MatériaMais Notícias

O retorno dos jogadores que atuam na Inglaterra não foi a única novidade do técnico Tite entre os 25 atletas convocados da Seleção Brasileira para a nova sequência tripla de jogos pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo. Nesta sexta-feira (25), o treinador abriu espaço para o atacante Antony, do Ajax, e voltou a dar chance para os meias Gerson, Edenilson e os atacantes Vinicius Júnior e Matheus Cunha. No próximo mês, o Brasil enfrentará a Venezuela no dia 7, em Caracas. Já no dia 10, enfrenta a Colômbia em Barranquilla. Por fim, a delegação brasileira desembarca em Manaus, onde a Seleção duela com o Uruguai no dia 14.

O coordenador Juninho Paulista se mostrou otimista com a presença dos jogadores que atuam no Reino Unido.

-Antes optamos por fazer a liberação desses atletas jogarem, até pelo empenho dos clubes ingleses e da Fifa. Tiveram várias reuniões com a Fifa, a Premier e o governo britânico. A gente confia que na próxima semana vai ter uma resolução sobre esses casos – declarou.

Há uma esperança de liberação breve dos atletas.

– Já tiveram várias reuniões positivas, com Fifa, Premier League e governo britânico. A gente confia que na próxima semana vai ter, sim, uma situação positiva para esses casos – disse.

> Saiba qual é a classificação completa das Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo!

O técnico Tite já terá uma baixa na partida com a lanterna Venezuela, no dia 7. O atacante Neymarrecebeu seu segundo cartão amarelo no finzinho da vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Perunos últimos minutos da partida realizada na Arena Pernambuco.

A nova tríplice sequência acontecerá devido a um ajuste da competição. Prevista para o início do ano, a quinta rodada das Eliminatórias foi adiada devido à escalada da pandemia de Covid-19.

Goleiros
Alisson (Liverpool)
Ederson (Manchester City)
Weverton (Palmeiras)

Laterais

Danilo (Juventus)
Emerson (Tottenham)
Alex Sandro (Juventus)
Guilherme Arana (Atlético-MG)

Zagueiros
Militão (Real Madrid)
Lucas Veríssimo (Benfica)
Marquinhos (PSG)
Thiago Silva (Chelsea)

Meio-campistas

Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Edenilson (Internacional)
Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo)
Fabinho (Liverpool)
Fred (Manchester United)
Gerson (Olympique de Marselha)
Lucas Paquetá (Lyon)

Atacantes

Antony (Ajax)
Gabigol (Flamengo)
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)
Matheus Cunha (Atlético de Madrid)
Neymar (PSG)
Raphinha (Leeds)
Vinicius Júnior (Real Madrid)

The transfer window has been open for over three weeks now, and while there have been plenty of murmurings, Manchester United are yet to make a signing.

The Red Devils have given manager Erik ten Hag a new deal, though, and while no players have come through the door, they have been linked to plenty, such as Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and, most recently, Joshua Zirkzee.

The Bologna star seems to be the hot name regarding United at the moment, and based on recent reports, he could become the club's first signing very soon.

The latest on Joshua Zirkzee to Man Utd

According to a recent report from The Guardian, the deal to sign Zirkzee is all but wrapped up, except for one key aspect: the payment.

The publication has claimed that United are deliberating on whether to pay his €40m release clause, which would be about £34m, or to make a higher offer that would then allow them to pay in instalments, thus making it easier to pursue other targets this summer.

Whatever route the Red Devils opt to take, they'll be getting a quality striker who looks to have the potential to get even better under the right management.

Last season, the 23-year-old scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in 37 appearances for Thiago Motta's former side, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.94 games.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Dutchman sits in the top 11% of forwards for successful take-ons, suggesting he's more than just a poacher or fox in the box.

There is always an element of risk in signing younger players from another league, but for around £34m, Zirkzee looks like value for money, although he's worth considerably less than United's current number-one striker.

Rasmus Hojlund's valuation in 2024

The star striker in question is none other than Rasmus Hojlund, who, at just 21 years old, will be two years the Dutchman's junior when this transfer eventually goes through, but you wouldn't have guessed that from his valuation.

According to the CIES Football Observatory, the Danish international is worth up to a staggering €130m, which converts to around £110m, which is a whopping £76m more than the fee Zirkzee could cost United and £38m more than he cost the club last summer.

Now, this is an extraordinary price tag for any player, let alone one who's enjoyed both positive and negative spells in the Premier League over the last year, but there are reasons for it.

Hojlund's senior club record

Club

Manchester United

Atalanta

Sturm Graz

FC Copenhagen

Appearances

43

34

21

32

Goals

16

10

12

5

Assists

2

4

4

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

0.41

0.76

0.15

All Stats via Transfermarkt

First, while he didn't set the world alight in 2023/24, the "exceptional talent", as dubbed by teammate Harry Maguire, did enjoy a relatively successful first season in England, racking up 16 goals and two assists in 43 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement on average every 2.38 games for a highly dysfunctional United side that recorded their worst season for over 30 years.

Moreover, in the campaign prior, he scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 42 appearances for Sturm Graz and Atalanta, and in 18 senior caps, he has found the back of the net on seven occasions and provided one assist to boot, so he's an effective goalscorer when given the chance.

The second reason his valuation is so high is likely because his £85k-per-week contract is set to run for another five years, so there is no pressure on United to sell the 21-year-old or consider renewing his deal.

Ultimately, Zirkzee looks like he will be a great addition to Ten Hag's side, but the club should remember that in Hojluind, they have an incredibly valuable young striker as well.

Related Fabrizio Romano: Man Utd now close to signing 23 y/o after agent agreement

Are the Red Devils set to bolster a key position?

Posts ByHenry Jackson Jul 8, 2024

Arsenal could table a bid to sign one prolific striker likened to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, with Gunners sporting director Edu Gaspar and the wider recruitment team still scouring the market for number nines.

Arteta and Edu looking at signing new striker for Arsenal

A proven centre-forward who can lead the line has been viewed by many as the final missing piece of the jigsaw for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, as the Spaniard seeks to win his side their first Premier League title in over two decades.

Related "Top-level" £50m Arsenal man has just agreed to join elite European club

He’s given the green-light.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 24, 2024

Kai Havertz proved very capable in a makeshift forward role under Arteta last season, making 21 goal contributions in the final third across all competitions. The German, alongside Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, fired Arsenal to within a whisker of the domestic crown as Arteta's side pushed Man City right to the final day.

However, it is still believed Arteta wants a natural striking partner for Havertz before the summer window shuts on August 30. Arsenal made a proposal to RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko earlier in the window, coming after the Slovenia starlet bagged 19 goals in all competitions over 2023/2024.

Arsenal's top scorers in all competitions last season

Goals

Bukayo Saka

20

Leandro Trossard

17

Kai Havertz

14

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Jesus

8

Sesko snubbed this approach from the Gunners, though, and instead signed a contract extension at Leipzig – which will keep him at the Bundesliga club until next summer at the earliest.

The search for a striker is still ongoing, according to reports, and a few interesting names are rumoured to be attracting Edu's attention. Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres remains linked with a high-profile move to Arsenal, but the Swede could come at a premium given the rumoured £84 million release clause in his contract.

There are cheaper targets on the north London club's list. Indeed, some reports have claimed that Ajax striker Brian Brobbey is on Arteta's personal radar, coming after the Netherlands international racked up 22 goals and 12 assists in all competitions last campaign.

It will be interesting to see which striker Arsenal land on, and another name who refuses to go away is Napoli star Victor Osimhen.

Arsenal could soon table offer for Victor Osimhen

According to Sky Sports transfer reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, Arsenal could soon table an offer to sign Osimhen for Arteta, and he urges supporters to watch out for elite Premier League sides swooping in for strikers late in the window.

The Nigerian has been one of Serie A's most prolific stars over the last few years, and he fired Napoli to their first Scudetto in decades the season before last. Osimhen is being widely tipped to leave, and his contract includes a release clause set at well over £100 million.

The £207,000-per-week attacker has also been likened to Drogba and African footballing icon George Weah by Benoît Caue, while ex-Napoli boss Rudi Garcia has described him as a "crazy driving force".

Manchester City have been ordered to pay the majority of £11m in unpaid wages to Benjamin Mendy after he was acquitted of sexual offences.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Mendy filed claim against Manchester CityWins partial victory over unpaid wagesClub must pay out after defender's acquittalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former City defender Mendy filed an employment tribunal claim against the Premier League club in 2023, seeking more than £11m in unpaid wages. Mendy was charged with rape and sexual assault in August 2021, and Manchester City stopped paying his £100,000-a-week salary from September 2021 until his contract at the club expired in June 2023. The defender argued that the club unlawfully deducted wages that he was due and said in a witness statement that he had been promised he would be paid once he was acquitted. Meanwhile, the club said that because Mendy was held in custody, after breaching bail, he "was not ready and able to perform his duties … as a consequence of his own conduct".

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mendy was found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January 2023 at a trial at Chester Crown Court. He was then found not guilty of one count of rape and one of attempted rape after a retrial. Judge Joanne Dunlop upheld Mendy's case against Manchester City, meaning a partial victory for Mendy against his former employers, who must now pay the 30-year-old the wages he is owed.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

A summary of the tribunal’s judgment stated: "The result of this decision is that Mr Mendy will be entitled to receive the majority of his unpaid salary, although not all of it."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MENDY

After leaving Man City, Mendy moved to French side Lorient on a free transfer in July 2023. He has made just one appearance for the club this season in Ligue 2 following their relegation from the French top flight in 2023-24.

MatériaMais Notícias

Portugal vai sediar um evento sobre gestão humanizada do futebol neste mês de outubro. O Global Football Management vai acontecer dos dias 12 a 15, em Lisboa, mas também com interação virtual. Nomes de diferentes áreas do futebol vão palestrar, dentre os quais o campeão do mundo Gilberto Silva e o técnico do Benfica, Jorge Jesus.

RelacionadasFlamengoWalter Monteiro e Ricardo Hinrischen inscrevem chapas para eleições presidenciais do FlamengoFlamengo30/09/2021Mais EsportesInvestigação aponta que houve manipulação de resultados do boxe nos Jogos Olímpicos do RioMais Esportes30/09/2021BotafogoEnderson diz que teve recomendação para não usar Mezenga em jogo do Botafogo: ‘Está à cargo da direção’Botafogo30/09/2021

Outros integrantes do evento são Christiano Cinelli, chefe do departamento médico do Botafogo por quatro anos; Felipe Ximenes, executivo de futebol com passagens por Flamengo, Santos, entre outros; Márcio Tannure, gerente de saúde e alto rendimento do Rubro-Negro Carioca; e Marcelo Paz, presidente do Fortaleza.

Dirigentes e profissionais de outras áreas do futebol, como empresários, técnicos de divisões base e comunicação também serão palestrantes no evento. A estruturação da sociedade anônima no futebol também será pauta, tendo o senador Carlos Portilho (PL-RJ) como palestrante.

-> Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

A inscrição pode ser feita no site www.globalfootballmgt.com.

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.

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.

Liverpool could land Jones upgrade with swoop for £60m PL star

The Reds have been linked with an interest in the Premier League maestro this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 25, 2024

Decision following extensive talks with Queensland Health; Gavaskar says he understands India’s stance

Andrew McGlashan08-Jan-2021

Following extensive talks between Cricket Australia, the BCCI and Queensland Health, plans will continue to host the final Test of the series in Brisbane despite the city being put into a three-day lockdown from Friday evening.The 72-hour restrictions in Brisbane, which currently expire on Monday evening, were announced by premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Thursday morning following the positive Covid-19 case in a cleaner who had worked in a quarantine hotel, which was confirmed as being the strain originating from the UK.When asked about the prospects for the Test in Brisbane during the press conference to announce the lockdown, Palaszczuk it was “still positive talks at this stage”. The teams are due to travel on Tuesday.The fate of the Gabba Test has been in doubt for some days with the India contingent having raised fears about the restrictions they will be placed under, only leaving the team hotel for training and practice. Yesterday it was confirmed that the BCCI had officially communicated with CA their concerns about the hotel quarantine stating that it was an unreasonable demand given the relative lack of restrictions on the general public.Related

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India to not travel to Brisbane if there's hard quarantine: BCCI to CA

They have been given assurances that the plans signed off on December 29, which allow players to mingle in communal areas of the hotel which has been entirely booked out for the two squads, will not be changed despite today’s developments in Brisbane.Due to Queensland having a closed border to Greater Sydney, the two squads are under the same quarantine protocols during the third Test in order to be granted exemptions to travel to Brisbane next week.Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar, who is working for Channel Seven during this series but having to commentate on the third Test from Sydney due to border restrictions, said he understood India’s stance.”In Sydney, there are people coming to the ground and then going back and having dinner at a restaurant or having a gathering of 20, 30 people in a pub.”What they’re saying is they should also be allowed to do something similar. You could have a situation where the ball goes into the crowd, somebody from the crowd touches the ball. One can understand that. One can understand why they’re feeling that way.”The Queensland government is fully entitled to protect its people. Similarly I believe the BCCI is fully entitled to protect its team. I think that’s something we should never forget.”If there were to be any further developments that required a late change of venue, the SCG would be the option but time is running short to allow groundstaff to start work on a second pitch.

India’s desperate luck with injuries continued, as Navdeep Saini walked off with a groin strain after bowling just 7.5 overs on the first day of the Gabba Test. He was taken for scans in the afternoon.With four Test caps between them, Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and the two debutants T Natarajan and Washington Sundar anyway made up India’s least experienced Test attack since 1933. From the Sydney Test, where they were already depleted, India lost Jasprit Bumrah to an abdominal strain, R Ashwin to back spasms, and Ravindra Jadeja to a broken thumb, taking out the only survivors from India’s first-choice attack.In hindsight, there was consolation in India’s team selection: they had picked five bowlers, including four quicks. In the morning, India made the unusual move of giving a Test debut to a reserve spinner, Washington Sundar, who was held back for help in the nets, ahead of the specialist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been with the squad all along. It was perhaps done to shorten the tail, but at the same time, four fast bowlers covered for their inexperience.So when Saini did go off, India did still have four bowlers to operate with.India’s absentee list now reads: Ishant Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, KL Rahul, Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari, Umesh Yadav, Bumrah and Ashwin, with an update on Saini awaited.

The duo added 216 as Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s first-innings ton and two four-fors went in vain

Hemant Brar07-Feb-2021Debutant Kyle Mayers scored a magnificent 210 not out as West Indies pulled off the fifth-highest successful chase in Test cricket, and highest in Asia, nailing down 395 for a miraculous three-wicket win on the final evening in Chattogram.In a display of exemplary temperament and power-hitting, Mayers struck 20 fours and seven sixes during his 310-ball stay at the crease. When he hit the winning run, a hurried single to mid-on, only 15 balls were left in the Test. During the course of his innings, he became only the sixth batsman to score a double-century on Test debut, and also the sixth overall to score a double-ton in the fourth innings of a Test. Unsurprisingly, Mayers is the only one on both lists.Related

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For the most part of the final day, Mayers was accompanied by fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner, who himself struck a gritty 86. The duo added 216 for the fourth wicket and kept Bangladesh wicketless for the first two sessions of the day.That left West Indies needing 129 in a minimum of 33 overs in the final session. Bonner, who had survived a stumping chance against Nayeem Hasan before tea, hit Taijul Islam for a six in the first over after the interval but was lbw on the very next ball. Jermaine Blackwood too fell soon after. After slog-sweeping Taijul over long-on for six, he went for another big hit against Hasan, only to be bowled for 9.With West Indies 292 for 5 and the target still 103 runs away, Bangladesh had their hopes renewed. Suddenly there were four men close to the bat. But it also meant there were many gaps in the outfield and Mayers and Joshua Da Silva took advantage of that, hitting a four each in one Hasan over. A few minutes later, when Mayers pulled Hasan over deep midwicket for a six to bring the target down to 76, Bangladesh were forced to spread the field once again.Mayers was at his striking-best when the last hour commenced. With 61 required at that stage, he backed himself to clear the boundary-riders and scored 49 by himself, in just 40 balls, bludgeoning five sixes and a four. Taijul, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, no one was spared. In a 100-run stand with Da Silva for the sixth wicket, Mayers’ contribution was 80.The credit must go to Da Silva as well who played a perfect foil to Mayers and must have calmed the nerves in the dressing room. He was eventually bowled for 20 when the target was just three runs away. Kemar Roach also fell on the same score – caught at leg slip off Miraz, who ended with a hundred and eight wickets in the match – but by then the result was sealed.Bangladesh, however, will rue the chances they missed and the reviews they didn’t take, apart from losing Shakib Al Hasan to a thigh injury on the second day of the Test.West Indies started the day on 110 for 3, and in the first hour alone there were at least three opportunities Bangladesh should have been converted into wickets. Mayers was on 47 when Taijul got one to straighten from around the wicket to hit the batsman on the pads. There was a loud appeal for lbw but umpire Richard Illingworth deemed it not out. Bangladesh didn’t opt for the review but replays showed Mayers would have been out had they done so.Shortly afterwards, Miraz induced an outside edge off Mayers bat but this time Najmul Hossain Shanto put it down at first slip. The resulting single took Mayers to his fifty.Bangladesh missed another opportunity to overturn an on-field decision when Hasan got one to turn sharply from outside off and ping Bonner’s pads. Illingworth once again ruled it in the batsman’s favour. Replays, once again, confirmed he was wrong. Bonner was on 25 at that point.Kyle Mayers gets a hug from fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner during their double-century stand•BCBThe Bangladesh spinners were also guilty of not bowling enough full-length deliveries, allowing Bonner and Mayers to wait on the back foot and adjust to whatever turn and bounce the pitch offered.Mayers was the aggressor right from the start, cutting and pulling spinners to the square boundaries. When Rahman was brought into the attack, he welcomed him with a four and six off successive deliveries. Bonner, meanwhile, was happy to keep his end occupied. By lunch, their contrasting approaches led to the comparisons with Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant’s knocks in India’s win against Australia in Brisbane last month.The two, however, seemed to have switched roles in the second session. In the second over after lunch, Bonner cleared his front leg and lofted Taijul over mid-on. It fetched the batsman four runs but the impact was such that Bangladesh went on the defensive after that shot. For the next few overs, they had just one close-in fielder, either a slip or a short leg, for spinners.With a single off Hasan, Bonner brought up his half-century, in 164 balls. Bangladesh opted for the second new ball after the 81st over and seemed to have found success immediately when umpire Sharfuddoula gave Bonner lbw off Taijul. Bonner, though, knew he had got an inside edge and got the decision reversed.But Mayers found himself stuck. Having reached 90 in 146 balls, he took another 32 balls to bring up his maiden Test hundred. And it was a streaky boundary between slip and gully, via an outside edge off Rahman, that took him to the landmark.What followed was a slew of loose shots from Mayers, all in that Rahman over. He was beaten outside off twice in the next two balls and, a ball later, miscued two consecutive lofted attempts. Luckily for West Indies, both fell away from the fielders. It took a message from the dressing room at the end of the over for Mayers to regain his composure, which he didn’t lose till the end of the match.

The transfer window has been open for just over two weeks now, and after announcing the signing of Lucas Nygaard last week, Arsenal are on the lookout for their next addition.

The Premier League runners-up were thrilling to watch at times last season, but a lack of cutting-edge midway through the year saw them end the campaign empty-handed. So it's unsurprising that the majority of players they have been linked to in the last few weeks have been attackers.

Be that Benjamin Sesko last month, Viktor Gyokeres in recent weeks or Spain's rapid winger Nico Williams most recently, it's clear the North Londoners are after more firepower this summer.

However, the latest star touted for a move to the Emirates might just be the most exciting forward of the lot and someone who would look incredible alongside Williams.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Napoli's star striker, Victor Osimhen, who is expected to leave Italy this summer.

The report claims that the Nigerian superstar's most likely destination is the Premier League, and while 'several clubs' are willing to make a bid for his services, the Gunners and Chelsea remain his leading suitors.

The Neapolitans are still holding out for a team to pay his €120m release clause, which is around £102m, but there is a real chance that the fee could be reduced in negotiations.

It would be an expensive deal to get over the line regardless, but if Arsenal want to end their two-decade title drought next season, paying for Osimhen may be the way to do that – and a partnership between him and Williams could be a sight to behold.

Why Osimhen would be a great signing and teammate for Williams

So, the main reason that Arsenal and many other clubs want to sign the "Nigerian nightmare", as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is quite simple: he's a goalscoring machine.

Despite enduring something of a down season last year, the £209k-per-week poacher still scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 32 appearances. During the campaign prior, he found the back of the net a staggering 31 times in 39 appearances while also providing five assists for good measure.

In contrast, Kai Havertz has scored 23 goals and provided eight assists in 98 appearances over the last two seasons, while Gabriel Jesus has scored 19 goals and provided 15 assists in 69 games across the same period.

This incredible ability to put the ball in the back of the net would surely see the creative numbers of players like Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka explode in North London, and if Edu and Co can add Williams into the mix, there might not be a defence in the league capable of stopping the Gunners' attack.

The main reason the Spaniard would be such an incredible partner for the "world-class" Napoli star, as dubbed by managerial icon José Mourinho, is the fact he racked up a frankly absurd 19 assists in 37 appearances last season to go with his eight goals, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.37 games for Athletic Bilbao.

The idea of Osimhen having that level of service to his left and Saka to his right – who provided 14 assists in 47 games last season – should excite Arteta.

Therefore, if the club has the chance to sign the Nigerian superstar this summer, they should take it, and if they can bring in Williams as well, then the Gunners may well be champions this time next year.

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