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    Arsenal and Chelsea in five-club transfer battle to land son of ex-Premier League star

    MANCHESTER CITY rookie Kian Breckin is on the hitlist of a host of Premier League clubs.The 19-year-old midfielder is the son of former Nottingham Forest centre-back Ian.
    Kian Breckin is attracting attention from a number of Premier League clubsCredit: Getty
    The likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Southampton have all watched the midfielder in action.
    However, only a sizable bid could tempt City to sell.
    Breckin has played 21 times in the Premier League 2 for City’s U21s this season.
    He has an impressive return from midfield, scoring seven goals and providing four assists this term.
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    The teenager first joined City back in 2015.
    He played a key role in helping the club to the U18 Premier League title in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
    The youngster then moved up to City’s Elite Development Squad for the current campaign.
    SunSport exclusively revealed in January that Breckin was attracting interest from Southampton.
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    Breckin’s dad, Ian, played over 150 times for Forest in a four-year spell at the City ground from 2005 to 2009.
    The former centre-back, 47, also spent time with Rotherham, Chesterfield and Wigan. More

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    Arsenal title blow with Man City key man Phil Foden set to return for huge April 26 clash after appendix surgery

    PHIL FODEN will get on his bike and is ready to cycle back in time for the title clash against Arsenal.The Manchester City midfielder was expected to be sidelined until at least the start of May after having his appendix removed less than a fortnight ago.
    Foden has nine goals and four assists in 24 Prem appearances this seasonCredit: Getty
    But Foden, 22, is already up and about.
    He will start bike and strength work this week and there are hopes to ease him back before the table-topping Gunners visit the Etihad on April 26.
    The FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United on Saturday week has been mentioned but Arsenal are firmly in his sights.
    Foden had to miss England’s win over Ukraine last month due to his appendix issues flaring up just before the game.
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    But the star updated fans from his hospital bed during the Wembley victory as he reassured them he was “feeling much better”.
    He is now set to miss both legs of Manchester City’s huge Champions League quarter-final clash with Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich.
    Pep Guardiola’s side are still fighting on three fronts as they look to land the treble.
    The game against Arsenal in late April could be huge in deciding where the title ends up with the Gunners having a five point lead at the top.
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    Meanwhile, City rookie Kian Breckin, 19, is on the hitlist of a host of Premier League clubs.
    Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Southampton have all watched the midfielder, who is the son of former Nottingham  Forest centre-back Ian.
    Only a sizable bid could tempt City to sell. More

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    Arsenal star Reiss Nelson faces trial after the forward’s dog Tiago ‘attacked a masseur in his north London home’

    ARSENAL star Reiss Nelson is facing trial after his dog allegedly attacked a massage therapist.Saeid Motaali was at the 23-year-old footballer’s home in North London when the horror unfolded.
    Reiss Nelson has been charged after his dog allegedly attacked a massage therapistCredit: Getty
    It is alleged he was left injured by pooch Tiago on December 2, 2020.
    The Crown Prosecution Service told The Sun Online Nelson is now facing trial on September 4 at Harrow Crown Court.
    He is charged with being in charge of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control.
    The forward denied the charge at a previous hearing in October last year, Mail Online reports.
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    It is not clear what breed of dog Tiago is with the star previously sharing a picture of a French bulldog-style animal on his Instagram.
    Nelson has seen limited game time this season after failing to earn a regular spot with the current Premier League toppers.
    Despite this, he has still managed to impress while on the pitch.
    The scored twice in Arsenal’s 5-0 win against Nottingham Forest and grabbed a last-gasp winner last month to help the Gunners’ beat Bournemouth 3-2.
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    He has made 59 appearances for Arsenal in total, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists.
    The Londoner will be available on a free transfer in the summer with Brighton and Nice already showing interest.
    But Nelson, who joined Arsenal as a nine year old, has made it clear he is keen to stay with the club.
    The Sun Online has contacted Arsenal and Nelson’s rep for comment.
    It is not clear which breed the dog involved is but Nelson previously shared an image of a French bulldogCredit: instagram
    Nelson is facing trial in SeptemberCredit: EPA More

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    Arsenal ‘targeting Granit Xhaka’s Switzerland team-mate Djibril Sow in shock Eintracht Frankfurt transfer’

    ARSENAL are reportedly planning a shock transfer for Granit Xhaka’s international team-mate Djibril Sow from Eintracht Frankfurt.While the Gunners are currently focussed on staying on top of the Premier League, manager Mikel Arteta has been looking ahead to the off-season.
    Arsenal are reportedly chasing Djibril Sow for the summer transfer windowCredit: Alamy
    Manager Mikel Arteta is targeting the former team-mate of Granit XhakaCredit: Getty
    According to reports, he wants to strengthen the squad’s central midfield and has increased efforts to try and sign Djibril Sow during the summer transfer window.
    It’s thought that this would provide back up to regular starters Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.
    The Spanish manager signed Jorginho from Chelsea in January and got Mohamed Elneny to sign a new contract in February, but is clearly still hunting for new arrivals to help bolster the squad.
    26-year-old Sow will begin the final year of this contract with German club Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer.
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    The player has made it clear to Frankfurt he will not be signing an extension with them this summer, and has already had talks with English, French and Italian clubs.
    However, Arsenal may have an advantage over other clubs as Sow’s international team-mate, Xhaka, is on their side.
    The pair played alongside each other for all four of Switzerland’s games during the 2022 World Cup, and Sow has said before how much he admires the 30-year old midfielder.
    Sow told Sport1 last year: “Above all, Xhaka is a role model as a personality, as a leader.
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    “He brings a presence to the pitch that I haven’t seen that often before.”
    The two have both played for Bundesliga team Gladbach, and Sow has previously spoken about his desire to follow Xhaka into the Premier League.
    Frankfurt will be keen to try and cash in this summer whilst Sow still holds some value, and have valued the midfielder at around €15million (£13m).
    The Swiss has seven goals and 13 assists in his 151 appearances for the German team, and helped them win the Europa League last season.
    The player also has 36 caps for Switzerland, making him a solid option for Arsenal if they want to increase the depth of their squad. More

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    What happened to Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere and where is he now?

    ARSENE Wenger felt he had unearthed the next starlet from the youth academy when Jack Wilshere broke into the senior squad.The young midfielder broke into the Arsenal first team squad at 17-years-old seemingly with the world at his feet.
    Wilshere had impressed in the youth setup before breaking into the first teamCredit: AFP
    Who is Jack Wilshere?
    Jack Wilshere was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
    He joined the Arsenal academy when he 9-years-old after a short spell in the Luton Town academy.
    The young starlet really impressed in North London and quickly worked his way through the academy ranks before he was named captain of the under-16 side.
    It was youth coach Steve Bould who gave him his first chance when he promoted him to the under-18 side.
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    Wilshere impressed and started scoring goals from midfield which first attracted the attentions of Arsene Wenger.
    What happened to Jack Wilshere?
    Jack Wilshere made his debut for Arsenal reserves at 16-years-old and was named in Arsene Wenger’s senior squad for the following season.
    He made his first team debut in September 2008 when he came on as a substitute for Robin Van Persie against Blackburn Rovers.
    This made him Arsenal’s youngest-ever debutant breaking the previous record of Cesc Fabregas.
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    A loan spell with Bolton Wanderers saw the youngster impress and became a regular fixture in the first team the following season.
    His performances saw him win a call up to England senior team where he became only the 10th 16-year-old to win a full cap under the guidance of Fabio Capello.
    It was in the 2011/12 season that Wilshere suffered a stress fracture of his ankle which was to be the start of his dreaded injury-curse.
    The injury resulted in Jack Wilshere missing the entire season and would become the something that was to plague his career.
    Wilshere spent 17 months on the sidelines before he was to make his return to the first-team setup.
    He was sent out on loan to Bournemouth where he was to rediscover the form which saw Wenger put such faith in him.
    While on loan he won consecutive Player of the Month awards for The Cherries before suffering a hairline fracture of his fibula in a game against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
    This saw him miss the remainder of the season.
    Jack Wilshere would have more success in the Arsenal first-team after his rehabilitation but eventually was sold to West Ham in 2018.
    At the end of his three-year contract he was released from The Hammers and re-joined Bournemouth on a short-term contract.
    He struggled to make an impact and announced his retirement from football at the young age of 30-years-old.
    Where is Jack Wilshere now?
    After announcing his retirement from playing, Wilshere was announced as the head coach of Arsenal under-18s.
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    Despite his stop/start career which was hampered by injury, Wilshere has always been regarded as a Gunners legend.
    He is still at the club now in his capacity of youth team coach. More

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    Arsenal line up Mikel Arteta replacement as Gunners fear boss could be poached by Real Madrid when season ends

    ARSENAL could target Brighton chief Roberto De Zerbi if Real Madrid poach Mikel Arteta this summer.The table-topping Gunners reportedly fear Real will pursue Arteta as Barcelona romp towards LaLiga glory.
    Brighton chief Roberto De Zerbi is understood to be on the radar of Prem rivals Arsenal plus Serie A giants Inter MilanCredit: Getty
    Mikel Arteta’s assault on the Prem title is said to have alerted Real MadridCredit: Rex
    Inter Milan are also said to be keen on Italian De Zerbi.
    The ex-Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk manager, 43, has guided the Seagulls to sixth place during his first season in English football.
    Turin-based outlet Tuttosport claim De Zerbi is Arsenal’s preferred option should they lose Arteta.
    The Spaniard has taken the Gunners eight points clear in the Prem as they chase their first title since 2004, although champions Manchester City have a game in hand.
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    De Zerbi would be an intriguing choice after such limited experience in England
    And many fans might point to Graham Potter’s failure after swapping Brighton for Chelsea.
    But the way De Zerbi has seemingly improved the Seagulls since Potter’s exit has attracted many admirers across Europe.
    And Inter might well have a vacancy this summer.
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    Boss Simone Inzaghi is under pressure after slipping to fourth in Serie A.
    But Inter are level at 1-1 going into the home leg of their Italian Cup semi-final with Juventus.
    And more importantly they are in the Champions League quarter-finals, meeting Benfica this month. More

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    Arsenal in ‘constant contact’ over Amadou Onana transfer with Everton demanding £61.5m for star midfielder

    ARSENAL are interested in signing Everton midfielder Amadou Onana this summer after a failed approach in January, according to reports. Onana arrived at Everton last summer in a reported £33million move from French side Lille.
    Amadou Onana is expected to be on the move this summer with Arsenal a possible destination.Credit: Getty
    Everton currently find themselves 16th, in the midst of a relegation battle and remain out of the drop zone on goal difference.
    According to Dutch outlet Het Nieuwsblad the 21 year old didn’t leave the Toffees in January because he didn’t want to abandon the club during their relegation fight.
    Sport Witness have reported that if Everton go down it’s certain the former Lille man will leave Goodison Park whilst adding there’s a 99 per cent chance he leaves if they beat the drop.
    The report adds that Premier League leaders Arsenal are among the options and have been closely following Onana since January.
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    They claim that the Gunners have been in ‘constant contact’ with the Belgium international’s representatives over a potential summer move.
    Everton would be willing to sanction a move for their star man as they desperately look to raise funds to ease their financial difficulties.
    The report adds that the Merseyside outfit would be looking for a fee of £61.5m to part with the midfielder.
    The Gunners are looking to sign a midfielder and failed with two bids for Moises Caicedo in January and continue to be heavily linked with Declan Rice.
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    Onana has impressed in his debut campaign despite Everton’s overall struggles.
    The midfielder has made 27 appearances this season, scoring once.
    Everton will aim to boost their survival hopes when they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Saturday. More

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    Alex Iwobi reveals how Bukayo Saka earned instant respect of Arsenal players after coming into first team squad

    FORMER Arsenal star Alex Iwobi has revealed how Bukayo Saka earned instant respect from the club’s first-team stars after coming into training. Iwobi, who like Saka emerged through the club’s academy, lifted the lid on what the England star was like in training and how senior players respected him despite his youth.
    Alex Iwobi has revealed what Bukayo Saka was like when he first started training with the senior teamCredit: Getty
    Saka has gone on to become Arsenal’s main manCredit: Reuters
    Speaking on tbgpod, he said: “When he first come up to train [in the] first team [he] never complained.
    “All the players gave him that respect because he was doing his thing in training.
    “I know some players will get a bit offended because it’s like a young man dribbling past.”
    Since making his senior team debut in 2018, Saka has gone to become the club’s talisman.
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    He has made 170 appearances for the Gunners so far, scoring 36 goals and adding 39 assists.
    Iwobi, who now plays for Everton, believes the key to this success has been his “humble” personality.
    The 26-year-old added: “The thing is a lot of Arsenal youngsters are cold and he was raw then.
    “So that left foot just jinky mi jinky go past a few man.
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    “Now he’s doing it on a consistent basis. We’ve seen it. I’ve seen it anyway.
    “Not only is he a great player, he’s humble as well.
    “Like he was eager to learn, he listens [and] doesn’t argue back.
    “For example, he treats the dinner ladies the same way he’ll treat us man.” More