All posts by n8rngtd.top

Haliey Welch, better known as Hawk Tuah Girl, threw out the first pitch at a New York Mets game about a month ago. This, of course, resulted in a backlash online, as most things do these days.

Chris Russo screamed about it on his show. Phil Mushnick wrote that the Mets should be ashamed. Yet the world kept turning and Welch launched a podcast. Maybe most importantly, the Mets started winning.

While they lost the day that Welch threw out the first pitch, the Mets have gone 19-8 since then, including a nine-game winning streak. They have also passed the Atlanta Braves and moved into the final wild card spot with just over two weeks remaining in the regular season.

On yesterday's on , co-host Peter Rosenberg asked when Welch was going to get an apology and called out the media members who had a problem with Welch's first pitch.

"When will the yo-yos apologize?" Rosenberg asked. "The yo-yo sports talk jabronis. The ones who are like walking stereotypes of our business. What's the word? The gasbags. When will the gasbags come out and say sorry to Haliey Welch, a.k.a., formerly—'cuz she's beyond it now—formerly, 'Hawk Tuah Girl.' When will they give her her credit? Because guess what? This team's been rolling post-Hawk Tuah."

While that was a bit tongue-in-cheek, Rosenberg may have a point.

The team was losing momentum from the Grimace era when Welch showed up, having lost 10 of their last 17 games. They clearly needed to re-turn things around again. Once Welch stepped on the mound the attention shifted from baseball to decorum and the Mets were handed a welcome distraction from the dog days of summer. Then they got back to winning.

With seven games against the Philadelphia Phillies over the next 10 days, they will need that momentum to continue. It might be time to bring her back. No matter what the yo-yos and jabronis have to say.

Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague on Tuesday made it four wins from four in the Champions League for the high-flying Gunners so far in 2025-26. Bukayo Saka, captain for the night, got the ball rolling from the penalty spot, before Mikel Merino took over as the Spain international, playing in place of Viktor Gyokeres, scored twice in a clinical performance in the Czech capital.

Gabriel Magalhaes has made his name in recent seasons as a force with his head at attacking set-pieces, but the centre-back almost gave Arsenal a very early lead in spectacular fashion – his left-footed drive after the ball was only partially cleared by Slavia just narrowly missed the target.

Slavia pressure in response didn't test David Raya as shots were either blocked or flew off target, before the Gunners regained a creative foothold and Saka had a pair of efforts saved by goalkeeper Jakub Markovic midway through the first half. Leandro Trossard was also denied in a spell of pressure that would have pleased Arteta on the touchline.

Arsenal were also peppering the Slavia box with corners, which directly led to making the breakthrough. A delivery from Saka was met at the near post by Gabriel and deflected behind, which prompted a VAR intervention after striking Lukas Provod’s arm before it went out of play. The referee pointed to the spot after consulting the pitchside monitor and Saka showed no mercy as he smashed the subsequent spot-kick into the net.

Slavia, disappointing since the very early stages, unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty of their own a couple of times, but Arsenal were firmly in control by the time the half-time whistle came. The second goal came, meanwhile, straight after the restart and was as simple as you like as Trossard supplied the cross from the left and Merino, somehow completely unmarked in the middle, turned the ball in six yards out.

Merino's second of the night, and Arsenal's third, was another simple one. Declan Rice's floated ball into the box looked like it should have been Markovic's to claim, only for the goalkeeper not to make it before Merino got his head there instead, flicking into the empty net.

The Gunners survived a late penalty decision when substitute Ben White seemed to upend Provod, but appeared harsh on second look and VAR intervened to determine it was not a foul.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Fortuna Arena…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (6/10):

  Slavia didn't manage a shot on target until deep into stoppage time, so his goal was pretty much unchallenged. Commanded his area well.

  Jurrien Timber (6/10):

  Saw surprisingly little of the ball in possession, with only 35 touches until being withdrawn after 73 minutes.

  William Saliba (6/10):

  One his easier nights after Slavia's early impetus seemed to fade after the opening 15 minutes.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (7/10):

  Typically made himself an attacking threat as much as he was a defensive force and was directly involved in winning the penalty that broke the deadlock.

  Piero Hincapie (6/10):

  Made his full Champions League debut for the Gunners. Departed the pitch shortly after being left in a heap, but it appeared to be a planned substitution anyway.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Ethan Nwaneri (6/10):

  Made tidy use of the ball in midfield but struggled to impose himself physically.

  Christian Norgaard (5/10):

  Gave the ball away more easily than Arteta would have liked. Only won three of nine duels on the ground and in the air.

  Declan Rice (8/10):

  Completed more passes than anyone else and the pitch, and by extension created the most chances. Comes away with an assist for the ball into the box that gave Merino the second of his brace.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (8/10):

  Continues rising to the occasion and is now the first-ever Arsenal player to score in four successive Champions League away games.

  Mikel Merino (9/10):

  Back in the No.9 role after Gyokeres was ruled out due to the injury and repaid that faith from his manager. Probably couldn't believe how much space he was given when doubling Arsenal's lead, but crucially made sure to make the opportunity count. His second showed just as much striker's instinct. The ball didn't really stick when it was fired into him, but with two goals what does it matter?

  Leandro Trossard (7/10):

  Assist for Merino's goal aside, the Belgian was consistently involved in promising Arsenal attacks, including a previous attempted cross towards the stand-in striker that was only just cut out before it reached its mark.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Eberechi Eze (5/10):

  Hardly involved off the bench.

  Max Dowman (6/10):

  This monumental season keeps getting better for the 15-year-old, who is now the youngest player in Champions League history.

  Myles Lewis-Skelly (6/10):

  On at left-back as Arteta looked to freshen things up for the final stages.

  Ben White (5/10):

  Both full-backs were replaced simultaneously, with White going to the right. VAR saved him from conceding a penalty.

  Andre Harriman-Annous (6/10):

  Another Champions League debut, but at 17 a relative veteran compared to Dowman.

  Mikel Arteta (9/10):

  Gyokeres made it seven injured players, plus Zubimendi's suspension, so the boss really had to rely on his squad's depth for this one. Made other changes too, opting to rest Calafiori and Eze from the start. Everything worked as hoped and he could then rotate again at 3-0 up.

Manchester United moved up to ninth in the Premier League table and within two points of the Champions League places with a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

The Red Devils claimed all three points at Anfield for the first time since January 2016 after a late header from Harry Maguire sealed the victory for the away side.

Bruno Fernandes volleyed a brilliant ball to the back stick for the England international to nod the ball back the other way into the far corner, just six minutes after Cody Gakpo’s equaliser.

Whilst it was Maguire who scored the winning goal, United had Senne Lammens to thank for the three points because of his performance in goal.

Why Senne Lammens won Man Utd the game against Liverpool

United have had their fair share of troubles with goalkeepers in recent seasons. Altay Bayindir conceded 0.84 more than expected and made one error that led to a goal in the first six matches of the Premier League season, per Sofascore.

Lammens, however, has come in from Royal Antwerp and looks to be a safe pair of hands. After a clean sheet against Sunderland, the Belgian giant made four saves and prevented 1.25 goals, per Sofascore, against Liverpool.

The pick of the saves came in the first half when he prevented British-record signing Alexander Isak from scoring by smartly sticking a foot out to keep the shot out of his net.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Without his shot-stopping and calmness behind the defence, Man United may have only come away from Anfield with a point, or none, given how poorly Altay performed at the start of the season.

Whilst Lammens was a shining light in goal and should be considered undroppable, Mason Mount should be ditched from the starting XI by Ruben Amorim.

Why Man Utd should drop Mason Mount

The England international, who scored against Sunderland before the break, started as part of a fluid front three alongside Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, with Benjamin Sesko dropped to the bench.

It was a tactic that worked, to a point, as the movement across the front confused the Liverpool defence and created some promising moments, including Mbeumo’s goal.

Mount’s individual performance, though, suggests that the £66.4m signing from RB Leipzig should be brought back in to lead the line against Brighton next weekend.

As you can see in the table above, Sesko created more chances, completed more dribbles, and won four times as many duels, in roughly half as much time on the pitch.

The Slovenia international, who has scored two Premier League goals this season, offers a physical presence at the top end of the pitch that allows Mbeumo and Cunha to play off him, which they did not have when Mount and Cunha were rotating in the number nine role.

Mount played the role that was asked of him by Amorim and provided energy in the win over Liverpool, but his end product in and out possession was simply not good enough, as he had even fewer touches of the ball (19) than Lammens in goal (55), per Sofascore.

This is why the head coach should ruthlessly drop him from the starting XI in order to bring Sesko back in to lead the line against Brighton next time out, as the former Leipzig man is a natural number nine who can offer a greater threat in front of goal.

Forget Mainoo: Amorim has the next Pogba in "generational" Man Utd talent

Manchester United appear to have another elite-level star already within Ruben Amorim’s ranks.

2

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 18, 2025

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani stands alone.

Ohtani, who earlier this season joined the 40-home run, 40-stolen base club, has pushed MLB into uncharted waters after going 6-for-6 with three home runs and two stolen bases in Thursday's 20-4 win over the Miami Marlins. The Herculean effort gave Ohtani 51 homers and 51 stolen bases this year, making him the official founder of the 50-50 club.

Thirty-five years ago, former Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco did the same, pushing the envelope to author the first 40-homer, 40-steal season in MLB history.

Canseco on Thursday took to X (formerly Twitter) to offer his congratulations to the Dodgers superstar.

"35 years ago I created the 40/40 club," Canseco wrote. "Shohei Ohtani created the 50/50 club tonight. Congratulations to him."

Canseco belted 42 home runs and swiped 40 bags during the 1988 season, officially creating the 40-40 club on September 23, 1988 after stealing two bases to give him 40 on the year. Canseco would go on to win the American League MVP award that season.

Since 1988, five players, including Ohtani on August 24, have joined the 40-40 club. Ohtani accomplished the feat quicker than any player in league history, lending the belief that 50-50, an unfathomable statistic, could be possible.

With Ohtani, most things are.

Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac is considering resting star striker Serhou Guirassy for the DFB-Pokal clash with Eintracht Frankfurt amid a month-long Bundesliga goal drought. While hinting at a "creative break," Kovac offered his full support to his "attack leader" and provided a positive injury update on other stars like Emre Can and Julien Duranville.

• Kovac considers resting misfiring striker for cup clash

  Kovac has confirmed he is considering giving Guirassy a "creative break" after the Guinean international's Bundesliga goal drought extended to over a month.

  Speaking ahead of Dortmund's DFB-Pokal second-round clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, Kovac addressed the forward's recent struggles in front of goal but offered his full backing, highlighting the 29-year-old's importance as the team's "attack leader." Guirassy's last league goal came on 13 September, and his dip in form is a growing concern for the club.

  With Dortmund set to visit Frankfurt on Tuesday evening, Kovac was asked directly about his plans for his number nine. The manager admitted that a rest is a genuine possibility as he weighs up the best way to help his striker rediscover his prolific early-season form.

  "It's possible, of course, that Serhou will get a little creative break," Kovac stated during his pre-match press conference. "But I still have a bit of time to think about tomorrow's game and the next games."

  The consideration comes after another frustrating outing for Guirassy in Dortmund's late 1-0 victory over Koln at the weekend, where Maximilian Beier scored the decisive goal.

Advertisement

• getty
  

  Guirassy's goal drought analysed

  After a blistering start to his Borussia Dortmund career following his €18 million (£15m/$21m) summer transfer from Stuttgart, Guirassy has hit a difficult patch. His last goal in the Bundesliga came in a 2-0 win over Heidenheim on 13 September.

  Since then, he has failed to find the net in four consecutive matches across all competitions. His season tally remains respectable, with four goals and one assist in seven Bundesliga appearances, and one goal in three Champions League fixtures. In total, he has scored six goals in 11 appearances for the club. However, the recent lack of production has become a prominent talking point, particularly as Dortmund look to compete on multiple fronts.

• 'He's our attack leader' – Kovac offers full support

  Despite acknowledging the slump, Kovac was unequivocal in his support for Guirassy, praising the striker's work ethic and overall contribution to the team's attacking play. The manager stressed that a goal drought is a normal part of any forward's career and that the player's role remains central to his plans.

  "Of course, I also see that he's not scoring any goals at the moment. But I still see how hard-working he is, that he's giving his all," Kovac explained. "It happens in the life of a striker that you don't convert balls that you would normally score. He's our attack leader—he's the one who initiates everything there. That's why I'm supporting him."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Can and Duranville recovery progressing

  Aside from the striker situation, Kovac provided a positive update on two long-term absentees, captain Can and winger Duranville. Both players are making good progress on their respective roads to recovery, but neither will be available for selection until after the upcoming international break in mid-November.

  Kovac insisted the club will not rush their returns, prioritising their long-term fitness. "But no pressure: We really want to have 100 percent healthy and fit players," the manager emphasised.

Manchester City are now circling to sign a £70m Premier League forward, who has made a fantastic start to the new season.

Haaland setting the pace in the goal-scoring charts

Erling Haaland will have his sights set on winning the Premier League Golden Boot for the third time, after finishing top of the goal-scoring charts in each of his first two seasons, and the Man City star is setting the pace in the early stages of the campaign.

Remarkably, the Norway international is averaging 1.42 goals per 90, having found the back of the net eight times in his opening six games, which places the centre-forward way out in front as the leading goalscorer.

Pep Guardiola has a number of top-quality attacking options to choose from, with Phil Foden proving he may be getting back to his best by picking up two goals and two assists in all competitions this season, while Jeremy Doku also has four goal contributions to his name.

However, according to a report from The Boot Room, Pep could now look to enhance his forward options even further, with Man City circling to sign AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, after the winger’s fantastic start to the campaign.

Previously, Semenyo has been valued at £70m by the Cherries, and the forward’s stock is only likely to have risen after amassing six goal contributions in his opening six Premier League games this season.

In light of his performances, the Ghana international has now attracted the attention of a number of English clubs, namely Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, with Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Atlético Madrid also keen.

The 25-year-old has admitted that his dream is to play for a Champions League club, which means a move to the Etihad Stadium should appeal, although Bournemouth are reluctant to sanction a winter departure.

Man City prepare bid to beat PSG to "dominant" £43m+ midfielder in January

The Citizens are looking to make a statement in the market.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Sep 29, 2025

"Unbelievable" Semenyo could excel at the Etihad

Lauded as “unbelievable” by reporter Lewis Cox, the Bournemouth star has established himself as one of the best forwards in the Premier League over the past three seasons, having shown consistent signs of improvement.

Perhaps the former Bristol City man’s most impressive individual performance this term came against Liverpool, scoring a brace to claw his side back into the game, although they did eventually go on to lose the game 4-2.

The Ghanaian is clearly a talented player, given his exploits across the past three seasons, but there are doubts whether he would be a necessary signing for Man City, with Savinho in line for a new contract.

Pep already has plenty of options in wide areas, with Doku and Omar Marmoush also on the books, so it may not be wise to shell out around £70m on Semenyo.

Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol has made a stunning revelation about how his professional sports career could have taken a very different direction after temporarily falling out of love with the game. The Croatia international is a regular for City boss Pep Guardiola and has also revealed the tentative approach being taken by the club after a slow start to the season.

• Meteoric rise to football elite

  Gvardiol’s career ascent has been rapid, establishing him as one of the world's most promising defenders. He started at Dinamo Zagreb, where he won back-to-back Croatian league titles before landing a record move to RB Leipzig in 2021, where he won two German Cup crowns, impressing with his composure, passing, and tactical versatility. His stellar performances led to a £77 million ($102.5m) transfer to Man City in 2023, making him one of the most expensive defenders in history, and he landed a Premier League title and FIFA Club World Cup in his first season. Gvardiol is also a key figure for the Croatia national team, helping them to a third-place finish at the World Cup in 2022.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Guardiola's go-to defender

  Gvardiol's campaign was delayed due to a knee injury carried over from last season, but he has since regained full fitness, and the versatile defender has featured for Man City in both the Premier League and in Europe, contributing assists in both. The 23-year-old’s strong technical skills have seen him operate in both central defence and at left-back, where his passing ability has been a massive asset to the squad. But he has revealed his career in sport came very close to taking a wholly different direction.

• How Gvardiol almost quit football

  Gvardiol told the BBC: "I was thinking about quitting because I like basketball as well. I wasn't sure in football any more because when you get to the training ground, you don't feel happy any more, you know? I was just trying to find other solutions and to feel happier than I felt before because all of my friends were playing basketball. My dream obviously was to become a professional football player, but I didn't know that I was going to go that far. If you go five years back and ask me, do you see yourself at Manchester City in 2023, '24, '25? I would say no chance, like really impossible."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Man City taking stock after slow start

  Gvardiol has also revealed he is most happy at taking his place back on the left side of centre-back. He said: "I'm happy to be back to my position. Just play simple, protect the goal, defend the goal. Obviously, we have new goals this season and we want to aim high. But I like to say that it's quite early to talk about our goals, the season is long so let's go game by game.
  He added: "In my head last season I was like, 'no matter what, how I feel, no matter if I am fit or not, I just want to play. I just want to compete to help the team’. I could feel it on my body, especially in the summer. I had a [knee] injury, but now it's finally good after six months." 

  After a slow start to the season, where they lost two of their opening three games, they have gone on an unbeaten run and surged up the Premier League table. In the coming weeks, they have a Premier League trip to Aston Villa followed by a League Cup away game against Swansea. In November, they host Bournemouth and face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Well, that was just about the perfect performance from Tottenham Hotspur last night.

Yes, it would have been even better had they kept a clean sheet and taken a three-goal lead to Norway next week, but as things stand, Ange Postecoglou’s side look well-placed to make it to the Europa League Final.

Moreover, apart from a few minutes towards the end, it was a pretty comfortable affair, and if anyone looked like scoring more goals, it was the Lilywhites and not FK Bodø/Glimt.

Practically every starter put in a shift to be proud of, but two stood out in particular: James Maddison and someone who now must start the next game.

Maddison's game vs Bodø/Glimt

While it was a big night for the whole team, it was a massive one for Maddison.

With Spurs being at home and undoubtedly firm favourites ahead of kickoff, it was down to the former Leicester City star to assert himself on proceedings and act as his side’s chief creator, which he did with aplomb.

In fact, for much of the first half, he was near enough unplayable, popping up here, there and everywhere before grabbing his goal in the 34th minute to secure a two-goal cushion for the North Londoners.

It might sound somewhat hyperbolic, but it’s an opinion shared by Spurs writer Alasdair Gold, who awarded the Englishman a 9/10 match rating at full-time, describing it as ‘a really creative performance.’

The only negative from the game for Maddison, which could be a massive one, was that he went off injured in the 65th minute, and until his fitness is cleared up, it’ll be a nervous wait for fans.

However, as superb as the mercurial number ten was, another starter was just as good, if not a little better.

Spurs' other stand-out star

While the likes of Richarlison, Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson all put in serious shifts for Spurs last night, the starter in question is none other than Pedro Porro.

The Spanish full-back has received his fair share of scathing criticism this season – sometimes justifiably – for his occasionally haphazard defending, but against the Norwegian champions, he hardly put a foot wrong in that regard.

Moreover, and far more importantly, it was a match in which he showcased his game-breaking offensive qualities.

For example, on several occasions in the first half, the “titanic” right-back, as dubbed by The Athletic’s former Spurs correspondent Charlie Eccleshare, managed to ping a sensational ball over their opposition’s backline for his teammates to latch onto, and it was that saw Maddison score his goal.

We weren’t the only ones impressed with the 25-year-old either, as Gold also awarded him a 9/10 match rating, describing him as ‘Tottenham’s best player on the night’ and crediting him for preventing ‘what likely would have been a goal’ in the 70th minute.

His statistics also make for decent reading, as in 95 minutes of action, he provided one assist from an expected assists figure of 0.47, made four clearances, wasn’t dribbled past a single time, made two interceptions, didn’t commit a foul, created one big chance and played four key passes.

Ultimately, Spurs put in what was almost the perfect performance last night, and while the entire team deserve serious praise, Maddison and Porro stood out that little bit more.

Better than Iraola: Spurs could hire "incredible" Europa League winner

The experienced manager would be an excellent hire for Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 1, 2025

Manchester United find themselves 14th in the Premier League table after their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.

The Red Devils needed a stoppage-time equaliser from Rasmus Hojlund to avoid a 16th defeat in the top-flight this season, in what has been a significantly below-par campaign for the club.

INEOS and Ruben Amorim must work together to ensure that the recruitment work this summer is spot on, as there have been too many missteps in recent years, including the signing of Mason Mount in the summer of 2023.

Why Mason Mount has been a flop for Manchester United

The England international signed for the Red Devils from Chelsea for a reported fee of £55m ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, and has had a rough time in Manchester so far.

Since the start of last season, Mount has missed a whopping 50 matches through calf and hamstring injuries, which have heavily disrupted his time at Old Trafford.

When available, however, the English attacking midfielder has not done enough to justify the money spent on his services, with a return of one goal and one assist in 39 appearances in all competitions.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

This has led to his market value, as per Transfermarkt, plummeting to just £24m, which shows that he has been a flop for Manchester United so far because the midfielder has not delivered goals or assists, or consistent availability, and is now worth significantly less than the fee they paid for him.

Mount is not the only player from that batch of recruitment in 2023 who has not been good enough, though, as Andre Onana should be ruthlessly ditched by INEOS this summer.

Why Man Utd should sell Andre Onana

Manchester United reportedly paid £47.2m to sign the Cameroon international from Ajax in the summer of 2023, and his value has plummeted in the two years since then.

It was recently reported that the club would consider offers of at least £20m for Onana, which means that he could be sold for even less than Mount is currently worth (£24m).

As you can see in the highlights above, Onana most recently had a night to forget against Lyon with two mistakes in the Europa League, which led to him being dropped against Newcastle United in the Premier League.

That came directly after former United midfielder Nemanja Matic dubbed him “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history” after being asked about Onana’s claim that his team were better than Lyon.

Whilst the Red Devils eventually won the tie over two legs, the Cameroon international’s personal performances did not do much to dismiss Matic’s harsh claim.

As you can see in the table above, making errors is not a new issue for Onana because the shot-stopper has been error-prone throughout his two seasons in Manchester to date.

He has not been a reliable, safe, pair of hands between the sticks, due to these errors in the Premier League, the Champions League, and the Europa League, and that is why INEOS must ruthlessly cash in on him this summer.

United should look to move Onana on, whether that is for a fee of £20m or another figure, and then attempt to recruit a replacement who can be relied upon week-in-week-out at the top level, without Amorim having to be concerned about his goalkeeper making calamitous errors consistently.

Better signing than Huijsen: Man Utd preparing bid to sign £51m "monster"

Manchester United are plotting a bid to sign a star who’d be an even better addition than Dean Huijsen.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 28, 2025

Mikel Arteta has the opportunity to create history as Arsenal manager in the coming months, potentially being the first boss to ever win the club a European trophy.

After beating defending champions Real Madrid in the last round, the Gunners must have huge confidence to go all the way and engrave themselves in history forever.

Regardless of their success on the European stage, the Spaniard has been unable to take the side all the way to Premier League glory in 2024/25 – looking likely to finish second for a third consecutive year.

If they are to finally go one better and claim a first league triumph in over two decades, more signings are needed to provide increased squad depth – with this summer pivotal in Arteta’s tenure at the Emirates.

With just a couple of weeks until the window opens, the hierarchy have wasted no time in identifying potential targets who could add to the project currently being built in North London.

The latest on Arsenal’s hunt for new players this summer

Despite having the best defensive record in England’s top flight this season, Arsenal have already targeted reinforcements in the backline ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Nottingham Forest star Murillo has once again emerged on their radar, after the Gunners were previously interested in landing the Brazilian back in the January window.

However, they aren’t alone in their pursuit of the 22-year-old, with Liverpool also hunting for the signature of the youngster, who could cost around £70m in the summer.

Another defensive target has emerged in the form of Valencia’s 20-year-old star Yarek Gasiorowski, who could be seen as a cheaper alternative to Forest gem Murillo in the coming months.

According to FootballTransfers, the Gunners have already entered talks with the LaLiga outfit over a potential deal to land the youngster ahead of the 2025/26 season.

The 20-year-old gem who could become Arsenal’s next Saliba

French international William Saliba has cemented himself as a regular starter at the heart of the Arsenal backline over recent years, playing a pivotal role in their various successes under Arteta.

He originally joined in a £27m deal from Ligue 1 side Saint Étienne back in the summer of 2019, before multiple loan spells at Nice and Marseille which catapulted him into the first-team picture ahead of 2022/23.

The 24-year-old has since gone from strength to strength in North London, notching 129 appearances across all competitions, 46 of which have come in the current season.

However, six years on from his original agreement to join the Gunners, Arteta could look to replicate such a deal with Gasiorowski – with the Spaniard joining from a side in a top five league whilst potentially going out on loan before making a mark in North London.

Should he join, it remains to be seen whether he would be an immediate option for Arteta, but he has managed to produce various impressive figures throughout 2024/25 despite his tender age.

The “dominant” centre-back, as labelled by analyst Ben Mattinson, has averaged more progressive carries than Saliba in their respective divisions this year – highlighting his ability on the ball.

He’s also won more tackles per 90, whilst also winning more aerial battles – offering yet another star defensive talent for Arteta should the hierarchy look to complete a deal for his services. With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that talent scout Jacek Kulig once suggested he’s “one of the most talented CBs in Europe.”

It’s unclear how much a deal for Gasiorowski would set the board back this window, but given the stats he’s produced to date, it’s certainly a deal worth exploring.

He has bags of time to develop further, possibly turning into a bigger talent than Saliba, especially if his numbers at such a tender age are anything to go by.

Worth millions more than Partey: Arteta hit gold on Arsenal "monster"

The experienced international is at the top of his game for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 25, 2025