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      Sealing Arsenal move before start of World Cup is a ‘weight off’ shoulders of Lioness star Alessia Russo

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      ALESSIA RUSSO says having her Arsenal move wrapped up before the World Cup feels like a weight off her shoulders. And the England star, 24, is enjoying proving a former coach wrong after he joked she “couldn’t head a ball for sh**”. 
      Alessia Russo is happy to have sorted her club future ahead before the start of England’s World Cup campaignCredit: Getty
      The Lioness star joined the Gunners as a free agent in July following the expiry of her contract with Manchester United in JuneCredit: Getty
      The WSL ace and the Lionesses arrived in Brisbane, Australia on Monday ahead of the Group D opening duel with Haiti on July 22. 
      That clash comes 18 days after the former Red Devil signed for Arsenal as a free agent. 
      Russo, who joined the Gunners after a three-year Manchester United spell, said: “I’m really glad it’s all done. 
      “It feels like a little bit of a weight is off my shoulders ahead of the World Cup and that’s what I wanted. 

      “I hoped to try and get it all sorted before the tournament kicked off. 
      “Now I can fully focus on this World Cup and after that head into Arsenal. I’m really excited.”
      Russo, who began her senior career at Chelsea in 2016, is arguably one of the Gunners’ biggest signings this summer. 
      And the Kent-born Lioness featured in a video welcoming Declan Rice to Arsenal. 
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      The video, produced by the club’s kit makers Adidas, went viral on social media. 
      When asked if there would be any banter from her Man United pals in England’s camp over move, Russo said they will “always be friends”. 
      She added: “I’m still best mates with them all and I always will be. 
      “It’s nice to have this summer and have some time with them again. We’re just all enjoying Australia.”
      Russo’s involvement in a World Cup tournament for the first time in her career comes after her netting 10 goals in 20 WSL games last term. 
      One of her most memorable was a headed effort last November that led to Man United becoming the first WSL team to beat Arsenal at the Emirates. 
      And Russo, who has earned plaudits for her aerial displays in the box, recalls her former coach Anson Dorrance jokingly mocked her heading abilities. 
      The former US Women’s national team boss, who led the side to their first World Cup win, coached Russo during her two-year stint at North Carolina Tar Heels. 
      The Lioness spent some of her teenage years at the US college side renowned for spotting and nurturing rising stars of the women’s game
      Like Russo, Lucy Bronze and Lotte Wubben-Moy, are also former Tar Heels players. 
      The trio flourished under Dorrance who has been in charge of the North Carolina University team for 46 years.
      Russo, who played for Tar them from 2017 to 2019, added: “When I was in America my coach out there told me that I couldn’t head a ball for shit. 
      “That was something that I wanted to prove him wrong with.
      “I’ve still got a long way to go, but yeah I think physicality is a huge thing as a nine. “You’ve got to be strong, you’ve got to be powerful. 
      “Some centre halves are bigger and stronger than you so you’ve got to find ways to get one up on them.”
      On whether she is still in contact with legendary Tar Heels boss Dorrance, Russo said: “I still speak to Anson and his assistant Damon Nahas.
      Russo still maintains contact with her coaches at the US women’s college side North Carolina Tar HeelsCredit: Getty
      “I probably speak to them maybe once a month. It’s nice to check in with them and they played a big part in my journey and my career. 
      “They’re coaches I have huge respect for and love to speak to.”
      Russo is eager to keep developing the physical aspect of her game in particular her strength for duels with her markers.
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      The WSL ace, who has scored 11 times in 21 senior England appearances, added: “Understanding my body and how to use it best, and then just trying to be as clinical as possible in front of goal. 
      “As a nine that’s something you want to work on every single day.” More

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      Forgotten Arsenal trio left out of pre-season tour to USA as Declan Rice joins up with new team-mates

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      A FORGOTTEN Arsenal trio have been left out of the club’s pre-season tour to the USA.New signing Declan Rice has travelled with the squad, though, after joining up with his new team-mates.
      Three Arsenal players have been left out of their USA tour squadCredit: Getty
      Declan Rice has met up with his new team-mates and travelled to the USACredit: Instagram @arsenal
      The Gunners jetted out for their pre-season tour on Sunday morning ahead of facing the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday.
      Mikel Arteta’s side will also play Manchester United and Barcelona before returning to the UK.
      Ahead of the trip, Arsenal named their squad for the tour, with three forgotten stars left out.
      Nicolas Pepe, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Cedric Soares have all been left out of the squad for the tour.
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      Emile Smith-Rowe and Thomas Partey were also absent, although they will be joining up with the squad next week.
      All three of the players left out are expected to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer.
      Pepe spent last season on loan in France with Nice and has been linked with a return to the Ligue 1 club.
      Meanwhile, Lokonga is a target for newly-promoted Burnley, having previously played under manager Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht.
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      As for Cedric, who was spotted at Rice’s training ground unveiling, he is into the final year of his contract after returning from a loan spell with Fulham.
      Rice has travelled to the USA with his new team-mates, though, after his arrival was finally announced by Arsenal on Saturday.
      The midfielder has signed from West Ham United for £105million, penning a deal through until the summer of 2028. More

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      I played for Arsenal in the Champions League but retired aged just 23 – now I’m taking on the world of business

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      A FORMER Arsenal star has swapped the Champions League for the business world.Stefan O’Connor, 26, came through the ranks at Crystal Palace before being prised away by Arsenal’s academy in 2010.
      O’Connor came through the Crystal Palace academy before being poached by ArsenalCredit: Getty
      He now has his own business and is an angel investorCredit: Instagram @stefanoconnor
      He thoroughly impressed in Arsenal’s youth system and was handed his debut in the Champions League by Arsene Wenger in 2014 aged just 17 years old.
      The defender came on for Mathieu Debuchy during the last 13 minutes of a 4-1 away win at Turkish giants Galatassaray.
      O’Connor was a highly rated prospect at the time and looked to have the world at his feet.
      His run out in Istanbul would ultimately be his last appearance for the Arsenal first team however – as injuries hampered his career.
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      After spending a few more years in the Arsenal under-21s he was loaned to then League Two side York City.
      He was limited to just four appearances as he began to struggle with injury.
      O’Connor then went on loan to Dutch side MVV Mastricht in 2016 where he was again limited to just four appearances.
      At the end of his spell in Holland, he was released by Arsenal.
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      O’Connor then spent two years at Newcastle’s under-23 team before an ACL injury ultimately saw him retire.
      But the former defender has gone from strength to strength since stepping back from football.
      O’Connor initially re-trained as a lawyer and worked in the commercial sector.
      He then launched his own business – called SOCCR – which coaches young players from grassroots all the way up to professional level.
      He also works as an angel investor identifying promising start-ups with high growth potential. More

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      Arsenal confirm second summer signing as Jurrien Timber completes long-awaited transfer from Ajax

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      ARSENAL have confirmed the signing of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber for a fee in the region of £40million.Timber becomes Arsenal’s second summer signing following the £65m transfer of Kai Havertz.
      Timber becomes Arsenal’s second summer signingCredit: Getty
      Arsenal have tracked the defender all summerCredit: Getty
      The defender will wear the number 12 shirt for Arsenal this seasonCredit: Getty
      The deal sees Arsenal’s summer spending rise above £100m as they look to back manager Mikel Arteta.
      Timber represents a versatile arrival – with the player able to play at centre-back, right-back and even in defensive midfield.
      He made 121 senior appearances for Ajax after joining the club’s youth system as a youngster from Utrecht.
      Timber won two league titles and a Dutch Cup during his time in Amsterdam.
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      Arsenal’s director Edu said: “We are very happy to bring Jurrien to Arsenal.
      “He is a player that we have admired for a long time, so it’s a credit to everyone in our team that made this happen.”
      Manager Mikel Arteta expressed his delight at the signing, saying: “We’re really excited that Jurrien has joined us.
      “He is a versatile young defender, who will fit into our system and provide our squad with so much added quality.
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      “Jurrien is a young player, but has already achieved so much.
      “He has experienced what it’s like to go to a major international tournament on more than one occasion, as well as the trophies he has won with Ajax.
      “We look forward to welcoming and integrating Jurrien into the squad.”
      Timber will wear the number 12 shirt for Arsenal, which was most recently worn by William Saliba.
      Saliba will now wear the number two shirt after signing a new contract this week.
      It’s set to be a busy weekend for Arsenal with the club expected to finally announce the signing of Declan Rice. More

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      Man Utd fans convinced it’s not too late to hijack Declan Rice’s Arsenal transfer as they spot budding bromance

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      DECLAN RICE’S Arsenal transfer is set to be finalised tomorrow.But some Manchester United fans are still dreaming of hijacking the move.
      Declan Rice is on the verge of joining ArsenalCredit: Getty
      Rice, 24, has agreed to join the Gunners in a club-record £105million deal.
      Arsenal beat off competition from Manchester City, agreeing to pay West Ham £100m by 2025 and a further £5m in bonuses.
      Rice and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta were both eager to get the deal done as soon as possible, ahead of the North Londoners’ pre-season tour of the US.
      The England midfielder has not been back at West Ham for training ahead of his Arsenal move.
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      He has instead been spotted working in Portugal with a trio of stars – including Bruno Fernandes.
      Rice was spotted training with the Man United ace in the Algarve, as well as AC Milan star Rafael Leao and Man City’s Joao Cancelo.
      He has also been seen interacting with Fernandes on Instagram.
      The in-demand star commented on the attacking midfielder’s Instagram post, which read: “Having fun and working hard with some ballers.”
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      Bruno Fernandes has spent time training with Rice this summerCredit: Getty
      Rice responded, alongside a fist-bump emoji and a heart: “Yessir.”
      He also posted “Stepping it up” on his own account, with Fernandes commenting with a pair of fist-bumps.
      Seeing the interactions between Rice and Fernandes, some United fans were determined to see their side try to hijack Arsenal’s swoop.
      One wrote: “So THIS is why Rice’s deal at Arsenal is stalling. He wants United.”
      While a second tweeted: “Cancel your Arsenal contract and come to a bigger club.”
      A third suggested: “Late steal?”
      And another commented: “Agent Bruno.”
      While a further social media user added: “Would’ve absolutely balled out in Manchester… but poor lad decided to go to a small club in London.”
      However they’re set to be disappointed with Sky Sports reporting West Ham have been assured the paperwork for the transfer will be finalised tomorrow.
      Fans have spotted social media interactions between Rice and FernandesCredit: INSTAGRAM More

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      Arsenal suffer huge injury blow as star man Odegaard is withdrawn minutes before first pre-season friendly

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      MARTIN ODEGAARD has suffered an injury ahead of Arsenal’s friendly with FC Nurnberg today.The club confirmed in a tweet that the club captain had suffered the injury while warming up for the match.
      Martin Odegaard has suffered an injury in the warmup for ArsenalCredit: Getty
      He was replaced in the starting XI by young Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira.
      It was set to be the Norwegian’s first game of pre-season having not played in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Watford in a behind closed doors friendly.
      And in his absence Arsenal could only draw 1-1 with the Bundesliga 2 side thanks to a comical own-goal from Jorginho.
      There was a further blow for the Gunners when Leandro Trossard hobbled off after 50 minutes.
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      After the game Arteta said: “[Odegaard] and Leo are struggling.
      “And we had other players with issues picked up in the week so we have to be cautious.
      “It’s pre-season and some of them have only had two or three training sessions so we’ll take it step by step.”
      The manager confirmed that Odegaard was “not feeling good enough to play” and added Trossard’s injury was “hopefully not” major.
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      But there was some good injury news for the Gunners as William Saliba made his first start since March after missing the run-in.
      Any absence for Odegaard would be keenly felt by the Gunners, given his key role in last year’s title challenge.
      The midfielder returned 15 goals and eight assists in his 37 Premier League appearances last season.
      The Gunners are currently in Germany for the initial part of their pre-season tour before jetting off to America next week.
      While in the US, they’ll play an MLS All Star team before high-profile clashes against Manchester United and Barcelona.
      After that they’ll play Monaco in the Emirates Cup before taking on Manchester City in the Community Shield.
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      He joined the club for £35million from Real Madrid in 2021 following a successful loan spell in North London.
      Meanwhile Arsenal’s deal for Declan Rice continues to remain unconfirmed.
      And West Ham are now ‘fuming’ with the North London club over the length of time it is taking to complete the deal.
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      The Hammers accepted Arsenal’s £105m bid for Rice NINE days ago and the player has passed his medical.
      But as of yet, the deal is yet to be officially confirmed by both clubs. More

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      Every Premier League squad’s value revealed with Arsenal biggest winners and Man Utd’s transfer failures highlighted

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      ARSENAL have increased the value of their squad more than any other Premier League club.Mikel Arteta’s side narrowly missed out on the title last season, falling away towards the end of the campaign as Manchester City clinched a fifth crown in six years.
      Mikel Arteta has significantly boosted the value of his Arsenal squadCredit: Getty
      Chelsea’s squad has decreased significantly in value since the players were signedCredit: Reuters
      But it should not go unnoticed how much the Spaniard has improved his Gunners side – who finished fifth in 2021/22.
      And that has been shown through stats provided by Transfermarkt.
      Arsenal’s squad has cost £572million to assemble, with their current market value standing at £915m.
      That is an increase of £343m – £100m more than any other side in the division.
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      How each Premier League team’s squad has changed in value
      Liverpool and Man City have also seen their squads improve in value since they purchased their players – by £154m and £150m respectively – with Pep Guardiola the only head coach boasting a set of players valued in excess of £1bn.
      Tottenham can also say they have marginally increased their squad’s worth by £43m.
      But at the other end of the scale come Chelsea and Manchester United.
      Todd Boehly’s £600m cash splash since arriving at Stamford Bridge 12 months ago has done little to improve the squad.
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      And it has seen them drop to the bottom of the table when it comes to the value of their players compared to how much they arrived for.
      The West London club have spent £880m on their star-studded roster – more than any other team – with their value standing at £756m.
      That sees them pip Man Utd to the unwanted 20th place with a net loss of £-124m.
      Erik ten Hag’s men also hold a negative value of their squad at £-115m.
      Chelsea and United are two of just four clubs with a negative transfer value – along with Sheffield United and Wolves.
      Meanwhile, the other big winners from the list are Brighton – who hold a £243m squad value increase having developed the likes of Evan Ferguson, Moises Caicedo, Julio Enciso, Pervis Estupinan, Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March.
      Brentford, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest have also increased their squad’s value by between £81m and £179m. More

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      Jurrien Timber ‘completes Arsenal medical’ ahead of £34m transfer with Man Utd target set to join imminently

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      JURRIEN TIMBER is on the verge of joining Arsenal after completing his medical.Gunners boss Mikel Arteta identified the Ajax defender as a major summer target last season and has moved quickly to get his man.
      Jurrien Timber is on the verge of joining Arsenal after reportedly undergoing a medical with the GunnersCredit: Getty
      The North Londoners reached an agreement with the Dutch giants this week to sign the 22-year-old.
      And he’s on the brink of becoming the club’s second summer signing after undergoing his medical.
      That’s according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who tweeted: “Jurrien Timber has just successfully completed his medical tests as new Arsenal player.”
      The Emirates faithful were quick to react, with one tweeting: “Arsenal will cook next season. I predict not less than 2 trophies.”
      Another said: “Arsenal are cooking.”
      And another said: “Edu and Arteta are cooking with an A La Carte menu this summer. Michelin Star.”
      One remarked: “Here we go.”
      Another chimed in: “We got Ten Hag’s number one target.”
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      Timber’s passing of his medical has seemingly seen Arsenal pip Premier League rivals Manchester United to his signature.
      It’s understood Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag contemplated adding the defender to his squad this summer.
      But barring a dramatic turn of events, they’ve missed out on the versatile right back.
      The arrival of Timber will take Arsenal’s summer spending to £98million – £65m of which they spent on signing Kai Havertz from Chelsea.
      But that fee is set to rise to a whopping £203million when they complete the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham.
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