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Arsenal have been blessed with some incredible players and legends over the years, from the likes of Tony Adams and Ian Wright to Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.

However, for every icon of the game who donned the red and white of the Gunners, it feels like they have supposedly missed out on six others.

Stories about Arsène Wenger missing out on Kylian Mbappé, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and even Cristiano Ronaldo are all too familiar to the fans.

Still, another Premier League superstar was once on the North Londoners’ wishlist in 2012, but they ended up with Lukas Podolski.

Podolski's Arsenal career

In April 2012, it was announced that Arsenal had secured the services of German international Podolski for a fee said to have been just £10.9m the month before.

The former Bayern Munich star moved to North London from Koln that summer, and while his stint with the club wasn’t the most illustrious, he became something of a cult hero for his aggressive style of play and thunderous left peg.

In all, the Gliwice-born dynamo would make 82 appearances under Wenger, in which he’d score 31 goals, provide 15 assists, and win an FA Cup before joining Italian giants Inter Milan on a six-month loan in January 2015 and then sealing a permanent move to Galatasaray the following summer for around £1.8m.

The next nine years saw the supremely talented attacker win leagues in Turkey with Gala and Japan with Vissel Kobe before joining Polish side Gornik Zabrze in July 2021, where he is still playing today.

Overall, while Podolski wasn’t a bad player for Arsenal and scored some brilliant goals in his time with the club, he is incomparable to the player the Gunners were supposedly keen on signing that same summer.

When Arsenal wanted to sign Eden Hazard

Yes, the future Premier League icon that Arsenal wanted to sign in the same summer they bought Podolski was Eden Hazard, and by all accounts, he wanted the move as well.

In an interview with French outlet DH in April 2021, the Belgian’s former agent, John Bico, revealed that the Gunners, Chelsea, both Manchester clubs and Tottenham were keen on his client.

However, even though a move to the red side of North London was Hazard’s “number one choice”, Bico convinced him to join the Pensioners due to Arsenal’s position at the time and the number of young players already there.

Interestingly, in another interview with GOAL, former chief transfer negotiator Dick Law revealed that it was the cost involved that stopped them from pulling the trigger back then.

Unfortunately for the North Londoners, Lille eventually sold their incredible talent to Chelsea for around £32m. Over the next seven years, he would go on to become a Premier League “legend,” as Chelsea fan Frank Khalid dubbed him.

In all, the La Louvière-born icon made 352 appearances for the West Londoners, in which he scored 110 goals, provided 85 assists, and won almost everything there is to win, including two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, an FA Cup, and a League Cup.

He then netted the club up to £130m from Real Madrid, although the less said about his time in Spain, the better.

Ultimatley, Podolski was a reasonably successful signing for Arsenal given the price and shouldn’t be looked upon as a mistake, but it certainly was a mistake not to also sign Hazard that same summer, as the Belgian is undoubtedly a Premier League great.

100% dribbles: Arsenal's 7/10 star is now becoming as undroppable as Raya

The sensational talent has been on fire this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 20, 2024

New Como signing Dele Alli was in the stands on Saturday to watch the Serie A team slip to a 2-1 defeat to high-flying Atalanta.

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• Dele has joined Como on 18-month deal
• Yet to make his debut for club
• Watched Saturday's defeat to Atalanta

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dele signed for Como earlier in January after being invited to train with the club following his departure from Everton. Manager Cesc Fabregas has said the club "believe in his potential" after handing the 28-year-old an 18-month contract, with an option to extend for an additional 12 months, at the club.

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  Dele is yet to debut for Como but will be hoping he can force his way into Fabregas's plans for the rest of the season. The midfielder did not even make the squad for Saturday's match against Atalanta but was in the stands to watch the game alongside new team-mate Sergi Roberto.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Como took the lead in the match through former Real Madrid midfielder Nico Paz, but Atalanta hit back to seal the win thanks to two goals from Mateo Retegui.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DELE

  The 28-year-old will continue to train at Como and try his best to find some first-team minutes. The midfielder has not played competitively for almost two years but does now have a chance to reignite his career in the Italian top flight. Como are back action on Saturday against Bologna.

Bayern Munich are ready to shell out €120m (£100m/$124m) on Alphonso Davies' contract extension despite plans to cut their overall spending.

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• Bayern set to spend €120m on Davies' contract extension
• Full-back will sign a new five-year deal
• Bundesliga giants planning to slash wage bill

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per BILD's and , Bayern's supervisory board has approved the spending of around €120m (£100m/$124m) on Alphonso Davies' contract extension. The total amount will include the player's salary for the next five years, add-ons and signing bonus. While the amount is extremely high, the club believe that they would have had to spend much more if they let go of the Canada international and signed a replacement.

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  The report also adds that the Bavarian club's current wage bill stands between €320-€340m and they want to slash it down to €300m. Following Davies's extension and pay hike, players like Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich are also set to see their salaries increase. The Bundesliga giants have chalked out a plan to offload underperforming players who are on high wages and sign players who will come at a low cost to fulfil their wage bill target.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Real Madrid have been closely linked with a move for Davies, however, with the player set to extend his stay at Allianz Arena, Los Blancos will now focus on bringing in Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

  Vincent Kompany's Bayern side will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Slovan Bratislava in a Champions League fixture at home.

Tottenham Hotspur had an evening to forget on the South Coast on Sunday, falling to a 3-2 defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

The defeat came as a surprise given Ange Postecoglou’s side were 2-0 up at the break, but three goals in just 20 minutes secured what looked like an unlikely victory for the Seagulls.

After five wins in a row since the middle of September, the run came to a crashing halt, with work needing to be done over the upcoming international break to correct the embarrassing defeat.

There’s no denying Ange’s side demonstrated glimpses of quality during the first 45 minutes, but the capitulation will be alarming for the Aussie as they aim to secure Champions League football this season.

Too many players looked off the pace for Spurs during the second period, undoubtedly contributing to the outcome of the result at the full-time whistle.

Where it all went wrong for Spurs

After getting themselves two goals ahead at the interval, the hard work was already done by Postecoglou’s side, with game management needed to see the game through and secure a sixth successive win.

However, after Yankuba Minteh struck just minutes into the second 45, alarm bells were ringing throughout and Spurs’ soft underbelly once again reared its head.

Two goals in eight minutes from Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck secured the turnaround for Fabian Hurzeler’s side – with the Lilywhites looking fragile at the back after the hosts’ opener just minutes after the break.

From that point on, Postecoglou’s side offered very little in the final third, with Brighton closing them out – something which should’ve been done by Spurs after their early two-goal advantage.

Questions will undoubtedly be asked about the quality at the back throughout the 20-minute period which saw the visitors surrender their advantage with changes needed to prevent a repeat after the international break.

One player in particular contributed to the capitulation, with his performance undoubtedly below the standards expected of a defender in Postecoglou’s system.

The man who cost Ange all three points

Left-back Destiny Udogie has been a consistent performer for Spurs over the last 12 months, cementing the position as his own during Postecoglou’s reign.

However, Sunday evening was arguably one of his worst performances during his time in North London, failing to be in the right place for multiple of Brighton’s goals.

The Italian failed to clear the cross for the first effort, handing Minteh an unopposed opportunity in front of goal, before allowing Rutter to cut inside for the second.

The third came down his flank, with himself and Rodrigo Bentancur failing to deal with the ball, which saw the ball clipped into the 18-yard box handing Welbeck a free header, subsequently leading to writer Andrew Gaffney dubbing the Italian as “really, really poor.”

His stats from the defeat were just as disappointing, with Udogie giving the ball away ten times, whilst also being dribbled past once – resulting in a 3/10 match rating from Football London’s Alasdair Gold.

The international break has come at a good time for Spurs to allow them to regroup after the catastrophic defeat, with work needing to be done if they are to achieve their target of reaching the top four this season.

Whilst overall he’s been an excellent first-team member for the club, last night’s display was unacceptable by Udogie, with his lack of defensive awareness costing Ange’s side all three points.

Time's up: Ange can send Spurs star packing after Mikey Moore's emergence

The youngster has impressed with increased game time in recent weeks.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 5, 2024

The league allocated a $5 million fund for players who experienced sexual and emotional abuse back as far as 2021

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• Fund to be paid out to NWSL players as part of long-running suit
• Misconduct allegations forced mass resignations in the league in 2021
• NWSLPA credited players for 'refusing to be silenced'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The NWSL has created a $5 million fund as part of a landmark suit resulting from a series of sexual and emotional misconduct allegations in 2021, the league and a series of attorneys general announced Wednesday.

  The fund is specifically allocated towards players who experienced abuse, and requires that the league uphold safeguards and safety measures introduced after the league found widespread misconduct in 2022.

  Attorneys general from Washington, D.C., New York and Illinois will also have the power to assist upholding of the laws, and fine the league if it doesn't follow rules.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The fund serves as the conclusion of a long-standing suit between the players and league. Allegations were first brought to light on a league-wide scale in 2021, forcing five head coaches and the league comissioner to hand in their resignation. The NWSL and U.S. soccer launched an investigation, and found conclusive evidence of systemic abuse and misconduct.

  In response, the NWSLPA insisted that safeguards against such misconduct be introduced into the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, something the two sides agreed upon.

• WHAT TORI HUSTER AND JESSICA BERMAN SAID

  Tori Huster, former Washington Spirit midfielder and current NWSLPA Deputy Executive Director, released a statement on behalf of the players: "This $5 million restitution fund is not a gift. Nor is it justice. This fund exists because players refuse to be silenced. And we found the courage to stand together as a collective. This fund is an acknowledgment of unique failures and the harm suffered by players. It's a testament to the players' courage and a necessary step toward accountability. If the NWSL is safer today, it is because players fought to make it that way."

  League commissioner Jessica Berman also issued a statement: "We have worked collaboratively with the NWSLPA and the attorneys general to add greater strength to the programmatic changes we adopted in 2023 in light of the joint investigative reports, and we look forward to supporting the administrator in distributing the Players' Restitution Fund. We will continue to do the work necessary to maintain the trust of our players and build an ecosystem where the best in the world want to come."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR THE NWSL?

  Barbara S. Jones, an independent retired judge who was part of the investigation, has 45 days to develop a plan for distribution of the settlement. Players past and present are considered eligible.

A report today has lifted the lid on contact between an elite European club and an Arsenal player, with the side in question reaching out to his representatives.

Arsenal players who could leave in 2025

There are a few players who could follow the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah out of the door next year.

"Unique" Arsenal player no longer in Arteta's plans and could go on loan

The exit door is beckoning for him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 9, 2024

The writing appears on the wall for left-back Kieran Tierney, who is currently well behind in manager Mikel Arteta’s pecking order. The Scotsman, who is currently in recovery from a hamstring injury he picked up at Euro 2024, has Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jurrien Timber and summer signing Riccardo Calafiori currently head of him in the pecking order.

It is believed Tierney could even depart Arsenal on loan, and the former Celtic star isn’t the only player in danger of leaving. Indeed, it is also claimed that fellow defender Jakub Kiwior is expected to depart Arsenal in January.

The Pole has struggled for regular Premier League minutes this season, especially after the arrival of Calafiori, who has really impressed since making the move from Bologna in a deal worth £42 million.

Thomas Partey has been linked with an exit upon the expiry of his contract next summer too, but conflicting reports have also claimed that Arsenal want to reward Partey with fresh terms after an exceptional start to 2024/2025.

These players appear expendable for Arteta, but one man who certainly doesn’t fall into that bracket is star man William Saliba.

The £190,000-per-week France international has formed an unbreakable partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of Arteta’s defence, which has proved crucial to all of Arsenal’s Premier League title challenges over the last three seasons.

Real Madrid make contact with Arsenal star William Saliba

As per le10sport this afternoon, that hasn’t stopped European champions Real Madrid from trying their luck. Indeed, Real Madrid have now made contact with Saliba’s representatives ahead of a potential move next summer, with the Galacticos identifying him as their top transfer target in that area.

Of course, they still have to get past Arsenal, who reportedly want at least £83 million for the defender and are reluctant to sell him at all.

“At the moment, whether it’s PSG, Real Madrid or another top European club, it’s very hard to see them being able to prise Saliba away from Arsenal,” said Ligue 1 expert and journalist Jonathan Johnson to CaughtOffside recently.

“He’s one of their top talents at the moment, and one of the best defenders in world football, and after a strong showing at the Euros he’s shown he’s in that world-class bracket. I think now that Mikel Arteta’s future has also been cleared up, I think Saliba will be looked at as a player that the Gunners hope to keep as a key cornerstone for the team.

“For the moment, I can’t see anyone going in for Saliba while he remains such a key part of that Arsenal project, but, depending on what happens this season, who knows, perhaps a scenario could develop that presents an opportunity for one of these top European clubs to sound out his situation.”

Ipswich Town will be seeking their first Premier League victory after the international break comes to a close, as Sean Dyche’s Everton travel to Portman Road in a crunch clash near the foot of the league.

The Toffees do boast a win next to their name, whilst the Tractor Boys have gone close with four draws picked up, but that first victory still remains elusive.

Kieran McKenna will be hoping for some more magic from Liam Delap against Dyche’s men, which could end up steering the Suffolk underdogs to a rare three points, with the former Manchester City striker head and shoulders the most exciting performer for the relegation-threatened outfit this campaign to date.

Liam Delap's form this season

The ex-Man City wonderkid already has a stellar four goals next to his name from seven top-flight clashes, with the 21-year-old taking to his new surroundings like a duck to water in the process, even with Ipswich languishing near the bottom three.

His individual display against Aston Villa last month really did stand out, as Delap ran the likes of Diego Carlos and Pau Torres ragged all afternoon, who then helped Unai Emery’s men pick up a win and clean sheet against Bayern Munich just days after this thrilling 2-2 draw.

Collecting two goals for himself in that barnstorming affair, Delap will want to pick back up from where he left off when Everton come to town shortly, after a break which saw the 21-year-old line up for the England U21s.

Whilst the new Tractor Boys recruit has shone, other attackers at McKenna’s disposal haven’t quite excited the masses at Portman Road in a similar way, with the likes of Omari Hutchinson notably struggling in the Premier League.

Selected regularly in an attacking midfield spot this season so far, despite regularly being deployed down the wings last campaign, this experimentation with the ex-Chelsea man just isn’t working, with the 5 foot 9 youngster goalless across his difficult stretch of seven league games.

This could throw up a selection dilemma for McKenna to address, and he could be prepared to start someone else over Hutchinson next time out.

The player to get more out of Delap

By forgetting about Hutchinson and making a tweak, McKenna could well even find that he actually begins to get even more out of Delap in the long run.

Chalkboard

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

The player in question here is Conor Chaplin, who has had to be patient with the chances handed to him so far in the Premier League, as the ex-Portsmouth man has made do with spots on the substitutes bench over regular action.

Chaplin has only started one game so far this campaign in the league but could be a worthwhile inclusion if thrown in for the clash versus the Toffees based on his electric numbers in a second striker role when lighting up the EFL.

Away from being a goal machine for Ipswich during the 2022/23 season – with a ridiculous 29 goals notched up from 52 games – last season saw Chaplin retreat towards becoming more of a creative force behind the main man up top, helping himself to nine assists on top of a healthy 13 strikes.

Therefore, although this is up a division in the might of the Premier League, it could be worth seeing if Chaplin can explode into life in the top flight if he is given a chance, perhaps making Delap even more of an ice-cold finisher by supplying the in form striker with more chances than he’s already getting.

Once labelled as a “fantastic” star by his manager after picking up a League One Player of the Month accolade last year, there’s little to lose on Ipswich’s end by gifting the 27-year-old an opportunity to strut his stuff in games to come.

It could well prove to be a stroke of genius, as Chaplin and Delap then strike up a potential match made in heaven.

Ipswich wanted to sign “extraordinary” £25m star, they got Ogbene instead

Ipswich Town could have signed this star over snapping up Chiedozie Ogbene.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 10, 2024

Chelsea star Sam Kerr has spoken for the first time since the verdict came out in her racial harassment case.

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• Kerr found not guilty in racial harassment case
• Spoke out on verdict
• Chelsea star remains sidelined due to ACL injury

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Chelsea star learned the final verdict in her racial harassment trial as she was found not guilty of intentionally causing "racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress" to Metropolitan Police Officer PC Stephen Lovell in an incident in south-west London on January 30, 2023.

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  Kerr breathed a sigh of relief as she maintained her stance of not intentionally insulting the police officer. She thanked the jury and her loved ones, including fiancee Kristie Mewis, who stood by the Australian footballer throughout her trial process.

• WHAT SAM KERR SAID

  An official statement from the Blues forward read: "Following today’s not guilty verdict, I can finally put this challenging period behind me. While I apologise for expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening, I have always maintained that I did not intend to insult or harm anyone.

  "And I am thankful that the jury unanimously agreed. I would like to thank my partner Kristie, my family, friends and all the fans for their love and support, especially those who attended court each day. I am fully focused on getting back on to the pitch and look forward to an exciting year ahead for me and my family."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SAM KERR?

  The 31-year-old Matildas star has remained sidelined since January 2024 due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The player is expected to resume training by the end of February or early March. Chelsea will be next seen in action on Sunday as they face Everton in the Women's Super League.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed a much-needed boost as one of his star players closes in on a return from injury, according to a report.

Arsenal injury doubts ahead of crucial Liverpool match

This Sunday, the Premier League title-chasing Gunners take on fellow major contenders Liverpool in a blockbuster bout – which will surely go a long way in determining 2024/2025’s eventual champions.

Arteta wants £58m striker at Arsenal more than anyone, January bid likelier

The Spaniard is eager to recruit him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 25, 2024

Arne Slot’s Reds are in absolutely excellent form – winning seven of their opening eight league matches so far this season – while Arsenal were unbeaten before their 2-0 slump at Bournemouth last weekend, a match which also saw star defender William Saliba sent off.

As a result, the north Londoners will be without Saliba this weekend as they prepare to host Liverpool at the Emirates. That is a big blow for Arteta, who could also be without another centre-back in summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, after the Italy international was forced off during their Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night.

Takehiro Tomiyasu could be out for a few weeks, following a recurrence of his knee injury which had kept him out since pre-season, before he made his first and only appearance of the campaign against Southampton just prior to the international break.

Jurrien Timber is an Arsenal doubt to face Liverpool as well, so it looks as if Arteta could be very short defensively in the worst case scenario. Meanwhile, uncertainty also surrounds Bukayo Saka and his involvement against the Merseysiders, with the £195,000-per-week star missing their last two games after picking up a leg injury on international duty with England.

“We’re going to do our very best to somehow have them available but it’s very uncertain,” said Arteta on Saka, Timber and Calafiori ahead of Liverpool.

“He [Calafiori] needs some more tests. Yesterday he had some, today he’s going to have some more and after that we will know. Last time we thought it was really bad and he ended up playing two or three days after, so let’s see how it is.

“He [Saka] has done a bit of training on the grass. How far we can get him to Sunday, that’s a different question. We have another day, which is a good thing, but we’ll see.

“Timber, again, it’s the first session that he could have some involvement. He’s been out for a while, we expected him to be further back than where he is at the moment but, again, we have to wait and see.”

Another player who could be set to miss their crucial encounter tomorrow is captain Martin Odegaard, who’s been unavailable since he suffered ankle ligament damage in Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria in September.

Boost for Arsenal as Odegaard closes in on injury return

As per the Associated Press, via Daily Mail, it is believed Odegaard is “nearing a return” from his ankle injury in a boost for Arsenal, but Arteta has not said whether he will be fit in time for Liverpool.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder wasn’t able to play a part in many important fixtures – including away games at Tottenham and Man City – and Arsenal have done very well to cope without his presence.

Odegaard has bagged 23 goals and 17 assists for Arsenal in the Premier League alone since the beginning of 2022/2023, playing a key role in their very close races with Man City.

The former Real Madrid ace’s return is imperative, and while we have no exact date, this whisper he is close will come as some much-needed good news.

John Stones hobbled off the pitch injured after just seven minutes against Real Madrid, capping off a nightmare start to the game for Manchester City.

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• Mbappe gives Madrid early lead
• Stones then goes down injured
• Replaced by Ake

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kylian Mbappe gave the home side an early lead, doubling their aggregate advantage to make it 4-2. And City will be forced to seek a comeback in the tie without the help of experienced defender John Stones, who was forced off after colliding with the Madrid goal-scorer and "jarred his leg" according to. The seriousness of the injury remains unclear but the England international was able to walk off the pitch by himself.

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  Stones was replaced at the back by Nathan Ake, and while the Dutchman is a capable deputy, things still look bleak for the visitors. The City backline knows how hard it is to contain world-class talents like Jude Bellingham, and on this occasion, the serial Champions League winners may have a little too much firepower for out-of-form City.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  City's woes are compounded by the fact that they are missing their top scorer in the Champions League this season, Erling Haaland. Only Robert Lewandowski (9) and Serhou Guraissy (10) have more goals in the competition than the Norwegian in 2024-25, but in a huge blow for City's hopes Haaland was forced onto the bench for this fixture after suffering an injury against Newcastle.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CITY?

  Injuries have plagued City all season, with Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder Rodri out for the whole campaign and several other stars — now including Stones — hampered by injury concerns at different points. If Guardiola's side can mount a huge comeback against Madrid, they will still be without some key personnel in the round of 16.