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There has been a twist in Arsenal’s pursuit of an “extraordinary” £60m+ star, with a report revealing he would now prefer a move to the Emirates Stadium ahead of Old Trafford.

Starmer insists Arteta must sign new striker

There have been widespread calls for Mikel Arteta to sign a new striker for quite some time, and Keir Starmer has now weighed in with his thoughts on what the manager should set out to do in the summer transfer window.

The Prime Minister said: “I think one or two extra players, I would not go for widespread change, a striker. That is the one that leaps out and it has been for a little while now.

“It looks like we are shoring up midfield, so that is good and the back four is pretty good, perhaps a little bit more strength because of injuries, but it is that up front striker role we need. We need to add there.”

Not just Sesko: Arsenal in talks to sign £84m star who's like Nico Williams

Arsenal are looking to sign new forwards in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 8, 2025

There is certainly no shortage of options for the Gunners, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres thought to be among the main targets, and sporting director Andrea Berta has already held talks over a deal for the latter player.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Gyokeres wants to join Manchester United this summer, with the forward eyeing a reunion with former manager Ruben Amorim, but there has now been a twist in the saga.

According to a report from The Mirror, the Sporting CP striker would now prefer to move to the Emirates Stadium ahead of Old Trafford, and a move to the Premier League is thought to be of more interest than heading to Spain or Italy.

Should the Sweden international get his pick of the clubs, Arsenal would be first choice, with the Portuguese club ready to sanction a departure for a fee of just over £60m.

Gyokeres could be "extraordinary" signing for Arsenal

As previously mentioned, the 27-year-old is thought to be among the Gunners’ main targets this summer, alongside Sesko, and there are some signs the Sporting star could be the better option, given his superior goal return.

Sporting boss Rui Borges has, of course, been left very impressed by the Sweden international’s performances, saying: “There are no adjectives to describe Viktor. He is an extraordinary striker, very important to our team.”

That said, while the Stockholm-born striker is by no means old, Sesko is five years his junior, and the Slovenian has proven himself in a tougher league, while also picking up a total of 21 goals and six assists in all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign.

As such, Arsenal have a very difficult decision to make this summer, but it is promising news that Gyokeres would be keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium, despite the widespread interest from clubs across the continent.

Andrea Berta has only been in his role as Arsenal’s sporting director for a matter of months but he is already faced with one of the most important summer’s in the club’s recent history.

While injuries, bizarre officiating and a lack of firepower have all contributed to the Gunners’ perplexing season, the fact of the matter is they have regressed.

Their title challenge petered out in January and although they did go further in Europe, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, their reason for exiting was the same as last year; they lack players capable of scoring goals.

So, with that in mind, it’s just as well Arsenal are signing a midfielder first…

The latest on Arsenal's pursuit of Martin Zubimendi

We jest, of course, but Arsenal are now already on the verge of securing their first major addition of the Berta era.

The Gunners have been hot on the tail of Martin Zubimendi for a while now with reports emerging in January that they were set to get a deal over the line.

However, the Real Sociedad midfielder has been here before. Liverpool thought they had signed him last summer, only for the Spaniard to stay in LaLiga.

A year on, and it does look as though the 26-year-old will finally be leaving Spain behind with Fabrizio Romano reporting on Saturday that Arsenal have ‘agreed a deal’ to sign the player this summer, now set to trigger his €60m (£51m) release clause.

It’s reported that the midfielder has ‘verbally agreed’ to sign a long-term deal.

Despite all of that excitement, according to reports, Zubimendi isn’t the only player they are working on right now.

Arsenal move closer to striker signing

This weekend has been a pretty frantic one as far as transfer news is concerned, with Arsenal also looking to improve their options in the final third.

While the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Alexander Isak continue to be linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, it’s Viktor Gyokeres who seems to be the most likely at the moment.

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

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Indeed, according to reports in Portugal, via Sport Witness, Arsenal have ‘submitted’ their first official offer for the Sporting CP striker, a bid worth €75m (£63m).

It’s suggested that fee is unlikely to be accepted with the club’s president, Frederico Varandas, believing he can get more for a player with an €100m (£85m) release clause.

While that might dampen the spirits of those at Arsenal, there is hope that a deal can be struck with Gyokeres actually having already agreed personal terms with the club.

Why Gyokeres is more exciting and important than Zubimendi

With Jorginho leaving north London behind at the conclusion of his contract and the ageing Thomas Partey yet to pen new terms, signing a new midfielder this summer is actually of utmost importance, particularly one who can play just in front of the defence.

It’s safe to say that Zubimendi can do that perfectly. It was he who was subbed on for Rodri in last year’s European Championship and the fact Spain went on to win it without the Manchester City midfielder on the pitch speaks volumes of how good the Sociedad star was.

During that game, he completed 92% of his passes and won all five of his ground duels. While Zubimendi isn’t as physical as someone like Partey, he’s very Jorginho-like in his play style. He dictates the game, presses well and rather crucially, would give Declan Rice the freedom to play as the attacking number 8 on a more regular basis.

But, for all the positives of signing Zubimendi, it’s Gyokeres who is the most important deal here.

Why? Well, the plain and simple fact is that Arsenal absolutely have to sign a new striker this summer if they want to challenge next season.

Even before Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus got injured over the winter, the Gunners needed more in attack but that has only been made even more obvious over the last few months.

While Leandro Trossard has been used as centre-forward on a few occasions, it’s Mikel Merino who’s largely been tasked with playing as a makeshift attacker.

To his credit, he’s done a solid job, notably scoring against Real Madrid. That was one of six goals he’s scored in 11 matches so far up top.

However, it’s pretty clear this isn’t sustainable and that was made more obvious against PSG. Merino didn’t have a poor second leg but time and time again Arsenal put a dangerous ball into the six yard box, only for no one in red and white to be there.

Well, in comparison, Gyokeres is always in the right place at the right time. Previously of Coventry City, where he scored 22 in 50 outings during the 2022/23 campaign, he’s only hit another level after moving to Sporting.

Race for European Golden Boot – 2024/25

Player

Goal tally

1. Viktor Gyokeres

38

2. Mo Salah

28

3. Harry Kane & Robert Lewandowski

25

4. Biereth, Mbappe & Retegui

24

5. Alexander Isak

23

6. Dembele, Haaland & Marmoush

21

Stats via Transfermarkt.

The Swedish sensation has been the most profilic forward in Europe during his time in Lisbon, bagging a whopping 43 goals in 50 games last season and finding the net on 52 occasions in another half a century of matches this term.

Very few do it better than Gyokeres and whether or not his profile is the most ideal for Arsenal, perhaps they just need to keep things simple. Arsenal need goals more than anything else and the “monster” striker – as he was described by journalist Alex Turk – does goals.

While Isak – valued at £150m in some circles – is reportedly the dream signing, Gyokeres is more prolific and he’s more cost-effective.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 11, 2025

Aston Villa are currently preparing for one of their biggest matches in recent history with a trip to play Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this evening.

The Villans come into the first leg clash off the back of a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in the Premier League on Saturday, thanks to goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen.

Unai Emery must be ruthless with his team selection and one brutal decision that should be made is the one to drop Ollie Watkins from the starting line-up.

Why Ollie Watkins should be dropped

The England international is on a barren run of form in front of goal and would not come into this evening’s clash with PSG full of confidence and ready to help the team pick up a historic result.

Watkins has scored one goal in his last nine matches in all competitions for the Villans, which came in a 1-0 win over Brentford towards the start of March.

Shots on target

2

1

0

0

0

Goals

1

0

0

0

0

Key passes

0

0

0

0

0

Assists

0

0

0

0

0

Pass accuracy

53%

50%

100%

50%

50%

As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old striker has offered little at the top end of the pitch whilst also being incredibly wasteful with the ball at his feet in the last five matches, completing just half of his passes in three of those five matches.

With this in mind, Emery must ruthlessly axe Watkins from the team, after he offered next to nothing in the win over Forest, to bring Marcus Rashford back into the side.

Why Marcus Rashford is Aston Villa's answer to Ousmane Dembele

The big threat for the Villans to deal with this evening is likely to be Ousmane Dembele, who has scored 32 goals and provided eight assists in 40 matches in all competitions for PSG this term.

He has played started 17 matches on the wing and 15 games as a centre-forward, highlighting his versatility, and uses his pace and ability on the ball to cause constant problems to opposition defenders.

Rashford is similar to Dembele in many ways, starting seven games on the wing and three times as a striker for Villa, with his versatility at the top end of the pitch as well as his ability to create chances for himself with his pace and the timing of his movements off the shoulder of the last defender.

As you can see in the clip above, the England international showcased his pace and ability in front of goal with his maiden Premier League strike for the Villans against Brighton.

Rashford, once hailed as “unplayable” by analyst Raj Chohan, has scored three goals and provided one assist in his last four matches for the club in all competitions, showing that he is far more in form than Watkins at this moment in time.

His recent goal burst also suggests that he is the kind of player PSG would also be wary of ahead of tonight’s game, in the same that Villa be wary of Dembele, which is why Emery must unleash him from the start after he was on the bench against Forest.

Interestingly, Rashford has played the most games (four) and scored the most goals (three) against PSG out of all of his appearances in the Champions League in his career to date, suggesting that they are a favourable match-up for the English forward.

Emery's own Saliba: Aston Villa will have bid accepted for £50m "monster"

Aston Villa could soon welcome in their very own William Saliba in this defensive monster.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 8, 2025

The 27-year-old marksman has punished the Parisian side in the past and Emery must ditch Watkins to put Rashford in a position to break French hearts in the Champions League once again.

A motorcycle accident prevented his IPL dream from taking flight, but he is working harder than ever to make it happen now

Rajan Raj12-Nov-2024The first Adivasi [tribal] player to play in the IPL – you must have read the headlines just under a year ago.It was all about to happen for Robin Minz after Gujarat Titans (GT) shelled out INR 3.6 crore for the wicketkeeper-batter till a motorcycle accident just before the start of the IPL 2024 season took him away from cricket. He is back now, putting the pieces back together, 22 years old but already having to make up for lost time.”When I had the accident, the first thing that came to my mind was… how will I play cricket now, what will happen to the IPL,” Minz told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy game against Chandigarh in Jamshedpur a few days ago, his comeback game.Related

Meet Robin Minz, the quiet boy who lets his bat do the talking

“IPL was the first step, through which I had to move forward. But everything seemed to end. But after the accident, my family and coaches [Asif Haque and SP Gautam], my friends, and [GT coach Ashish] Nehra sir helped me a lot. Nehra sir called me several times and kept assuring me that I would be back.”During the IPL, I got a call from Titans that I have to stay with the team and do rehab with their physio [Rohit Salavkar]. I went there. Whenever there was a home match, I used to go. Rohit sir and the entire team helped me a lot. Even though I was not playing IPL, I enjoyed being with the team.”GT did what they could, but the opportunity of IPL was gone, and it wasn’t easy to deal with. It wasn’t easy for his family either. Once upon a time, they had to think many times, count their savings, before buying Minz a new cricket bat. That was about to change, but it didn’t.

****

Sometime between the accident and Minz travelling to Ahmedabad to be with his GT team-mates, he turned up at Ranchi’s Sonnet Club, where he trained under Haque and Gautam.”One day I was in my academy, I saw that Robin had come. I was shocked – he was supposed to rest,” Haque said. “I asked him what he was doing. His reply was, ‘I know that I will not be able to play right now but let me sit here, I want to spend some time here’.”Perhaps the first steps towards the inevitable comeback.

“What will I do thinking about what has happened and what will happen; whatever has to happen will happen. But I will play good cricket. I have to score more runs, and I have to hit more sixes and fours”Robin Minz

“It is normal to be scared and nervous about an incident like this, but we knew that his condition was not very serious,” Minz’s father, Francis Xavier, said. “I knew this was a big shock for Robin. You may call it a lesson or something else. We do not think so much about money, but the bigger concern was that the cricket ground had been taken away from him. Playing the game was more important than the money.”Ever since he started playing, I have never seen him step away from cricket. We thought we would see him playing in the IPL, but that didn’t happen.”Minz is back playing cricket, but has been released by GT, and while he is in the IPL 2025 mega auction longlist – with a base price of INR 30 lakh – franchises are likely to be cautious even if he had come with a big reputation before the last auction.”Cricket is his life, but it is not as if his life will end if he doesn’t get a chance in the IPL,” Xavier said. “Our entire family has taught him to fight difficult situations. He will work hard again, play well again, and try again next time. Whatever happens after that will happen.”

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Minz’s cricketing journey started at Sonnet Club. It was there that he got the nickname ‘Chris Gayle of Jharkhand’. Minz spent a lot of time at the club while recovering from his injuries – the big ones were to his shoulders and legs. As he got better, his work on the field doubled, and then tripled.”Robin was very disappointed with himself, he blamed himself for what had happened,” Haque said. “But we spoke to him, and he channeled his disappointment into the desire to make a comeback, be even better.”Anyone who saw him training, he was at a new level. I have worked with him for the last eight-nine years, but I had not seen this. He was adamant that he had to make a strong comeback on the cricket field.”Robin Minz has lost a year of his career, and now has to find a way to make up for lost time•Francis Xavier MinzThen came the Col. CK Nayudu trophy, and Minz was in the Jharkhand XI for their first game, the only one he played. He scored 77 runs in 80 balls against Haryana from No. 4, his innings included ten fours and three sixes. And then, with Ishan Kishan away in Australia with the India A side, Minz’s first-class debut happened. That hasn’t been too dramatic. So far, he has scores of 12 and 16 against Chandigarh and 8 and 39 against Saurashtra. That 39, though, came in a match-saving 84-run stand with Anukul Roy for the sixth wicket.”A lot has changed in the last one year,” he said. “I never thought that so many people would know me and worry about me. After the accident, I don’t know how many messages came, everyone was trying to console me. I was a little sad, but now I know that I will come back.”Questions about the IPL auction were to be expected – even fans who stopped him to take selfies during the Chandigarh game asked him about it.”I am not thinking anything,” he said. “I just want to play cricket – this is my life. What will I do thinking about what has happened and what will happen; whatever has to happen will happen. But I will play good cricket. I have to score more runs, and I have to hit more sixes and fours.”I am back… Minz is back.”

After finishing seventh last year, KKR begin this season with a new captain and coaching staff

Sreshth Shah28-Mar-20235:11

KKR coach Pandit is hopeful of Iyer’s return at some point

Where Kolkata Knight Riders finished in IPL 2022

Seventh, with six wins and eight losses.

KKR squad for IPL 2023

Venkatesh Iyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer (injured), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Mandeep Singh, N Jagadeesan, Litton Das, Andre Russell, Anukul Roy, David Wiese, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Suyash Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Harshit Rana, Umesh Yadav, Vaibhav Arora, Kulwant Khejroliya.

Player availability – Shreyas doubtful, Shakib and Litton could be late

Shreyas Iyer has been sidelined by recurring lower-back issue and there is no definitive return date yet, leaving the Knight Riders without their regular captain. Nitish Rana has been asked to step in on a temporary basis. There is a slim chance that Shreyas could return in the second half of the season.Knight Riders could be without Shakib and Litton for their opening game of the season, on April 1. Both are part of the Bangladesh squad for the three T20Is against Ireland that ends on March 31. Litton could miss a few more games because he will arrive in India only after Bangladesh’s one-off Test against Ireland, which runs from April 4 to 8.Related

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What’s new with KKR this year?

Brendon McCullum is no longer their coach, having moved to a permanent role with the England men’s Test side, and Knight Riders have brought in experienced Indian hands – Chandrakant Pandit (head coach) and Bharat Arun (bowling coach). Ryan ten Doeschate is their fielding coach.They were also busy between seasons, trading in Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals, and Gurbaz and Lockie Ferguson from Gujarat Titans. That left them with a small purse of INR 7.05 crore at the IPL auction, where six of their eight new picks were base-price purchases. They signed Jagadeesan, Vaibhav, Mandeep, Suyash Sharma, David Wiese, Kulwant Khejroliya, Shakib and Litton.Andre Russell and Sunil Narine once again form the core of the Kolkata Knight Riders•BCCI

The good – a new era beckons?

Andre Russell finally has an overseas back-up in Wiese, useful for the side since the West Indian needs workload management if the team needs him at 100% fitness. Their wicketkeeping options are more attractive than their 2022 squad, which included Sheldon Jackson, B Indrajith and Sam Billings. Thakur strengthens the bowling and batting, while their new coaching staff and interim captain could come with a hard reset after a disappointing IPL 2022.

The not-so-good – the uncertainties

Shreyas’ injury means Knight Riders are without their best Indian batter. Venkatesh and Chakravarthy are both out of favour from a national-selection point of view and their stocks have dropped significantly since they were retained by the franchise two seasons ago. Barring Thakur, Rana and the two overseas West Indians, no one makes a strong case to be a shoo-in in the XI.

Schedule insights

Knight Riders play Mumbai Indians only once. This may come as a relief, since they have a 9-22 record against Mumbai. Knight Riders also play Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals once each.The side has a packed schedule in late April, when they are set to play four games in a ten-day period between April 20 and April 29, with two home games as well as away matches in Delhi and Bengaluru.

The big question