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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta appears set to axe a “unique” player from his squad in January, and there is a real possibility that he could head out on loan.

Arsenal's rumoured transfer plans for 2025

While the Premier League title hopefuls attempt to finally beat Man City to domestic glory, after just missing out on number one spot in each of the last two seasons, sporting director Edu Gaspar and his transfer team continue their work on upgrading Arteta’s options.

£40m star who "dreams" of joining Arsenal now "hesitating" on new contract

He’s apparently reluctant to extend.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Oct 8, 2024

Rumours have circulated recently linking Arsenal with a new striker in 2025, despite Edu and Arteta ultimately deciding not to sign towards the end of the summer.

After missing out on RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko earlier in the window, with an Arsenal offer rejected by the player, it is believed the Gunners could still go back in for Slovenia’s rising star.

Arsenal have already made contact over Sesko, as they plan a potential swoop for him next year, according to some reports, but he is by no means the only striker on their agenda. As well as Sesko, reports claim Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram, Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres and Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush are other strikers linked with moves to Arsenal.

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran was a reported target for north London chiefs too, but the Colombian’s new deal could make a transfer that much more difficult to do, especially in January.

As well as potential new additions, the winter window represents an opportunity to offload players and make space. One player who seems destined for the chopping block is left-back Kieran Tierney.

Loan on the cards with Tierney "no longer" in Arsenal's plans

As per reliable journalist Charles Watts, writing via his Dailybriefing, Arsenal could allow Tierney to go out on loan in January once he recovers from a hamstring injury, which has kept him sidelined since Euro 2024.

“Had that injury not happened, I’m sure Tierney would have been playing for another club right now,” said Watts.

“That was certainly the plan anyway, following his loan spell with Real Sociedad last season. But the injury put an end to any chances of a move and the focus now is on the left-back getting himself back fully fit ahead of the January window.

“He’s not in Mikel Arteta’s plans anymore. That’s been clear for a long time and Tierney accepts that. There is no animosity there. He knows the club has moved on and that his qualities as a left-back are not what Arsenal need in the system that they play.

“He has been included in Arsenal’s Premier League squad for the season so he could play once fit, but I struggle to really see that happening. He will hope to get a move in January, probably on loan.”

Called a “unique” player by Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, the writing appears on the wall for Tierney, especially with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber all capable of playing in his position.

Yesterday was a momentous day for Aston Villa as the club found out their opponents for the upcoming Champions League campaign.

Boss Unai Emery has transformed the club since his appointment back in November 2022, leading the club to the Europa Conference League last season, before finishing in the top four of the Premier League last season.

The Villans will face the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus in the competition this season – an unthinkable feat before the appointment of the Spaniard a couple of years ago.

The club have been in the market to strengthen the squad to cope with the added fixtures, with Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen the two highest-profile additions during the transfer window.

However, Emery’s side may be about to add another top talent to the first team, with rumours about a potential big-money addition arriving at Villa Park before the deadline at 11pm tonight.

Aston Villa transfer news

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke for Football Insider, Aston Villa are interested in signing Barcelona’s Brazilian winger Raphinha in an attempt to further improve the forward line.

The 27-year-old arrived in Spain back in 2022 from Leeds United, but there have been rumours about his future all summer despite his impressive form last season that saw him register 21 goal contributions in all competitions.

The report states that the Villans could take advantage of the LaLiga side’s financial issues, with Raphinha considered as a replacement for Moussa Diaby, who departed for Saudi Arabia earlier this summer.

He’s previously been touted with a £50m transfer during the ongoing window, but is yet to receive an official proposal for his services, with any bid for the Brazilian star set to be a signal of intent from Emery’s side.

A move for the former Leeds star could allow the Villa boss to sign a new version of a player who has set the Premier League alight in recent years.

Why Raphinha could be Emery’s new Saka

During his time as Arsenal boss Emery handed winger Bukayo Saka his first-team debut at the Emirates, with the Englishman going on to achieve big things in North London.

The 22-year-old enjoyed his best campaign in England’s top flight last season, registering 25 goal contributions in his 35 appearances – undoubtedly making him one of the most threatening attackers in the division.

However, a move for Raphinha – who Xavi dubbed "one of the best players in the world" – could allow the 52-year-old to have a new version of the England international, with the Brazilian a similar player to the Arsenal star, as per FBref.

When delving into their respective stats from 2023/24, the comparison is understandable, with the Barca star equalling or even bettering Saka in numerous key areas.

Games played

28

35

Goals + assists

15

25

Shots taken

3.8

3.2

Shots on target

1.3

1

Shot-creating actions

5.9

5.8

Take-on success

52%

40%

Pass accuracy

75%

75%

The “world-class” talent, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, may have registered fewer combined goal contributions last season, but he did manage more shots and shots on target per 90 – showcasing that he still has the ability to cause chaos in the final third.

He also completed more take-ons, whilst also matching the Arsenal star with his pass accuracy – demonstrating the talent he possesses with the ball at his feet in attacking areas.

Although £50m would be another huge fee spent by Villa, it would demonstrate the ambition of the club, with Emery able to attract an elite-level star to the West Midlands.

He could undoubtedly be an upgrade on the current crop of players in wide areas, allowing the club to have the greatest chance possible of replicating their successes from last season.

He was perfect for Rogers: Villa's top target set to sign for another club

He has previously played for the club

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 30, 2024

Another Sunderland player is set to miss his side’s Championship clash with Plymouth Argyle this weekend, according to manager Regis Le Bris.

Sunderland suffer Abdullahi injury blow

The Black Cats are looking to continue their pre-international break form on Saturday afternoon, as they make the trip to lowly Plymouth. Another win would make it five victories in a row for Le Bris’ side, which would further suggest that they are genuine promotion contenders this season.

Ahead of Sunderland’s long trip to the south west, they have been dealt a blow with the news that summer signing Ahmed Abdullahi will be out for the foreseeable future, potentially even missing as much as three months of action.

Le Bris himself has given an update on the situation, saying: “Ahmed is different because he will have surgery. He will probably have ten to 12 weeks off the pitch. It wasn’t so clear when we signed him. We need an expert to understand exactly what the problem was. Now, we know. The diagnosis is clear and it will be solved after this surgery.”

Sunderland will know the importance of keeping players fit throughout the season, with fitness woes having the potential to derail any campaign, and another individual is now also confirmed to be unavailable for the Plymouth game this weekend.

Sunderland also without Salis Abdul Samed vs Plymouth

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Thursday [via Sunderland AFC News], Le Bris said that new loan signing Salis Abdul Samed also won’t be available for selection for another week or 10 days, despite returning to training. “Salis is now training in the first part of the sessions, and he will be available for selection in eight or ten days.”

It makes sense for Le Bris not to rush Samed into the team too quickly, as he searches for full fitness in training, but it’s still a shame not to have him in contention to feature this weekend, even if it was from the substitutes’ bench.

The 24-year-old has the potential to be an important signing for Sunderland, coming in on a season-long loan deal from Lens, looking to give them an extra spark in midfield. He is a 19-cap Ghana international, which immediately stands out when assessing his pedigree, and he has also made 91 appearances in Ligue 1, showing that he can perform in one of Europe’s big five leagues, while Ghana manager Otto Addo has said of him:

“The way Abdul Salis was running and how he controlled the game was really, really impressive. But all the others did well too. To hold them with ten-men in their half and pin them was a massive thing. We had good possessions; we helped and supported each other in the right timing, especially Abdul Salis.”

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Sep 12, 2024

Hopefully, Samed’s debut won’t be too far away, perhaps coming at home to Middlesbrough next weekend (Saturday, 12.30pm), should he show enough progress in training in the coming days.

حدد نادي الزمالك، موعد سفر المدافع التونسي حمزة المثلوثي، إلى إلمانيا، لإجراء عملية الرباط الصليبي بعد الإصابة التي تعرض لها خلال الفترة الماضية.

وكان حمزة المثلوثي تعرض للإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي الأمامي للركبة اليمنى، خلال مباراة مودرن سبورت بالجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وتقرر سفر التونسي حمزة المثلوثي، إلى ألمانيا غداً الإثنين بصحبة الدكتور محمد أسامة رئيس الجهاز الطبي للفريق، تمهيداً لخضوع اللاعب لجراحة الرباط الصليبي.

وأنهى مسؤولو نادي الزمالك كافة الإجراءات الخاصة بسفر حمزة المثلوثي ورئيس الجهاز الطبي خلال الساعات الماضية.

يذكر، أن فريق الزمالك يحتل المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 20 نقطة.

Everton could reportedly complete the signing of a "special" £20m player as soon as this week, although his current club are still holding firm.

Everton transfer news

Kalvin Phillips has emerged as a possible addition at Goodison Park this summer, with a replacement for Amadou Onana likely to be found as the Belgian closes in on a move to fellow Premier League side Aston Villa.

In fact, Phillips has even been endorsed by teammate and former Blues hero John Stones, who has waxed lyrical over the Englishman's ability on the ball being an underrated asset, saying: "Easily his range of passing and how he’s always in the right place on the pitch, his positioning and some of the passes he plays [are] outrageous."

Meanwhile, Colombia midfielder Richard Rios has also been linked with a move to Everton in the current transfer window, although Leicester City are reportedly ahead of them in the race, acting as a nuisance to Sean Dyche. He could join Napoli winger Jesper Lindstrom as another addition, in what could be turning into a positive summer.

In fact, the latter has emerged as someone to come in alongside Leeds United youngster Wilfried Gnonto, who the Blues have seemingly shown interest in all summer long.

Everton could sign "special" player this week

According to a fresh update from TEAMtalk, Everton could now complete the signing of Gnonto from Leeds as early as this week, with three new additions potentially even on the cards.

The Italian remains keen on joining the Blues having failed to earn promotion from the Championship last season, and they are willing to pay £20m for his services. That being said, Leeds are holding out for £25m, so it may not be easy to get a deal over the line.

However, it is thought that talks are progressing well, while it has been stated that a deal where an extra £5m is payable through add-ons could be what Leeds require to shake hands with Everton.

Gnonto may have been outshone in many ways by Crysencio Summerville last season, with the Dutchman being named the Championship's best player, but the former is an excellent young talent in his own right – one who already has 13 caps to his name for Italy, which is no mean feat at the age of 20.

Meanwhile, former Leeds coach Michael Skubala made it clear what he thinks of the young winger in the past, saying: "He’s a great lad, he’s a special player. He’s a credit to Leeds, he’s a credit to himself and he’s a really nice player to work with."

Should the Whites hold out for £25m, Everton could still get a good deal given Gnonto's age and the fact that he could be worth far more than that over time, giving Dyche a hugely exciting young player in his ranks in the process.

Ex-Everton CEO says Dyche could now sign £150k-p/w player to replace Onana

He could be a shrewd successor to the Belgian.

By
Henry Jackson

Jul 22, 2024

He is still a raw footballer, so Blues supporters would have to accept that his end product could remain erratic to begin with, but he has already shown that he can handle the Premier League, registering six goal contributions in 24 appearances.

Two games in, and it would be fair to say that Arsenal's pre-season preparations are going rather well thus far.

A team full of youngsters drew and then beat a nearly full-strength Bournemouth side on penalties last week, and then a slightly stronger team ran out 2-1 victors against Manchester United in the early hours of Sunday morning thanks to goals from Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.

While a good portion of the squad are now back together, a number of the Spanish and English contingents, including club poster boy Bukayo Saka, are still on holiday due to their run to the final of the Euros.

The Hale End superstar has barely had a moment's rest over the last few years, so signing some genuine competition is a priority this summer, a priority that, based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co are tackling.

Arsenal transfer news

According to the Sunday edition of Mundo Deportivo via Sport Witness, Arsenal have reignited their interest in Barcelona ace Raphinha.

The report claims that the Gunners are prepared to make an offer worth around €50m – £42m – for the Brazilian winger this summer. However, the report also reveals that Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have already made a €65m offer, which converts to about £55m.

Yet, the good news for the Gunners is that the winger has no interest in moving to the Middle Eastern league at the moment.

Getting the former Leeds United star out of Barcelona this summer could prove costly, but given his talent and Arsenal's need for a Saka rival, it may well be worth it.

How Raphinha compares to Saka

So, if Arsenal are going to splash north of £40m on Raphinha to be the perfect competition for Saka this summer, he'll need to be able to come into the side and maintain a high level of performance on the right, even if there is a slight drop-off.

In which case, how does he compare to the Englishman? Well, when it comes to their output last season, the Hale End superstar predictably comes out on top. However, the Brazilian's numbers are still impressive and suggest he'd be able to perform at a high level for Arteta when needed.

For example, in his 47 appearances for the North Londoners last season, the Ealing-born gem scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.38 games – simply world-class.

In comparison, the "extraordinary" Barça ace, as dubbed by former manager Xavi, scored ten goals and provided 13 assists in 37 appearances for the Blaugrana, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.60 games.

So, with it clear that the former Leeds star wouldn't be a dramatic downgrade in terms of pure output, how does he hold up when we look at their underlying numbers?

Raphinha vs Saka

Stats per 90

Raphinha

Saka

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.81

0.65

Progressive Passes

3.75

3.89

Progressive Carries

3.22

4.78

Shots

3.82

3.14

Shots on Target

1.32

0.96

Passing Accuracy

75.3%

75.6%

Passes into the Final Third

2.57

1.20

Passes into the Penalty Area

2.11

2.25

Key Passes

2.70

2.81

Shot-Creating Actions

5.86

5.80

Goal-Creating Actions

0.86

0.65

Tackles Won

0.53

1.08

Blocks

1.12

1.33

Clearances

0.72

0.74

Successful Take-Ons

1.58

1.51

Aerial Duels Won

0.59

0.71

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

Interestingly, while the Porto Alegre-born dynamo once again comes out a close second, he does emerge victorious in several important metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, shots and shots on target, passes into the final third, shot and goal-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Ultimately, given Saka's incredible ability, mentality, and consistency, it will be tough for Arsenal to find another rightwinger who is good enough to seriously challenge him for a place in the starting lineup. However, based on his output and underlying numbers, Raphinha might well be the club's best bet for a winger who could get close enough.

Related Arsenal struck gold on "pure talent" now worth way more than Smith Rowe

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Therefore, Edu and Co must do what they can to bring the Barça star to the Emirates this summer, as signing someone who would allow the club's talismanic number seven to rest more next season is of paramount importance.

He was asked whether farmers were finding space in conversations in India’s dressing room

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2021A day after India’s cricket establishment joined a Twitter conversation on the ongoing farmers’ protest in the country, captain Virat Kohli said the issue has been discussed within the India team. He said everyone had, in a team meeting, “expressed their views” on the issue, which has dominated national headlines for several weeks.Kohli, speaking to the media before the first Test against England, did not disclose details of the conversation. “We briefly discussed it in the team meeting. Everyone expressed their opinion, that’s about it,” he said.Kohli, and many of India’s leading cricket figures – including Sachin Tendulkar and team coach Ravi Shastri – tweeted on the issue on Wednesday, and his statements on Thursday were in response to a question on that. He was asked whether, given those tweets, farmers were finding space in conversations in the dressing room.The tweets, which were all posted within a few hours of each other on Wednesday evening, had a common theme of calling for unity among Indians. Most of the tweets, and those at the same time by Bollywood actors and other celebrities, bore common hashtags: #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda.

Let us all stay united in this hour of disagreements. Farmers are an integral part of our country and I'm sure an amicable solution will be found between all parties to bring about peace and move forward together. #IndiaTogether

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) February 3, 2021