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While Arsenal enjoyed a brilliant summer on the pitch and have kickstarted their Premier League campaign with back-to-back wins this season, there remains some discontent among portions of the fanbase due to a lack of activity in the transfer market.

So far, the only new faces added to Mikel Arteta's first team have been Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, and Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino, which doesn't feel like enough in the face of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City juggernaut.

If you asked fans at the start of the summer about the one area they thought the team needed to strengthen, most would have answered striker. While the likes of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Leandro Trossard have started the season in good form, that need for an out-and-out goalscoring nine still feels acute.

Fortunately, recent reports have touted one of the best poachers around for a move to the Emirates before the window closes, and he'd surely supercharge Trossard.

Arsenal's striker search

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal have once again entered the race for £110m Napoli star Victor Osimhen.

The report claims that following 'perceived disrespect' during negotiations, the Saudi Pro League sides interested in signing the Nigerian international this summer have now walked away from any potential deal, and while Chelsea are still a possible destination, so are the Gunners.

Interestingly, the report has revealed that in the last few days, the North Londoners have once again 'asked for information' on the striker, suggesting that there is a chance Edu Gaspar could come in with a late bid to try and secure the player's services for a cut-price fee.

Whatever that final price ends up being, Osimhen would almost certainly be worth it, as he'd bring a mountain of goals with him to N5 and, in the process, help make Trossard even more unplayable.

Why Osimhen would make Trossard unplayable

So, to get straight to the point, there is one fundamental reason why Osimhen would help get even more out of Arsenal's incredible Belgian: his output.

The Nigerian "monster", as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, has proven over the last few seasons that when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net, there are few better than him, and while Trossard was incredible at doing the same himself last season, he did see his assist tally fall to just two, which feels related to the fact that until Havertz moved up top, Arteta was struggling to find a consistent goalscorer who could play down the middle.

If we compare the former LOSC Lille star's tally over the last two full seasons to that of the Gunners' main striking options, Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, we can see just how much more of a goal threat he really is.

Appearances

39

47

33

Goals

31

9

11

Assists

5

1

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.92

0.21

0.54

Appearances

32

51

36

Goals

17

14

8

Assists

4

7

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.65

0.38

0.44

For example, across the 22/23 and 23/24 campaigns, the "world-class" marksman, as dubbed by José Mourinho, scored 48 goals and provided nine assists in just 71 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.24 games for two years, and he also led the Partenopei to their first league title in over three decades.

In contrast, Jesus scored 19 goals and provided 15 assists in 69 games, while the German scored 23 goals and provided eight assists in 98 appearances, meaning the two stars averaged a goal involvement once every 2.02 and 3.16 games, respectively.

Just imagine how much more effective the former Brighton & Hove Albion winger would be playing alongside such a clinical number nine; he'd probably still score plenty of goals himself, but he'd also see his assist tally explode, as he'd have someone there he could rely on to finish the chances he created.

Therefore, while the fee might still be significant and his £210k-per-week wages are a slight concern, Edu and Co should do what they can to bring Osimhen to the Emirates this summer.

He'd solve their Saka problem: Arsenal want to secure late £59m signing

The incredible attacker would add so much quality to the Gunners’ squad.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 27, 2024

Portugal have signed a long-term contract with PUMA, ending a 27-year association with Nike, who previously made their kits.

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Portugal sign long-term deal with PumaDeal takes effect in 2025Nike had worked with Portugal since 1997Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Portugal have announced that they have signed a multi-year deal with the German sportswear giant, beginning in 2025. PUMA, who also work with the likes of Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and multiple national teams including Austria and Mohamed Salah's Egypt, will provide kits for the male and female national teams, including Portugal's futsal, beach football, and e-Sports teams.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Nike had been Portugal's kit supplier since 1997 and their star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, remains under contract with the American sportswear giants. Portugal have never had their kits supplied by anyone else while the Al-Nassr star has played for them.

WHAT PUMA SAID

Puma CEO Arne Freundt said: “Associating with a top national team was one of our priorities in soccer and I am very excited to have a team as popular as Portugal in the PUMA Family. Given the large number of Selecao fans around the world and the great potential of the new generation of players, we are looking forward to the next major tournaments, such as the 2026 World Cup.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Portugal are next in action in March in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League, when they face Denmark. It is highly likely Portugal will be wearing a new kit by then.

أعرب الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش، المدير الفني لنادي بيراميدز، عن رضاه بعد الفوز الساحق لفريقه على دجوليبا المالي بستة أهداف دون رد، في ختام منافسات دور المجموعات بـ دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وأكد يورتشيتش خلال المؤتمر الصحفي، أن أداء اللاعبين كان مميزًا، حيث أظهروا روحًا قتالية ورد فعل قوي، ما أثمر عن انتصار كبير يضع بيراميدز في المركز الثاني بالمجموعة.

وأشار إلى أن الفريق خاض اللقاء بجدية كاملة دون استهانة بالمنافس، مما أسهم في تحقيق هذه النتيجة الكبيرة.

طالع.. المنافسون المحتملون لـ بيراميدز في دور الـ8 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وأضاف أن الخطوة التالية هي انتظار قرعة الدور ربع النهائي لتحديد الفريق الذي سيواجهه بيراميدز، مشددًا على أهمية الاستعداد لكل السيناريوهات الممكنة في هذه المرحلة الحاسمة من البطولة.

وعن تفضيله لمواجهة فريق بعينه في الدور المقبل، أوضح الكرواتي أن الوقت لا يزال مبكرًا للحديث عن ذلك، حيث تقام مباريات ربع النهائي في نهاية شهر مارس، وقد تحدث تغييرات تؤثر على جاهزية الفرق، مؤكداً أن الطموح للفوز بالبطولة يتطلب الاستعداد لمواجهة أي منافس والتفوق عليه.

وتطرق  مدرب بيراميدز إلى خططه الفنية خلال لقاء دجوليبا، حيث أجرى تغييرات تهدف لمنح بعض اللاعبين فرصة للمشاركة استعدادًا للمباريات المقبلة.

كما تطرق إلى الأداء المميز لعبد الرحمن مجدي ويوسف أوباما، اللذين سجلا هدفين في المباراة، معربًا عن ارتياحه للمردود الذي قدمه بقية اللاعبين.

وأكد أهمية إراحة بعض العناصر الأساسيين لتجنب الإرهاق، خاصة مع توالي المباريات محليًا وقاريًا، حيث يستعد الفريق لمواجهات صعبة ضد زد، الأهلي والزمالك في الفترة المقبلة.

 

The dawn of the 2024/25 campaign will soon poke over the horizon, and Liverpool's new head coach Arne Slot is gearing up his squad for an attack on major honours and the forefront of the Premier League.

While there has been a lack of transfer activity at Anfield this summer, sporting director Richard Hughes, also new, has stressed that there could be a "crescendo" in the market come August.

FSG love to secure a tidy deal and will pounce if the right opportunity materialises. Well, if one report is to be believed, the perfect new attacking midfielder might be ready to complete a transfer to a success-driven outfit such as Liverpool.

Liverpool transfer news

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Liverpool are alongside Manchester City in hoping to sign Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig this summer, with the Euro 2024 champion valued at €60m (£51m) by his German outfit.

Separate reports suggest that Pep Guardiola's side have lodged an official offer for the 26-year-old, so Liverpool will need to up the ante if they are to sign one of Europe's hottest commodities right now.

Why Dani Olmo could be Slot's own Coutinho

Few players lit up the international scene this summer like Olmo, whose clinical, talismanic efforts helped fire Spain toward a record-breaking fourth European Championship title.

Dani Olmo at Euro 2024

Olmo's all-encompassing attacking game marks him as a truly deadly outlet, and Liverpool would go from strength to strength with him in the side. For Leipzig last season, while stricken by injury, the £152k-per-week talent scored eight goals and added five assists despite only registering 20 starts.

He ranked among the top 12% of positional peers at Euro 2024 for goals, assists and successful take-ons and the top 20% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, with his "magic" ability with a football – as noted by talent scout Jacek Kulig – setting him up to become Slot's very own version of Philippe Coutinho.

A mesmerising player, Coutinho is one of the Reds' most iconic modern stars, posting 54 goals and 43 assists across 201 games for Liverpool and being sold to Barcelona in a jaw-dropping £142m deal.

That was the watershed moment in Jurgen Klopp's reign, opening up a new, previously unthinkable depth of coffers to spend on the likes of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk and take the club to a new level entirely.

Matches

14

Goals

7

Assists

6

Pass completion

79%

Key passes per game

2.9

Dribbles per game

2.8

Tackles per game

1.2

Duels won per game

5.6

As you can see above, the Brazil international, now 32, was beyond brilliant during those final, pre-Barca days, meshing it all together to establish himself as one of Europe's finest.

Transfermarkt's Marcel Veth has hailed Olmo as a "joy to watch" but he is also one of the most complete players around, winning four duels and completing 1.2 tackles on average in the German top flight last season, as per Sofascore.

Liverpool have a superabundance of attacking talent at Slot's disposal, but Olmo would offer something different and might even prove to be the second coming of an unforgettable phenomenon in Coutinho.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Restando quatro rodadas para o fim da primeira fase do Paulistão sub-20, o São Bento do zagueiro Rodrigo segue lutando para obter a sua classificação. Na 4ª posição do grupo 7 com cinco pontos ganhos, o time de Sorocaba enfrentará o Grêmio Osasco, que possui um ponto a menos, no próximo dia 16. Para Rodrigo, a vitória será fundamental.

– Nossa meta é chegar à próxima fase, portanto, precisamos derrotar nossos adversários nas quatro rodadas que vem a seguir. Não haverá facilidade certamente, eles desejam nos vencer para nos ultrapassar, mas acredito que o nosso time está ciente da importância do jogo e do que necessita fazer para triunfar – afirmou.

No torneio regional classificam-se os três melhores colocados de cada chave e as oito equipes que terminarem em quarto que tiverem melhor campanha. O defensor ainda sonha com uma das três vagas diretas, mas não descarta o G4 do grupo.

– Seria mais seguro terminar até a terceira posição, sem dúvida, mas não podemos ignorar essa outra possibilidade. O mais importante é somarmos o máximo de pontos nessas últimas rodadas – concluiu.

MatériaMais Notícias

O sábado é de decisão para o Grêmio. A partir das 21h (Horário de Brasília), o Tricolor entra em campo pelo Brasileiro para encarar o Corinthians.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Apesar de ser a 18ª rodada do torneio nacional, o elenco de Luiz Felipe Scolari leva o jogo como uma verdadeira final, pois a vitória tira a equipe do Z-4.

Com 16 pontos conquistados, o Tricolor conta com o duelo direto entre Fluminense e Bahia, os dois times que estão à sua frente na classificação.

Recuperação

Além da classificação, outro ponto que anima o Grêmio para o jogo é a resposta que o elenco precisa dar após ser goleado pelo Flamengo no meio da semana, em jogo válido pela Copa do Brasil.

RelacionadasGrêmioDouglas Costa é baixa no Grêmio por um mêsGrêmio27/08/2021BahiaRaniele admite incômodo do elenco com situação do BahiaBahia27/08/2021CorinthiansContrato de Roger Guedes com o Corinthians será até o fim de 2025Corinthians27/08/2021

A Bayern Munich star would be keen on joining Arsenal this summer, amid his contractual standoff at the Allianz Arena with some uncertainty surrounding the player's future.

Edu and Arteta targeting new defender for Arsenal

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar are thought to be targeting new defensive additions ahead of the summer transfer window's opening on June 14, and many names have already been linked via the press.

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The likes of Nuno Taveres, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been tipped to potentially leave Arsenal as well, leading to suggestions that the north Londoners could move for a new full-back within the next few months.

Fenerbahce star and Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu has been subject to intense interest from Arsenal in this regard, with some reports even claiming that the 24-year-old is keen on making a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu have been utilised in the full-back areas by Arteta over 2024, while Zinchenko has come under some criticism. It was reported this week that Zinchenko is unhappy at Arsenal and seeking more game time after falling down the pecking order, so this could well be the Ukraine international's final summer in London.

It will be interesting to see if Arsenal chiefs do opt to bring in a new option in that position, and one very interesting name who's been floated this week is Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich.

Kimmich would be interested in joining Arsenal

As per Sky Germany reporter Kerry Hau, speaking on a live broadcast (via Bayern and Germany), Kimmich would be interested in joining Arsenal among other elite clubs – as the 29-year-old is "left hanging" over an extension.

"So far, Bayern have not communicated a clear indication to Joshua Kimmich that they want to extend his contract," said Hau.

"Max Eberl has not told Kimmich clearly: 'We want to extend with you after the Euros' – That's why the player has somewhat been 'left hanging'. In case of a move, Kimmich would only join an absolute ambitious top club. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal would be options for him. But at the moment, there are no talks with any other club."

Given his versatility and experience at the highest level, there is little doubt he'd be a world-class addition. Kimmich has been lavished with praise by high-profile figures in the beautiful game and has won trophies galore in Bavaria.

"The No. 6 role that Joshua is playing for Bayern Munich and for the national team has become like the quarterback role in American Football," said former Bayern, Germany and USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann in May 2021.

"Joshua plays that to perfection. He is not only feisty in terms of winning the ball back, he knows right away what to do with the ball and who to connect to. He keeps the tempo of the game in place."

Joshua Kimmich's best Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich last season	Match Rating (via WhoScored)
Monchengladbach 1-2 Bayern	8.77
Bayern 7-0 Bochum	8.57
Bayern 2-0 FC Koln	8.49
Bayern 8-1 FC Mainz	8.40
Darmstadt 2-5 Bayern	8.23

Meanwhile, the £319,000-per-week star has also been subject to real praise from new Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho.

"I see him as a top right-back, left-back, centre-back, No.6, No.8, No.10… he has the qualities to be anything," said Mourinho to DAZN (via GOAL) in 2020.

"I think he looks to me, very intelligent related to football, very intelligent, understands the moments of the games and understands the difference between positions and understands what he has to do here and what he has to do there.

"I think he’s phenomenal, an absolutely phenomenal player."

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are preparing for an extremely busy summer as Manchester United owners.

The aim is to not only remove deadwood but also sign exciting new talent that can play a huge role in the rebuild, such as Jarrad Branthwaite.

The Everton defender has impressed during his first full Premier League campaign, and he’s become a key target for United.

A key task for the new bosses at Old Trafford will be to remove deadwood and one of those just so happens to earn a bucket load more than Branthwaite.

Christian Eriksen’s debut campaign at Man Utd

In the summer of 2022, Christian Eriksen joined Man United on a free transfer after impressing during a small cameo at Brentford.

The Denmark international became a reliable player that Erik Ten Hag could rely upon to help bring control to his midfield.

The former Tottenham Hotspur ace made 28 Premier League appearances, started 25 of those, and played 74 minutes per game on average.

Throughout the season, Eriksen became extremely influential in the final third despite playing alongside Casemiro in a double pivot, registering eight league assists, the same number as Bruno Fernandes.

However, after a promising start, he didn’t exactly push on last season, with his importance to the side decreasing as the campaign progressed, with football creator Liam Canning even calling him a "passenger."

What Christian Eriksen earns at Man United

Eriksen struggled to regain the form he’d previously displayed this time around, taking on the role as more of a squad player.

It's something he's not hugely happy about either. Speaking recently, the Dane said: "For me, the season has been a little different to other seasons. It has been a slightly different role. It's new to me, but it's also new to the outside world.

"It is clear, in relation to how people talk. No, it's the same. Now I was also a bit lucky that I didn't sit on the bench so much when I was younger. But I did it once in a while. It's never fun. That's for sure. Personally, you always want to be the one who is chosen first in the team. Sometimes the coach looks the other way. But then I play for United, so there is just a battle for places, because there are a lot of good players."

His role hasn't been helped by Kobbie Mainoo’s rise and the signature of Sofyan Amrabat on loan which decreased his game time significantly, averaging 53 minutes per match.

In total, this meant that the number 14 played 22 times in the Premier League, yet only starting 12, sitting on the bench for the majority of February to April.

Given Eriksen is now 32 years old and he’s no longer valued in Ten Hag’s best starting lineup, it may be time for Ratcliffe to look for a sale, especially considering his wage.

Casemiro

£350k

Harry Maguire

£190k

Christian Eriksen

£150k

Jonny Evans

£65k

Tom Heaton

£45k

As you can see, Eriksen is currently earning £150k per week, equating to just short of £8m per season, which is clearly a large figure for a backup.

Furthermore, this salary makes him one of United’s highest-paid midfielders and in the top ten most-paid players at the club when excluding Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial, who’ve now left.

For context, this also means that Eriksen is earning just over four times more than United target Branthwaite, who’s currently paid just £35k per week at Everton. We say just…but that is significantly less than the top performers in the Premier League

Additionally, he’s the third-highest earner at the club over the age of 30, only being paid less than Casemiro and Harry Maguire, who’s started six more league games than the Dane.

Back when Eriksen joined, he signed a contract until June 2025, which obviously means he has one more year left before it expires.

Therefore, if United are looking to raise any funds via the sale of the creative midfielder, then this summer would be the best opportunity to do so.

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Reliable journalist Lewis Cox has dropped a concerning injury update regarding an "excellent" West Brom player, ahead of their final-day clash with Preston North End this weekend.

West Brom look to seal playoff spot

It has been a positive season for the Baggies, who went into the campaign with high hopes of earning promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League.

Admittedly, Carlos Corberan's side haven't secured automatic promotion, which is something the fans would have hoped for, but a playoff place now looks on the cards.

West Brom haven't got over the finish line yet, however, and on Saturday lunchtime, they face a crucial final game of the season at home to Preston. Corberan's men sit sixth in the Championship and two points clear of Hull City below them, so they know that victory this weekend will ensure that their season is extended, ahead of what is hopefully a triumphant day at Wembley later this month.

In fact, a draw should also be enough for the Baggies, given their superior goal difference, but a win for Hull at struggling Plymouth Argyle, coupled with defeat for West Brom, would seal a disastrous final day at the Hawthorns.

Worrying West Brom injury update

Taking to X ahead of the game, Cox admitted that Brandon Thomas-Asante is a doubt for West Brom's clash with Preston on Saturday, due to a hamstring issue: "Thomas-Asante been nursing hamstring discomfort, too, but optimism there."

In his report for The Express & Star, Cox also shared Corberan's comments on Thomas-Asante, with the Baggies manager saying: "Asante couldn’t start the week well. Before the previous game, he was still feeling something in his hamstring. With the minutes he was playing, he still felt something. It’s not muscle, it’s nerve, but he didn’t train the first day of this week. Right now, he’s training normally with the group."

Not having Thomas-Asante available for such an important game would be an undoubted blow for West Brom, considering the overall impact he has made this season. The 25-year-old has scored 11 times in the Championship, appearing in 38 of his side's 45 matches in the competition, also registering two assists.

Corberan is clearly an admirer of his attacking ace, too, saying of him after the 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers earlier in the season: "Excellent, not only for the goals but the way he was linking the play and how he was helping the team build attacks. The most important thing with Brandon is his mentality and his physical condition to play and always be ready to help the team."

The hope is that Thomas-Asante is at least fit enough for the substitutes' bench this weekend, but either way, West Brom have to back themselves to have enough quality to overcome a Preston side with little to play for.

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It would then be a case of getting the attacker fully fit again for the playoffs, as the Baggies look to return to the Premier League after three seasons away.

Fabrizio Romano has refused to rule Tottenham out in the race for a £56 million defender this summer, coming after he was actually "in talks" to join last year.

Postecoglou admits Spurs could sign another centre-back

Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the press last month, admitted that his side could actually end up going for another centre-back when the window reopens.

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While the Lilywhites are thought to be after a new striker and potential Harry Kane replacement, as well as Spurs targeting a new winger and centre-midfielder, it is believed another central defender is high on the agenda despite Radu Dragusin's arrival.

The Romanian arrived from Genoa for around £25 million in the January window, and has provided back-up to star defender Micky van de Ven at the heart of Postecoglou's defence. However, some believe van de Ven may well be used as a wildcard left-back option after Destiny Udogie's season-ending injury, so perhaps we could be seeing more of Dragusin in the final few games.

In any case, Postecoglou was forthright in admitting to Tottenham's desire to sign yet another new centre-half later this year: “If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, the Tottenham manager said.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Before Spurs completed a deal for van de Ven last summer, they were heavily linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba, who supporters may well remember. The Burkina Faso international, now fresh off the back of a title-winning season at Leverkusen, was "in talks" to join Spurs last year according to Fabrizio Romano at the time.

Romano teases potential Spurs move for Tapsoba

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano has teased that Spurs could be back in the running for Tapsoba after scouts from England were sent to watch the "frightening" defender recently – rumoured to cost around £56 million.

Borussia Monchengladbach 0-3 Leverkusen

7.81

Leverkusen 3-0 Bayern Munich

7.80

Leverkusen 5-0 Werder Bremen

7.73

Stuttgart 1-1 Leverkusen

7.63

Mainz 05 0-3 Leverkusen

7.61

“Scouts from three top clubs were in attendance to watch Edmond Tapsoba in yesterday’s [Mondays] game for Bayer Leverkusen away to Borussia Dortmund," said Romano.

"The centre-back looks like he could be one to watch for this summer as he’s attracting interest, though it’s still early in this story. Tottenham also showed an interest in Tapsoba in the past, but let’s see if they enter the running again."