Birmingham City fans were living on cloud nine after their side’s electric start to League One life, but have been knocked back down a peg or two somewhat after their last league clash.

Chris Davies’ Blues picked up their first league defeat of the season away at Charlton Athletic, as a Matt Godden strike for the Addicks early into the second half proved to be the difference between the two teams, with Nathan Jones’ hosts boasting a huge scalp for the division at full-time.

It is unlikely that this loss will cause the wheels to come off at St. Andrew’s, but it’s a big wake-up call all the same for the Birmingham boss when it comes to ongoing team selections, with Willum Thór Willumsson noticeably way off his high standards in the slim 1-0 defeat.

Willumsson's start at Birmingham

The Iceland international was seen as a major coup this summer, away from the high-profile purchases of Jay Stansfield to name a few, with the ex-Go Ahead Eagles midfielder joining the ranks at the Blues after starring in the Eredivisie – where he scored seven league goals last season.

He has shown his obvious class for the League One promotion chasers in spurts so far, with two goals and two assists picked up in the league action from nine games, which included scoring this well-worked team goal to kickstart a comeback against Peterborough United at the end of last month.

Away from these heroics, however, Willumsson struggled against Charlton – much like the rest of his flat teammates – who might well have thought the league was becoming too much like a walk in the park.

The 25-year-old would only last 61 minutes on the pitch at the Valley before being hooked off by Davies, with Willumsson only completing 24 accurate passes in a passive display, that also saw the lofty 6 foot 4 star fail to register a single shot on the opposition goal.

There will be an inquest going on now in the West Midlands as to why they fell to a surprise defeat on the road, with Davies then changing his side up accordingly, but there will be no Jordan James for the ex-Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager turned Blues boss to call upon.

Selling James to Rennes could prove to be a major regret down the line for the Blues, with the Welshman’s transfer value already increasing in France, despite playing very limited minutes so far.

James' value away from Birmingham

Sold for £4m to the Ligue 1 club this summer, James’ value now stands at a heftier £7.1m – according to Football Transfers – only a matter of months on from his Birmingham departure.

In contrast, Willumsson is worth a lesser £4.3m back playing in England.

That’s the case despite James finding it hard to make a name for himself at his new employers to date, with only three games coming his way in total in league action, all from off the bench late on.

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

CM

18

1

1

DM

16

0

0

AM

15

3

1

RM

9

0

0

LM

9

2

0

Away from his value surprisingly going up, despite finding himself on the periphery at Rennes, Davies and Co will also be regretting the sale of James based on his adaptability in the midfield positions being a useful asset, especially when the team needs a refresh after a sobering loss.

James could even have slotted into the side in place of Willumsson if he was still donning a Blues strip, with the Scandinavian midfielder below-par in attacking midfield versus the Addicks, where the former homegrown product used to shine when playing at St. Andrew’s.

Birmingham supporters would have loved to have seen their former 20-year-old gem strut his stuff in the third tier over leaving for France, after being referred to as a “Rolls Royce” style player last campaign by podcaster Jordan Webber.

But, that wasn’t to be, as the Blues aim to now bounce back from that single league loss next to their name when travelling to Lincoln City after the international break.

Sold for £6.3m: Birmingham hit gold with ace who's now worth millions less

Birmingham City would have been glad to just get this player off their books.

1 ByKelan Sarson Oct 4, 2024

One former Manchester United man has provided a major update on a potential 2025 deal for the Red Devils as they look to rebuild under the new ownership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Ten Hag teetering as Manchester United boss

Erik ten Hag was granted a new contract in the summer after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final, following a very public search for a potential successor for the Dutchman.

However, early season form has failed to justify that show of faith in the former Ajax-boss by the higher-ups at Old Trafford, and he has already been granted a stay of execution over the November international break, when draws against Aston Villa and Porto helped save his job.

INEOS tracking £13m-rated gem as possible Luke Shaw replacement at Man Utd

Man Utd look to be weighing up their options to strengthen the left side of their defence.

1 ByBrett Worthington Oct 24, 2024

But things cannot continue in the same vein, with Manchester United currently 12th in the Premier League with a negative goal difference, six points off a spot in the top four after just eight games.

Outside the top flight, they have made it into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, but have drawn three successive Europa League games and currently sit 21st in the 36-strong league.

As he so often has, it seems that once more Ten Hag is facing a crucial run of fixtures to save his job at Old Trafford, starting with a trip to the London Stadium to take on West Ham before home games against Leicester City in the cup and a Premier League game against Chelsea.

Manchester United’s games before the next international break

Opponent (Home/Away)

Competition

West Ham United (Away)

Premier League

Leicester City (Home)

Carabao Cup

Chelsea (Home)

Premier League

PAOK Thessaloniki (Home)

Europa League

Ipswich Town (Away)

Premier League

Despite the man in charge though, INEOS are determined to make a splash in the transfer market, if a former Manchester United figure is correct.

Mick Brown makes Davies claim

That comes as ex-Manchester United scout Mick Brown, who was briefly Sir Alex Ferguson’s no.2 at Old Trafford, has provided an update on his former side’s pursuit of Alphonso Davies. The Canadian defender is out of contract in 2025, and has been linked with a move to Manchester United as well as Real Madrid should he not pen fresh terms at the Allianz Arena.

The defender, who has been dubbed “unbelievable” by teammate Joshua Kimmich during his time in Bavaria, is thought to have emerged as a target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and according to Brown a deal could well be on.

“Because he’s available for free, I’ve heard United will definitely be among those interested”, he explained to Football Insider.

“A left-back is on their list of targets and the opportunity to sign a big-name player there is something I’ve been told they’re keen on.

“Beating Real Madrid to the deal might prove difficult, but if they want to get it done, I’d expect them to push for it.”

Any deal to beat the reigning Champions League champions to the Canadian may depend on what level of European football Manchester United can offer next season, with Davies having spent all of his career in Europe at the top table and unlikely to want to drop down a level as he heads into what is the prime of his career.

Manchester United are considering making a move for Aston Villa's Leon Bailey as they look to strengthen their attacking options.

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Leon Bailey an option for UnitedRashford moving in the opposite directionTalks over Mathys Tel ongoingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Jamaican winger has emerged as a surprise target for Ruben Amorim and can offer depth to what has been a rather misfiring attack this season. are reporting that the club are weighing up a move for Bailey and Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel – the 19-year-old French forward who is looking to leave the German side this window. Tel's future remains unclear after rejecting the prospect of a permanent move to Tottenham Hotspur.

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The report adds that any move for Bailey would be separate from Marcus Rashford's imminent loan switch to the Midlands. The English forward has made it clear he sees his future away from Manchester and has been agitating for a move away from his boyhood club. On Saturday, Villa agreed to take him on loan until the end of the season, covering his wages, and with a view to making the move permanent in the summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bailey played a crucial role in helping Villa achieve Champions League qualification last season as they finished fourth. The Jamaican was vital for the club, contributing ten goals and registering nine assists in 35 Premier League matches. However, his form has fallen off a cliff and has managed just one goal and two assists in 20 outings so far in the Premier League.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

United will continue to push for reinforcements before the end of the January transfer window. They appear set to confirm the signing of Lecce's Patrick Dorgu and will attempt to strike a deal for Tel and Bailey. On the pitch, United host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in a clash between 12th and 13th in the Premier League.

Manchester United are eyeing up an audacious move to sign one of Europe’s best talents in 2025 as they look to continue their overhaul under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, according to one report.

Defensive issues continue at Manchester United

Despite heavy investment, Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United side continue to struggle defensively. Though they have only conceded eight goals in seven Premier League games thus far, six of those have come in heavy home defeats to both Tottenham and Liverpool, losing 3-0 on each occasion.

It comes after a season in which the club suffered an injury crisis at centre-back, one which saw Ten Hag forced into using 14 different centre-back partnerships which at times included defensive midfielder Casemiro.

They looked to remedy that over the summer, signing Leny Yoro from Lille and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich in deals worth close to £100m, but the former has been sidelined through injury and the latter is yet to impress, to the extent that for Manchester United’s most recent outing and with Ten Hag under pressure to save his job, the Dutchman reverted to veteran defender Jonny Evans in his place.

There have been ever bigger issues at fullback; 2022 signing Tyrell Malacia has been sidelined for much of his time at Old Trafford with an unspecified injury, while Luke Shaw has also failed to stay fit for any significant portion of time, leading to Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof and even loanee Sofyan Amrabat being asked to fill in at left back. Now, United are eyeing up a long-term fix to that problem, in the form of an audacious move.

Games played at left back 23/24

Tyrell Malacia

0

Luke Shaw

12

Diogo Dalot

15

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

7

Victor Lindelof

9

Sofyan Amrabat

5

Manchester United chase free agent

That comes as Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has revealed that the Red Devils are doing initial groundwork to try and pull off an audacious swoop to sign Alphonso Davies in 2025. The Canadian defender, who was the Bundesliga’s fastest player last season, is in the final months of his £181,000 a week deal at the Allianz Arena.

He has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid as a free agent, but Manchester United are also positioning themselves to try and bring him to Old Trafford.

Man Utd now consider eye-watering 2025 move for £612k-p/w title-winning duo

It would continue a theme at Old Trafford.

ByBen Browning Oct 15, 2024

It is claimed that United “have already gathered information” on the 23-year-old, as they look to address their long term problems at left-back. Davies would certainly be a massive upgrade at Old Trafford, having been labelled “unbelievable” by teammate Joshua Kimmich, while he missed just four games last season through injury.

Unfortunately though, the report adds that “don’t consider their chances to be very high”, something that will likely only be decided by whether or not Manchester United qualify for next season’s Champions League, and Real Madrid’s ultimate decision on whether or not to try and sign the Canadian,

Former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie has heaped praise on an “exciting kid” at the club, and suggests that he could even be their next Jarrod Bowen.

Lopetegui under pressure after poor West Ham start

New manager Julen Lopetegui has big shoes to fill after David Moyes, who guided the Hammers to their first major trophy in decades and successive campaigns in Europe, having taken over when they were fighting for their Premier League status in 2019.

Ex-West Ham chief makes board claim and shares why Lopetegui may face sack

The Spaniard is under pressure already.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 1, 2024

The Hammers have won just two games in all competitions since Lopetegui took charge – a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace in the league and a 1-0 cup victory at home to Bournemouth – and West Ham’s expensively-assembled new-look squad suggests they should be doing much better.

Lopetegui was backed with a near-£120 million summer spend on nine new signings, but they’ve failed to record a single win since late August and pressure is mounting on the Spaniard.

West Ham have been criticised for their showings in both an attacking and defensive sense, with Sky Sports reporter Ron Walker saying that much more should be expected of this quality side on paper.

“When you’re in a bad run of form and you concede with 41 seconds on the clock, you fear the worst. In that context, the way West Ham bounced back to earn a point at Brentford is a positive,” said the journalist.

West Ham Results: 2024/25
Match	Date	Opponent	Competition	Result
#8	28/09/2024	Brentford (A)	Premier League	1-1 draw
#7	25/09/2024	Liverpool (A)	Carabao Cup	5-1 loss
#6	21/09/2024	Chelsea (H)	Premier League	3-0 loss
#5	14/09/2024	Fulham (A)	Premier League	1-1 draw
#4	31/08/2024	Man City (H)	Premier League	3-1 loss
#3	28/08/2024	Bournemouth (H)	Carabao Cup	1-0 win
#2	24/08/2024	Crystal Palace (A)	Premier League	2-0 win
#1	17/08/2024	Aston Villa (H)	Premier League	2-1 loss

“But that’s still as good as it gets. For a team with the depth and quality of this Hammers side, the lack of memorable moments they produced is still a concern. The Hammers’ defending has been a major cause for concern but their attacking return is an even greater worry when Julen Lopetegui was tasked with delivering a more expansive style.

“That will take time but with an expected goals tally lower than Southampton despite Lucas Paqueta, Mohamed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen featuring in every game, even their individual quality should be enough to produce more than this.”

Frank McAvennie compares Crysencio Summerville to Jarrod Bowen

West Ham, and especially the under-fire Lopetegui, will need all the help they can get to turn this form around.

Over the summer, West Ham agreed a £25 million-plus deal for winger Crysencio Summerville, and he is yet to get off the mark over his seven appearances in all competitions.

The Dutchman comes with plenty of promise, though, having scored 20 goals with a further nine assists in the Championship for Leeds last season. The winger could be pivotal to adding that extra bit of dynamism to West Ham’s attack, and he could follow a similar path to Bowen given his London Stadium switch from the second tier.

Indeed, McAvennie suggests Summerville could be West Ham’s new Bowen, and adds that the attacker “hasn’t had much help recently” in a glowing endorsement of the 22-year-old.

“I think he’s been bright, always looking to get at his opponent,” said McAvennie to West Ham Zone.

“The more he plays, the better. Jarrod Bowen came from Hull City, and it took him a few games but David Moyes believed in him.

“That’s what is going to happen with this guy. He’s another young, exciting kid, who has no fears. I like that. He goes to get the ball and he doesn’t care about who they’re playing. He just hasn’t had much help recently.”

Big things were expected from Joshua Zirkzee this season following his arrival at Manchester United but he could soon be on the way out of Old Trafford in January.

The Dutchman scored 12 goals and produced seven assists in all competitions for Italian side Bologna last term, prompting United and INEOS to splash no less than £36.5 million to bring him to Manchester and join Erik ten Hag’s growing number of ex-Eredivisie stars.

A winning goal against Fulham on his debut was a promising start, but since then, Zirkzee’s spell in England has been nothing short of a disaster.

In the last eight games, the 23-year-old has failed to register a single goal or assist and has come under heavy scrutiny for his lacklustre performances, including from Dutch football legend Frank de Boer, who, after United’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last month, called him a “champion in losing the ball.”

“He was absolutely shocking. How many times does he make the wrong choices on the pitch?” De Boer said of Zirkzee after the match.

Zirkzee now eyeing Man Utd exit

Following his difficult start to life at Old Trafford, Zirkzee reportedly already wants out of Man Utd. That’s according to Calcio Mercato, who report that the forward, who has thus far cost United just shy of £2,800 a minute for the 526 minutes he’s played, is eyeing a return to Italy as soon as January.

The Italian outlet report that Zirkzee could soon be back on the radar of his former Bologna boss, Thiago Motta, who is now in charge of Juventus. The Old Lady are understood to be looking for a new striker in case Dusan Vlahovic leaves the club when his contract expires in the summer, and Zirkzee’s Serie A pedigree and experience playing under Motta make him a logical option.

It remains to be seen, however, whether United would be open to letting Zirkzee leave Old Trafford so soon after his arrival, with the 2001-born attacker having only penned a £105,000-per-week, five-year deal in July.

Zirkzee out, Kolo Muani in an option for Man Utd

Should Zirkzee indeed leave United, the Red Devils could already have a replacement waiting in line in the form of Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani.

According to a recent report from The Boot Room, Kolo Muani’s agents have reached out to Man Utd over a potential move to the club, ahead of a likely move away from the Ligue 1 giants.

Related Manager now wants £70m flop sold and agents have reached out to Man Utd

Would he be a strong option for the Red Devils?

Posts ByHenry Jackson Oct 20, 2024

Kolo Muani joined PSG for a fee of £70 million from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023 but has failed to make his mark in the French capital, scoring just 11 times in 49 games. This season, he’s started just two games for Luis Enrique’s side and was left out of the squad for PSG’s most recent match against Strasbourg.

The Boot Room claim that the Frenchman “has been offered to a number of Premier League clubs ahead of the January transfer window,” one of which is United. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle have also been contacted, according to the report, so his situation could be one to watch if Zirkzee leaves in 2025.

Lecce star Patrick Dorgu is reportedly set to fly to England ahead of a medical and a €35 million move to Manchester United.

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• Dorgu set for €35m Man Utd move
• Medical scheduled for Lecce ace
• Would be Amorim's first signing

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Fabrizio Romano, Dorgu will travel to Manchester this weekend to complete his €35m (£29.3m) move to the Premier League side. He added that the 20-year-old's medical should take place on Saturday and there are no issues with documentation or contracts.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The left-back position has been a troublesome one for United in recent years, due to the long-term injuries of Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw. The Red Devils will hope those issues are over with the signing of Denmark international Dorgu.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Dorgu began his footballing career at Copenhagen team Husum Boldklub before moving to FC Nordsjaelland in 2020. Lecce came calling in 2023 and now he is off to Old Trafford.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Dorgu could be a United player by the time Ruben Amorim's team host Crystal Palace on Sunday in the Premier League.

Shardul Thakur has replaced Axar Patel in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2021. Axar, meanwhile, joins the list of stand-by players for the squad, along with Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar. The BCCI also said eight players would additionally be joining the team’s bubble in Dubai to “assist Team India in their preparations” for the tournament. These are: Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Harshal Patel, Lukman Meriwala, Venkatesh Iyer, Karn Sharma, Shahbaz Ahmed and K Gowtham.Related

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The T20 World Cup will be played primarily in the UAE – where IPL 2021 is also currently in progress – with some games of the preliminary stage in Oman.Thakur has had a good IPL season with Chennai Super Kings, who finished second in the league and the won the first qualifier against Delhi Capitals to reach the final. He has picked up 13 wickets in the UAE leg of the tournament, joint third in the period. His strikes have been at key moments, which is reflected in a Smart Wickets tally of 17.5, narrowly behind Yuzvendra Chahal’s chart-topping 17.62. He hasn’t had much opportunity to bat, but he was sent up the order at No. 4 in the qualifier against Capitals, with a view to utilising his ball-striking capacity. He, however, fell for a first-ball duck.Thakur could slot into the seam-bowling allrounder role for the Indian team, currently with Hardik Pandya. However, Hardik didn’t bowl during the IPL, and if he’s unable to do so in the T20 World Cup too, Thakur could be in line to fill that void.Axar has also had a good IPL overall and in the UAE leg, being particularly impressive with his economy rate. He has likely been moved to the reserves since Ravindra Jadeja would be the first-choice pick for left-arm fingerspinning allrounder in the team, and Axar provides an almost like-for-like option. Should Jadeja be injured or unavailable, Axar will come into the main squad.Umran Malik is currently at the top of the list for the fastest ball bowled in IPL 2021, clocking one at 153kph•BCCI

Apart from the reserves, the eight players who are going to be part of the Indian team’s bubble and help with preparations are mostly pure bowlers. Venkatesh Iyer is the only one whose primary suit is not bowling, although he could well be an additional cover for the seam-bowling allrounder’s spot. Among the rest, Avesh, Malik, Harshal and Shahbaz have all been involved in the IPL and have achieved varying degrees of success.Avesh has had a sterling season with Capitals, being entrusted with the tough overs in the powerplay and at the death, and has picked up 23 wickets in 15 games. The value of those wickets has been extremely high, as a Smart Wickets tally of 30.08 for the season shows. Harshal has topped the wicket chart with a record-equalling 32 strikes, successfully donning the role of a death-overs bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore.Malik turned heads with his ability to generate searing pace, and is currently at the top of the list for the fastest ball bowled in IPL 2021, clocking one at 153kph. Shahbaz was used as a utility player by Royal Challengers, chipping in with his left-arm spin and handy batting.The trio of Meriwala, Karn and Gowtham haven’t played a match in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. However, their teams – Capitals for Meriwala and Super Kings for Karn and Gowtham – finished in the top two of the league stages.

يقترب فريق ليفربول من لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بعد خوضه 29 مباراة حتى الآن في موسم 2024-2025.

وتغلب ليفربول على ساوثهامبتون بثلاثية لهدف في إطار مباريات الجولة الثامنة والعشرين للدوري الإنجليزي “البريميرليج”.

وسجل النجم المصري محمد صلاح، هدفين في فوز ليفربول، وأحرزها من ضربتي جزاء.

ويعد آرسنال أقرب ملاحقي ليفربول في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، لكن الفارق بينهما الآن أصبح 15 نقطة.

يأتي ذلك بعد تعادل آرسنال مع مانشستر يونايتد بهدف لمثله، بمواجهات الجولة 28، مع العلم أن ليفربول خاض 29 مواجهة وآرسنال خاض 28. ماذا يحتاج ليفربول لحسم لقب الدوري الإنجليزي

يحتاج ليفربول إلى 5 انتصارات وتعادل واحد فقط لحسم لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث يحتاج  إلى 16 نقطة كحد أقصى ليتوج باللقب. مباريات ليفربول المتبقية في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز

2 أبريل، ليفربول ضد إيفرتون (على أرضه).

6 أبريل، ليفربول ضد فولهام (خارج الأرض).

13 أبريل، ليفربول ضد وست هام (على أرضه).

20 أبريل، ليفربول ضد ليستر (خارج الأرض).

27 أبريل، ليفربول ضد توتنهام (على أرضه).

3 مايو، ليفربول ضد تشيلسي (خارج الأرض).

10 مايو، ليفربول ضد آرسنال (على أرضه).

18 مايو، ليفربول ضد برايتون (خارج الأرض).

25 مايو، ليفربول ضد كريستال بالاس (على أرضه).

Arsenal are now prepared to lodge a £42 million bid for one Serie A “revelation”, as sporting director Edu Gaspar and co make transfer plans for 2025.

Arsenal's rumoured transfer plans for January and next summer

By his own admission, Edu spends weeks identifying transfer targets in detailed assessments of players who he believes could upgrade Mikel Arteta’s ranks at N5.

Arsenal officials dispatched to Europe on Monday as Edu eyes £86m player

The Brazilian is making plans for the upcoming windows.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 15, 2024

The Premier League title hopefuls – who are aiming to beat Man City and Liverpool to the crown at the third time of asking – have suffered from a plague of injury problems to key senior players as well, perhaps highlighting their need for more strength in depth.

Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kai Havertz, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney and potentially Gabriel Martinelli have all been sidelined at various points, with a few proving very sore misses.

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

Odegaard remains weeks away from full fitness after suffering ankle ligament damage last month, while Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of Martinelli after he picked up a calf problem on international duty with Brazil.

“I’ve heard the Arsenal hierarchy have held discussions about what happens if certain players get injured, and that includes Saka,” said ex-chief scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected within the game, to Football Insider this week.

“They want to get to a point where they have a solid backup for every player in their starting XI. Long-term, they’ll be planning to strengthen in every position. But that applies to Saka certainly, because a winger who’s always looking to take people on is always likely to get a whack and pick up a knock.

“He may always be available at the moment, but I know the club are planning for what happens if that isn’t the case any longer.“

It is believed Edu is targeting Antoine Semenyo as a back-up to Saka, while Arsenal have also been repeatedly linked with a new number nine, potentially to replace Gabriel Jesus.

Arsenal prepared to make £42 million bid for Isak Hien

Despite the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori in the summer, Spanish media report this week that Atalanta centre-back Isak Hien is a target for the Gunners.

Arsenal have been keeping tabs on Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato recently, sending scouts to watch the Dutchman in action against Germany on Monday, so it appears they’re after more alternative options to star central defensive duo Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.

Links to Hien may therefore have weight, with the 25-year-old Sweden international branded “one of the revelations at the start of this season”.

That is according to a claim from Spain, which also states that Arsenal are prepared to make a £42 million bid for Hien, who has been praised as a modern, ball-playing centre-half who could really suit Arteta’s system.

The ex-Verona gem has averaged more blocks per 90 than any other player in Atalanta’s squad, whilst also being second behind Berat Djimsiti for interceptions made and clearances according to WhoScored.