More stories

  • in

    Arsenal join Marcus Thuram transfer hunt as Newcastle circle for Borussia Monchengladbach winger who is free this summer

    ARSENAL have joined Newcastle in the race to sign Marcus Thuram, according to reports.The Toon’s interest in the Frenchman dates back to last year, with Eddie Howe and Co having considered a January swoop.
    Marcus Thuram has scored ten goals in the Bundesliga this seasonCredit: Getty
    Borussia Monchengladbach managed to retain their star man until at least the end of the season.
    But with his contract set to expire, plenty of would-be suitors are circling around the highly-rated attacker.
    According to Spanish paper Sport, Arsenal are “on alert” due to Thuram’s situation.
    In addition to Newcastle, the Gunners will also face Premier League competition from Aston Villa, managed by former boss Unai Emery.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    Bringing him to England will be a challenge, however, with Barcelona also in the mix.
    Thuram’s legendary father Lilian played for the Catalan side alongside their current boss Xavi between 2006 and 2008.
    Quizzed about the possibility of his son following in his footsteps, Lilian told RAC1 last month: “Any player dreams of playing for Barca.”
    The LaLiga leaders have repeatedly targeted the free agent market in recent seasons – signing Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay upon the expiry of their previous contracts.
    Most read in Football
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
    Also reportedly tracking Thuram are Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Inter Milan.
    He has scored 10 goals in 18 Bundesliga appearances this term.
    His form earned him a place in France’s 26-man World Cup squad, and he even assisted a goal for Kylian Mbappe in the final against Argentina.
    Lilian Thuram played for Barcelona between 2006 and 2008Credit: Getty Images – Getty More

  • in

    Arsenal player ratings: Super-sub Trossard impresses while Martinelli and Nketiah struggle to make an impact

    ARSENAL failed to get back to winning ways after being held to a 1-1 draw by in-form Brentford.After a lacklustre first half, the Gunners bounced back after the break to produce some promising attacks.
    Trossard scored his first Arsenal goalCredit: AP
    New boy Leandro Trossard scored his first goal for the Gunners in the 66th minute, shortly after he replaced Gabriel Martinelli.
    But, Brentford’s Ivan Toney levelled the score just eight minutes later.
    For Mikel Arteta, it was a disappointing day at the office.
    Here’s how SunSport’s Emillia Hawkins rated the performance.
    Read More on Arsenal
    Aaron Ramsdale – 6
    After a quiet start to the game, the Arsenal goalkeeper was called into action as Brentford began to pose a threat late in the first half.
    While he was calm on the ball throughout the majority of the match, he appeared to panic in the build-up to the equaliser as Toney headed the ball into the back of the net at the far post.
    Ben White – 6
    Following a dip in form, White has bounced back to produce a good performance against a stubborn Brentford side.
    William Saliba – 6
    The Frenchman did well to keep Toney quiet at the start of the game, but he struggled to win any aerial duels against Brentford’s star striker.
    Most read in Football
    Gabriel Magalhaes – 6
    Another solid performance from the Arsenal defender. Gabriel was calm and composed while playing out from the back.
    Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7
    Arguably one of Arsenal’s best players on the day, Zinchenko looked to play out from the back at any given opportunity and he did so with great composure.
    He also made some crucial interceptions and blocks to prevent a dangerous Brentford attack.
    Granit Xhaka – 6
    Xhaka and Partey put in a solid midfield performance once again, but they were sometimes outnumbered by the Bees.
    Thomas Partey – 6
    Partey did an excellent job when it came to breaking down Brentford’s counter attacks.
    He was also composed on the ball and looked to create chances with some good passes.
    Martin Odegaard – 6
    Another impressive display from the Arsenal captain, who controlled the midfield throughout the game.
    His clever pass through to Saka in the 67th minute ultimately led to Trossard’s opening goal.
    Bukayo Saka – 6
    Saka dominated the ball on the right, causing numerous problems for Brentford full-back Rico Henry.
    The young star set up the opening goal as he shrugged off his marker before squaring the ball to Trossard at the back post.
    Eddie Nketiah – 5
    The striker struggled to make the most of his chances throughout, playing one pass too many on some occasions.
    Gabriel Martinelli – 5
    Martinelli had a great start to the game as his movement off the ball led to plenty of goalscoring opportunities.
    But, he started to drop off during the second half and a few sloppy passes cost Arsenal some missed chances.
    Substitutes:
    Leandro Trossard (for Martinelli, 61) – 8
    The winger was electric as soon as he stepped onto the pitch midway through the second half and he was rewarded with his first Arsenal goal.
    Read More on The Sun
    Trossard broke the deadlock just six minutes after being introduced with a simple finish into the bottom left corner of the goal.
    Fabio Vieira (for Xhaka, 81) – 6
    He failed to make an impact after replacing Xhaka in the second half. More

  • in

    Arsenal fans demand player’s son is snapped up by academy as proud dad shares footage of him scoring three wondergoals

    ARSENAL fans are urging the club to snap up Mohamed Elneny’s son after the star shared footage of him scoring three times.The Egyptian midfielder looks set to miss the rest of the season through injury.
    Mohamed Elneny has shared footage of his son’s exploits on the pitchCredit: Getty
    Now Arsenal fans are desperate for the Gunners to snap-up the prodigyCredit: Instagram
    The 30-year-old has a knee problem and has undergone surgery to fix it.
    However, despite being sidelined, the former Basel ace is still getting his footy fix through his young boy.
    And Elneny was “proud” as punch as he shared clips of his son on Instagram.
    The first one showed the youngster skipping past a defender before firing home tight-footed from range.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    He captioned it with: “Love u Loka what a goal.”
    The kid, who was wearing the No25 shirt, then found the net again as the footage showed him gliding past two defenders before stroking home past the keeper.
    And his dad wrote while sharing the clip: “Another one wow so proud of you.”
    But it got even better as he went on to claim his hat-trick by again dancing past two opposition players before rifling home.
    Most read in Football
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
    And that led to his proud as punch dad writing: “What a boy you are Malek. so proud to be your Dad.”
    Following Elneny’s Instagram posts, which were even liked by team-mate Bukayo Saka, a host of supporters then urged the Gunners to get the child prodigy signed up.
    One wrote: “Bring him to the Arsenal academy, dad!”
    Another commented: “Let him come to Arsenal.”
    A fellow follower said: “Drop him soon to Hale End.”
    While another wrote: “Send this to Per [Mertesacker] and get him in the academy.” More

  • in

    Arsenal and Newcastle considering ’emergency transfer’ for long-term Man Utd target after making contact

    ARSENAL and Newcastle have emerged as frontrunners to complete a transfer for a long-term Manchester United target, according to reports.The midfielder, 27, has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, but fresh reports suggest a move could be to the Gunners or Magpies instead of the Red Devils.
    Both Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have reportedly contacted a Lazio midfielderCredit: Getty
    Sergej Milinkovic-Savic could leave this summer for up to £53millionCredit: Getty
    The star in question, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, faces an uncertain future at current club Lazio due to his contract now having less than 18 months to run.
    According to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera via Sport Witness, Lazio are growing increasingly concerned about the possibility of losing the player for free.
    They are said to remain “confident” they can strike a deal on new terms, but there remain issues to be ironed out such as a release clause.
    This is where Arsenal and Newcastle step in.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    Both are reportedly prepared to offer the Serbian an “emergency transfer” in the summer.

    The outlet claims both sides have been “on” Milinkovic-Savic, which would ultimately give them an advantage over long-term admirers Man Utd.
    And with an estimated asking price of £45-£53million, he is well within the price range of both.
    Mikel Arteta’s side have been searching for a new midfielder to bolster their ranks, with Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo heavily linked.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    However, the Lazio star represents a cheaper option, while Eddie Howe has been searching for upgrades to his team as they prepare for a European campaign next season.
    Milinkovic-Savic has a wealth of experience in Europe, having played 46 times in the Europa League and Champions League. More

  • in

    Former Arsenal star used to dance naked in dressing room and wore tiger costume to scare team-mates

    A FORMER Arsenal star used to dance naked in front of team-mates while he was at the club.The fan favourite also dressed up as a tiger in order to scare people at a team-mate’s party.
    The defender enjoyed a seven-year spell with ArsenalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Emmanuel Eboue was a cult hero due to his antics at ArsenalCredit: AFP
    The defender’s antics made him a hero among the Arsenal faithful during his seven-year spell with the club.
    And he is, of course, the one and only Emmanuel Eboue.
    The Ivorian was known to be a prankster among the Gunners’ squad.
    This included dancing nude in the team’s changing room, according to Andrey Arshavin.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    Eboue made 132 appearances for the club in the Premier League, scoring four goals.
    He played with many of the club’s stars, including Cesc Fabregas, Thierry Henry and Gilberto Silva.
    He once turned up at the latter’s party dressed up as a tiger in order to scare the guests.
    He was not loved by all of the club’s supporters as his defending at times could be questionable.
    Most read in Football
    But many were very vocal of their support for him as they chanted: “You’ve only come to see Eboue”.
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
    The right-back continued his antics on the international stage as well.
    In one game for the Ivory Coast, Eboue pretended to understand Korean while the team’s manager gave instructions to his player.
    Eboue could be seen nodding along, despite not speaking a word of the language.
    In an interview with The Telegraph, he tried to explain what was going on.
    He said: “That time, I honestly don’t know what was going on in my head at the time.
    “But people aren’t going to forget about it.
    “When their coach called his captain over, I went close to him, nodded and said, ‘OK, no problem, I understand, yeah?’
    “He said to me, ‘You speak Korean?’ I said, ‘No, but I understand a little bit’ and he was laughing.
    Eboue was often joking around in his playing careerCredit: AP:Associated Press
    “It was funny, it was our last game so we were at the airport the next day with the Korean players and one of them came over to me and said, ‘Eboue, you speak my language?’ I said, ‘Yeah’.
    Read More on The Sun
    “So he says, ‘OK, how do you say ‘good morning’ in Korean?
    “So I shout, ‘Yang!!!’ and he literally fell on the floor laughing.” More

  • in

    Former Arsenal and Fulham defender looks unrecognisable dressed as Baywatch star David Hasselhoff

    A FORMER Arsenal and Fulham defender looks completely unrecognisable dressed as Baywatch star David Hasselhoff.The retired right back, now 40, claimed to be a massive fan of the American actor.

    He was often spotted riding around London on his fold-up bicycle during his time in the Premier League.
    As a player, he also took part in multiple charity campaigns and was praised by Fulham for it when he left the club permanently in 2009.
    He played 125 times for the Cottagers in the Premier League, scoring two goals.
    One of his strikes that came against Chelsea just so happened the Premier League’s 15,000th goal.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    He started his career in Germany with Schalke before moving to England.
    At Arsenal, he won two FA Youth cups but never made the leap to the Gunners’ first team.
    Some fans have commented on the picture on social media as one said: “90s footballer photoshoots, the gift that keeps on giving.”
    A second added: “Typical L.A. weather in the background.”
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    He has widely been considered as one of the cult heroes in the Premier League.
    And it is, of course, Moritz Volz dressed up as the Baywatch star.
    He hung up his boots for the last time in 2015 after a three-year stint with 1860 Munich.
    Voltz was last at Turkish giants Galatasaray, working as the club’s assistant coach.
    Moritz Volz during his time at FulhamCredit: AP:Associated Press More

  • in

    Juventus star Manuel Locatelli’s brother reveals real REAL reason why midfielder rejected Arsenal transfer

    THE brother of Juventus star Manuel Locatelli has revealed why he turned down a move to Arsenal.The Italian midfielder, 25, joined the Serie A giants on a two-year loan deal from Sassuolo in 2021.
    Manuel Locatelli has impressed since joining Juventus on loan in 2021Credit: Getty
    And Juventus have a clause in the transfer which means they are obligated to buy him permanently for £30million this summer.
    However, before joining the Turin-based outfit, he was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal.
    But his brother Mattia has now explained that the love Locatelli has for Juventus made it an easy decision.
    Speaking to Calcio Mercato, he said: “I still remember the negotiation [with Juventus]. For him it was very long.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    “There was also Arsenal, but he wanted Juventus. The clubs kept meeting, but without reaching an agreement.
    “Every day I looked at the Gazzetta to check. In Sassuolo he trained separately, in him the desire to change. A real emotion.
    “On the day of his debut, he sent us a photo with the shirt and the words ‘I made it’.”
    Continuing to describe Locatelli’s love for Juve, Mattia added: “He gives everything for Juve. He loves those colours.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    “The first days? It didn’t seem real to him. And then I realised there was a reason he was there with them.
    “Manuel is very happy to be there. Many guys with whom he has bonded, from Chiellini and Bonucci to Morata and De Ligt.”
    Locatelli has made 68 appearances for Juventus, scoring three goals and assisting another five.
    He has become a regular in Max Allegri’s side, starting 17 of their 21 Serie A games so far this season.
    However, Juventus’ 15-point deduction for orchestrating a transfer scam has left them down in 10th place, 13 points adrift of the top four.
    They are also out of the Champions League after finishing below Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain in the group stage.
    Allegri’s side have dropped down into the Europa League where they will face Nantes in the play-off round. More

  • in

    Man Utd and Arsenal transfer blow as Barcelona president rules out Ansu Fati exit as interest confirmed

    PREMIER LEAGUE giants Manchester United and Arsenal have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Barcelona’s Ansu Fati.The two clubs have been monitoring Fati ahead of a potential summer move as they look to strengthen their forward lines.
    Ansu Fati in action for Barcelona against Girona in La Liga.Credit: Rex
    But Barcelona president Joan Laporta has poured cold water on any chances of the forward leaving in the summer.
    Laporta said: “We are not thinking of selling Ansu Fati as of now, he’s loved here, then I cannot predict the future.”
    He added: “His agent told us there are clubs keen on signing Ansu Fati yes.”
    “It is clear that he wants to succeed here at Barca.”
    The summer arrivals of Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski along with Fati’s recovery from a long term injury have seen him given limited chances to impress.
    The La Masia product has made 20 appearances in LaLiga this season scoring three goals as Xavi’s men lead Real Madrid by seven points.
    Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano had previously reported that Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool were the Premier League clubs tracking Fati’s situation for this summer.
    The Spaniard, who inherited the No10 shirt when Lionel Messi departed for PSG, is a versatile forward who can play in a number of positions across the front line.
    Most read in La Liga
    Despite the Catalan giants pulling multiple financial levers they are still in deep financial trouble.
    Fati has a £898million release clause in his contract but a big offer from any potential suitors could tempt Barcelona to cash in to ease their financial woes. More