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Gary Lineker has named the “natural” choice to replace Harry Kane as England captain, with Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka in that discussion.

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• Kane has filled armband since 2018
• Questions asked of ongoing presence
• Bellingham & Saka in captaincy debate

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern Munich striker Kane was named Three Lions skipper shortly before the 2018 World Cup. He has gone on to become his country’s all-time leading scorer, with 69 goals to his name, while leading them to back-to-back European Championship finals.

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  Questions are, however, being asked of Kane’s ongoing presence at 31 years of age – with the prolific frontman facing competition from more mobile attacking rivals. If he were to slip out of the starting XI, as Thomas Tuchel prepares to inherit managerial reins, then the armband would need to be passed on.

• WHAT LINEKER SAID

  Discussing who could take over on the podcast, ex-England striker Lineker said: “Jude Bellingham or Declan Rice. I would go with Bellingham, I think he’s the natural one.”

  When it was put to him that a prominent figure at Arsenal could also be in the mix, Lineker added: “I was just about to mention Saka, he’s a possibility. Resilience, brilliant football, he’s always going to play even with all this talent England have got. It’s not a bad shout but I would go for Jude, I would go for Bellingham.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Lineker, who scored 48 goals for the Three Lions between 1984 and 1992, has previously said of why Kane could be phased out by England: “He’s in his 30s now. When I was 30, 31, my legs started to go. I retired from international football at 32. At 31 that was happening [legs going] and it’s horrible, it’s horrible.”

A senior Tottenham first-team player has agreed to leave north London after Bryan Gil, with talks advanced and a deal now described as imminent.

Bryan Gil seals loan move to Girona as he leaves Tottenham

Gil became the latest official departure from Spurs amid a summer of many outgoings, with manager Ange Postecoglou sticking to his guns and orchestrating the overhaul he hinted at earlier this year.

Tottenham have been in talks with £100k-per-week forward's camp for months

The Lilywhites regularly contact his representatives.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 26, 2024

Postecoglou suggested that a few players would be leaving Tottenham this summer, claiming that the club need to undergo drastic change and not everybody will be along for the ride – going on to draw a comparison with Arsenal and Liverpool.

"We need change. Change has to happen," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's need to evolve.

"You can’t want to alter your course and expect the same people are going to be on that. It’s just not going to happen. We’ve had two windows and we’ve had some development of players, for sure, but when I say we’ve still got a long way to go, that’s what I’m talking about.

"It’s impossible to say you’re going to have drastic change and yet expect everyone to be on that journey. It’s not for the want of trying. It’s just that we’re going to play a certain way, we’re going to train a certain way and we’re going to have a certain mindset.

"And that’s not for everyone. Whether it’s Liverpool or Arsenal, if you look at the beginning of their journeys, by the time they win the competition or have success, the team’s almost unrecognisable."

While Gil's move to Girona is temporary on paper, the Spaniard signed a new contract which includes a release clause of around £12.6 million (Fabrizio Romano) – giving the La Liga side or any other suitors a chance to snap him up next summer for a fairly reasonable fee.

The 23-year-old will help to fill the void left by Savinho on his season-long loan, coming after the Brazilian joined Girona's sister club and Premier League champions Man City. Following Gil, it appears very likely that the next player to depart N17 will be right-back Emerson Royal.

Emerson Royal agrees AC Milan terms with Tottenham exit imminent

According to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, Emerson has agreed terms to join AC Milan and his Spurs exit is imminent.

Talks are finally at an advanced stage for the 25-year-old, with Milan having been negotiating over a deal to sign the Brazilian for a long time. The Rossoneri had a bid rejected for him "several weeks ago", but both Tottenham and the Serie A side are close to shaking hands on a total agreement.

Postecoglou has apparently deemed Emerson surplus to requirements, despite the lack of an alternative for Pedro Porro on that side of his backline.

Reports in Italy back this claim from FI and Veysey, with Gianluca Di Marzio writing that Milan have submitted an improved offer of around £11.6-12.6 million with add-ons and hope they can finalise a deal this week.

Celtic have less than a month to go before the summer transfer window slams shut and they must move quickly to complete the rest of the business that they want to do.

Brendan Rodgers has added three new players to his group so far and two of those – Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo – have come in to compete for the number one position, after Joe Hart's retirement at the end of last season.

The only outfield addition has been central midfielder Paulo Bernardo. He joined on a permanent transfer from Benfica earlier this month, after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead from the Portuguese side.

Another former Hoops loanee now looks set to put pen to paper on a long-term contract with the club, as Adam Idah is closing in on a return to Glasgow.

Sky Sports claim that the Scottish Premiership champions have agreed a deal worth up to £9.5m with Norwich City for the centre-forward, which includes a guaranteed £8.5m fee, a further £1m in add-ons, and a 15% sell-on clause for the Canaries.

The club's current record transfer fee stands at the £9m paid to Paris Saint-Germain for Odsonne Edouard in 2018, which means that Idah could end up being a club-record signing if all of those add-ons are activated.

Celtic now eyeing left-back target

With a deal for Idah seemingly on the verge of completion, Celtic have now set their sights on a swoop for a left-back to bolster their defensive options.

According to DaveOCKOP, Rodgers is keen to complete a permanent deal to sign Owen Beck from Liverpool before the end of the summer window.

The report claims that the Hoops are one of three teams in the race to land the Welsh full-back in the last few weeks before the deadline passes at the end of this month.

It states that English Championship sides Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United are also interested in signing the 22-year-old starlet, which means that Celtic face plenty of competition for his signature.

DaveOCKOP adds that a fee of around £3m would be enough to tempt the Premier League giants into cashing in on him, but the Bhoys are not near that figure as of yet.

It also reveals that Liverpool's preference would be for him to put pen to paper on a new contract at Anfield before going back out on loan, with Leeds and QPR both willing to snap him up on a temporary basis to improve their respective squads.

Who Owen Beck would be competing with at Celtic

If Rodgers does win the race to land the young talent from his former club then he would be competing with Greg Taylor for a starting berth at left-back.

The Scotland international is currently the only senior left-sided full-back in the Celtic squad as it stands, with Alexandro Bernabei out on loan, and this means that he does not have any competition for his position.

Taylor has had a solid start to the current campaign, with one assist and two clean sheets in two starts in the Premiership, and was a reliable performer for the Scottish giants in the division last term.

The 26-year-old ace provided a creative threat down the left flank whilst also being relatively solid defensively for Celtic, as they won the league title.

As you can see in the table above, Taylor almost created two chances per game for Rodgers' side and won the majority of his duels on the deck, although he struggled slightly when dealing with aerial challenges.

The Scottish dynamo did struggle, however, in Europe as his performances across six starts in the Champions League left a lot to be desired.

He did not create a single 'big chance' for his teammates and made just 0.7 key passes per game. In fact, Taylor was dribbled past as many times per game (0.7) as he created chances, whilst he also gave away one penalty.

This suggests that the defender failed to make the step up to Europe's premier competition, which may be why Rodgers wants another left-back to compete with him.

Why Celtic should sign Owen Beck

Celtic should now work hard to secure a £3m permanent deal for Beck from Liverpool before the end of the window because he could come in as an upgrade on Taylor.

The Welsh whiz, who was hailed as "spectacular" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, spent the majority of the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Dundee in the Premiership.

This means that the Reds youngster is already a proven performer in Scotland and would not need time to adapt to the country and division, as he has already showcased his quality at that level.

Beck caught the eye in Liverpool's academy, with a return of two goals and 11 assists in 54 U21 matches at left-back, and carried that form over to senior level with Dundee last term.

As you can see in the table above, the £3m-rated star created more chances per game on average and stood out defensively with a higher duel success rate and far more tackles and interceptions combined per match in comparison to Taylor.

This suggests that Beck outperformed the Celtic left-back in and out of possession throughout the Premiership season, with more creativity, more quality in transition with his dribbling skills, and more solidity defensively.

This was backed up by Beck's inclusion in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year ahead of Taylor, which shows that their peers deemed the Dundee sensation to be the best player in his position in the league.

Rodgers must ruthlessly replace Celtic man who left Kyogo "frustrated"

The Hoops have been linked with new signings in his position during the summer window.

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By
Dan Emery

Aug 11, 2024

Therefore, Celtic could improve their team by swooping to sign Beck, who also has plenty of years left to develop and improve at the age of 22, and that could also help their chances in the Champions League if he can offer more than the Scottish defender did.

The Gunners seem to be running out of ideas when it comes to scoring goals, criticism growing over set pieces

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The accidental rollout of X's AI image generator was quickly seized upon by football fans towards the back end of last week. There was one notable picture which did the rounds even after Elon Musk and Co. managed to shut their beta test down again.

There, at a sunny Emirates Stadium, stood Arsenal's three best players; Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and captain Martin Odegaard front and centre. Except they were not dressed in their usual Gunners shirts, rather those of a crude resemblance to Stoke City.

Arsenal's penchant for set-piece goals, particularly the two which saw them beat Manchester United to nil a fortnight ago, has seen them derogatorily labelled as the second coming of Tony Pulis' Potters. Indeed, further AI images portraying Mikel Arteta shaking hands with Stoke's favourite cap-donning son, with Arsene Wenger watching on in horror, have also done the rounds.

That's a tad disingenuous to a team who have finished second in the Premier League for two seasons running and remain in this year's title fight. But after Saturday's dismal 0-0 draw at home to Everton, valid concerns have been raised over how Arsenal plan to score goals from open play.

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  Arteta on the defensive

  Prior to last Wednesday's 3-0 win at home to Monaco in the Champions League, Arteta was asked whether too much of Arsenal's style was dictated around their advantages on set plays. To disarm the press, he explained, using two small water bottles, how those from the outside like to view open play and set piece goals as two separate entities, whereas he sees the situation as one larger water bottle which contains both. You can't have one without the other was essentially his message.

  To their credit, Arsenal looked at their scintillating best to see off Monaco, with Saka particularly shining. It's why it was so strange this game was sandwiched between two Premier League outings in which the north Londoners showed very little bite in the final third.

  Saturday's stalemate with Everton was the third Premier League match in succession in which Arsenal failed to score from open play. This stat was put to Arteta post-match, and he did not take kindly to it. "We score three from open play three days ago, so?" was his response.

  If you were to give Arteta the benefit of the doubt, you would say he's protecting his players amid this relative slump. Those with more cynicism, and perhaps more reality when it comes to talking about a title challenger, would see it as ignorance.

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  What the numbers say

  No Premier League side has created more expected goals (xG) from set pieces than Arsenal through 16 rounds of fixtures, yet they rank in the bottom half for that stat when only accounting for open play. Arsenal also lag way behind their rivals when it comes to live passes leading to goals, with their total of 34 way down from stat-leaders Chelsea (49), as well as six other sides, including relegation-battling Wolves.

  It's not as if their total goal numbers are particularly impressive either. With 29 goals so far, they are on course to score roughly 69 across the 38-game campaign, which would be a marked decrease on their totals from the last two seasons – 88 in 2022-23 and 91 in 2023-24.

  The added threat of set-piece dominance is a useful weapon in Arsenal's, well, arsenal. It shouldn't be their go-to strategy regardless of that proficiency.

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  Eye test is also damning

  What weakens Arteta's argument against Arsenal's detractors of late are that his side simply don't look the same as their previous iterations. The Gunners of the last two seasons could rip through deep blocks and were demons in transition, but those strengths have faded as time has gone on.

  Part of that is perhaps related to their natural progression. When Arteta's Arsenal first announced themselves as genuine title challengers, it was a fun and exciting story of a sleeping giant waking. That novelty is gone both inside and outside the club.

  Teams don't afford them the same freedom. Opponents show them far more respect, which is precisely why Everton sought to take the sting out of Saturday's affair from minute one. It couldn't be a back-and-forth contest otherwise they would lose. In contrast, the new threats of Arne Slot's Liverpool and Enzo Maresca's Chelsea have not yet been fully figured out by the rest of the Premier League, making Arsenal look outdated even by their young standards.

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  Summer of missed opportunity

  Fine, hindsight is 20/20, but Arsenal's summer transfer window is starting to look ominously like a missed opportunity. Their new additions have added little to the squad from last season, with returning 2023 signing Jurrien Timber following an ACL injury their most notable upgrade across the squad.

  Bringing in Euro 2024 star and versatile defender Riccardo Calafiori made sense from a quality standpoint, though what Arsenal didn't need was another unreliable fitness bet at the back. Ability isn't quite the best availability (don't let recent social media trends fool you, it just isn't) but you need some level of reliance to actually play for extended stretches, which the Italian didn't at all prior to his one-year stint at Bologna.

  In midfield, Arsenal thought they were bringing in the perfect partner for Declan Rice in Mikel Merino. He boasted previous Premier League experience and played a key role for Spain at the Euros, yet he has proven underwhelming when whoever taking on this role really needed to hit the ground running.

  Gabriel Jesus' inability to rediscover the form of his debut season in north London led many to believe Arsenal would go big for a striker heading into 2024-25. Instead, they chose to keep their powder dry. Previously linked targets Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen headed elsewhere. Alexander Isak remained at Newcastle, his compatriot Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting CP. Arteta hedged his bets on Kai Havertz to continue his hot-streak from the end of the previous season and Jesus to improve again, only for neither to live up to the required billing for a team in with a chance of the title.

  The regression of Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal's quickest and most-lively forward, has added to their woes. The Brazilian is lacking that wicked ingenuity he boasted when he broke out, that ruthless streak which saw him score 15 goals in a single Premier League season before. Now, he quickly draws the ire of an unforgiving Emirates Stadium crowd and has lost so much confidence he looks unrecognisable to the prospect who once terrorised defences.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim admitted that he could be sacked amid his struggles to reverse Red Devils’ slump.

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• United went down 2-0 to Wolves
• Amorim has failed to ignite a revival
• Manager admitted that he could be shown the door

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amorim, who joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon for a £9.2 million buyout fee, has endured a challenging start. Under his tenure, the team has lost five out of their ten matches, prompting concerns about the manager’s ability to steer the club back on course. His appointment came with high expectations, especially considering United’s decision to pay an additional £900,000 beyond his buyout clause to secure him mid-season. However, the results have fallen short of expectations, with the team struggling to adapt to Amorim’s methods in the limited time available.

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  WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Speaking candidly about the situation, Amorim admitted that no manager at Manchester United can afford to feel secure, given the pressures and stakes involved.

  "I know the business that I'm in," said Amorim. "The manager of Manchester United can never, no matter what, be comfortable. I know that if we don't win, regardless, if they pay the buyout or not, I know that every manager is in danger. I like that because that is the job, so I understand the question. You can argue that I have been here one month and I’ve had four training (sessions), but we are not winning. That is the reality and I'm quite comfortable with that."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amorim admitted that the transition has been more difficult than expected but is focused on "the job" – to win matches as quickly as possible.

  "There’s no point talking about that or thinking about that. I’m here and have to focus on the job," he added.

  "It’s part of football to have these difficult moments. I already knew that was going to be tough. You expect to win more games, to have players with more confidence to sell the idea and to work and improve things. At this moment it's really hard. We have to survive to have time and then to improve the team."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Adding to United’s woes, they will face an in-form Newcastle United on Monday without two key players. Captain Bruno Fernandes will miss the match following his red card in the 2-0 loss to Wolves on Boxing Day, while midfielder Manuel Ugarte is suspended after accumulating his fifth booking of the season. The team’s recent run of three consecutive defeats has only amplified the pressure on Amorim. A victory against Newcastle at Old Trafford would be crucial for regaining momentum and easing the scrutiny surrounding the manager's position.

It's been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far this year, as while Mikel Arteta's side looked good in preseason and kicked off their Premier League campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, there is still some trepidation among the fanbase.

The reason why? A lack of business in the transfer market. So far, the only new addition to the first-team squad has been Riccardo Calafiori, and while Mikel Merino looks like a nailed-on deal, the club haven't added to the frontline.

The North Londoners ended last season with five goals fewer than Manchester City, and so there is an understandable level of concern among supporters that if Edu Gaspar and Co do not add to the attack in the next eight days, they'll have to make do with second place for a third year on the bounce.

Fortunately, reports suggest that the club are now looking to bring in a new striker, someone who would be their best forward since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Arsenal's striker search

According to a recent report from Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Arsenal have rejoined the race for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The report claims that after looking for attacking reinforcements elsewhere, notably in Lisbon, the Gunners have returned to the fray and are once again interested in signing the Nigerian star, but not at the original €130m – £110m – price that the Neapolitan club demanded previously.

The good news is that according to the story, the I Partenopei are now open to letting their goalscoring machine leave for closer to €100m, which converts to the much more reasonable sum of £85m.

It would still require a significant investment from Arsenal to get this transfer over the line, but given Osimhen's quality, it would be worth it, especially as he could become their best striker since Aubameyang.

Why Osimhen could be Arsenal's next Aubameyang

Now, while we believe that Osimhen has the ability and potential to become Arsenal's next Aubameyang, we mean in the sense that he'd be a game-changing goalscoring machine for the Gunners, not that he'd flame out of the club and leave under a dark cloud.

Before things turned sour in North London for the Gabonese icon, he was one of the best strikers in Europe, let alone England, and looked set to become a bonafide legend at the Emirates.

For example, in July 2020, he became the fastest player in the club's history to reach 50 Premier League goals, doing it in just 79 matches – four faster than Thierry Henry – and left the club with 92 goals and 21 assists to his name in 163 appearances.

He also guided the North Londoners to their only trophy in the last seven years, scoring both goals in the Gunners' 2-1 win over Chelsea in the 2020 FA Cup final.

In all, while it ended depressingly, Aubameyang was an incredible striker for Arsenal when he was at his best, and based on the last couple of years, there is no reason to think that the Napoli star couldn't replicate some of that form should he make the move this summer.

For example, in the 2022/23 season, the 25-year-old goalscoring "monster", as dubbed by data analyst Raj Chohan, led the Italian giants to their first Serie A title in over 30 years while scoring 31 goals and providing five assists in 39 matches across all competitions, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.08 games.

Last season was less successful for the former LOSC Lille ace, yet he still found the back of the net on 17 occasions and provided four assists in just 32 appearances, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.52 games.

Lastly, in just 35 senior caps for the Super Eagles, the Lagos-born marksman has scored 21 goals and provided 11 assists, which equates to a ludicrous average of a goal involvement every 1.09 games.

Ultimately, while it would be a costly deal to get done, Osimhen looks like he could become Arsenal's best striker since Aubameyang. Therefore, Edu and Co should do what they can to bring him to the Emirates this summer before someone else gets to him first.

Arsenal could send Martinelli packing with "sizzling" £34m sensation

The “unstoppable” attacker would be a brilliant addition to the Gunners’ attack, although perhaps not for the Brazilian.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 19, 2024

Everton are not going to ignore Neal Maupay's recent behaviour poking fun at his parent club.

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• Everton to act on Maupay dig
• Striker knocked parent club on X
• Currently on loan at Marseille

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to trusted Everton source, Alan Myers, the Toffees are "aware" of of Maupay's post laughing at the club's struggles this season. With the Frenchman still under contract, despite being on loan at Marseille, they will address and deal with the matter "internally and privately".

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  Maupay hit headlines on Sunday when he took to social media and said: "Whenever I'm having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile." It came after the Toffees, who signed the striker from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022, had been beaten at home by Nottingham Forest to sit only three points above the relegation zone. He scored just once for Everton in 32 appearances, before spending last season on loan at former club Brentford, and then joining Marseille on loan in August 2024.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Maupay is still technically an Everton player, with a contract that runs to 2026. But his Marseille loan includes an obligation to buy that will make the move a permanent one come summer. Reports have suggested the fee could be as low as £3 million ($3.8m), but may rise to £10m ($12.5m) dependent on variables throughout the season.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Maupay, a regular starter for Marseille since the start of November, will have to wait for Everton's assessment of the situation, although given his willingness to publicly attack the club he may not be all that worried. The terms of his loan mean he won't return to Everton at the end of the season, so for all intents and purposes the relationship is already broken and likely can't be fixed.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly a big admirer of one Gunners talent who's yet to make his senior debut, and he could now feature in their looming north London derby clash at Tottenham when the Premier League resumes.

Tottenham vs Arsenal team news

Following their 1-1 draw with Brighton at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, Arteta will be desperate to come away from N17 with nothing but all three points, as they look to finally beat Man City to the title this campaign.

Arteta plotting new Arsenal role for Havertz which will impact Sterling

The Spaniard is gearing up for a mouth-watering clash against Tottenham.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 5, 2024

Arsenal came close to ursurping City last season, accumulating 89 points, but that still wasn't enough to loosen Pep Guardiola's stranglehold on a division which City have won in the last four consecutive campaigns – a national record.

The Sky Blues have won all three of their opening league games in convincing displays, while Arsenal already dropped their first points of the new campaign against Brighton, with striker Joao Pedro cancelling out Kai Havertz's expertly taken lobbed finish.

A much more pressing concern for Arsenal ahead of their mouth-watering battle with Tottenham is the absence of star midfielder Declan Rice, who was controversially sent off for two bookable offences against Brighton, and thus suspended for their next game.

Meanwhile, summer signing Mikel Merino is also set to miss Arsenal's clash against Spurs, with the Spaniard out for nearly two months after fracturing his shoulder in training at London Colney.

Merino and Rice join versatile defender Takehiro Tomiyasu on the sidelines, who is also a serious doubt for the Tottenham game, and no return date is confirmed yet for the Japan international after he injured his knee in pre-season.

Tottenham have concerns as well, with Richarlison, Micky van de Ven and marquee summer signing Dominic Solanke missing their 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United last weekend.

The absences of Merino and Rice leave Arsenal quite short of options in the middle, and it is believed Arteta is plotting to drop Havertz into midfield so Raheem Sterling can play a false-nine role against Spurs.

Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand could make Arsenal debut at Tottenham

According to GiveMeSport, this midfield shortage could provide a breakthrough opportunity for promising young midfielder Salah-Eddine Oulad M'hand.

Ouland M'hand has been tipped to become Arsenal's next Jorginho, and the 21-year-old was named in Arteta's matchday squad to face Brighton. It is believed that Arteta is a real admirer of Ouland-M'hand's personal belief in his own ability, with the midfielder desperate to become one of the Premier League's next rising stars.

The Dutchman has impressed in the Gunners academy, scoring six goals and bagging a further four assists in 26 appearances for Arsenal's Under-21s.

His exploits and confidence behind-the-scenes mean Ouland M'hand could be handed his senior Arsenal debut against Tottenham, as per GMS, with the former Feyenoord academy gem also impressing in pre-season.

Newcastle have been credited with interest in making an early move for a star making waves in Serie A, with the Premier League seemingly his next destination.

Newcastle struggle in summer window

It was a tough summer for Newcastle United, who went into the window with high hopes of continuing their push to join the Premier League elite but ended it with a net profit of £22m.

Forced to part ways with young duo Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson for financial fair play reasons at the beginning of the window, Eddie Howe's side pushed hard to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, only to see several bids rejected and ending up without their no.1 centre-back target.

It meant that the Magpies spent just £43m across the summer, bringing in two goalkeepers as well as William Osula from Sheffield United, while Lloyd Kelly arrived on a free transfer after his contract at Bournemouth expired.

Speaking after the window, Sporting director Dan Ashworth put their lack of spending down to a "Newcastle tax" clubs applied knowing that they are backed by the wealthy Saudi Public Investment Fund, making them the richest club in world football on paper.

“The [Newcastle tax] was a real thing,” he explained. “It’s about setting precedents to the market that we will pay fair value for the right profile [of player] for sure.

“It shouldn’t be misconceived of a lack of ambition, I just think that’s the model you have to work in the modern game now. There’s a lot of common factors that we need to adjust to make sure we keep being sustainably successful."

But money is there to be spent, and now Newcastle have been tipped to dip into their reserves to battle two more Premier League clubs for an exciting teenager.

Newcastle join race for Patrick Dorgu

That comes as reports in Italy credit Newcastle with an interest in young Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu, who is impressing at club level and made his Denmark debut over the most recent international break.

The full back has three years left to run on his £2,000 a week deal with the Serie A side, but there are strong indications that he will not be seeing out his time with Lecce.

Newcastle star was worth just £2m in 2023, now he's worth 1350% more

He’s soaring toward stardom…

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 13, 2024

Tottenham and Chelsea have both previously been linked with a move for the young left-back, and as per Gazzetta della Sport [Via Sport Witness], Newcastle are now a side to "watch out" for.

They claim that any move for Dorgu could happen as early as January, with suitors hoping to use the winter window to agree a deal for that summer, while Dorgu would presumably remain in Italy for the second half of the campaign.

The defender is represented by CAA Base agency, who also work on behalf of current Newcastle skipper Kieran Trippier, among a whole host of other top flight names. He is thought to be valued in excess of €30m, but it is added that Lecce are willing to let him leave next year before they can become hostages to his contract running down and losing out on a potentially massive fee.

It remains to be seen whether Newcastle will opt to move for the versatile Dane, with Lewis Hall having only just arrived and ably supported by Dan Burn at left-back as things stand, while Matt Targett is also an option in that position.

However, the chance to sign one of Europe's hottest properties may prove too good to turn down, and his arrival would certainly represent a massive statement of intent on Tyneside.

Rio Ngumoha has become Liverpool's youngest ever FA Cup player as he was named in their starting XI to take on Accrington Stanley.

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• Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha starts against Accrington Stanley
• Winger turned 16 in August
• Becomes the club's youngest ever FA Cup player

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The winger only signed for the club in the summer but was listed in a side also featuring Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominic Szoboszlai and Diogo Jota at Anfield. Ngumoha is aged 16 years and 135 days old, breaking a club record that was only set last season when Trey Nyoni featured aged 16 years and eight months. He is also the youngest player to ever start for the Reds.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ngumoha joined Liverpool's academy from Chelsea in the summer, generally featuring for their Under-18s and in the UEFA Youth League. He has increasingly been involved in the first-team picture under Arne Slot, however, and was named on the bench for last month's Carabao Cup quarter-final win at Southampton. The 16-year-old was preferred to Federico Chiesa for the cup tie at Anfield, with Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo not involved.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ngumoha scored in the Under-17 Premier League cup final for Chelsea last season – and was heralded by Blues legend John Terry as a "top, top player" when he left the club. Speaking on an episode of Inside The Academy last year, Ngumoha revealed a desire to win the Ballon d'Or and become "one of the best players to ever play football".

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NGUMOHA AND LIVERPOOL?

  With Liverpool fighting on four fronts this season, more game time could be in the offing for their talented youngster. He may take advantage of a potential exit for Chiesa this month, while the Reds are also six points clear at the top of the Premier League and on the verge of qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League. More action is also likely in the UEFA Youth League, in which Liverpool sit 19th in the table and need points to secure qualification for the next stage.