Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is in contention to win the Championship PFA Player of the Year, along with two Leeds United stars.
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There are just eight Premier League games left for Arsenal this season, and with Liverpool just two points ahead, it's all still to play for.
Mikel Arteta's side came away from the Etihad with a hard-fought point last weekend and with all three against Luton Town after a number of changes to the lineup on Wednesday.
However, the prospect of an away game against Brighton & Hove Albion this evening is a whole nother kettle of fish, and so Arteta should look to drop Leandro Trossard to the bench after his mediocre display against the Hatters.
Leandro Trossard's performance vs Luton
The first thing to clear up is that Trossard wasn't bad on Wednesday night. Like a few of his teammates, he was simply underwhelming, and if the Gunners want to take all three points away from the Amex, underwhelming won't do.
This is an opinion shared by the Standard's Simon Collings, who gave the Belgian's performance a 6/10 on the night. He wrote that while he 'turned his opposite number inside out more than once,' he still 'looks best as a false nine', which is a position Kai Havertz will likely keep for some time.
Collings' perspective is one backed up by the 29-year-old's statistics on the night as in his 94 minutes of action, he registered an expected assists figure of 0.27 and succeeded in three of his four dribbles, but he also maintained a passing accuracy of just 80%, failed to register a shot on or off target, lost four of his eight duels, lost possession 13 times and completed just one cross.
Minutes
94'
Expected Goals
0.05
Expected Assists
0.27
Dribbles (Successful)
4 (3)
Shots on Target
0
Shots off Target
0
Touches
46
Accurate Passes
24/30 (80%)
Key Passes
1
Possession Lost
13
Fouls
1
Crosses (Successful)
2 (1)
Long Balls (Successful)
1 (0)
In all, it wasn't a performance that should see him keep his place in the team for tonight's must-win encounter on the south coast.
Why Gabriel Martinelli should start against Brighton
Yes, the electric Gabriel Martinelli should be brought back into the starting XI for today's game instead of Trossard.
There are a few reasons, with the first relating to their effectiveness on the left wing. In Martielli's 31 appearances on the left this season, he's scored eight goals and provided five assists, meaning that he's currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.3 games.
In comparison, the former Seagulls ace has scored six goals and provided just one assist from his 22 appearances out wide, meaning that he is averaging a goal involvement every 3.1 games.
Player
Martinelli
Trossard
Appearances
31
22
Goals
8
6
Assists
5
1
Goal Involvements per Match
2.3
3.1
Moreover, the gulf in output was present last season as well – albeit slightly less significant – with the former Ituano gem averaging a goal involvement every 2.2 games compared to the Belgian's average of every 2.5 games.
The second reason for starting the "sensational talent," as U23 scout Antonio Mango described him, is his speed.
From looking at the heatmaps of Brighton's two primary right-backs, Tariq Lamptey and Joël Veltman, it is clear that while Roberto De Zerbi likes to build out from the back, they do tend to venture forward fairly often, which means a rapid left-winger could exploit the space behind before firing a cross into the box or having a go themselves.
Therefore, it would make sense to start the player Havertz described as the fastest in the squad, ahead of the more technical but slower Trossard.
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Ultimately, Arsenal will remain the favourites for this game regardless of who starts, but Arteta could help tip the scales further in his favour by starting Martinelli on the left.
Manchester United have been linked with a huge double deal, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe thought to be pushing for a major club overhaul on and off the pitch this summer.
Since his arrival in December 2023, Ratcliffe has been laying down the law at Old Trafford. He has been responsible for the arrival of new CEO Omar Berrada, poached from major rivals and Premier League champions Manchester City.
He has also begun proceedings to sign a further two backroom staff members, though neither deal has yet been completed. Dan Ashworth, ex-Brighton transfer guru, is on gardening leave with Newcastle United after being approached by the Red Devils, and is expected to leave the Magpies in favour of Manchester United sooner rather than later, though a major stumbling block remains the £20m compensation that Eddie Howe's side are demanding.
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Ben Browning
Mar 12, 2024
Ratcliffe is also believed to be readying an approach for Crystal Palace Sporting Director Dougie Freedman, who would arrive at Old Trafford as the head of transfers ahead of the summer. Freedman is understood to be open to the move and Sir Alex Ferguson is also lending his weight to the deal, which could begin to move in earnest soon.
With those in the pipeline, attention has turned to the pitch, with the new United chief already plotting squad changes.
After a disappointing campaign, Manchester United are in need of a rebuild. The club look set to miss out on Champions League football for next season, and will likely be playing in the Europa League barring a drastic change in fortunes in the final ten games of the season.
As per the Manchester Evening News, as many as 21 players could depart in some capacity as the club look to trim their wage bill and get rid of players that are falling below the required standard.
That will, of course, require new signings to counterbalance departures, with a centre-back and central midfielder two of the key areas to fill before the new season.
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Manchester United's defensive options |
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Player |
Contract Expires |
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Raphael Varane |
2024 |
|
Harry Maguire |
2025 |
|
Lisandro Martinez |
2027 |
|
Jonny Evans |
2024 |
|
Willy Kambwala |
2025 |
|
Victor Lindelof |
2025 |
Previously, the club have been linked to a double signing from Everton this summer, but now new links suggest that they could have turned their attention elsewhere.
As per Sport Witness, United sent scouts to watch the clash between Atalanta and Bologna recently with two players firmly on the radar. The first of those is midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, who followed up his performance against Bologna with two goals against Juventus and has been wowing fans this season.
He wasn't the only Atalanta star who was under the microscope though, with defender Giorgio Scalvini also very much on their radar. Neither player would come cheap though. Reports in Italy have previously priced Koopmeiners at 60m euros and Scalvini at 50m euros.
With both positions in desperate need of being filled at Old Trafford, those prices suggest that a deal to bring the pair to the northwest of England would cost around £94m. It is added that the club are 'watching their performances closely' as they look to plot a 'rebuild' led by Ratcliffe this summer.
Given Tottenham's impressive Serie A signings in recent summers (Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevski to name but three), United may see the Italian top flight as a more cost-effective way to bring talent to Old Trafford rather than paying the extortionate prices their fellow Premier League clubs demand.
They won't be alone thinking that though, with Tottenham likely to continue plundering from the Italian top flight and Juventus always lurking in the background.
Sarina Wiegman has shut down rumours suggesting she could replace Gareth Southgate as the new England manager.
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Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson believes Tottenham could strike an "easy" deal for a 22-year-old star this summer.
Spurs identify new midfielder as priority signing
Going by the plethora of recent reports out of N17, Spurs seem to have identified the signing of a new midfielder as one of their priorities.
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Spurs are apparently very keen on the £60 million man.
ByEmilio Galantini Feb 28, 2024
Indeed, Juventus star Adrien Rabiot, Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong, Chelsea's Conor Gallagher and Everton's James Garner – plus Atalanta duo Ederson and Teun Koopmeiners – are all midfielders linked with moves to Tottenham from the past fortnight.
Gallagher in particular is a big name to be repeatedly mentioned, but despite the player's contract running out in 2025, his status as a star player for Mauricio Pochettino has prompted Chelsea to demand a big fee regardless (Ben Jacobs).
Crystal Palace (home)
March 2nd
Aston Villa (away)
March 10th
Fulham (away)
March 16th
Luton Town (home)
March 30th
The England international could also still sign a new deal, which would effectively put an end to any hope of Tottenham prising him away from Stamford Bridge. This is why cheaper and potentially more attainable alternatives are being mentioned, like Garner, who apparently fits the midfield profile Spurs are looking for.
"Garner is probably a Gallagher alternative that Tottenham might look at," said journalist Dean Jones to GiveMeSport recently.
"Obviously, it's very early days to be analysing the summer transfer window. We know that Tottenham are still waiting to see if Conor Gallagher does become available because there is a feeling still that he might and the longer that contract situation goes on, the longer they will believe that something might be able to happen. But if Conor Gallagher does end up signing a contract extension, they need to have a list of names they immediately turn to. And I guess James Garner kind of fits the profile somewhat so yeah, an interesting one to look out for."
Commenting on the links to Garner, pundit and former Spurs keeper Robinson has given his take.
Robinson thinks Tottenham could strike "easy" Garner move
Speaking to Tottenham News this week, the Sky regular believes Spurs could strike an "easy" move for Garner due to Everton's struggles with FFP right now.
“He’s stood out in a struggling Everton side. I think he’s played particularly well this season. But you look at the Tottenham side, you look at the way that they play, and you question where he would fit into that side," said Robinson.
“Whether he would be deployed as an attacking midfielder or whether he would sit, I know that he can do both, but then you look at the players that they’ve got and do you see him as an improvement to the squad? The Garner one could be an easy one to do due to Everton’s predicament with the FFP.
“That’s definitely one to watch, but I just don’t see where he fits into this Spurs starting XI."
Chaos has been a constant in Sri Lankan cricket in 2019. Captaincy change – check; coach sacking – check; interim committee – check; sports ministry interference – check; contract terminations – check.Yet, quite incredibly, Sri Lanka are on a three-match winning streak in Tests, on the verge of consecutive Test series wins against South Africa and New Zealand. If results go their way in the Ashes, they could end up above either Australia or England in the Test rankings.Team selection and captaincy quandaries don’t seem such a big issue anymore as the selectors have seemingly stumbled upon a winning combination. A broken clock is indeed right twice a day. What does this mean for New Zealand?A series that began as a nice little warm-down from the emotionally and physically draining madness that was the World Cup final is now in must-win territory, with 60 World Test Championship points at stake. This isn’t to question New Zealand’s professionalism, but merely an indication of the resolve and fight shown by the hosts.New Zealand however do have history in their corner. They won at the P Sara Oval in 2012 to record their first Test win in Sri Lanka in 14 years. Their only other game here was drawn. Add to this, Sri Lanka have won less than half their matches at this ground.Both Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor registered tons in that 2012 win, and with the captain having had an underwhelming outing in Galle, he is due a big score. On a surface that is likely to offer more pace and bounce, Sri Lanka’s top order will also need to be more wary of the visitors’ pace threat.
Sri Lanka WWWLD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWWD
Trent Boult picked up seven wickets in his only match at the P Sara Oval. Having already troubled Sri Lanka’s batsmen on as pace averse a pitch as possible in Galle, he’ll be licking his lips at the prospect of squaring up to Sri Lanka’s top order again.Dimuth Karunaratne could not have asked for a better start to his Test career as captain. Three wins out of three, and a team that is fast gelling under his leadership. But he will know better than most how fragile a foundation this new found success has been built on. On a surface on which scores in excess of 400 and sub-200 are all possibilities, Karunaratne’s guiding hand at the top of the order will be crucial to the overall productivity of Sri Lanka’s batsmen.
Fit again, Dilruwan Perera will very likely come into the side in place of the still green Lasith Embuldeniya.Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk) 7 Dhananjaya De Silva, 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Akila Dananjaya 10 Lahiru Kumara 11 Suranga LakmalFor New Zealand, fast bowler Neil Wagner could come in, though it remains to be seen if it’ll be at the expense of one of the spinners or the quicks.New Zealand: 1 Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ajaz Patel, 9 Will Somerville/Neil Wagner, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Tim Southee
The pitch traditionally has more in it for the quicks, with a fair amount of pace and bounce, and back-bending effort is more often than not rewarded. However if the rain stays away and the pitch dries up, expect the spinners to come into play as the Test wears on.
“I think this pitch will suit the batsmen and fast bowlers more than the Galle surface did. I think there will be more runs here from both teams than there was in Galle.”
“In these conditions if you get yourself in you need to keep going and take the game as deep as possible. We’re probably guilty of that throughout the [first] Test match. Hopefully we can go a lot bigger here.”
Manchester United are on the lookout for new signings as they prepare for life under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and potentially a new sporting director to boot, and one youngster with "world-class material" is believed to be a priority target this summer.
Man Utd transfer news
The Red Devils have been linked with plenty of players in recent weeks, too, even though the January transfer window has only recently slammed shut, because the approval of Ratcliffe's takeover has led to interest in Newcastle and former Brighton transfer guru Dan Ashworth. He is seen as an ideal sporting director, and Jason Wilcox could come in as technical director.
Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries has emerged as a target for United, with manager Erik ten Hag thought to be a big admirer of his Dutch compatriot and fans desperate to see who their new regime identifies for the boss – or indeed if they get a new boss altogether.
Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini is also a player who has been backed to move to Old Trafford in the near future, with the 20-year-old seen as an exciting young option with a high ceiling. Contact has reportedly been made by United. There is also Matthijs de Ligt on the topic of defenders, with the Dutchman finding himself out of favour at Bayern Munich this season, meaning a summer move away could appeal to him.
Man Utd prioritise Leny Yoro
According to a new update from AS [via Sport Witness], Manchester United want to sign Lille defender Leny Yoro this summer, with the young starlet among their "priorities" in the next transfer window.
The Red Devils "recently expressed interest" in snapping him up, and while Paris Saint-Germain are also in the mix to sign him, their rivalry with Lille could ultimately work in United's favour, should they prefer to sell to them.
Yoro really could be a fantastic signing by the club if they can strike a deal this summer, considering he would be arriving as both an immediate key figure and also a player who could be a force for at least the next decade.
This season, the 18-year-old has started 19 matches in Ligue 1, during which time he has shone, enjoying a 91.8% pass completion rate and averaging 3.1 clearances per game. Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig says he is "world-class material", in terms of the level he can reach as he further matures as a player.
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ByDavid Comerford Feb 16, 2024
Too often in the past, United have been guilty of poor recruitment when it comes to the age of signings, with too many big names coming in when they are either too old or on the verge of being past their peak. There are almost too many examples to mention, but the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Christian Eriksen, Casemiro, Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all stand out.
The hope is that Ratcliffe wants a very different approach to transfers, however, as his – and potentially Ashworth's – influence at United hopefully keeps growing, with focus on bringing in the top young talent who can help take the club back to the top of English football.
Yoro would be a perfect place to start, coming in as an upgrade and far younger alternative to Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire, potentially becoming a genuine defensive force for many years.
There are a couple of selection issues for New Zealand to ponder as they look to avoid being dragged into a last-minute battle for qualification
The Preview by Andrew McGlashan28-Jun-20193:20
Hussey picks Lyon over Zampa
Big PictureThe 2015 finalists meet for a Trans-Tasman battle at Lord’s with Australia secure in the semi-finals but New Zealand needing to make sure they don’t get dragged into a last-minute race to book their place in the knockouts. The hope, for the neutral at least, will be that this match brings the tension of the group game between the sides in Auckland four years ago, which ended with famous Kane Williamson six, rather than the Melbourne final which produced a one-sided conclusion to the tournament.If you had said just a few months ago that Australia would be the first side assured of progression few would have believed you, but such has been the turnaround in their fortunes that they have done it with two matches to spare after toppling England in impressive style. Some questions remain about the middle order, but that is being well compensated for by the prolific partnership between David Warner and Aaron Finch and a pace attack that is starting to gel.Though unbeaten before their match against Pakistan, New Zealand had been pushed hard during previous contests so it was not entirely surprising that they came unstuck. In contrast to Australia, their opening partnership is in a bit of a rut which is leaving Williamson and Ross Taylor exposed early. However, the performances of Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme with the bat showed that there is some depth in the middle order.ALSO READ – Grant Elliott interview: ‘The 2015 World Cup semi-final made me realise that sport can change a nation’New Zealand are still very well placed to progress but there is a certain set of results that would see them miss out if they don’t gain another point in their final two matches. They would dearly like to avoid a nervous final week of qualifying.Form guide(last five completed matches)
Australia WWWWL
New Zealand LWWWW4:02
Vettori: Nicholls will put pressure on Munro
In the spotlightIt has been an interesting World Cup for Glenn Maxwell. He has hit the ball hard, and scored very quickly – he is one of only two batsmen with a strike-rate over 200 and the other, Liam Plunkett, has only batted twice – but he hasn’t always been around quite long enough to bring off the perfect gameplan. The England match was a case in point where he soon found the boundary but then got a bit too cute trying to guide Mark Wood to third man. At times his bowling has been as important to Australia’s cause as his batting but you still get the sense that an opposition attack will face the full force of Maxwell before this tournament is over.ALSO READ: Gary Stead backs Colin Munro and Martin Guptill against AustraliaIf Gary Stead’s comments are an indication it appears the loyalty in selection, which is a key plank of the New Zealand set-up, will extend Colin Munro’s stay at the top of the order although his diminishing returns are an increasing problem. The lean output from the opening pair has not yet derailed things for New Zealand, but as was shown against Pakistan situations won’t always be retrieved by Williamson and Taylor. Against the pace of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and, probably, Jason Behrendorff, Munro’s technique will be given another working over.Team newsAustralia got their selection spot on against England for the conditions at Lord’s and there would seem little reason to change unless there are specific match-ups they want to target.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jason BehrendorffNew Zealand have fielded the same XI throughout the tournament although Mitchell Santner admitted they should have brought in Ish Sodhi against Pakistan. Alongside Sodhi and Henry Nicholls, Tim Southee is also in reserve and could squeeze out Matt Henry who has taken just one wicket in his last four matches.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Jimmy Neehsam, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry/Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent BoultPitch and conditionsThe strip that was used for the England-Australia game on Tuesday is set to be reused on Saturday. The weather is expected to be fine for the duration of the match.Strategy punt Should Australia consider promoting Alex Carey? The fluidity of their middle order has been a talking point throughout the tournament and there certainly seems a case for him to go above the struggling Marcus Stoinis. Stoinis has 50% of dot balls in his innings during the last 20 overs while Carey is down at 25%. Carey’s tournament strike-rate of 116.10 is second behind Maxwell among Australia’s main batsmen. The case for Ish Sodhi: Australia have been pretty comfortable against left-arm spin, with the second-best average of 83 against that style of bowling, so Santner won’t hold many fears. However, against legspin they have lost 38 wickets, the most for any team, which certainly works in Sodhi’s favour. How he gets in is the question, though, because New Zealand like the security of Santner’s batting at No. 8. Sodhi has played one ODI against Australia, in which he was Player of the Match having removed Smith and Maxwell.Stats and Trivia Australia have lost more wickets from overs 31-50 in the tournament (37) than any other team. New Zealand and India have lost the fewest (15) The Warner-Finch combo has been prolific but they average 22.30 against New Zealand which is their lowest against any ODI opposition. Williamson needs 32 runs to reach 6000 in ODIs. He is also well on track to beat Martin Crowe’s 1992 record for the most runs by a New Zealand captain in a World Cup.Quotes”He’s so damaging if you bowl wide, and he’s so good off his pads that your length has to be really, really disciplined. You have to try and dry him up. It’s like all great players; they don’t have a huge amount of weaknesses, and on pitches that don’t bounce a huge amount it’s tougher to get that nick.
“Yeah, like you say, the atmospheres have varied a lot. Pakistan was very loud. Bangladesh, very loud. India, we didn’t even play and they were very loud (chuckles). You know, I guess coming tomorrow, usually you come to Lord’s and there’s sort of a quiet murmur when you play England, but I guess playing Australia it might be a little bit different when you have Kiwis and Australians filling out the seats. It will be a really good atmosphere, whatever it is, but I know for a fact that both teams are just looking forward to getting into the cricket.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is preparing his side for their second clash against Liverpool in the space of two weeks.
This time, it is the FA Cup in which the two heavyweights clash and the Spaniard will be eyeing up a win over the Anfield side as he aims for a second triumph in the competition as manager of the Gunners.
With the January transfer window in full swing, Arteta is also focussing on bolstering his squad, and he appears to be targeting a Turkish defender with regard to a potential move.
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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 5, 2024 Arsenal transfer news – Ferdi Kadıoğlu
According to a report from Turkish outlet Sabah earlier this week, the north Londoners are preparing to travel to Turkey next week in order to sign Fenerbahçe left-back Ferdi Kadıoğlu.
Jorrel Hato
5th January
Goncalo Inacio
18th December
Ousmane Diomande
30th November
Sacha Boey
13th November
The Turkish side currently values the defender at €30m (£24m) and, given just how light Arsenal are in this area, with Oleksandr Zinchenko the only senior left-back in the squad, it could represent decent business.
The Dutch-born Turkish international is only 24 and not only could he add much-needed competition, but he could even be an upgrade on Zinchenko.
Ferdi Kadıoğlu could be an upgrade on Oleksandr Zinchenko
Not only has Kadıoğlu registered a higher shots on target percentage domestically this season (28.6% vs 15.4%) than Zinchenko, but he has also registered more crosses (40 vs 24) and this indicates that he could be a much better-attacking option than the Ukrainian player.
The Turkish defender has also created more big chances (five vs three) and has averaged more key passes per game (1.6 vs 1.1) which is further evidence that he is a greater threat further up the field.
Kadıoğlu has kept eight clean sheets in the league this term, along with making 0.9 interceptions per game and winning 6.3 total duels per game. Over the same metrics, Zinchenko has kept just two clean sheets, made 0.7 interceptions per game and won 3.9 total duels each match, suggesting that the Fenerbahçe defender could even be an upgrade defensively.
Throughout the course of his career, the Ukrainian full-back has scored just six goals and registered 23 assists, taking 233 matches to achieve this.
On the other hand, Kadıoğlu has found the back of the net 28 times and grabbed a further 36 assists across 242 matches and if Arteta is looking for more goal contributions to come from his fullbacks, making a move for the Turkish international is a no-brainer.
Indeed, the 24-year-old was praised recently by content publisher Gooner Chris following a stunning strike for his club side, saying: “This guy is a full-back yet he moves like Messi. Ferdi Kadioglu to Arsenal. Who says no?”
Arteta needs to bolster some areas of his squad during the January transfer window and the chance to lure Kadioglu to north London is a must if he looks to achieve glory of any sort this season.
At just £24m, the move wouldn’t break the bank and give the squad a much-needed boost in defence as they prepare for a crucial few months ahead.
Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared an update as Arsenal chiefs internally discuss signing a creative player loved by Declan Rice.
As per widespread reports lately, sporting director Edu may be more active than usual in January as the Gunners eye both new midfield options and a proven goalscorer.
Reps open Arsenal talks with Arteta offered bargain Toney alternative
The Gunners could sign a far cheaper option.
By
Emilio Galantini
Dec 19, 2023
Thomas Partey's unreliability, not to mention the expiring contracts of Mohamed Elneny and Jorginho, have prompted Arsenal to look at central midfielders. Links surround Premier League stars like Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz and Fulham's Joao Palhinha, but both men are stars for their current clubs and may be difficult to prise away mid-season.
Mikel Arteta may therefore have to consider more viable, affordable alternatives as a result, with Monaco ace Youssouf Fofana rumoured as a possible target for Arsenal.
Further forward, Arsenal can lack a reliable talismanic source of goals at times – leading to their reported interest in signing Brentford star Ivan Toney.
The England international's 20 league goals last season have proved a real draw for Arteta and Edu, with there being some suggestions Arsenal are among the favourites to sign Toney. Romano has backed this interest before, and with the renowned reporter now sharing another update on their pursuit this week.
According to Romano, writing via The Daily Briefing, Arsenal chiefs are having internal talks over signing Toney ahead of January. The journalist reiterates that north London is Toney's preferred destination ahead of January, despite keen interest from west capital rivals Chelsea.
"I reported yesterday that Toney would be interested in joining Arsenal," wrote Romano.
"Of course Arsenal are aware of Ivan Toney’s stance. It’s not about him telling Arsenal that he wants to join them, but of course they know the player would like to join.
"But there’s still the price tag issue as we said many times. Also, Toney has always very respectful to Brentford so it depends on the clubs reaching an agreement. It looks difficult for Arsenal because of Financial Fair Play, and of course they have David Raya on loan from Brentford, which could be another complication.
"Arsenal are having internal discussions about signing Toney."
Arsenal midfielder Rice, commenting on an England call-up for Toney earlier last year, revered the striker for his playmaking and "special" creative abilities – as well as his nack for scoring goals.
"If you look at what he does for Brentford, how consistent he is and what he does for his team, he's fully deserving of a call-up," said Rice (via talkSPORT).
"He's kind of like Harry Kane in a way where he's not only an out-and-out striker, he's a playmaker as well – his left and right footed passing, the way he picks out his teammates is a special technique to have.
"I'm looking forward to playing with him."