.

Related Arsenal dealt injury blow with potential fourth star set to miss Tottenham

The Gunners could be without a quartet of senior players for their trip across north London.

Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 3, 2024

Whether Arteta ever chooses to adopt a slightly different system than his usual 4-3-3 in order to fit Havertz into this playmaker role remains to be seen, but having a player so full of confidence thriving in a variety of positions can only be a good thing for the manager ahead of such a huge clash against rivals Spurs.

Arsenal could table an eight-figure transfer bid to sign an ex-Olympian, with manager Mikel Arteta personally green-lighting a move for him.

The next signing Arsenal could make after Riccardo Calafiori

The Gunners have sealed just one outfield signing this summer window in defender Riccardo Calafiori, who joined the club in an initial £34 million deal from Bologna plus add-ons.

Edu will make £22m Arsenal bid to sign "really exciting" forward this week

The Brazilian transfer chief has his eyes on a fellow countryman.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 7, 2024

The 22-year-old comes with plenty of promise, having just stood out as a star player for Italy at Euro 2024, and was a sore miss for the Azzurri when Luciano Spaletti's side crashed out to Switzerland in the Last 16.

Calafiori also helped Bologna to qualify for the Champions League next season, with his ability to play as both a centre-back and left-back potentially coming as a very big draw for Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar.

Riccardo Calafiori's Bologna Statistics 2023-24
Serie A Games	30
Goal Contributuion	7
Clean Sheets	15
Interceptions Per 90 Minutes	1.92
Tackles Per 90 Minutes	1.80
via WhoScored

That being said, if the ex-FC Basel starlet finishes this summer window as Arsenal's only major signing bar David Raya, it would be deemed an unsuccessful summer window – especially considering Arsenal's desire to finally beat Man City to the Premier League title.

After Calafiori, reports have centered around the possibility of bringing in a new midfielder and forward. Declan Rice, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira and Thomas Partey currently occupy the middle of the park for Arsenal, but the latter has been heavily linked with an exit all summer, and has entered the final year of his contract.

Partey has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and Turkey ahead of a potential Emirates Stadium departure, but if the Ghanaian does find a new home before deadline day on August 30, Arsenal would need a replacement.

Edu and Arteta's desire to bring in a new midfielder has lead to their serious interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this last fortnight.

The 28-year-old, like Calafiori, impressed at the Euros – scoring Spain's winner against host nation Germany in the quarter-finals. He eventually went on to win the illustrious tournament with his nation, and Merino's performances at club level weren't bad either.

He scored eight goals and registered five assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for Sociedad last season, and with Merino's contract expiring next year, the former Newcastle ace could be an astute option for Edu.

Arsenal eye opening bid for Merino after Arteta green-light

Diario AS and journalist Asier Aurrekoetxea, the player is determined to leave Sociedad for a fresh challenge, coming after other reports have claimed Merino is awaiting a move to join Arsenal specifically.

Aurrekoetxea writes that Arteta has personally green-lit an Arsenal move for Merino, and they could make a formal eight-figure opening bid of around £26 million to finally get him over the line after weeks of talks.

Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano has stated that talks are ongoing, but it is all verbal, with no formal offer on the table just yet for the ex-Olympian who represented Spain at the 2020 competition in Tokyo.

Manchester City have been brutally trolled after five straight defeats, with a San Marino super fan sending a “please play us” message to the Etihad.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Blues suffered five straight defeats
• International minnows enjoying historic high
• Joked that they could beat Premier League champions

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pep Guardiola has hit a new low, with the highly-decorated Catalan coach enduring the worst run of his trophy-laden managerial career. A stunning slump from the reigning Premier League champions has been bookended by defeats to Tottenham.

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• Getty/Goal
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Spurs saw off City in the Carabao Cup back on October 30, before repeating the trick in top-flight competition on Saturday as they left Manchester with a remarkable 4-0 win. In between those setbacks, City came unstuck against Bournemouth, Sporting and Brighton in Premier League and Champions League competition.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Plenty are suggesting that the wheels are falling off City’s bandwagon – one which steered them to Treble glory in 2022-23 – with there much work to be done on the field as they continue to fight a 115-charge Financial Fair Play case that has sparked speculation of points penalties or potential demotion into or completely out of the English Football League.

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• WHAT SAN MARINO SAID

  Guardiola’s side have lost their fear factor, leading international minnows San Marino – who have been enjoying a historic purple patch in the UEFA Nations League of late – poking fun at the star-studded Blues. Their popular X account, which is run by a passionate supporter, has posted in response to seeing City suffer a humbling reversal on home soil against Spurs: “Hello, please play against us. I think we can beat you.”

With the INEOS era now in full swing at Manchester United, the immediate task for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co appears to be righting the wrongs of over a decade of scattergun recruitment at the club, having far too often spent erratically in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Arguably, there has been just one unequivocal success story of the last ten years or so on the transfer front – Bruno Fernandes – with the former Sporting CP man having swiftly solidified his place as the club's talisman, chalking up 79 goals and 66 assists in just 233 games for the club in all competitions.

With just two games missed through injury across that four-and-a-half-year spell – both of which came back in May – the Portuguese genius has been United's 'Mr Reliable' for a significant period now, often shouldering the creative, attacking burden on his own at times.

That reliance on the 29-year-old has perhaps not always been a healthy one, however, with the club now eyeing a potential rival or competitor who can keep Fernandes on his toes…

Latest on Man Utd's search for a midfielder

According to Spanish newspaper AS – via Sport Witness – United are in the mix to sign RB Leipzig and Spain star, Dani Olmo, with the 26-year-old having been heavily linked for a departure following his sparkling form at Euro 2024 this summer.

As per the piece, the former Dinamo Zagreb playmaker does have a €60m (51m) release clause in his current deal, although this is set to expire today (20 July), thus ensuring any interested party would likely have to negotiate a fee with the Bundesliga outfit.

Why Dani Olmo could thrive in the Premier League

As indicated in the graphic above, Olmo was a central part of La Roja's European triumph in Germany, registering five goal involvements from just six outings, while also averaging 1.8 key passes and 2.3 successful dribbles per game as a marker of his creative influence.

Lauded as a "technical genius" by journalist Josh Bunting amid that form on the international scene, the Leipzig star has unsurprisingly caught the attention of Europe's elite clubs, with rivals Manchester City also said to be plotting a move this summer.

If United can win the race for his signature it could allow Erik ten Hag to finally acquire a worthy alternative to Fernandes in an attacking midfield role, with a certain Donny van de Beek – who recently departed for Girona – having tried and failed to dislodge the Red Devils' skipper.

What makes Olmo such an exciting option is also his apparent likeness to a current Premier League sensation in the form of Chelsea's Cole Palmer, with the Spaniard and the boyhood United fan said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref.

Olmo vs Palmer – League stats 2023/24
Metric (per 90)	Olmo	Palmer
Goals	0.25	0.76
Assists	0.31	0.38
Progressive carries	3.73	4.02
Progressive passes	4.22	6.77
Progressive passes received	6.89	6.70
Pass completion	77.8%	79.2%
Shot-creating actions	3.79	5.57
Stats via FBref

As can be seen above, it is Palmer – who scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in the Premier League last season – who unsurprisingly comes out on top, but Olmo notably boasts a similar return with regard to assists per 90, as well as in relation to progressive passes and progressive passes received, indicating his ability to create in the final third.

The latter man did actually only end 2023/24 with four goals and five assists in Germany's top-flight, although considering that came from just 17 starts – while Palmer started 29 games for the Blues – it is hardly the worst return.

Of course, those at United may have concerns over Olmo's injury record in recent times, yet as seen this summer, when he is fit and firing the 5 foot 9 sensation can prove almost impossible to contain.

Fernandes, it must be said, may need to watch out.

Man Utd pushing for "a younger Kante" who'd have been perfect for Pogba

This one’s creeping toward the finish line.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 19, 2024

احتفل فريق برشلونة، مساء يوم الأحد، بتتويجه ببطولة كأس السوبر الإسباني نسخة 2025، بعد التغلب على غريمه ريال مدريد، في كلاسيكو مثير وعامر بالأهداف.

واستضاف ملعب “الجوهرة المشعة” في المملكة العربية السعودية مباراة النهائي بين برشلونة وريال مدريد.

وتمكن برشلونة من تحقيق فوز عريض بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدفين، بعدما كان متأخرًا في النتيجة بهدف منذ الدقيقة الخامسة.

وبعد إطلاق صافرة نهاية المباراة ومن ثم الفوز بكأس السوبر الإسباني، احتفل لاعبو برشلونة بشكل رائع على أرض الملعب، وسط سعادة غامرة.

وظهر أكثر من لاعب في برشلونة وهو يرتدي نظارة شمسية خلال الاحتفال، مثل رافينها ولامين يامال، مما أثار التساؤلات حول مغزى ذلك.

وذكرت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية أن أصل تلك الطريقة الغريبة في الاحتفال، والتي ظهرت لأول مرة في إسبانيا بين لاعبات المنتخب النسائي، تعود إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وتحديدًا دوري كرة السلة للمحترفين.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تير شتيجن: لاعبو برشلونة يستحقون رفع كأس السوبر أكثر مني

وأوضحت أن لاعبي كرة السلة في أمريكا دائمًا ما يحتفلون بتلك الطريقة، عن طريق ارتداء النظارات الشمسية.

وأفادت أن ارتداء تلك النظارات لها أكثر من تفسير، الأول والأكثر منطقية هو استخدامها كحماية عند فتح زجاجات المشروبات الكحولية، حيث يعتاد اللاعبون على فعل ذلك خلال تلك النوعية من الاحتفالات.

ليس هذا فقط، بل أن ارتداء تلك النظارات والتقاليع الغريبة يُعد جزءًا من الثقافة الأمريكية، حيث يستخدم اللاعبون جميع أنواع العناصر المختلفة للتميز، بما في ذلك تلك النظارات.

كما يعتبر استخدام هذا النوع من العدسات منتشرًا جدًا في الرياضات الأمريكية، بما في ذلك بعض الفرق التي صممت نظارات خصيصًا لهذه المناسبة، وعادة ما تكون مزينة بشعار الفريق الذي ينتمى اللاعبون إليه.

وترى الصحيفة أن احتفال لاعبي برشلونة بتلك الطريقة يدل على مدى انتشار الثقافة الأمريكية في غرفة ملابس النادي الكتالوني.

Whilst West Ham United managed to secure the signing of Max Kilman last week, it appears that the Hammers are still on the lookout for defenders in order to bolster Julen Lopetegui's side.

Defenders still high on Hammers' list of priorities

Despite agreeing a £40 million to sign Kilman from fellow Premier League side Wolves, it appears that West Ham are still in the market for reinforcements at the back.

Related West Ham could sign "phenomenal" £30m Paqueta replacement

This talented midfielder won his club’s Player of the Year award for 2023/24.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jul 7, 2024

Part of this quest for new defensive players stems from the number of current Hammers set to leave the London Stadium this summer. Ben Johnson has already departed the club after refusing a number of new deals from the East London outfit. It has already been confirmed that the 24-year-old will be playing for Ipswich Town next season.

Another defender that could be on the move is current starting right back Vladimir Coufal. Recent reports in the Turkish press are claiming that Galatasaray are in the hunt to sign the Czech full back whose contract expires next summer. Because of this, the Hammers may be tempted to cash while they can still get a fee for the player.

With the Hammers potentially entering the new season without a recognised right back on their books, there is no wonder why they have now entered the race for a player to fill the vacancy in this area of the pitch.

West Ham and Everton make moves for Serie A defender

As first reported by Football Inisder's Pete O'Rourke, West Ham have joined Everton in the race to sign Hellas Verona defender Jackson Tchatchoua.

It is reported that the Serie A outfit are looking for a little over £6.5 million to part ways with the defender this summer. Considering that Verona paid £2.5 million last month to make Tchatchoua's loan from Belgian side Royal Charleroi S.C. permanent, it would be a decent bit of business for all sides.

Upon making his deal with Verona permanent, Tchatchoua signed a three-year-deal with the club set to keep him in Italy until the summer of 2027. Despite this, it is likely that Verona would be willing to let the player leave if the £6.5 million price tag can be met.

The 22-year-old made 26 league appearances last season as Verona finished 13th in Serie A. Tchatchoua proved to be a vital asset to his side during the course of the last campaign, playing a number of different positions depending on where he was needed.

The natural full back played as both a right and left-sided midfielder last season, suggesting that he is anything but afraid of flexing his attacking muscles when necessary. With Coufal and Johnson known for their occasional ventures forward, Tchatchoua would be a perfect fit for Lopetegui's new-look West Ham side next season.

Whilst it is unlikely that the 22-year-old would be the Hammers' first choice in this position next season, there is no doubt that Tchatchoua would be a vital asset for West Ham owing to his ability to take up numerous positions all over the pitch.

Chelsea flop Romelu Lukaku is in the sights of a major club, as their own star striker holds talks to join Arsenal through his agent.

Edu and Arteta targeting prolific new striker for Arsenal

After missing out on RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko this week, who put pen to paper on a new and improved contract, it is back to the drawing board for Gunners sporting director Edu – as he looks to sign a new number nine for Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal table offer for Real Madrid regular who Perez may now sell for £34m

He could bolster one key area for Arteta.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 13, 2024

Sesko had a proposal to leave Leipzig from Arsenal, as well as Chelsea and Man United (Fabrizio Romano), but the Slovenia international opted to remain in Germany. His 18-goal haul in all competitions last season, coupled with a tantalising £55 million release clause in his past contract, pushed Arsenal to move for the 21-year-old – but they were ultimately rebuffed.

Alternative options have been mooted as the transfer window now officially opens for business. Arsenal could reignite their pursuit of Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee, with the Dutchman's deal containing its own £34 million exit clause.

Appearances

37

Goals

12

Assists

7

Minutes per goal

246

Minutes played

2,942

Zirkzee helped Bologna qualify for the Champions League with his 11 Serie A goals last season, but Arsenal face stiff competition from AC Milan, who are currently pushing for a deal to sign the 23-year-old.

Arteta wants a young partner for Kai Havertz in the forward area, and one who can add that extra degree of firepower, as Arsenal look to make it third-time-lucky and beat Man City in a race for the Premier League title.

A big-name forward who's been linked with a move to the Emirates, but to a lesser degree, is Napoli star Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian, who signed a new £209,000-per-week contract last season, also agreed to have a £113 million release clause inserted into the deal.

“We still can't rule out Arsenal in the race for Osimhen," said journalist Ben Jacobs to GiveMeSport earlier this year.

"It’s also true that PSG have Osimhen very, very high on their list of targets and can move in the market because they will free up money due to Kylian Mbappe’s departure. I'm still told by sources that Osimhen’s priority is the Premier League, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Arsenal. He would be looking for about £250,000 per week, which Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG would all be happy to pay.”

Napoli eyeing Lukaku as Osimhen holds Arsenal talks

Italian news site Il Roma has shared an update on the 25-year-old this week, and it concerns Arsenal. They claim Osimhen has held talks to join Arsenal via his agent, with Napoli fully preparing for the African's departure amid the growing clamor for his services. He also has suitors in Saudi Arabia, specifically Al Hilal and Al Ahli, while Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain are "in the background".

Napoli have earmarked Lukaku as a top target to replace Osimhen, so it will be interesting to see if the Belgian's departure from Chelsea could actually help to greatly strengthen Arsenal's forward ranks.

Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford look set to be the two wingers that Manchester United will enter their new era with.

The Argentine enjoyed a fantastic 2023/24 campaign, developing into an irreplaceable ace, while the number ten struggled to live up to expectations.

Therefore, next season, both attackers will have a point to prove to not just themselves but also the fanbase and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a Man United target who outperformed the aforementioned duo last season.

Man Utd’s quest for attacking reinforcement

As per a report from Football Insider, Man United are very keen on bringing Eberechi Eze to Old Trafford.

The report says that the Crystal Palace star ‘ticks a lot of boxes for the new-look INEOS recruitment staff.’

However, Tottenham Hotspur are also extremely interested, and alongside the Red Devils, the two clubs are ‘ready to pay’ for Eze.

That said, the attacking midfielder has a release clause of £60m in his contract, which is a fee that the Eagles will demand this summer.

This is the same fee in Michael Olise’s contract, who has also been frequently linked with a move to Old Trafford this month.

How Eze compares to Rashford and Garnacho

There’s no two ways about it: last season, Eze was one of the most influential players in the entire Premier League.

Despite some of his campaign being hindered by injuries, he impressed every time he was on the field across his 24 league starts.

Whether the England international was operating as an attacking midfielder or even out wide on the left, his level of performance remained extremely high.

This is highlighted by his 11 goals and four assists, as well as the fact that he will feature for England at the European Championships this summer.

Goals

0.48

0.28

0.25

Assists

0.18

0.08

0.14

Shots

3.59

2.38

3.51

Key passes

2.37

0.91

1.61

Shot-creating actions

4.82

3.45

4.18

Successful take-ons

3.02

1.90

1.68

Tackles

1.53

0.75

0.77

As you can see, Eze’s output and overall performance were much better than those of Rashford and Garnacho last season.

First of all, Eze’s output is far superior, which is due to his ability to work his way into goal-scoring positions in central areas, whether that be in the box or on the edge of it.

Although his actual assist tally is rather low, Palace’s number ten is always the creative outlet in the side, using his excellent combination ability and vision to continuously create chances far more often than Rashford and Garnacho.

Yet, what makes Eze unstoppable at times is his ability to create a moment of magic out of nothing, mainly via his mesmerising dribbling and carrying of the ball.

As of right now, the two United wingers are much better when playing on the counterattack rather than against a settled defence, but Eze has the ability to unlock opponents in any game state.

On top of that, the England international works tirelessly off the ball to ensure his side aren’t vulnerable, often making tackles and regaining possession, much more than the United attacking duo.

Another aspect that makes Eze an ideal pick-up is that, according to FBref, he’s classified as a 'similar player' to Olise, which means that the Red Devils will be able to secure a fine alternative to the Frenchman this summer.

Indeed, it’s quite clear that Eze has all the attributes and character to thrive at Man United, and his £60m price tag is a rather fair representation of his quality.

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