Arsenal transfer news

BUKAYO SAKA met Hollywood A-lister Natalie Portman on Friday night at Wembley.The Arsenal star, 21, was at the home of football to watch England’s Lionesses defeat USA 2-1.
Saka met Portman behind the scenes at the Lionesses game on Friday night
The England star was at Wembley to watch his counterparts defeat USACredit: Rex
The pair both grinned from ear-to-ear as it appeared they’d each met a hero of theirs.
Portman donned a football kit as she posed arm-in-arm with Gunners winger Saka.
The movie star is not just a keen fan – she’s an owner of the US National Women’s Soccer League side Angel City.
Celebrity pals Eva Longoria, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Garner, Uzo Aduba and America Ferrera also have a stake in the club.
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The team are in it’s inaugural year in the 2022 edition of the NWSL.
On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Portman said: “I’m just so excited for the future of women’s football in the USA.
“A group of us are extremely passionate about this sport because we have the best players in the world in the US — in the most popular sport in the world.
“We won the last two World Cups as well.
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“We got together and we’re bringing Angel City FC, the women’s soccer team for LA to LA… 
“And now we are super excited to just celebrate these incredible athletes. It’s also the first female-led, female investors of any professional sport.”
Portman will have been disappointed by the result last night, as Georgia Stanway’s penalty gave England bragging rights over the USA for the first time in five years.
Meanwhile, Saka has hinted a new Arsenal contract is on the way after investing in an executive box at the Emirates.
The youngster is currently under contract with the North London outfit until 2024.
But Arsenal are keen to tie him down to a new deal which would see him stay for a further three or four years.
According to reports, the Gunners have offered him a contract worth £200,000 per week.
That is nearly SEVEN TIMES his current salary – which stands at just £30,000 a week.
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And while Arsenal are still waiting for Saka to put pen to paper on the deal, he has dropped a big hint that he plans to remain a part of Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Saka has “personally invested” in an executive box at the Emirates, a significant indicator that he does not see a transfer away from Arsenal transpiring in the near future. More

A “well-endowed” ex-Arsenal star had “30 pebbles” stuffed inside his foreskin after a boozy session.Colin Pates is said to be “gifted” downstairs but it had its pros and cons, as he fell victim to a practical joke by team-mates after a night out drinking.
Pates being ‘gifted’ downstairs came at a cost one nightCredit: Alamy
Carter stuffed 30 pebbles inside Pates’ foreskinCredit: PA:Press Association
The 61-year-old had apparently fallen asleep on a sofa in the lobby of the Meon Valley Country Club, near Southampton, after a heavy session in the early 1990s.
And fellow Arsenal player at the time, Jimmy Carter, seized the opportunity to play a prank on Pates.
Carter stuffed 30 pebbles inside Pates’ foreskin, leaving him with “this big heavy weight”.
David Hillier, who was also part of the squad, recalled to the Undr The Cosh podcast: “In the reception at this time, Colin Pates has fallen asleep on a chaise longue.
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“This is our last night at the Meon Valley Country Club, and obviously they loved having us there.
“I don’t know how it’s happened, but in the morning Colin Pates wakes up on this chair – and Colin Pates had quite a…he was quite gifted in the old…department, right.
“But he had a lot of skin on the top of it, so Jimmy Carter decided he’d fill it.
“You know those little balls you get that they put around artificial plants? Like little f***ing marbles.
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“He put about 30 of them in Patesy’s foreskin. So Patesy wakes up with this big heavy weight.
“And he’s laying in reception, everybody coming in the hotel has seen him.
“His old man’s out, it’s full of these things in the end of it that Jimmy’s stuffed in it.”
Pates’ foreskin being filled wasn’t the only chaotic event to happen in Hampshire.
There was apparently a fight on the coach between Michael Thomas and Paul Dickov.
Tony Adams and Paul Merson had also allegedly drunkenly burst into a stranger’s room after mistaking it for theirs.
And Merson is said to have sprayed a woman with a fire extinguisher after she poured ice cold water all over him.
Sky Sports pundit Merson then apparently lost his footing and injured himself.
But lucky for the mischievous Arsenal boys, the co-owner and vice chairman at the time, smoothed everything over.
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Hillier added: “David Dein came in and just swept up the mess. That was football at the time.
“On the Monday morning, no one heard nothing.” More

A SILVER-HAIRED former Arsenal star looks completely unrecognisable as Diego Simeone’s assistant at Atletico Madrid.The former right-back, 52, spent three years at Arsenal, winning just the FA Community Shield.
Can you guess who this former Arsenal star is?Credit: Getty
The silver-haired fox now works as assistant manager at Atletico MadridCredit: Getty
The ex-Arsenal star celebrates during an Atletico Madrid gameCredit: Getty
The Argentine ace played under legendary boss Arsene Wenger and alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Martin Keown, Emmanuel Petit and Ray Parlour.
But his spell at Highbury ended in 2001, taking his short dark hair and clean shaven look with him.
He joined Inter Milan on a free transfer.
However, he also found game time hard to come by at the San Siro.
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The 5ft 5in full-back then moved back to Argentina, playing for River Plate before finishing his career at boyhood club Quilmes in 2005.
These days, he’s rocking the silver fox look with long grey hair and a beard.
And he works at one of the biggest club’s in the world.
The 42-capped Argentine works as Simeone’s assistant at Atletico.
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He joined Simeone in Spain in 2018 and helped then win LaLiga in 2021.
It was Atletico’s first league title in seven years, with their last before that coming in 2014.
And the mystery footballer can be revealed as… Nelson Vivas.
Vivas shares the same philosophy and ethics as his boss, Simeone.
He was his assistant once before between 2006 and 2011.
And the two men were the only members of the coaching staff wearing suits in games.
Vivas pays particular attention to scouting rivals and adapting his team’s tactics.
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The ex-pro also helps organise and maintain order.
After a training session, he handed Simeone a notebook where he outlined what was done in every session during the campaign, including absentees, player performances and tactical work carried out.
The former Arsenal ace opted for a clean shaven look during his playing daysCredit: PA:Press Association
The 5ft5 Argentine (left) was feisty in a tackleCredit: Reuters More

CHELSEA star N’Golo Kante could be on his way to Arsenal next season.The Frenchman’s Stamford Bridge contract is set to expire at the end of the season, with negotiations over an extension having reached an impasse.

N’Golo Kante has been linked with the GunnersCredit: Alamy
Kante’s desire for a four-year deal could see his seven-year stay in West London come to and end, but the 31-year-old doesn’t want to leave the capital.
In order for their client to stay in the city, his agents are reportedly offering him to Arsenal and Tottenham.
By that point, Mikel Arteta and Co would hope to have sealed a place in the Champions League, given their excellent start to this season.
Should that be the case, the Gunners will look to make additions from a position of strength in order to really compete on Europe’s biggest stage.
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Kante would add invaluable experience and quality to Arsenal’s young squad and could be part of a new look midfield.
The Gunners have also been heavily linked with Juventus star Manuel Locatelli, who they tried to sign last year prior to his Turin switch.
A partnership between Kante and Locatelli could make a formidable proposition for any opposing sides.
Arsenal have also been linked with Leicester duo Youri Tielemans and James Maddison – although it would be difficult to justify dropping Martin Odegaard for either.
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The Gunners’ attack will be difficult for anyone to break into – with Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka proving to be an incredibly potent trio.
But on current form Leandro Trossard could do just that.
The Brighton ace has five goals in seven Prem outings so far this term – including a sensational hat-trick against Liverpool last week.
Arsenal are also believed to be keen on Ukrainian wonderkid Mykhaylo Mudryk, after the 21-year-old’s amazing start to the season with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Arteta is likely to keep his current defence largely intact, with the Spaniard possessing healthy competition.
William Saliba’s re-introduction has pushed Ben White to right-back – therefore seeing the unlucky Takehiro Tomyasu dropped.
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While equally unfortunate Kieran Tierney has lost his Premier League place to Oleksandr Zinchenko, although the Scot will back himself to earn it back should he stay fit.
Gabriel Magalhaes is a regular as left centre-back, while Rob Holding provides decent cover.
Arsenal hold long-term interest in Manuel LocatelliCredit: Getty
Leandro Trossard scored a sensational hat-trick against LiverpoolCredit: PA More

ATLETICO MADRID star Axel Witsel regrets never joining Arsenal, claims his dad Thierry.The midfielder has enjoyed an eclectic career, playing in Belgium, Portugal, Russia, China, Germany and Spain.
Axel Witsel was in Champions League action for Atletico last nightCredit: EPA
Witsel returned to his native Belgium with Atletico yesterday, going down 2-0 to Club Brugge in the Champions League clash.
Father Thierry was interviewed by Het Belang van Limburg ahead of the game – and asked if he had any regrets over his son’s career.
He said: “I can name a series, you know.
“Juventus failed in the last hours of a transfer market, but when he was still playing for Standard, Arsenal knocked on the door.
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“That was his favourite team, but it didn’t come to a deal.
“Before that – with the youth – Anderlecht, Ajax and even Real Madrid inquired.
“Although I wanted Axel to continue playing football close to home in Liege. Regret is not necessary for anything.”
Thierry admitted his pride at his son’s career, gushing: “He’s the Columbus of football, isn’t he.
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“It is an atypical course in fiery clubs. What makes me proud is that Axel always had the courage to take on the adventure.
“Okay, he earned well, but go to Russia or China, hey. That is not so obvious.
“Yet every country was an enrichment and he integrated well everywhere.
“In Lisbon he spoke Portuguese quickly, he understands Russian, tried to learn Chinese, knows German and already speaks Spanish.”
Witsel, 33, has won trophies in four different countries – while also enjoying success on the international stage.
He has earned 126 caps for his country, helping them finish third at the 2018 World Cup.
Witsel’s career has taken him around the worldCredit: Getty – Contributor More