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Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr have their eyes on an Arsenal star this summer, and could offer the Gunners a record-breaking amount of cash for his signature.

Arsenal enter "decisive" talks for "elite" young player, personal terms agreed

Mikel Arteta’s side are chasing their next signing.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 5, 2025

Much has been made of Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta bringing in elite-level players to follow the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard to N5, but Arsenal may soon find themselves needing to balance their books.

Kepa (£5m), Zubimendi (£56m) and Norgaard (£15m) have already set the north Londoners back around £76 million, if certain add-ons are met for the latter, with Arsenal also believed to be in talks with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, who has a £68.5 million release clause.

Arteta’s side wish to sign a left-winger too, with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Chelsea’s Noni Madueke among their targets for that position. Alongside their ongoing pursuit of a new striker, which looks reportedly likely to be Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, business could get very expensive.

One of Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli would need to be sold if Arsenal do sign another left-winger, or potentially before. This is backed up by multiple reliable media sources as well, so supporters may have to wait a little longer for Berta to secure a star wide player.

"They've always wanted to strengthen on the left wing, but they've got Gabriel Martinelli, a very fine player, there already,” said journalist David Ornstein on The Athletic FC podcast.
"If he were to leave, then you can see them bringing in a top left-sided winger. If he's not to leave, then I don't think so. We've talked and reported on Rodrygo and Anthony Gordon. I think that's if Martinelli leaves. I don't necessarily think that's if he were to stay."
Luckily for the Premier League title hopefuls, Ronaldo's Al-Nassr may now assist them in that regard.

Al-Nassr plot £73 million bid for Gabriel Martinelli

According to talkSPORT and journalist Ben Jacobs, Al-Nassr are considering a mammoth £73 million bid for Martinelli – which would more than double their record £35 million sale of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool in 2017.

While Arsenal are not exactly clamoring to sell the Brazilian, and have yet to receive contact from the Saudis, an offer like this could be too good to ignore. It could also help them fund a move for the likes of Rodrygo, who’s been described as a “dream” target for Arteta, even if the Spaniard has praised Martinelli as a “leader” in his squad.

“When you look at the consistency shown over the last few years, the amount of goals he has scored at his age and the contribution to a big club like Arsenal, it’s not easy at all,” said Arteta about Martinelli in April.

“So I think he’s on the right path. He’s a fantastic player to work with. His work ethic, his understanding, his desire to play every minute of every competition. That’s the kind of characters and leaders that we want in the team. And I’m very, very happy with him.”

TalkSPORT state that Arteta wants to freshen up his squad, and Al-Nassr’s potential offer would be impossible not to at least consider, especially given the amount of cash that Arsenal are already poised to spend this summer, with PSR requiring consideration too.

The start of Glasgow Rangers’ season has now become clear, after a busy week of draws and fixture releases.

First, the Russell Martin era will begin with a Champions League second qualifying round tie against Panathinaikos, with the first leg at Ibrox coming up as soon as 22/23 July, before the pair reconvene at the Spyros Louis Olympic Stadium a week later.

Then, on Friday morning, it was confirmed that Rangers will travel to Fir Park to take on Motherwell in their Scottish Premiership opener on 2 August; a potentially tricky fixture.

Before all of that, the Gers will need to be busy in the transfer market, so are they about to get two signings over the line?

Rangers set to sign new defender

According to a report by Mark McAdam and Sahil Jaidka of Sky Sports News, Rangers ‘have agreed a deal’ with Bournemouth to sign defender Max Aarons, adding that it is a ‘straight loan’ with no option or obligation to buy included in the deal.

Aarons has fallen out of favour on the English South Coast, seeing just 130 minutes of action, across four appearances, for the Cherries last season, thereby spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Valencia, albeit this did not go to plan, playing a mere 208 minutes for los Murciélagos.

Nevertheless, still only 25 years old, the right-back was very highly thought of when he first broke through at Norwich City, almost joining Tottenham Hotspur for a huge £15m as a 19-year-old, so he still has plenty to offer, looking to reignite his career in Govan.

So, would he shine alongside another of Rangers’ summer arrivals?

How Max Aarons would link up with Kwame Poku

As previously noted by Darren Witcoop of Team Talk, Rangers are ‘set to sign’ winger Kwame Poku, who has been massively ‘in-demand’, after leaving Peterborough United as a free agent.

Poku, who is just 23 years old, scored 12 goals and registered 11 assists for Posh this season, helping them win back-to-back EFL Trophies at Wembley, hence why Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony asserted that he will “be a Premier League star in the future”, estimating that Poku will one day “cost £30 million”.

So, let’s assess his statistics this season.

As the table shows, despite limited minutes, Poku ranked highly for goals, assists, shots, and big chances created, while he is also a proficient dribbler.

If any Rangers supporters are skeptical about the fact he was playing at EFL League One level, well, Global Football Rankings believes that England’s third-tier is the 53rd strongest division in the world, just ten places below the Scottish Premiership.

Fintan O’Reilly of Total Football Analysis labels Poku a ‘thrilling playmaker’ who is ‘great in tight spaces’ and a ‘very intelligent passer’, while writer Kai Watson believes that the Ghanian international to be a “strong ball carrier”.

Thus, he will surely enjoy playing alongside Aarons given that, as noted by Tom Quartly of Breaking the Lines, he possesses breathtaking acceleration and a propensity to get forward and join his team’s attacks, while also able to ‘recover incredibly quickly if he makes a mistake’ defensively’.

His former manager at Norwich, Daniel Farke, described Aarons as “outstanding”, adding “I can’t praise him enough… maybe there is not that much more space to improve.”

Thus, in summary, both Aarons and Poku are very exciting talents, who both have the potential to get even better so, if they are deployed down the same flank, they could form an unstoppable duo as Martin’s new-look right-hand side.

He's like Jelavic: Rangers eyeing move to sign "powerful" £4m CF for Martin

Rangers are seeking a few signings ahead of the Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos.

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 20, 2025

The transfer window has been open for a week now, and Arsenal need to kick into gear.

There may be another, longer window in which to confirm deals after the Club World Cup, but Mikel Arteta and Co risk falling further behind their Premier League rivals should they waste any more time.

For example, Manchester City have already received the ‘here we go’ treatment for Rayan Aït-Nouri and worse than that, Liverpool look insistent on signing the incredibly exciting Florian Wirtz as soon as possible.

However, the good news is that recent reports have linked Arsenal with another sensationally creative talent who could be their answer to the German international.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the star in question, it’s worth going over some of the other brilliantly talented players who have been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks and months, like Morgan Gibbs-White and Xavi Simons.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former could cost the Gunners a whopping £100m, although, given his undeniable importance to Nottingham Forest, the fact he’s Premier League proven and his tally of seven goals and ten assists in 34 PL games, that fee is hardly surprising.

On the other hand, Simons would cost substantially less at £65m and has arguably had an even better campaign for RB Leipzig this year, scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists in 33 appearances in all competitions.

Yet, there is another target who has now entered the picture, someone who’d be a better signing than both players above: Morgan Rogers.

Yes, according to a recent report from Charlie Gordon of the Express, Arsenal are now very interested in signing the Aston Villa star.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the North Londoners have already made contact over the English talent, although the Midlands club could demand a fee ‘well in excess of £70m.’

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rogers’ incredible ability and boundless potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be the perfect answer to Wirtz.

Why Rogers could be Arsenal's Wirtz

So, while it’s certainly a bold claim to suggest that Rogers could be Arsenal’s own Wirtz this summer and beyond, there are a few reasons why we feel more than comfortable making it.

The first is that even though the German did have marginally better output this season, both players produced very similar numbers in this regard, and the Villa ace in a league UEFA ranks as the toughest in Europe – with the Bundesliga coming as the fourth hardest.

For example, the Bayer Leverkusen star scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists in 45 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.45 games.

In comparison, the Villans’ creative “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, managed to score 14 goals and provide 15 assists in 54 appearances, which comes out to a still impressive but ever-so slightly worse average of a goal involvement every 1.86 games.

On top of their output, the pair are both 22 years old and while they can play in a number of positions – the “unstoppable” Claret and Blue gem, as dubbed by Jamie Carragher, being particularly adept at playing out wide – they are undoubtedly at their best as the most attacking midfielder in the team.

Finally, if these deals do go through, then both internationals would be moving to two of the favourites for the title next season and would almost certainly be doing so with the intention of revolutionising their respective sides’ creativity and attacking style.

Ultimately, while he’s not as big a name and has a lower price tag, Rogers looks like he could be Arsenal’s own Wirtz this summer and beyond, so Arteta and Co should do everything they can to bring him to the club as soon as possible.

Arsenal very close to signing £50m star who's a Saka & Rodrygo hybrid

The uber-talented international could be just the winger Arsenal need.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 6, 2025

Celtic supporters are starting to get very excited about next season.

On Tuesday afternoon, in one of the worst-kept secrets in the history of Scottish football, Kieran Tierney’s return to the club was confirmed, six years after he was sold to Arsenal for £25m, still to this day a joint-club record.

So, with a true club icon and fans’ favourite on his way back to Paradise, Brendan Rodgers and his recruitment staff can turn their attention to other targets, but are the Premiership champions set to miss out on their dream centre-forward?

Latest on Celtic's pursuit of Mathias Kvistgaarden

According to a report by Michael Gannon of the Daily Record, Celtic’s interest in Mathias Kvistgaarden has cooled, with the 22-year-old, who is valued at £12m, set to join either West Ham United, Eintracht Frankfurt or Lazio instead.

The striker scored 23 goals this season for Brøndby, who finished third in the Danish Superligaen, and his performances have earned widespread praise.

Farzam Abolhosseini of Tipsbladet labels him “magical”, scout António Mango believes that he is “absolutely sensational” and Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout forecasts that Kvistgaarden will only continue to improve.

However, his £12m price-tag was always likely to prove prohibitive, considering Celtic’s record signing remains the £11m paid to sign Arne Engels last August.

So, with the Hoops now focusing on other targets, one in particular stands out.

Celtic's search for a new number nine

As has been previously reported, Celtic are one of many clubs interested in securing the services of Youssef El Kachati.

The 25-year-old is available as a free transfer, having left Telstar following the expiration of his contract.

Despite that, he departs Sportpark Schoonenberg a bona fide club legend, having scored 25 goals this season, firing the White Lions back into the Eredivisie for the first time in 47 years, netting five times in six play-off matches, on target home and away as Telstar defeated Willem II in the final.

So now, Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times claims that El Kachati has turned down the chance to join German second-tier outfit Hannover, with Anthony Evans of the Daily Record reporting that Celtic are ‘supremely confident’ of making this deal happen.

The Dutch-born, Moroccan youth international’s performances in the Eerste Divisie have yielded plenty of praise, including from writer Martin Bjerke, who notes that El Kachati “combines physical presence with dynamic movement”, adding that he is “technically gifted”.

So, let’s assess how he compares to Kvistgaarden.

First and foremost, worth stating up front that, according to Global Football Rankings, the Superligaen is the 13th strongest league in the world, with the Dutch second division down in 70th, which is obviously worth considering.

That caveat aside, the pair do have similar statistics this season, with El Kachati scoring two more goals, albeit in around 1000 more minutes, while registering slightly more shots per 90.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Thus, it goes without saying that Kvistgaarden is a massive talent, and it is a blow that Celtic are seemingly set to miss out on him, but El Kachati certainly offers a low-cost, low-risk and potentially high-reward alternative.

Sinclair 2.0: £4.6m star who "wins games on his own" is Celtic's top target

Celtic are eyeing up a deal for a winger who could be their next Scott Sinclair.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 10, 2025

Arsenal have many items on the agenda this summer as new sporting director Andrea Berta looks to back Mikel Arteta with new signings, and one of their key aims is to bring in multiple attacking players.

Arsenal targeting new winger and striker this summer

The transfer window is officially open for business, at least until June 10, with a short break then following before it reopens on June 16 right the way through till September 1.

Arsenal U-turn over signing "powerful" player who "was on the verge" of joining

They’ve now pulled out of the deal.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 3, 2025

This current mini-window was introduced to allow sides competing in the Club World Cup to register new players before the tournament kicks off, but it applies to all Premier League sides, including Arsenal.

Arsenal are expected to complete a move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi with a medical scheduled for the Spain international (BBC), so there is every chance that they could officially sign him before June 10, considering how advanced that deal is.

After Zubimendi, much has been made of the Gunners’ pursuit of a top striker, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko both top of Arsenal’s list of striker targets.

Supporters are especially keen for Berta to acquire a prolific goalscorer – which has long been viewed as the missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw – following a campaign where they struggled to score many compared to their previous standards.

However, a number nine isn’t the sole focus going forward.

Bukayo Saka’s injury lay-off midway through 2024/2025 brought attention to Arsenal’s need for an alternative on the right-hand side, while there are some questions about the long-term future of Leandro Trossard, who’s about to enter the final 12 months of his contract.

Interestingly, Berta could turn to one of Arteta’s former stars at Man City – £242,000-per-week Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane.

Arsenal are reliably believed to hold a genuine interest in Sane with his Bayern contract just weeks away from expiring as things stand. The German also recently employed super-agent Pini Zahavi to assist in new contract talks, or find him a new club if needs be.

Arsenal open talks with Leroy Sane's camp over joining

Now, as per Bayern Munich insider Christian Falk, it is believed Arsenal have “started talks” with Zahavi over signing Sane.

The 29-year-old, who bagged 13 goals and six assists in total for Vincent Kompany last season, playing more of a key role towards the back end of 2024/2025, is tempted by the prospect of a move to London.

His family reside in the English capital, so a permanent switch there is appealing to him, with Falk adding that Tottenham are likely to battle with Arsenal for Sane’s services as well.

Sane’s top-level experience, and the fact he could be obtained for no transfer fee, make him a very enticing potential signing for Arsenal.

However, Sane wants a £192,000-per-week base salary, on top of £2.5 million in bonuses and a signing-on fee (Sky and Sport Bild). These were his most recently rumoured demands to stay in Bavaria, so he’ll likely request similar numbers to join Arsenal.

Chelsea chiefs have opened club-to-club talks with officials over signing a “fantastic” player, following a transfer decision from Arsenal which will have an impact on the race for his signature.

Chelsea transfer plans amid tight Champions League race

The race for a place in the top five is set to go down to the Premier League final day, making Chelsea’s crunch clash with rivals Nottingham Forest their most important game of the season.

New target: Chelsea now hatch plan to sign "powerful" PSG defender for £0

The Blues are aiming to sign a Paris Saint-Germain player on a free transfer this summer.

By
Dominic Lund

May 18, 2025

Five teams – namely Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Man City and Forest – are involved in the airtight battle to confirm a place in next season’s Champions League draw, with the result of this intense race also set to have a crucial impact on BlueCo’s transfer plans for next season.

Enzo Maresca recently admitted in a press conference that qualification for Europe’s most prestigious competition will have a knock-on effect when it comes to their recruitment plans, and Chelsea wish to be ambitious in the market yet again.

As per journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have some “big plans” they’re already working on and wish to bring in a number of new players. The plan within Stamford Bridge is to ideally seal a couple of their most desired signings before the Club World Cup begins, and they’ll have a short window to do so.

A special edition window will be open from June 1 to June 10, allowing Chelsea to register new arrivals before the CWC takes place, leaving little wonder we’re seeing reports of the Blues getting busy early doors.

Chelsea reportedly made Dean Huijsen an offer to join them from Bournemouth, but with the 20-year-old now off to Real Madrid, attention now turns to alternative defensive targets. One of them, according to multiple sources, is Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato.

Chelsea open talks with Ajax over signing Jorrel Hato

The Netherlands international has featured at left-back throughout the 2024/2025 campaign for Ajax. However, before Francesco Farioli utilised him in a different position, the highly-rated teenager was predominantly a centre-back.

Todd Boehly is allegedly keen on Chelsea signing versatile players who can cover multiple areas (Simon Phillips), so Hato would fit the bill in that respect, and come in as a significant central defensive upgrade as well as an alternative to Marc Cucurella.

A deal for him would apparently cost somewhere in the region of £46 million, so in terms of cost, the defender could be an astute option.

That is according to CaughtOffside, who also boldly state that Chelsea have opened talks with Ajax officials over signing Hato.

While Hato is on Liverpool’s list of targets as well, they’re currently prioritising a deal for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, and Arsenal have decided to cool their interest in the player after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s excellent breakthrough campaign.

This call from the Gunners, not to mention Liverpool’s chase for Kerkez, could free up a Chelsea run at signing Hato, with CaughtOffside describing Maresca’s side as the favourites to strike a deal.

Hato is held in very high esteem by those within the beautiful game, with Jordan Henderson lavishing praise on the Dutchman as a tireless worker.

“It’s crazy how young he is, but obviously how mature he looks when he’s on the pitch and also off the pitch,” Henderson said.

“He’s a very mature person, works hard, fantastic player, and yeah, he has a bright future ahead of him, I’m sure. I think he just needs to continue to do what he’s he’s been doing.”

Leeds United are now readying a £6 million bid to sign a “complete” defender who is also wanted by Premier League side Everton, according to a new report.

Leeds’ transfer plans beginning to take shape

The Championship season has now come to an end for the Whites, so all focus will be on next season and what they would like to do in the summer to give them the best chance of staying in the Premier League. The transfer window has yet to open, but already the Yorkshire side are being linked with several players in a bid to strengthen their side.

Leeds can wave bye-bye to Firpo by signing "complete" £15m left-back

Leeds United may need to land a replacement for Junior Firpo this summer, potentially turning to one player as a result.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 7, 2025

Signing a new striker looks to be a high priority for Leeds, as they don’t want to rely on just Joel Piroe next season. The Whites are said to be one of a number of teams looking into signing Jamie Vardy this summer, as the veteran striker becomes a free agent after leaving Leicester City.

Meanwhile, Leeds have also held internal talks about signing Troy Parrott from AZ Alkmaar after his impressive season in Dutch football. However, this could be a costly purchase for the Championship winners, as he could cost as much as £20 million.

Another forward the Whites are interested in signing is Moussa Djenepo, who has a £1.7 million release clause, which Leeds are now willing to trigger. Djenepo is currently on loan at Turkish side Antalyaspor from Standard Liege, but he doesn’t want to make the switch a permanent one, meaning the door is open for Leeds to swoop in and get their man.

Leeds readying £6m bid to sign "complete" defender ahead of Everton

But it isn’t just forwards that Daniel Farke wants this summer, as according to Scouts in Attendance on X, Leeds are now ready to make a £6 million bid to sign Panathinaikos right-back Georgios Vagiannidis.

They share news from Greek media that Leeds officials will be there this weekend to watch Vagiannidis in action for Panathinaikos against rivals Olympiakos. It goes on to add that while they will be doing some scouting of his performance, Leeds are already willing to make a bid worth 8-10 million euros, which is roughly £6-8 million.

The Whites are not alone in their pursuit of the full-back, as it was reported over the weekend that Everton are in advanced talks to sign Vagiannidis after putting forward their proposal. However, Leeds will hope the fact they are back in the Premier League means they are on an even playing field when it comes to signing the defender.

The 23-year-old, who has been described as a “complete” defender by scout/writer Jacek Kulig, has played for Panathinaikos for most of his career, except for a short spell at Inter between 2020 and 2021 – he did not play for the Italian giants and was instead loaned out to Sint-Truiden.

Vagiannidis’ potential arrival at Leeds would see him join Jayden Bogle in fighting for the right-back spot.

Manchester City have really turned a corner in the Premier League with Pep Guardiola’s men entering back into their groove in the top-flight at just the right time.

The rejuvenated Citizens have won four of their last five games in the elite league to now only six points off Champions League semi-finalists Arsenal occupying second place.

A place amongst Europe’s elite is the obvious objective for Guardiola and Co come the end of the sobering campaign, with City then aiming to be a title challenger once more down the line by snapping up exciting targets.

Man City line up £102 move for "superstar in the making"

As per reports from Spain over the weekend, City are preparing to bid a club-record £102m for Paris St Germain ace Desire Doue this summer.

The report states that the 19-year-old attacker has caught the eye of Guardiola who is looking to add even more exceptional youth to his City ranks, having given the likes of 21-year-old sensation Savinho plenty of game-time this campaign.

Winning the signature of Doue – who has already been heralded as a “superstar in the making” by French journalist Julien Laurens – would be a massive statement buy, with that £102m price-tag showing off how much PSG currently value him.

The eight-time Premier League title winners could also gain their very own version of Bukayo Saka with the promising Frenchman, with both attackers in question patrolling the right wing with ease so far this campaign.

Why Doue could be Man City's very own Saka

Saka has been able to show off his class down the right channel for the Gunners over many seasons now, despite being naturally left-footed in approach.

This season alone, the academy product turned North London royalty has managed to tally up a sizeable 25 goal contributions across 31 clashes, including scoring away at Real Madrid to help his team reach the coveted Champions League semi-finals.

Doue has also been unfazed by the big occasion lining up for Luis Enrique’s outfit, with the one-time senior France international actually matching Saka for goals and assists at 25 himself, albeit from a heftier 47 games.

Six of those have actually come about in Europe’s elite competition too, as Doue aims to spoil Arsenal’s mood when the two teams clash this mid-week at the Emirates for a place in the illustrious final.

Equally adept at using his left-foot whether that be down the left or right wing or even through the middle as a number ten, Doue’s general numbers across the last year for PSG are also similar to Saka’s for Mikel Arteta’s side.

The £102m-rated attacker, whose fifth-most similar player in European football is Saka, via FBRef, even betters his English counterpart when it comes to progressive passes and carries.

Not far off the blistering number seven in other aspects of their games, City will be hopeful that they can win their very own version of Saka if a move was to get over the line, with Doue only likely to get better as he progresses much like the 23-year-old has managed for the Gunners.

Of course, there will be a worry that splashing the cash in such a lavish way could backfire on City, but having proven himself already with PSG on some of the biggest stages, this switch might be just what Guardiola’s men need to further rebuild their elite reputation and get back to being stylish title candidates.

Man City have hit gold on £111m-rated star who is worth more than Wirtz

Man City have hit the jackpot on a signing made in 2019

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By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 26, 2025

Manchester United now appear to have one foot in the Europa League final after claiming a 3-0 triumph over Athletic Club in the semi-final first leg away from home.

Bruno Fernandes’ double and Casemiro’s header secured the triumph for Ruben Amorim’s side ahead of next week’s return leg at Old Trafford – needing to hold on to secure their place in the final.

Should the Red Devils reach such a stage, it would be a superb achievement, especially considering the side was on the brink of elimination with a handful of minutes to go against Lyon in the previous round.

It’s the perfect opportunity for the manager to claim his first trophy in the role after taking the reins back in November, potentially securing a place in the Champions League as a result.

Numerous players produced performances to remember in Spain last night, playing a huge role in the success which led them to a three-goal advantage after 90 minutes.

United’s star performers against Athletic Club

As previously mentioned, captain Fernandes managed to get himself on the scoresheet twice, taking his goal tally to 19 goals across all competitions in 2024/25.

However, his underlying stats from the win were just as impressive, making 12 passes into the final third, along with three chances created – enabling other players the opportunity to impress in attacking areas.

Manuel Ugarte was another player who starred in Bilbao last night, registering two assists for Casemiro and Fernandes – offering a presence at both ends of the pitch for Amorim.

He also managed to win 100% of the tackles he entered, along with five recoveries and five ground duels won – highlighting his impressive showing in Spain once more.

However, despite the performances of the aforementioned duo, one other Red Devils talent failed to deliver, putting his position within the side at huge risk with the summer rapidly approaching.

The United dud who’s becoming the new Van de Beek

Midfielder Donny van de Beek joined United in the summer of 2020, looking to be a key player in the side’s ambitions of returning to former glory.

However, the Dutchman, who cost a remarkable £40m, would make just 62 appearances during his four years at Old Trafford, with injuries also preventing him from being a regular.

He would depart the club in the summer of 2024, joining Spanish side Girona for just £500k, seeing the side lose 99% of their investment, highlighting how poor their business has been in recent years.

Amorim may have unearthed another version of the midfielder in the form of Mason Mount, who has massively failed to deliver since his £60m move from Chelsea in the summer of 2023.

Like Van de Beek, injuries have hampered his progress, making just 41 appearances in the last two seasons, but also failing to deliver when fit – as seen in his showing against Athletic Club last night.

He was brought on with 25 minutes remaining, but could only muster a total of 23 touches, completing a tally of just 12 passes – unable to have the desired impact.

Mount also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles or his attempted crosses, losing possession seven times – looking wasteful when having the ball at his feet.

The 26-year-old picked up a booking to top off his showing off the bench, before being handed a measly 5/10 match rating by Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst – highlighting his lack of impact off the bench.

Throughout this season, Mount has been unable to make an impact, especially since Amorim’s arrival, often being injured but also unable to provide the goods when fit – as seen with his cameo last night.

Given his decline, the club desperately need to sell him this summer, avoiding a repeat of Van de Beek and losing a whole load of money on their investment, with any funds allowing the manager to make the changes he desires.

97% passing: 8/10 Man Utd star is now as undroppable as Bruno & Casemiro

Man Utd romped to a superb 3-0 win on the road on Thursday evening in the Europa League…

By
Robbie Walls

May 2, 2025

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is reportedly waiting for a green-light from the Kroenkes to seal his first major signing at the club, with an agreement for the player described as “done”.

Arsenal transfer plans as Mikel Arteta prepares for PSG

With their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace done and dusted on Wednesday evening, Mikel Arteta can now put full focus into their far more important Champions League semi-final first leg against PSG next Tuesday.

Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal "really" want £50m player, talks already held

The north Londoners are very keen.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 23, 2025

The Gunners face France’s champions in a mouthwatering European encounter which has the power to make or break Arsenal’s season, and Arteta’s side now have six days to prepare for their most crucial match of the season so far.

Arteta’s mind will only be on how to ge the better of Luis Enrique’s high-flying PSG side, who’ve seriously impressed both domestically and in Europe, but he’ll take comfort from the fact Aston Villa very nearly upset them in the last round.

Off the field, Berta and co are already making transfer plans for next season.

Arsenal are believed to be in the market for a second-choice keeper, full-back, midfielder, left-winger, right-winger and striker (GiveMeSport). It was also reported that they could bring in two midfielders, with Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes linked.

However, it has since come to light that the north Londoners could extend Thomas Partey’s contract instead, following an impressive end to the campaign.

It is unclear how this will impact their ongoing attempts to sign Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi, but given Jorginho is still likely to leave the Emirates, Arteta will still be in need of reinforcements for the engine room.

Arsenal have been in talks to sign Zubimendi for months, and there is confidence that the Spain international will eventually arrive and depart his boyhood club for the Premier League, one year after he rejected a switch to Liverpool.

Arsenal agree Martin Zubimendi deal as Berta awaits green-light

According to journalist Juan Castro, writing in a column for Marca (via Sport Witness), Arsenal’s deal for Zubimendi actually seems to be “done”.

However, there are a few things holding up despite the alleged agreement, with one of them being Arsenal’s owners – Josh and Stan Kroenke. Berta is believed to be waiting on the club’s board members to sanction Zubimendi’s £51 million release clause payment, while Real Madrid could still come in to mount a late hijack.

If the Kroenkes refuse to green-light a move, it could collapse, with Los Blancos also posing some threat in the background, even if it is still unlikely Real pose a threat at this stage, with a deal very far down the line.

Zubimendi would be a stellar capture for Arteta, and has been described as the “perfect” midfielder for Arsenal, so supporters will be hoping the Kroenkes eventually give the go ahead.