It would be fair to say that Arsenal were not at their best last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side had the challenging task of playing away at Athletic Bilbao for the opening game of their Champions League campaign, and unlike on Saturday, didn’t exactly blow anyone away.

Granted, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard did their images a world of good with two goals, but other than that, it was an underwhelming performance.

In particular, there was one player who was as inconsequential to proceedings as Mikel Merino was.

Merino's underwhelming performance

With Martin Odegaard out injured, Arteta opted to go with the same midfield three that started against Liverpool ahead of the international break.

However, while that decision made a little more sense at Anfield, where the Gunners were expected to be on the back foot, it was a little more puzzling last night, when they were undoubtedly favourites.

Unfortunately, instead of getting the Merino who scored a hat-trick for Spain and looked like a serious threat, the manager got the one who failed to add a whole lot to the team.

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For example, in his 96 minutes of action, the 29-year-old took just a single shot on target, amassed a paltry combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.09, completed just 21 passes and lost the ball 12 times.

It was by no means a horror showing from the Spaniard, but he was most certainly ineffective for large parts of the game.

We aren’t the only ones to think this either, as the Standard’s Sam Tabuteau awarded the former Real Sociedad star just a 6/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘looked stretched’ at points.

However, while Merino did disappoint somewhat, he wasn’t the only one to do so.

The Arsenal star as disappointing as Merino

While they did win the game and were the better side, there were a number of other players who could fit the bill, but we are talking about Eberechi Eze.

Yes, while there is absolutely no doubting the Englishman’s incredible ability and desire, he was rather underwhelming in his first Champions League appearance.

Instead of being a constant threat and source of creative flair like we know he can be, there were parts of the game in which he struggled, notably when it came to understanding what Arteta likes of his left winger. The video clip below encapsulates that perfectly.

In his 71 minutes of action, the former Crystal Palace star took 16 touches fewer than David Raya, registered an expected assists figure of 0.11, completed just 19 passes, played a single key pass, lost the ball ten times and only made one cross.

Eze’s game vs Bilbao

Minutes

71′

Expected Goals

0.00

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.11

Assists

0

Shots

0

Touches

40

Accurate Passes

19/25 (76%)

Key Passes

1

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Lost Possession

10

Fouls

2

Crosses

1

All Stats via Sofascore

Unsurprisingly then, others were just as disappointed by his showing, with Tabuteau giving him a 5/10 match rating, writing that he ‘struggled to get into the game.’

Likewise, one content creator claimed the winger was “totally off it today”, which is a more than fair assessment.

However, while the Greenwich-born ace has to take some responsibility for his lack of threat, last night’s game was perhaps the best example of why the manager has to play him more centrally going forward, as he’s just not a touchline sort of player.

Ultimately, Arsenal achieved what they set out to do last night, but the likes of Merino and Eze will be looking to put in stronger performances in the coming games.

Related They lost the ball 25x: Arteta must never start Arsenal duo together again

Arsenal sealed a 2-0 win over Athletic Club in their opening Champions League clash of the season.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 16, 2025

Eberechi Eze has now finally departed Crystal Palace.

It had been a long time coming, but instead of the former Eagles number 10 pulling on the white of Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, he will be lining up in Arsenal’s famous red and white instead, as a last-minute detour across North London occurred to link up with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

Palace won’t want to dwell for too long on Eze’s star quality now being missing from Selhurst Park, with a healthy £67.5m in the Eagles’ bank account off the back of this much-talked-about sale, which will hopefully be put to good use before deadline day comes around.

Already, it seems as if Oliver Glasner’s side are eyeing up some ambitious moves, which could include a former midfield ace returning to East London.

Crystal Palace consider ambitious late move

Palace have money to burn, but not a lot of time to shell out significant amounts on an Eze replacement.

The window slams shut next Monday, with the Eagles reportedly setting their sights on a last-ditch move for Villarreal attacker Yeremy Pino, who coincidentally has a £67m release clause at the Yellow Submarine.

He isn’t the only costly midfield addition up for consideration, however, with an ambitious move to bring former loan sensation Conor Gallagher back to Palace in the works.

That’s what Eagles report Bobby Manzi has revealed, with the report stating that Glasner and Co. are weighing up another loan deal for the former Chelsea man, who has struggled for gametime during the infancy of the new La Liga season after trading London for Madrid in a £42m deal a year ago.

Such a lack of gametime means that the Englishman is open to heading back to Selhurst Park in the remaining days of the window.

He could well be the ‘talismanic’ replacement needed to fill Eze’s void, as the News Shopper have further stated.

How Gallagher is like both Wharton & Eze

Not only would Gallagher provide a helping hand in replacing some of the qualities that Eze has left behind, but the England international evokes qualities of another Eagles star.

Indeed, also possesses the same grit and energy of Adam Wharton’s varied game donning Palace’s distinct claret and blue, which makes a last-gasp deal for the 25-year-old to return to his former happy hunting ground even more of a must to seal.

Of course, when Gallagher was pulling on his new Palace strip during a brief loan stint away from Chelsea, he was desperately eager to make a name for himself as a rising gem.

At just 21, the wide-eyed midfielder certainly lived up to his hype, leading to eight goals and five assists coming his way from 39 Eagles outings.

Funnily enough, Wharton is making similar waves today in the senior set-up, at the same age when Gallagher first started coming onto Premier League fans ‘ radars far and wide for his entertaining showings at Palace.

The ex-Blackburn Rovers talent might well still be searching for a strike to break his duck at Selhurst Park, but he does boast one more assist than Gallagher from his 47 appearances, on top of also offering far more than just goals and assists when winning 4.9 duels per match during his debut Premier League campaign.

A far rawer version of the midfielder target won a heftier 5.9 duels per game during his only top-flight season to date for the Eagles – with then Palace manager Patrick Vieira even heralding how much he “sacrifices” himself for the team – before refining this edge to his game even more under the attritional approach of Diego Simeone at Atletico.

Games played

136

Goals scored

18

Assists

13

Completed passes

4678 (86%)

Total tackles

281

Duels won

731

He has further proven himself away from that memorable stay at Selhurst Park in the tough terrain of the Premier League with Chelsea, as seen in his healthy tally of 18 goals and 13 assists next to his name from 136 top-flight appearances.

Like Gallagher, Eze has more than proven he knows where the goal is, bagging 34 goals and 23 assists himself from 147 top-flight clashes. Thus, Gallagher will be hopeful his own total can rise to the levels of his £67.5m counterpart if he can be equal parts gritty and attack-minded under Glasner’s wing.

It will be intriguing to see where the Austrian does slot Gallagher into his line-ups if he joins, as he tries to get both sides of the “sensational” star’s well-rounded game – as he’s been previously lauded by football journalist John Cross – to come to the forefront.

Whatever does happen, it’s certain that the 25-year-old will relish a chance to return to the Premier League with his former loan employers, as Glasner and Co try to navigate their reality now with Eze missing.

Romano: Crystal Palace target "unique" £67m star as perfect Eze replacement

With Eberechi Eze having joined Arsenal for £67.5m, Crystal Palace will target a “unique” £67m star as his replacement, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Aug 23, 2025

Jude Bellingham has been named England's Men's Player of the Year for the 2024/25 season. The 22-year-old Real Madrid star wins the award for the first time, beating out Harry Kane and Declan Rice in the process. Bellingham scored once and registered three assists for the Three Lions in eight appearances over the season to secure the award, while Kane scored eight goals in 11 matches, including five in six in 2025 under new manager Thomas Tuchel.

• Bellingham pips Kane and Rice to Player of the Year award

  Bellingham has become the 14th different player to win the men’s award, following on from Cole Palmer last season and Bukayo Saka each of the two previous years before that. The Real Madrid star also becomes only the second player to win the award while playing outside England, after Owen Hargreaves in 2006.

  The award was voted for by supporters and saw Declan Rice finish second, grabbing an impressive three goals and five assists in a more advanced role in the Three Lions midfield, while captain Kane finished third following a stellar year for club and country which saw him recently finish 13th in the Ballon d'Or.

  While Bellingham’s quality has never been in question, his decision to win the award may raise some eyebrows following the form of particularly Kane in Tuchel’s reign so far. Bellingham’s four goal contributions include a late equaliser in the eventual defeat to Greece last autumn and two assists in a 5-0 thumping of the Republic of Ireland, also under Lee Carsley. He has only registered one assist in four appearances under Tuchel and was ruled out of the squad for the September international break through injury. He returned to action following several months out with shoulder surgery as Real lost 5-2 to city rivals Atletico Madrid last week.

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• Getty
  

  Bellingham rewarded after POTY disappointment last year

  Bellingham has become a global star during his time with Real Madrid, winning the Champions League and La Liga amidst further honours in a ground-breaking first season with Los Blancos, which led to him being crowned La Liga Player of the Year for 2023/24.

  Bellingham may have felt aggrieved not to have won England’s Men’s Player of the Year award last year, as Palmer pipped him to the gong despite being used as a substitute in the Euros. Both players no doubt had their outstanding moments on England’s run in the tournament, as Palmer scored in the final defeat to Spain while Bellingham’s overhead kick in stoppage time against Slovakia was arguably the moment of the tournament for Gareth Southgate’s side.

  The former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund man has made up for last year’s disappointment with this year’s 2024/25 award, though, and will hope it is not the last time he is crowned his nation’s best.

• Bellingham joins a celebrated list of England's Men's Player of the Year winners

  The England Men’s Player of the Year award first began in 2003, with David Beckham crowned its first winner. Wayne Rooney has won the award the most number of times, four – in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015.

  Kane has won the award twice, the most recently being in 2018 after the then-Tottenham Hotspur man won the Golden Boot in the World Cup to follow up his domestic Golden Boot the same season. Kane also won England Player of the Year the previous year in 2017.

  Other notable winners include Frank Lampard (twice), Steven Gerrard (also twice), Ashley Cole (2010), Jordan Henderson (2019) and Kalvin Phillips in 2020/21.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  England have a crucial year upcoming ahead of the 2026 World Cup

  While Bellingham will no doubt be honoured to have bee recognised for his contributions to his national team, it is who wins the award next year which could ultimately prove far more important. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon next summer, Tuchel and the entire nation will hope that next year’s Player of the Year is won by a man who inspired the Three Lions to glory in the US, Mexico and Canada.

  Whether that is Bellingham, Kane, Palmer, Saka or someone completely different, remains to be seen. In the meantime, England must ensure that they complete qualification for the tournament without many troubles. The pressure is then on Tuchel to ensure that he can work out what his best XI is with plenty of time to spare.

أعلن الاتحاد العربي لكرة القدم، مواعيد مباريات التصفيات المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العرب 2025، ومنها مباراة تحديد منافس منتخب مصر.

وتقام بطولة كأس العرب في قطر، في نسختها الثانية، وتبدأ في 1 ديسمبر وتختتم بالنهائي في 18 ديسمبر.

ويتواجد على رأس قائمة المنتخبات المشاركة، منتخب مصر، وسيقوده جهاز فني بقيادة حلمي طولان ومعه أحمد حسن مديرًا للمنتخب وعصام الحضري مدربًا للحراس، وذلك بقرار من اتحاد الكرة المصري، بعد رفض حسام حسن المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر خوض البطولة في وقت الاستعداد لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا بالمغرب.

ويشارك في بطولة كأس العرب، 16 فريقًا بداية من دور المجموعات للبطولة، حيث تأهل 9 منتخبات، ويتبقى 7، سيتم حسمهم من مباريات التصفيات التي تقام يومي 25 و26 نوفمبر من مباراة واحدة، الفائز سيتواجد في دور المجموعات.

وأسفرت قرعة كأس العرب، عن تواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة، بجانب الأردن والإمارات والفائز من المباراة التأهيلية بين الكويت وموريتانيا.

طالع | نتائج قرعة كأس العرب 2025.. تعرف على المجموعات بالكامل مواعيد مباريات التصفيات المؤهلة إلي كأس العرب 2025

موريتانيا ضد الكويت، الساعة 4 بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، 5 بتوقيت مصر، يوم الثلاثاء 25 نوفمبر.

سوريا ضد جنوب السودان، الساعة 7 بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، 8 بتوقيت مصر، يوم الثلاثاء 25 نوفمبر.

فلسطين ضد ليبيا، الساعة 7 بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، 8 بتوقيت مصر، يوم الثلاثاء 25 نوفمبر.

عمان ضد الصومال، الساعة 4 بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، 5 بتوقيت مصر، يوم الأربعاء 26 نوفمبر.

البحرين ضد جبيوتي، الساعة 4 بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، 5 بتوقيت مصر، يوم الأربعاء 26 نوفمبر.

السودان ضد لبنان، الساعة 7 بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، 8 بتوقيت مصر، يوم الأربعاء 26 نوفمبر.

جزر القمر ضد اليمن، الساعة 7 بتوقيت السعودية وقطر، 8 بتوقيت مصر، يوم الأربعاء 26 نوفمبر.

Manchester United have often spent big over the last couple of years in an attempt to land the calibre of players needed to mount a Premier League title charge.

The hierarchy have splashed around £800m on new additions in the last three years alone, but the Red Devils only have an FA Cup triumph to show for their heavy spending.

Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try his luck at Old Trafford, leading to £200m being spent throughout the summer window to try and correct the 15th-place finish achieved last campaign.

Any successful side in England’s top-flight need to balance the books and offload players to allow for heavy spending – not to mention avoiding any financial implications.

However, the hierarchy will be extremely lucky to get the money back they spent on Andre Onana, given his embarrassing stint at the club over the last few years.

Andre Onana’s decline at Manchester United

As part of United’s heavy spending in recent years, goalkeeper Onana moved to Old Trafford in a deal worth around £47.2m, including add-ons from Serie A side Inter Milan back in the summer of 2023.

Many supporters viewed the Cameroonian as the long-term solution to the situation between the sticks – coming in to replace David de Gea after the Spaniard was released after a decade at the club.

The last two years for the 29-year-old have been disastrous, subsequently registering nine errors leading to goals, resulting in the side dropping points in key moments, whether it be the Premier League or in European competition.

Last season alone, Onana notched six errors, including the Europa League final, where he failed to keep out Brennan Johnson’s effort – resulting in Tottenham Hotspur winning the final in Bilbao.

His only outing this campaign for Amorim’s side was the Carabao Cup clash against Grimsby Town, conceding twice and arguably being at fault for both of the hosts’ goals that night.

Altay Bayindir has since been the number one for the Red Devils, but that could be about to change given the summer arrival of Senne Lammens from Belgian side Royal Antwerp.

Onana also looks set to leave Old Trafford in the coming days, after the club and player agreed a transfer to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.

Despite the English window being shut, another player should be pushed closer to the exit door, given his lack of impact at the club over the last couple of months.

The United player who should leave alongside Onana

Kobbie Mainoo is another player currently at United who has struggled for game time under Amorim – only starting the cup game against Grimsby, just like Onana.

The academy graduate was a player with huge potential during 2023/24, even scoring in the FA Cup final, but it’s safe to say his career has failed to take off since Amorim’s appointment.

He only started 50% of the league games last campaign, also yet to get off the mark in 2024/25, leading to the player himself requesting a move away from the club this summer.

However, he stayed put at his boyhood club beyond the end of the transfer window, but he will need to fight for his place if he is to become a regular starter once again.

He’s not alone in struggling to make an impact, with Dutch international Joshua Zirkzee also a player who’s failed to meet expectations since his own move to the Theatre of Dreams.

The 24-year-old joined the club from Bologna in a £36.5m transfer in the summer of 2023, but he’s only managed seven goals in his 51 appearances – just three of which have been in the Premier League.

Like Mainoo, he’s also yet to start in the league this campaign, with his only outing in England’s top-flight coming as a substitute in the 3-2 win over Burnley before the international.

His lack of action is no surprise to anyone, given his lack of form, coupled with the new additions in the attacking department, leading to one content creator claiming he looks like he’s now playing in “Sunday League.”

Zirkzee’s underlying stats highlight his lack of impact, only completing 72% of his passes and winning just 29% of the aerials he entered, subsequently unable to make much of a tangible impact – as seen by his lack of goals.

Games played

32

Goals & assists

4

Pass accuracy

72%

Chances created

0.7

Dribbles completed

31%

Aerials won

29%

Shots on target

0.7

Possession lost

2.9

He also only completed 31% of his dribbles and lost possession 2.9 times per 90 – further showcasing his lack of positive impact when featuring for the Red Devils.

Given his lack of minutes, coupled with his poor displays, the club should be looking to move the former Bayern Munich star on over the next couple of months.

The arrivals of players such as Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have undoubtedly pushed the Dutchman further down the pecking order – with the hierarchy desperately needing to cut their losses.

Worth more than Baleba: Man Utd have struck gold on "generational" talent

Manchester United already have a big-money talent on their books despite missing out on Carlos Baleba.

2 ByEthan Lamb Sep 10, 2025

Haris Rauf has thrown his weight behind the young Pakistan top order suggesting that they should not be judged based on one or two matches and be given a longer rope.Pakistan once more shuffled the deck in their bid to find the right combination as they left out Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. In came Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz at the top of the order alongside Irfan Khan at No. 4. However, they’ve failed to get going in the first two T20Is, with Pakistan also going down both times.”You talk about criticism, I think it has become common in Pakistan,” Rauf said after Pakistan lost their second game in three days by five wickets in Dunedin. “These are young players. You go to any place, any team in the world, they give the youngsters full freedom. If they give the youngsters a chance, they make sure to give them 10 to 15 matches at a stretch. That is how they become players.Related

• After NZ's T20I dominance, will the ODIs offer Pakistan some respite?

• Pakistan slide feels like a terminal, slow decline

• Stats – Pakistan's T20 batting hits a low point in Christchurch

• New Zealand look for 2-0 as 'high-risk' Pakistan's search for rewards continues

“Everyone who comes into international cricket struggles initially. You talk about criticism, it’s become a norm. Everyone just sits and waits for the Pakistan team to lose so that they can talk about it. They have their opinions, but we are trying to build our team. We are trying to draft the youngsters in, the seniors are also there. As seniors, we motivate our juniors, and advise them about what’s required to succeed in international cricket. The quicker they learn, the better it will be for them.”It’s been a rough few weeks for Pakistan cricket. After being knocked out in the league stages of their home Champions Trophy, they’ve gone down heavily in the first two T20Is against New Zealand under new captain Salman Agha. While they were skittled for 91 in the first T20I in Christchurch, they put up a marginally better show in the second, managing 135 for 9 in the rain-shortened 15-overs-a-side affair.New Zealand, however, hardly broke a sweat in the chase. While Rauf credited the way the hosts went about their batting, he also felt that the Pakistan bowlers were unlucky to not pick a few more wickets.”All players have put in the effort. The kind of grounds we have here, we generally get high-scoring games,” he said. “It’s not like we didn’t bowl well, we were unlucky as well. There were a few top edges that went for six, some went over the ropes due to the wind and small ground. We were putting in the effort as a bowling unit, but we didn’t get the desired result. We were a bit unlucky in the beginning.”We tried using the conditions to our advantage, but we were unlucky. The kind of cricket they played, they hit good shots, so we should credit them.”While Rauf had a decent day with the ball, picking 2 for 20 in his three overs, the rest of his fast-bowling counterparts have struggled. Shaheen Shah Afridi went for 31 off his three overs despite bowling a maiden, while Mohammad Ali conceded 34 runs off his two overs. Rauf agreed that there has been a decline in Pakistan cricket, but is confident that they are trying to build a team which will challenge top sides in future.”There is no doubt that our cricket has declined. But we are building as a team and trying to forge a combination and play cricket that’s required at the top level,” Rauf said. “We are trying different things, and when we try things, there will be failures, but we will learn. And there will come a day in future when you will get to see good cricket from the Pakistan team.”

The left-arm spinner picked up 3 for 29 from his four overs in the opening game of IPL 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2025Doubts need to be allayed nearly every day in the IPL, but Ajinkya Rahane made a good start to his captaincy stint at Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 56 off 31, but KKR failed to capitalise on the breathtaking partnership between him and Sunil Narine. Put in, they were 107 for 2 in ten overs when Narine was dismissed for 44 off 26 but added only a further 67 in the second half. The death overs went at under a run a ball.Krunal Pandya led the comeback of Royal Challengers Bengaluru with the wickets of Rahane, Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer in an overall analysis of 4-0-29-3. Suyash Sharma, the former KKR player who got off to a poor start, made a big contribution in his final over with the wicket of Andre Russell with a wrong’un.The drying up of the runs in the end was not too different to how Josh Hazlewood forced KKR into a slow start. The first three overs brought just nine runs and the wicket of Quinton de Kock. The new ball stopped a little and went a little up and down.Once Rahane got started with a gift on the leg side, the next seven overs produced 98 runs. Rahane was brutal, putting a low price on his wicket and taking risks every time he could. Narine went from 1 off eight to score 43 off the next 18 balls he faced. It involved taking down his former team-mate, legspinner Suyash, whom he played like an offspinner.Krunal, though, pulled things back once Narine got out to Rasikh Salam. He even tried a bouncer in a spell in which he kept changing the pace often. Two of his three wickets were bowled, which was a tribute to his accuracy.Hazlewood and Yash Dayal closed out superbly for RCB to give them what looked like an easy target provided Narine and Varun Chakravarthy didn’t cause much damage.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo terá uma novidade para o duelo contra o Palmeiras, nesta quinta-feira (13), à 20h, pelo duelo de volta das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. Trata-se do atacante Erison, que não é relacionado desde o dia 11 de abril.

+ Veja tabela e as próximas rodadas do Brasileirão

A última partida do jogador pelo clube do Morumbi foi em abril, no empate por 0 a 0 contra o Ituano, pela Copa do Brasil. Naquela partida, ele foi titular e saiu no intervalo. Três dias depois, no dia 16 de abril, o São Paulo confirmou que Erison teve estiramento em uma fibrose na coxa esquerda, e que o jogador já vinha apresentando dores na coxa direita.

ATUAÇÕES: Zagueiro da base se destaca em empate do São Paulo no Brasileirão

Desde então, ele vem se recuperando e estava aprimorando a forma física nos últimos dias. O próprio jogador postou nos stories do Instagram a arte do jogo contra o Palmeiras e escreveu a seguinte mensagem:

– Tá repreendido toda inveja, toda maldade, toda energia negativa e todas as pessoas falsas. Amém – escreveu.

Erison está vivo e foi relacionado para o jogo contra o Palmeiras.

O atacante postou a arte da partida em seu Instagram. pic.twitter.com/jcaXQ7MK5T

— Somos São Paulinos (@somosaopaulinos) July 13, 2023

Erison chegou por empréstimo do Estoril Praia, de Portugal, até o final da temporada. Aos 24 anos, o jogador foi contratado para ser uma espécie de ‘sombra’ para Calleri, mas por enquanto não correspondeu. Desde que foi anunciado, Erison realizou apenas cinco jogos, com dois gols marcados. Vale destacar que desde fevereiro, quando ele foi anunciado, o São Paulo disputou 33 partidas.

Arsenal have endured somewhat of a successful summer window under Mikel Arteta during the off-season – but they’re about to reach the next level with the pending arrival of Eberechi Eze.

It looked as though the Crystal Palace star would be heading to North London, but to join rivals Tottenham Hotspur, after talks advanced to complete a deal.

However, the Gunners took advantage of the slow-moving situation, stumping up a better off, resulting in the player preferring a move to the Emirates.

Eze, who’s a boyhood Arsenal fan, has been spotted at the club’s training ground to complete his medical, with just a formal announcement left to go until a deal is completed.

Despite spending around £67.5m on the 27-year-old’s signature, the hierarchy could be set to hand the manager added funds to complete other days in the closing stages of the summer window.

Arsenal targeting more transfers after Eze deal

Antoine Semenyo has been a long-standing target for Arsenal, previously being on their radar this summer, but has once again appeared in conversations in North London.

Any deal would prove to be an expensive one, potentially being revisited in the near future, after the Ghanaian penned a new deal at Bournemouth until the summer of 2030.

However, he’s not the only attacking player currently in their sights, with Real Madrid star Rodrygo a serious target for the Gunners, according to one Spanish outlet.

They claim that the 24-year-old’s agent is set for talks with Arteta’s side over a potential switch to the Premier League before the September 1st deadline.

It also states that either a permanent or temporary transfer could be explored, with the Brazilian not part of boss Xabi Alonso’s plans for the 2025/26 campaign.

Why Arsenal’s latest target would get Gyokeres firing

Earlier in the summer, huge excitement was generated at Arsenal, after the hierarchy finally landed a new number nine – in the form of Swedish international Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP.

Arteta’s side forked out a staggering £64m for the 27-year-old’s signature, a deal which appeared to be an excellent piece of business given his tally of 97 goals in his 102 appearances for the Portuguese side.

However, his debut against Manchester United was satisfactory at best to say the least, but to be expected given his lack of experience featuring in England’s top-flight.

He only featured for an hour before being replaced, notching a tally of 22 touches, completing just four passes – whilst also winning 21% of the duels he entered at Old Trafford.

Gyokeres will undoubtedly need time to settle into life at the Emirates, but any process can certainly be sped up by completing a deal for Rodrygo in the coming days.

Whilst the Brazilian is out of favour in Madrid, it could prove to be an excellent signing for the Gunners – that’s if he can replicate his numbers from the 2024/25 campaign.

Rodrygo, who’s been labelled “world-class” by analyst Ben Mattinson, can operate off either flank, possessing a real top-level skillset that could see him provide endless opportunities for Gyokeres to thrive off.

In LaLiga last season, he ranked in the 94th percentile for passes completed (86%) whilst also achieving a total of 2.3 key passes per 90 – evidently able to thrive in possession when required.

Such figures would see him slot into Arteta’s current possession-based system, whilst also having the creative nouse to provide the Swede with a bucket load of chances in front of goal.

Along with his ability to pick out a teammate, Rodrygo also ranked in the 98th percentile for carries into the final third per 90 (4.1), able to manoeuvre past the opposition before picking out the killer pass.

Further talents are reflected in his 2.3 take-ons completed per 90 and 3.1 passes into the opposition box per 90 – further highlighting demonstrating the talent he holds in forward areas.

Regardless of whether a deal is a loan or permanent, it’s not often a player of his quality becomes available for transfer – with Arteta and Co needing to grab such an opportunity with both hands.

If he can transfer his skillset over to England with him, it would undoubtedly be one of the best moves made this window – especially if he can allow big-money signing Gyokeres to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.

Arsenal can help Eze reach Wirtz's level by signing £43m "world-class" star

The incredible international would be a game changer for Eze and Arsenal.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 23, 2025

شارك نجم فريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، في خسارة اليوم ضد مانشستر يونايتد، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

واستضاف ملعب “أنفيلد” مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد في خضم لقاءات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري الإنجليزي.

وتعرض ليفربول لهزيمة رابعة متتالية في مختلف المسابقات ذلك الموسم، بعدما سقط أمام نظيره مانشستر يونايت بهدفين لهدف.

وخاض محمد صلاح مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد كأساسي قبل أن يتم استبداله من جانب المدرب آرني سلوت في الدقيقة 85، حيث فشل في إحداث أي تأثير.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ردود أفعال جماهير ليفربول على أداء محمد صلاح أمام مانشستر يونايتد: اطردوا آرني سلوت

وتحصل محمد صلاح على تقييم ضعيف للغاية من جانب شبكة “thisisanfield” الإنجليزية، والذي بلغ 3/10 فقط.

وقالت الشبكة: “يعشق صلاح اللعب ضد مانشستر يونايتد، لكنه كان مريعًا اليوم باستثناء تمريرة واحدة رائعة إلى جاكبو”.

وأضاف: “لقد أخطأ في تمريرات وعرضيات كثيرة، وحقيقة أن آرني سلوت قرر استبداله عندما كان الفريق بحاجة إلى هدف تُلخص مستواه الحالي”.