The latter stage of Arsenal’s transfer window is likely to throw up many twists and turns yet, with Mikel Arteta sending a clear message to the board ahead of their pre-season clash with AC Milan in Asia.

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Arteta, in his first press conference since returning from Arsenal’s summer break, was adamant that his side still need to reinforce the squad with more depth and quality, as the Spaniard attempts to end their two-decade-long wait for a Premier League title.

“It’s like shaking the tree again,” said Arteta about Arsenal’s new signings, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard all included in the squad for their trip to Singapore.

“Bringing new faces, they bring new excitement, new energy as well. We signed very important players as well. I think everybody feels that the heights have to go to different level, and it’s what we are seeking.”

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£140m

Sporting CP’s striker Viktor Gyokeres is a top target for the Gunners, and a deal has now been given Fabrizio Romano’s famous ‘here we go’ tagline, with the striker set to sign a five-year deal at the Emirates.

After Gyokeres, Arsenal will prioritise the signing of a central attacking midfielder (Ben Jacobs), and there are still suggestions that sporting director Andrea Berta could add another high-profile winger after Madueke.

TalkSPORT reported recently that Arsenal maintain an interest in Real Madrid star Rodrygo, following their talks over signing the Brazil international earlier this window, which proved “very complicated” at the time, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on the 24-year-old’s uncertain future under Xabi Alonso.

Rodrygo set to decide Real Madrid future after early summer Arsenal talks

Writing in his GiveMeSport newsletter, Romano claims that Rodrygo is set for talks with Real Madrid over his career in the coming days, and there is still a possibility that he could choose to depart Los Blancos.

However, his price tag could come in as high as £86 million, so it is unclear whether Arsenal could somehow fit him.

“I’m told, also in this case, it’s still early stages,” said Romano.

“Rodrygo has to speak to Real Madrid again in the next days, decide whether he wants to go or stay, and get a final price, likely to be over €100m (£86m) at the start of talks. It’s not an advanced deal now.”

The former Santos starlet bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Real last season, and his creativity would be a very useful asset for Arteta up against teams in the low block, which they struggled to deal with a lot last season.

AC Milan midfielder and Whites legend Luka Modrić has also already branded Rodrygo a “world-class superstar”.

تقدم فريق الكرة بـ نادي بيراميدز بالهدفين الثاني والثالث أمام منافسه الأهلي السعودي، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما الآن ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

وتقام المباراة بين بيراميدز والأهلي على أرضية استاد الجوهرة المشعة في جدة، ضمن منافسات دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس الإنتركونتيننتال وأيضًا المنافسة على لقب بطولة كأس القارات الثلاث.

وسجل إيفان توني الهدف الأول للأهلي السعودي في الدقيقة 45 من عمر اللقاء من ركلة جزاء، لتصبح النتيجة 1-1.

وكان فيستون مايلي سجل الهدف الأول لـ بيراميدز في الدقيقة 21 من عمر اللقاء من تسديدة قوية من على حدود منطقة الـ18، بعد تمريرة رائعة من بلاتي توريه

وأحرز فيستون ماييلي الهدف الثاني لفريقه، حيث أرسل أحمد الشناوي كرة طويلة وصلت إلى زلاكة الذي انطلق من الجهة اليمنى ومرر عرضية أرضية داخل منطقة الجزاء، ليقابلها مايلي بتسديدة مباشرة. هدف بيراميدز الثاني أمام الأهلي السعودي

وأضاف مايلي الهدف الثالث بعد كرة بينية رائعة اخترق بها منطقة الجزاء، وأطلق تسديدة قوية تصدى لها الحارس ميندي في البداية، لترتد إليه مجددًا ويسددها مرة أخرى لترتطم بالقائم الأيسر وتستقر داخل المرمى. هدف بيراميدز الثالث أمام الأهلي السعودي

Manchester City and the Premier League have settled their dispute over rules concerning Associated Party Transactions (APTs).

Man City in dispute over commercial deals rulesSettle with Premier League over matterOctober trial date no longer neededFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

City were set to go to trial with the Premier League in October over these commercial deals. The APT rules are designed to ensure that deals between clubs and other partners linked to their ownership are done at fair market value. After initially saying the new regulations were "unlawful", City have now accepted that the APT rules are "valid and binding".

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT MAN CITY SAID

In a statement, City said: "The Premier League and Manchester City FC have reached a settlement in relation to the arbitration commenced by the club earlier this year concerning the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules and as a result the parties have agreed to terminate the proceedings. This settlement brings an end to the dispute between the parties regarding the APT Rules. As part of the settlement, Manchester City accepts that the current APT Rules are valid and binding. It has been agreed that neither the Premier League nor the club will be making any further comment about the matter."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Importantly, this legal action is separate from the one covering the 115 charges against City for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. The Cityzens have criminal charges against them but that battle is likely to rumble on for quite some time. That result could have huge ramifications for football itself.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Before that gargantuan legal battle plays out, Pep Guardiola's side take on local rivals Manchester United when the Premier League returns this weekend. City will hope to bounce back from two straight losses, while United will be keen to make it two wins in a row.

Crystal Palace are now “very interested” in signing a “terrific” defender, amid the uncertainty surrounding Marc Guehi’s future at Selhurst Park, journalist Patrick Berger has revealed.

Guehi's future remains up in the air

With Guehi’s contract set to expire next summer, Palace will need to cash-in before the transfer window shuts, if they are to receive a sizeable fee for his services, and the centre-back has now re-emerged as a target for Newcastle United.

With the Eagles set to hold out for £50m, and Newcastle reluctant to spend more than £40m, it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible, but there are plenty of other clubs waiting in the wings too.

Liverpool are now said to be preparing an offer for Guehi, while Tottenham Hotspur have also been named as potential suitors in recent days, so it could be extremely difficult for Oliver Glasner to keep hold of his centre-back this summer.

Consequently, Crystal Palace have now started to work on finding a replacement for the defender, and Sky Sports reporter Berger has taken to X to reveal they are “very interested” in signing Middlesbrough’s Rav van den Berg.

There is set to be fierce competition for Van den Berg’s signature, however, with FC Köln submitting an offer worth up to €7m (£6m), having identified him as their top target to strengthen their backline, and the Boro defender is open to a move to the Bundesliga.

Feyenoord are also very interested in the Dutchman, alongside a number of unnamed Bundesliga clubs, so it remains to be seen whether the Eagles are able to tempt him into a move to Selhurst Park.

"Terrific" Van Den Berg could flourish at Selhurst Park

The Eagles have displayed a good eye for signing and developing Championship players in recent times, with Eberechi Eze perhaps the best example, and there are signs the Dutch defender could be another fantastic long-term addition.

Despite being just 20-years-old, the youngster has already racked up a great deal of first-team experience at Middlesbrough, making 66 appearances across the past two Championship seasons, during which time he impressed Michael Carrick.

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The former Boro manager said: “He’s a terrific individual, really grounded and humble, terrific character and great attitude. He has a real calming influence but quite sure of himself in a really good way.”

Van Den Berg has proven he could now be ready to make the step-up to the Premier League, so it is promising news that Palace are in the race for his signature, but they may have to move swiftly, given that FC Köln have already submitted an offer.

Everton were one of the four sides involved in the Premier League Summer Series held in the United States. They ended up finishing bottom in the four-team competition, with Manchester United, West Ham United and Bournemouth the three sides who placed above them.

What might concern manager David Moyes is that they scored only three goals across the three games, fewer than any of their opponents. Two of those came in the final game against Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United. That came after the Toffees boss said he was “disappointed” with striker Beto’s performances in the competition.

So, it seems like the Toffees need attackers to help end this drought in front of goal. They are reportedly targeting a Premier League attacker to help their cause.

Everton’s next attacking target after Dibling

Of course, with Everton needing to become more clinical, the likes of Beto must step up, with new signing Thierno Barry waiting in the wings. Yet, they also need more creativity in attack, and seem to be targeting a Premier League star to help solve their problem.

Transfer Focus

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According to a recent report from talkSPORT, the Merseysiders are ‘set to step up their interest’ in signing Manchester City and England international attacker Jack Grealish.

They are said to have been interested in the 29-year-old ‘for much of the transfer window’, and could now accelerate a move.

That comes after Southampton asked for £50m to sign Tyler Dibling, after Moyes’ side ‘have seen multiple bids rejected’ for the winger. Thus, they will ‘turn their attention’ to signing Grealish this summer, with a loan swoop seemingly on the cards.

Why Grealish would be a good signing

It has been a tough 12 months at the Etihad Stadium for Grealish. The former Aston Villa star seemingly fell out of Pep Guardiola’s plans and was not even taken as part of the squad to the Club World Cup earlier in the summer.

He played just 32 times for the Citizens last season, chipping in with eight goals and assists. That included just 20 Premier League games, where the attacker scored and assisted one goal apiece. He played 715 minutes in total and completed a full game three times.

A fresh start is needed for Grealish, but if Everton can recapture his best form, then they have a “generational talent” on their hands, according to former Villans chief executive Christian Purslow. He made 213 appearances in that famous Claret and Blue shirt, scoring 32 times and assisting 43.

Perhaps signing the England international will be like bringing a more experienced version of Dibling to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The pair have been compared before, with Tony Cascarino explaining he has “elements” of Grealish’s game, and analyst Umir said on The Overlap: The Breakdown that “the way he carried” the ball is similar to the City man.

Of course, Dibling, at just 19 years of age, is far from the finished article. Last season, he scored two goals and assisted one in 33 Premier League games, including this well-taken effort against Ipswich Town.

Yet, the similarities are there to see, and there is a bit of Grealish in the way he took the ball on the half turn, evaded the defender and fired home. The numbers also back up the theory, and if Everton can help Grealish rediscover his best form from his Villa days, they’ll have a more refined version of Dibling who can have an impact now, rather than later down the line.

Using stats on FBref from Grealish’s last season at Villa, he averaged 2.67 completed take-ons and 4.03 carries into the final third per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Southampton forward averaged 2.16 successful take-ons and 2.4 carries into the final third each game.

Progressive passes

7.78

3.08

Take-ons completed

2.67

2.16

Progressive carries

7.08

3.32

Carries into final third

4.03

2.4

Carries into penalty area

3.25

1.25

The similarities between the two attackers are clear. Whilst Dibling can be a long-term addition for Everton, there is a strong case to make that Grealish would be a better signing for Moyes’ side this season.

He is far more experienced and closer to the finished product. The 29-year-old is almost guaranteed to have an instant impact if Moyes can help him rediscover the form he showed at Villa. This could be a genius move for Everton.

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Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has made a serious statement during his debut summer window at the club, having already spent well north of £200 million on a host of key additions.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and star new number nine, Viktor Gyokeres, have arrived to rejuvenate Mikel Arteta’s squad ahead of another Premier League title challenge.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£208m

According to reports, Arsenal have maintained their long-standing interest in Eberechi Eze too, which has been ongoing for well over a month now.

The Gunners are prioritising the creative midfielder as they seek to bolster their attacking options – but Berta wants to balance the books first (Fabrizio Romano), with the likes of Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Jakub Kiwior, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Leandro Trossard all tipped for potential exits recently.

Major discrepancies revolve around Eze’s £68 million release clause, with some credible reports claiming that this buy-out expired over a week ago on Friday at 11:59pm, whilst others believe that the clause doesn’t run out until August 15. However, there was never a plan from Arsenal to trigger it anyway.

talkSPORT reported last week that Arsenal wish to strike a deal for the England international at around £55 million after Eze’s direct talks with both Arteta and Berta.

This situation is definitely one to keep an eye on from now until the transfer deadline on September 1, but Palace chairman Steve Parish has displayed in past windows that he’s not afraid to dig his heels in when it comes to selling key assets.

In January, the Eagles snubbed an ambitious £70 million bid from Tottenham for star defender Marc Guehi, despite the centre-back’s contract expiring in 2026, so Palace are unlikely to be bullied around in negotiations over Eze either.

A deal may end up not being feasible for Arsenal after a summer of lavish spending, but Berta is known for working on many different transfer targets at once, so it’s not surprising to see them linked with a move for wantaway Atalanta star Ademola Lookman.

Arsenal plot £44m bid for Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman

The Nigerian wants out of Atalanta, and has admitted to handing in a formal transfer request in his bid to wave goodbye to the Gewiss Stadium.

Lookman was occasionally deployed in the number 10 role last season, making the rest of his appearances as a left-winger, centre-forward and striker, so he could tick many boxes for Arteta, who demands versatility from his players.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (page 6) report that Arsenal could make a £44 million bid for Lookman and hijack Inter Milan’s long-winded talks for the 27-year-old, coming after the Nerazzurri’s most recent £39m offer was turned down.

The former Everton, Fulham and Leicester star is perhaps best known for one of the most scintillating performances ever witnessed in a cup final.

Lookman’s 2024 Europa League hat-trick both won the trophy for Atalanta and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s unprecedented, season-long unbeaten run – with the African standing out as a star player in Bergamo ever since then.

His 20 goals and seven assists last term, with five of those strikes coming in the Champions League, are testament to his obvious quality and Arsenal would have a serious player on their hands.

Manchester United have already highlighted their ambitions of returning to the top of the Premier League this summer after splashing the cash throughout the summer window.

The attacking department has been subject to the biggest transformation, with Ruben Amorim evidently wanting to improve the options at his disposal ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have all moved to Old Trafford, costing over £200m, but undoubtedly handing the side the threat they need for success.

The trio scored 48 league goals between them last campaign, a tally higher than the Red Devils managed as a team – with such additions able to help the club improve their Premier League standing.

However, despite the big money spent by INEOS already this summer, they are targeting further additions to further bolster Amorim’s squad ahead of the season opener on Sunday.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions his summer

Carlos Baleba has arguably been one of the biggest players linked with United this summer, potentially joining the side in a club-record deal from Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Red Devils have held talks with the midfielder’s representatives, but any move will be an expensive one, especially considering the Seagulls want a fee in excess of £100m this window.

However, he’s not the only player currently in their sights, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also in their sights, according to TEAMtalk.

Their report claims that talks are set to be held between the Italian and Amorim’s side this week after he announced that he would be leaving the Ligue 1 outfit before the end of the window.

It also states that the 26-year-old wants a move to the Premier League, but United will face huge competition from Manchester City to complete a deal for the Champions League winner, who’s available for £43m.

Why United’s latest target would be more vital than Baleba

It’s become apparent over recent months that United desperately need a ball-winning midfielder at the base of the side, able to regain possession before turning the ball into forward areas.

Such tools would offer Amorim the added presence he needs at the heart of the side, before picking out the new additions and allowing them to create chances within the final third.

Baleba would provide just that for the Red Devils, after he won 1.6 tackles per 90 during his spell at the AMEX under Fabian Hürzeler during the most recent campaign.

Whilst he would cost the hierarchy a mammoth sum of money, it would be worthwhile, especially considering his tender age of just 21 – having bags of time to develop into an elite-level talent.

However, a deal for Donnarumma would arguably be more vital to the side, offering an upgrade on current goalkeeper Andre Onana – who has often been an unreliable figure between the sticks at Old Trafford.

The Cameroonian international registered six errors leading to goals in all competitions throughout 2024/25, undoubtedly costing the side in multiple key matches.

A deal for the PSG shot-stopper would hand the side a better option in the defensive third, managing to massively outperform him in key areas last campaign.

Games played

24

34

Goals against per 90

1.08

1.29

Saves made

2.6

2.5

Save percentage

70%

68%

Pass accuracy

87%

72%

Defensive actions outside box

0.9

0.6

% of passes launched

13%

30%

Errors leading to goals

1

6

Donnarumma, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Carlo Ancelotti, conceded fewer goals per 90, whilst making more saves per 90, handing the side a more reliable figure in their quest for success.

He also completed more of the passes he attempted, with fewer of his attempts to find his teammates going long – a pair of stats which could provide Amorim’s men the option to build up play through the defensive third.

However, the biggest selling point over a deal for the former AC Milan star would be his reliability, registering fewer errors in 2024/25, highlighting his top-level quality after winning the Champions League under Luis Enrique.

There’s no denying that Baleba would be a sensational signing for United this summer, but a deal may now be out of their price range given the current asking price.

Donnarumma, on the other hand, would be a phenomenal addition, landing one of the best goalkeepers in the world for a bargain fee, that’s if they can secure his services amid his £43m fee.

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