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2025 is set to be a year in which Manchester City spend big.

On Monday, the Sky Blues confirmed the arrival of Abdukodir Khusanov, joining from Lens for a reported £34m, while Vitor Reis of Palmeiras was then unveiled on Tuesday, arriving for £30m.

This though is just the start, with Omar Marmoush of Eintracht Frankfurt set to follow, but the Citizens’ biggest coup of the year could still be yet to come, plotting a move for a midfielder from a Premier League rival.

Manchester City aim to bolster their midfield

According to a report by Dean Jones for GIVEMESPORT, Manchester City are set to “target” a move for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

As reported by James Ducker of the Telegraph, Man City are looking to re-sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus this month, but that aforementioned piece by Rust and Jones outlines that the Sky Blues are only interested in a loan deal, because they ‘intend to sign Guimarães in the summer’.

Chris Waugh of the Athletic notes that Guimarães’ £100m release clause expired on 30 June last year, but Newcastle are likely to demand a similarly high fee, especially if Eddie Howe’s team are able to qualify for the Champions League.

Since arriving from Olympique Lyonnais for £40m three years ago, Guimarães has made 134 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 19 goals and providing 24 assists, a key figure as the Magpies have established themselves as a top side.

Former Arsenal winger Adrian Clarke believes the Brazilian to be one of the Premier League’s “best all-round midfielders”, while former Liverpool and Newcastle left-back José Enrique simply describes him as “world-class”.

What Bruno Guimarães would bring to Mancheser City

Guimarães will certainly be a man in demand this summer, with Newcastle desperate to keep hold of him, but what an addition he would be for Manchester City.

Ever since Rodri ruptured his ACL against Arsenal in September, midfield has been a problem position for Guardiola’s team, with İlkay Gündoğan and Mateo Kovačić doing their best to fill the void, but they’re not at the same level as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner.

Nevertheless, Rodri is hoping to return in time for the FIFA Club World Cup in June and July, at which Man City will face Al Ain, Wydad Casablanca and Juventus in the group phase, so what a partnership the Spaniard and the Brazilian could form from next season, so let’s assess how the duo compare.

Appearances

127

128

Minutes

10,488

10,601

Goals

14

16

Assists

23

22

Attempted passes

5,608

9,157

Pass completion %

83.7%

91.7%

Progressive passes

725

893

Touches

6,728

9,990

Shot-creating actions

364

338

Tackles

242

194

Interceptions

109

96

Blocks

114

94

Cards

30

27

Since August 2022, the pair have played a remarkably similar number of minutes; should Guimarães play the full game against Southampton on Saturday, he will have played exactly 23 minutes fewer than Rodri across a two-and-a-half-year timeframe.

Thus, comparing the two is very interesting, because the numbers suggest they would make an excellent pairing.

Rodri is the pass master, completing more passes than anyone else across Europe’s top five leagues last season (3,635), while Guimarães is far more combative, hence why he’s racked up more tackles, interceptions, blocks and cards, although pair can do both, meaning neither have any glaring weaknesses.

Thus, with Rodri dictating play and Guimarães getting stuck in, they’d form an unstoppable pairing.

He's an amazing Kovacic replacement: Man City keen on re-signing £42m star

Manchester City’s January spending spree continues, but could the Sky Blues re-sign an in-demand midfielder who never made his debut for the club?

ByBen Gray Jan 20, 2025

Chelsea are flying right now, sat second in the Premier League, just four points adrift of league-leaders Liverpool, having smashed fierce rivals Tottenham 4-3 on Sunday, despite actually being 2-0 down inside 11 minutes.

Enzo Maresca’s side have now scored four or more on four separate occasions in the Premier League this season, making them the division’s top-scorers, four clear of second-placed, West London rivals Brentford, who will visit Stamford Bridge at the rather unusual time of 7pm this forthcoming Sunday.

Across all competitions, the Blues have netted a whopping 61 goals in 23 matches, an average of 2.65 goals per game, with the 142 goals scored in the double-winning 2009/10 season still the most the club have racked up in a single campaign.

Given their ongoing involvement in the UEFA Conference League, and with a revamped, expanded FIFA Club World Cup to come next June and July, the Blues could play as many as 68 matches this season meaning, should they keep up their current scoring rate, they’re on course to smash that previous record by bagging a staggering 180 goals.

That’s been helped by one main, in particular…

Nicolas Jackson: taking his game to another level

Of course, Cole Palmer is getting plenty of the headlines, not least because he’s now taken his tally to 50 goals and assists since the start of last season in the Premier League, one more than Mohamed Salah, who’s second on the list.

However, the form of Nicolas Jackson should not be overlooked.

During his first season with the Blues, the Senegalese striker was widely mocked, largely due to his propensity to miss high-quality, high-profile chances. The statistics do somewhat back up this narrative.

Jackson’s non-penalty goals minus non-penalty goals figure was -4.6, according to FBref, meaning he would have been expected to score almost five more goals than he actually did, based on the quality of chances he had; only two players had a lower figure last season, namely Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Brennan Johnson.

The Chelsea forward also missed seven big changes in the Premier League during his debut campaign, albeit 11 players did squander more.

Having said that, Jackson did end the campaign having netted 17 goals in all competitions, with Ali Tweedale in Opta’s the Analyst arguing that the striker “has actually been a success at Stamford Bridge”.

There are also signs that the Senegalese forward is getting even better, having been one of the best-performing players in the division so far this season.

As made clear above, Jackson has been one of the outstanding attackers in the Premier League to date this season, but there is actually a former Chelsea centre-forward out there somewhere in the ether who has outscored him over the last year or so.

Michy Batshuayi's post-Chelsea career

​​​​​​Michy Batshuayi arrived at Chelsea from Olympique de Marseille for a reported fee of £33m in 2016, scoring a respectable 25 goals in 77 appearances for the club.

During this period however, he was loaned out five times, spending time with Borussia Dortmund, Valencia, Crystal Palace twice and then Beşiktaş, before finally departing in 2022, sold to Fenerbahçe for a miserly €3m (around £2.4m).

Then, last summer, he controversially joined Galatasaray on a free transfer, becoming only the seventh player in history to represent all of İstanbul’s big three and the first non-Turkish player to achieve this rare feat.

So far this season, Batshuayi has six goals to his name, on target in vain twice as Okan Buruk’s team were dumped out of the Champions League play-offs by BSC Young Boys in August, also bagging four Süper Lig goals, with the defending champions six points clear at the top.

Thus, having also bagged 16 goals for Fenerbahçe in 2024, before departing across the Bosporus Strait for their fiercest rivals, the Belgian has 22 goals to his name this calendar year, five more than the current incumbent of Chelsea’s number nine position Jackson.

He'd make Palmer unplayable: Chelsea want to sign "world-class" £57m star

Chelsea could be about to make a move for one of the Premier League’s biggest stars.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 10, 2024

Tottenham have now tabled an offer to sign a young star who has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi as they look to hand Ange Postecoglou more firepower in 2025, it has been reported.

Tottenham looking for attacking midfielders

Dejan Kulusevski has emerged as a key man for Postecoglou in the early stages of the new Premier League season, but James Maddison has blown hot and cold in north London, while there is a lack of alternatives for Postecoglou to turn to.

Tottenham keen on 56-Premier League goal player in potential free transfer

Ange Postecoglou is keen to bolster his attacking options.

3

By
Dominic Lund

Dec 2, 2024

The Australian coach has experimented with his midfield, using Pape Sarr as a box-to-box option, but is yet to settle on a true first choice trio.

The club have been linked with the likes of Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White in recent windows, but they have managed to land neither and still look a creative midfielder light for Postecoglou’s attacking style of football, part of the reason that they have been unable to sustain any sort of form in the first quarter of the campaign.

Now, they could be set to try and change that by snapping up a young talent turning heads in the top flight.

Tottenham target teenage talent

That comes as a fresh report from Spain claims that Tottenham have tabled a £20m+ offer to sign impressive teenage talent Facundo Buonanotte from Brighton in 2025. The Argentine broke through at CA Rosario Central under the management of former Man City striker Carlos Tevez, and he revealed that the teenager reminded him of his one-time teammate Messi.

“I watch football and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone play who gives me as much pleasure as Buonanotte. When he brakes and accelerates, he reminds me of [Lionel] Messi. He is at a very high level.”

Bought by Brighton, he was sent on loan to Leicester City for the 2024-25 campaign and has already played a starring role for his new side, grabbing four goals and two assists in the first stage of the Premier League season.

His form has seen him dubbed a “magician” by Rising Stars XI on X, who claimed that the Argentine is “impressing everyone” by shining in a struggling Foxes side.

Still just 19-years-old, his form has turned heads and the report reveals that Tottenham have already made a big step towards trying to secure his signature. The Lilywhites have reportedly “put an offer of 25 million euros [£20.7m] on the table” plus potential add ons, though this is below Brighton’s asking price of 30m euros (£24m).

Any move would not take place until the summer given Buonanotte’s current loan spell in the Midlands, by which time his value could have soared yet further should he manage to reach double figures in either goals or assists for the Foxes, a possibility that doesn’t appear unreasonable given his current form.

As a result, Tottenham may want to get an agreement set sooner rather than later, while Brighton could find themselves better off holding out until the summer.

La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid are in the market for emergency reinforcements in the build up to January, and it is believed Carlo Ancelotti’s side have their eyes on a player from West Ham United.

West Ham players linked with January exits

A nightmare start for new boss Julen Lopetegui has resulted in claims that David Sullivan and co may look to cut their losses on the tactician, just months into his reign, but certain members of the squad could even follow the 58-year-old out of Rush Green’s exit door.

West Ham could now be offered £204k-per-week PSG player on loan in January

The Hammers really need an extra body in his position.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 22, 2024

Summer signing Niclas Fullkrug is yet to get off the mark for West Ham, having been sidelined with a persistent Achilles tendon injury he sustained on international duty with Germany in September, which has been a real disappointment for Lopetegui and the fanbase.

The £27 million arrival scored 16 goals in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund last season, and those at the club were hoping he could replicate that form in England after technical director Tim Steidten reportedly pushed for Fullkrug to join.

However, a few reports have claimed that Fullkrug could be sold by West Ham in January, with Sullivan and Steidten considering whether to let him go in just over a month’s time and bring in an emergency replacement on loan (GiveMeSport).

Meanwhile, another summer signing in free agent Guido Rodriguez is also being tipped to potentially depart West Ham in the winter, with the idea of a return to La Liga side Real Betis gaining traction in the Spanish press.

Steidten also has a decision to make on the long-term futures of West Ham players who are out on loan, and an interesting topic of discussion in that regard will be Morocco international Nayef Aguerd.

Real Madrid could take "decisive step" to sign Nayef Aguerd from West Ham

According to reports out of Spain this week, Real Madrid could take a decisive step to sign Aguerd from West Ham, who is currently enjoying a productive spell away at Real Sociedad.

The Galacticos, in their search for central defensive reinforcements, have positive reports on the African after a fine start to life at Sociedad. The 28-year-old has started nine top-flight matches, averaging a pass accuracy of over 90 per cent from the back and making more clearances on average than any other Sociedad player (WhoScored).

It is unclear what the procedure would be if Real want to sign him in January, given he’s out on another spell, but that is something they’re apparently considering after season-ending injuries for Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal.

David Alaba is also still in recovery from an ACL tear, so the need for new bodies at centre-back is pretty evident at the Bernabeu.

تقدَّم نادي الزمالك بخطاب رسمي إلى المحكمة الفيدرالية، طالب خلاله بالحصول على حيثيات الحكم الأخير الذي أصدرته المحكمة برفض الاستئناف المُقدم من النادي في القضية الخاصة بالمدير الفني البرتغالي السابق جايمي باتشيكو.

وتأتي هذه الخطوة في إطار الإجراءات القانونية المتبعة في مثل هذه القضايا، حيث يسعى الزمالك إلى دراسة حيثيات القرار بشكل دقيق تمهيدًا لاتخاذ ما يلزم من خطوات قانونية، بهدف إيجاد حلول مناسبة لغلق هذا الملف.

وكانت المحكمة الفيدرالية قد أصدرت حكمًا نهائيًا برفض استئناف الزمالك على القرار الصادر لصالح باتشيكو، والذي يقضي بأحقيته في الحصول على مبلغ 880 ألف يورو، تعويضًا عن فسخ التعاقد معه من جانب النادي.

طالع أيضًا | ناصر ماهر يرد على أنباء طلبه زيادة عقده مع الزمالك

يذكر، أن البرتغالي جايمي باتشيكو كان قد تولى تدريب فريق الزمالك خلال الفترة من سبتمبر 2020 حتى مارس 2021.

وفي سياق آخر، يستعد نادي الزمالك لمواجهة حاسمة أمام ستيلينبوش من جنوب إفريقيا في إياب دور الثمانية من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية 2024/2025.

وستكون المباراة بين الزمالك وستيلينبوش يوم الأربعاء المقبل في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً على ملعب “القاهرة” الدولي.

وكانت مباراة الذهاب التي أقيمت في جنوب إفريقيا في الأسبوع الماضي، قد انتهت بالتعادل السلبي بين الزمالك وستيلينبوش، وبالتالي، تحتاج كتيبة المدرب جوزيه بيسيرو للفوز بأي نتيجة للتأهل إلى نصف النهائي.

Dele Alli has been told why Como is the "perfect environment" for him to reignite his football career and that his club debut is not far away.

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Alli signs for Como in Serie ATold he's in "perfect environment"Possible debut date mootedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Dele joined Como on an 18-month deal in January but is yet to make his debut for Cesc Fabregas' side. Now, journalist Daniele Fisichella believes the Italian outfit is the perfect club for the 28-year-old to rediscover his best form, while outlining why he will get his first appearance for Como this season.

AdvertisementGetty"THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT"

Fisichella told talkSPORT: "They can afford to have players like Dele Alli just training and perhaps not playing until the end of the season. But the idea is, of course, to give him time. And probably [this] looks like the perfect environment for him to get back to his best. Cesc Fabregas has been lauded these days for the way he's got his team playing and for also the preparation and the managerial skills that he has demonstrated in his year and a half he's been in Italy.

“So there is no doubt about it, as an environment, it's probably one of the best for Dele Alli. Como is a team that likes to play football, to play on the front foot. So obviously having a player like Dele Alli, if he can get back to his best, will definitely be a blessing for him. I would expect if he continues to train and he shows good improvements, there will probably be a few cameos towards the end of the season. As said, Como are not in danger of going down. It could be the perfect platform for him to show what he's capable of doing.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Dele's career has been on a downward trajectory for years now, including difficult spells at Everton and Besiktas. The England international has also had a number of injury issues but if he can just get back to fitness and get some game time, that could be the spark he needs.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Como take on Roma on Sunday in Serie A but it remains to be seen when the former Tottenham star will finally return to first-team football.

In the other semi-final, Tamil Nadu will be up against Saurashtra on December 24

Hemant Brar22-Dec-2021

Services have qualified for their first-ever Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final, thumping Kerala by seven wickets in Jaipur. The victory was set up by Diwesh Pathania, who picked up 3 for 19, and Ravi Chauhan, whose 95 off 90 balls ensured Services reached their target of 176 in just 30.5 overs.After electing to bowl, Pathania removed Mohammed Azharuddeen and Jalaj Saxena off successive balls to leave Kerala on 24 for 2 in the seventh over. Rohan Kunnummal and Vinoop Manoharan tried stabilising the innings by adding 81 in 105 balls before offspinner Pulkit Narang broke the stand by dismissing Manoharan for a 54-ball 41.Kunnummal took the side to 135 along with Sachin Baby, but once Baby fell, Kerala lost their last six wickets for 40 runs and were bowled out for a mere 175 in 40.4 overs. Only three of their batters could reach double digits, with Kunnummal top-scoring with 85 off 106 balls.Services didn’t have a great start either; Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan reduced them to 12 for 2 after two overs. But Ravi Chauhan and captain Rajat Paliwal dented any hopes of a Kerala comeback with a 154-run stand for the third wicket. By the time Chauhan got out, Services needed only ten more to the win, which they knocked off in the next six balls.The other quarter-final, between Saurashtra and Vidarbha, also followed a similar script. After being put in, Vidarbha were bowled out for 150 and Saurashtra chased that down in 29.5 overs with seven wickets in hand.Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya’s new-ball spells had Vidarbha reeling at 9 for 3 in the eighth over. Faiz Fazal and Akshay Wadkar staged a brief recovery and took the side past 50. However, both Fazal and Wadkar fell in quick succession, and when Dharmendrasinh Jadeja dismissed Lalit Yadav and Yash Thakur off successive deliveries, the scoreboard read 86 for 8.That Vidarbha could still reach 150 was because of Apoorv Wankhade’s 72 off 69 balls, which included five fours and as many sixes. Along with Akshay Wakhare, Wankhede added 64 for the ninth wicket, in which Wakhare’s contribution was only 5. Legspinner Yuvraj Chudasama, though, picked up the last two wickets in the same over to deny Vidarbha a competitive total.It was not smooth sailing for Saurashtra, though. Aditya Thakare removed their openers Vishvaraj Jadeja and Harvik Desai cheaply, and when Sheldon Jackson, too, didn’t last long, making it 35 for 3 for his side, Saurashtra might have had some jitters.Prerak Mankad and Arpit Vasavada, however, allayed those fears with an unbroken 116-run stand to see the side home. Mankad struck 77 off 72 balls; he now has 339 runs in the tournament at an average of 113 and a strike rate of 114.91. Vasavada played the anchor’s role with a 66-ball 41.On Tuesday, Vinay Galetiya’s 3 for 19 rocked Uttar Pradesh before Prashant Chopra’s 99 anchored their 208-run chase to script a five-wicket win for Himachal Pradesh. In the second quarter-final, N Jagadeesan’s 102 and Shahrukh Khan’s unbeaten 79 off just 39 balls helped Tamil Nadu trounce Karnataka by 151 runs.Himachal Pradesh will now face Services in the first semi-final, while Tamil Nadu will be up against Saurashtra in the other. Both matches will be played in Jaipur on December 24.

As they begin to find their feet under Johannes Hoff Thorup, Norwich City could be dealt the ultimate blow with one Spanish club now turning the way of the Canaries in pursuit of replacing their Barcelona-linked star.

Norwich transfer news

Norwich took a month to get going under Thorup, but get going they have with a run of four games without defeat very much representing that improvement. The latest moment to savour in that recent run came against Hull City, as the Norfolk-based side brushed Hull City aside to win 4-0 at Carrow Road and move to within a point of early play-off contention.

What really rounded off another impressive afternoon was Kaide Gordon’s goal, with the Liverpool loanee netting his first of what he will hope to be many in a season-long spell at Carrow Road. But as the Liverpool youngster stole the headlines, transfer rumours were beginning to form regarding another star player.

Value's soared £22m: Norwich hit gold with star who's worth more than Sara

The Canaries hit the jackpot when Daniel Farke signed him in the summer of 2021.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 19, 2024

As Thorup’s side continue to turn things around, any winter exits would prove to be quite the blow, though that may not stop one side from moving in. According to reports in Spain, Athletic Bilbao are now plotting a move to sign Borja Sainz from Norwich should they need to replace Nico Williams amid links to the likes of Barcelona and Liverpool.

Reportedly valued at just €3m (£2.5m), Bilbao would be making quite the move by selling Williams for €60m (£50m) and then spending just £2.5m on his replacement in 2025. That said, it remains to be seen whether Norwich would budge when it comes to one of their most important players, whose valuation may have increased by the time 2025 arrives. In pursuit of eventually returning to the Premier League under Thorup, Norwich cannot afford to lose Sainz.

"Brilliant" Sainz is Norwich's key man

Since the summer departure of Jonathan Rowe, Sainz has taken responsibility to become Norwich’s most important man going forward, with seven goals and two assists in just nine Championship games so far this season highlighting that for all to see. The Spaniard even picked up the match ball when he scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory over Derby County last month.

It’s, therefore, no surprise that Thorup has been so full of praise for his winger, saying via Norwich Evening News: “Also he raises a good atmosphere with the crowd. He’s one of these players who can create that atmosphere in the stadium.

“He can do something on his own once in a while, and he can do brilliant shots and dribbles and stuff like this. I’ve been pleased with his pressing game, because he’s covered a lot of ground. I think he’s definitely moving in the right direction.”

One of the Championship’s best players so far this season, Norwich could yet face an uphill battle to keep hold of Sainz in 2025.

Former Premier League manager Roberto De Zerbi is ready to perform a rescue mission for a Chelsea ace he believes Enzo Maresca is wasting, and could make his move as early as January, per one report.

Chelsea stung at Anfield

Chelsea’s unbeaten run came crashing down at Anfield as they fell to a 2-1 loss to Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders. A penalty from Mo Salah and an effort from Curtis Jones meant that Nicolas Jackson’s fifth goal of the season came in vain, and left the Blues licking their wounds on the way back to west London.

The result leaves the Blues fifth in the Premier League, ending a domestic unbeaten streak that had lasted since their opening day defeat to reigning Champions Manchester City and had seen them score the most goals in the Premier League during that time.

Cole Palmer and Jackson have been key to that, with the English forward grabbing six goals, including four in one half against Brighton, to go with five assists, all of which have come for either Jackson or Noni Madueke.

Chelsea considering move for £112,000-p/w defender amid contract standoff

He would be their best signing under Todd Boehly.

ByBen Browning Oct 21, 2024

On the other side, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho have been fighting for the final spot in Maresca’s attack, while the likes of Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku have been introduced as substitutes regularly. However, it hasn’t been ideal for everyone.

De Zerbi wants to sign winger Maresca isn't playing

Now, according to a fresh report from Spain, Former Brighton turned Marseille boss De Zerbi is keen to mount a rescue mission for Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who has endured a torrid time at Stamford Bridge. Last month, Maresca told the media that the winger needed to “do better”, refuting suggestions that his confidence was low and his performances were suffering.

“I don’t think it’s a lack of confidence. Misha is Misha”, he explained. “You have to accept the way he is. Hopefully he can get minutes and do better.”

But clearly he hasn’t improved sufficiently, with the 23-year-old not even among the substitutes for the loss to Liverpool and well down the pecking order on the left side of attack, with reports already suggesting he could be cut loose as soon as January.

And as per the report, Marseille see a move for the winger “as a unique opportunity to strengthen their squad”, while De Zerbi, who worked with the winger at Shakhtar, “knows how to use him effectively in his game plan” and “is confident that he can get the most out of his talent”, something that any Chelsea manager including Maresca is yet to do, with Mudryk having picked up more yellow cards than either goals or assists since his arrival.

Mudryk’s Chelsea career to date

Appearances

66

Starts

36

Goals

7

Assists

7

Yellow Cards

9

Minutes per goal/assist

227

One potential stumbling block could well be Mudryk’s Chelsea contract, which as it stands sees him take home £100,000 a week until 2031, while no club is likely to match the sort of fee that Chelsea paid to sign the forward.

However, a loan move could be just what he needs to get his career back on track, and in De Zerbi he would have a manager who knows how to get the best out of him.

Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have helped turn Arsenal from an underachieving sleeping giant into one of the best teams in Europe over the last few years, and while they are yet to win a major honour, it feels more like a matter of when and not if.

The manager has helped instil a steeling determination to fight in every moment, as we saw against Manchester City on Sunday, while the Brazilian has helped him to bring in the players he needs to carry out his vision.

Moreover, the pair have also overseen a huge number of player departures during their time at the club, be that superstars like former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or academy products who just weren’t of the required level like Eddie Nketiah.

It’s impossible to deny the profound impact they have had on the North Londoners over the last four years or so, but as always, there is more work to be done to the squad, and one former fan favourite, who earns more than David Raya and Leandro Trossard, must be moved on this season.

Raya and Trossard's salaries at Arsenal

Arsenal paid an initial £3m to sign Raya on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Brentford last summer, and saying there was some pushback at the time would be an understatement.

The Gunners had just come off of an brilliant campaign in which Aaron Ramsdale had impressed between the sticks, so when Arteta told the media he now had two number ones, there were more than a few eyebrows raised, with pundits like Gary Neville particularly scathing early on in the season, and towards the end when he described his distribution against City as “terrible.”

However, the manager stuck by his player and spent the £27m needed to make his move a permanent one, and so far this season, he has more than repaid him with match-defining performances in almost every game so far, particularly against Atalanta and Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut.

It would be fair to say that the Spanish shot-stopper is more than justifying his £100k-per-week wages, as is Belgian superstar Trossard, who may have stitched up his teammates on Sunday but has otherwise been imperious in red and white.

The talented winger joined the Gunners from fellow Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion for £27m in January 2023 and ended that season with a seriously impressive haul of one goal and ten assists in 22 appearances before doing just as well last year and racking up 17 goals, and two assists in 46 games.

The Waterschei-born ace currently has just one goal in six matches this season, but like Raya, he has more than proven his value to the North Londoner, which is unfortunately not something that can be said about one of their teammates who earns more than the pair of them.

Kieran Tierney's salary at Arsenal

Yes, the player in question is Scottish international Kieran Tierney, who was once tipped to become the ‘Gunners’ future captain thanks to his old-school, no-nonsense style of play.

However, despite looking impressive here and there in the five years since his £25m move to the Emirates, the former Celtic ace just hasn’t played enough football to justify his hefty £110k-per-week wages.

For example, in his first three seasons in North London, the Douglas-born star missed a whopping 55 games through injury, and by that point, he was firmly out of Arteta’s plans, and despite remaining fit for the 22/23 campaign, he was sidelined by new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko.

With it clear he wasn’t going to get much game time, the Scotsman joined La Liga side Real Sociedad on a season-long loan last year. While he looked good on the pitch, he was once again blighted by injury problems. He ended up missing 21 matches due to hamstring and adductor injuries, with the former keeping him out of action this season as well.

In all, the 27-year-old dynamo has officially missed a frankly absurd 76 games through injury since joining Arsenal in 2019, and though he can be exceptional at times and would offer the club a more traditional option at left-back, it’s clear he cannot be relied upon.

Therefore, Arteta and Edu must move Tierney on either this January if he’s fit or in the summer. He cannot justify his £110k-per-week wages, and the longer he spends on the sidelines in North London, the more his career is going to stall.

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