The U.S. men's national team winger has been ruled out for a minimum of six weeks as a result of the injury.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could opt to let go of a "special" squad member who "loves" the club, with the Gunners looking set for a busy transfer window.
Sporting director Edu, regardless of the outcome of Arsenal's title race this season, is making plans to back Arteta in the summer market.
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It is believed that a new striker and midfielder are top of the agenda for Arsenal when it comes to new signings, and they've been repeatedly linked with a move for Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres this week.
However, to stay within FFP regulations and PSR rules, the club may also have to shift certain members of the squad to make room financially.
There are a few players who seem likely to head for the exit door in this respect, including defender Cedric Soares, midfielder Mohamed Elneny and Jorginho as things stand, who all look set to leave upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.
|
Arsenal contracts expiring within next two years |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Jorginho |
June 30, 2024 |
|
Mohamed Elneny |
June 30, 2024 |
|
Cedric Soares |
June 30, 2024 |
|
Karl Hein |
June 30, 2024 |
|
Thomas Partey |
June 30, 2025 |
Thomas Partey has also been tipped to leave Arsenal fairly regularly, while uncertainty surrounds the future of young midfielder Emile Smith Rowe. Partey's suffered from reoccurring injury problems this season, while Smith Rowe hasn't been able to battle his way into Arteta's starting XI.
Another who could leave sooner rather than later is forward Reiss Nelson. The 24-year-old, who attracted interest from AC Milan last year, ended up penning a new deal at the Emirates Stadium, but has since gone on to make just 14 substitute appearances in the league with zero starts this season.
According to journalist Charles Watts, speaking to CaughtOffside, Nelson is a likely departure from Arsenal in the summer window, coming after reports that his price tag is set at between £25-30 million.
“I think Reiss Nelson will go this summer and don’t think he will be the only academy product to do so,” Watts said.
“Arsenal need to bring in some cash to help boost the finances and the likes of Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe will all generate interest. Nelson was very close to leaving last summer when his old deal was running out. Brighton were very interested, as were AC Milan. I’ve been told the offer from Milan was a really appealing one to the winger and there were many at Arsenal who believed that he would end up moving to Italy.
“But Nelson loves Arsenal and Mikel Arteta was happy with the performances he produced over the second half of last season. Arsenal didn’t want to lose him on a free and so they pushed for him to sign a new deal and ultimately he decided to stay put.
“However, I don’t think that means he will definitely stay this summer. Interest remains in Nelson from several Premier League clubs. I don’t think Brighton have gone away and if a good bid comes in from them or anyone else, I think Arsenal will take it and look to invest that money elsewhere. It just feels like the right time for Nelson to move on now and kick on in his career.”
Called a "special player" by Arteta, Nelson's future seems far away, as there is arguably just too much attacking quality in the Arsenal squad for him to get a regular look-in.
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After a solid campaign in both the Premier League and Europe, West Ham United look set to turn their attention towards the summer transfer window, in which they could land an upgrade on Michail Antonio.
The Hammers have enjoyed a solid season, reaching the last eight of the Europa League and sitting as high as seventh in the Premier League. Yet, their first task this summer looks set to be replacing David Moyes, whose contract runs out at the end of the current campaign. With a new deal yet to be sealed, the London club look set to begin their search for a new manager in the dugout.
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Among those linked so far has been Steve Cooper, who was sacked by Nottingham Forest earlier this season, and former Chelsea boss Graham Potter. Both options would have quite the shoes to fill, despite what some may have to say about Moyes' tenure at the London Stadium. Whoever comes in will have the pressure of achieving European football again, which will be a possibility if West Ham's summer plans come to fruition in the coming months.
According to Sky Sports, via Claret and Hugh, West Ham are keen on signing Vangelis Pavlidis from AZ Alkmaar this summer. The forward is reportedly valued at €18m (£15m) and has also attracted interest from the Bundesliga and fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.
Given that West Ham's director of football, Tim Steidten, holds Pavlidis in high regard and Hammers defender Konstantinos Mavropanos has a close friendship with the Alkmaar man, those in London may have an advantage in pursuit of a deal.
Looking to upgrade on Antonio in the coming months, Pavlidis would be an ideal option after an incredibly impressive campaign in the Eredivisie full of goals.
After the season he's had, there's no doubt that Pavlidis would be an upgrade on Antonio, who has struggled in the current campaign. At 25-years-old, the Greek international is in the prime of his career and the numbers reflect that, with Pavlidis' stats significantly better than Antonio's so far this season.
|
Domestic Leagues 23/24 |
Vangelis Pavlidis |
Michail Antonio |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
24 |
4 |
|
Assists |
2 |
2 |
|
Expected Goals |
19.7 |
3.7 |
|
Key Passes |
36 |
8 |
For just £15m, Pavlidis also represents one of the few remaining bargains in the transfer market, especially when it comes to a 24-goal forward. After breaking the Dutch record for most goals scored in consecutive league games with nine in a row, Pavlidis was always going to attract interest this summer and West Ham are among those to come calling.
Whether it's Moyes or another manager in charge next season, the priority should be the Greek forward, who would be the perfect partner to Jarrod Bowen as Antonio continues to struggle for consistency.
It's a busy race for Pavlidis' signature, however, with West Ham hoping to be in a position to use European football to tempt the forward into a summer switch, which would see him join good friend Mavropanos.
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Games don't get much bigger than Rangers' Old Firm derby clash with Celtic this weekend, which has only worsened the injury blow that Philippe Clement could be dealt late on.
Early reports have indicated that Ross McCausland, Abdallah Sima and Dujon Sterling will all be forced to settle for a place on the bench against Celtic, with none of the trio fit to start. Sima would have been the biggest boost of the lot, having been on the sidelines since AFCON earlier this year. But now Clement will only have the chance to deploy his star man from the bench in his side's biggest game of the season.
Win, and the Gers will be two points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a game in hand potentially allowing them to cruise towards the title in the next few weeks. It would signal quite the title comeback from those at Ibrox, given that they looked almost down and out when Clement first arrived in place of the sacked Michael Beale.
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With the chance to take one step towards glory ahead of them, however, reports have suggested that Clement could face one more injury blow. According to the Daily Mail via Ibrox News, Ridvan Yilmaz is facing a late fitness test ahead of the Old Firm derby to line up alongside James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and John Souttar, who will all start in defence.
The left-back has taken the starting place from Borna Barisic this season, with the latter on course to leave on a free deal at the end of the season. And against Celtic of all teams, Rangers need their best side on hand with no time for sentiment regarding Barisic's final games in Glasgow. Clement will at least hope to see Yilmaz make the bench alongside Sima, McCausland and Sterling.
Whilst rumours regarding his Rangers future have circled over the last few months, Yilmaz has become an important part of Clement's side and will only grow in stature when Barisic leaves. As things stand, the left-back will be the only player in his role at the start of the next campaign, which guarantees minutes. Rangers will undoubtedly need to add another left-back, but that should only be to deputise Yilmaz.
The 22-year-old instantly earned the praise of former Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson when arriving in 2022: "Gio and I were clear in our desire to invest in a high potential and high-quality left-back. We have now secured that in the signing of Ridvan Yilmaz.
"He's a talented young player who has been coveted throughout Europe following outstanding performances for Besiktas. We also know how highly regarded he is in the Turkish National Team. This is another exciting young player to join our squad, and we are delighted to bring Ridvan to Rangers."
Highlighting his importance, Yilmaz will be a major miss for the Gers if he fails to pass his late fitness test ahead of a crucial Old Firm derby clash against Celtic.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers are still fighting it out to secure a top-half finish in the Premier League this season, although a European spot might just be out of reach.
If they had a slightly easier run-in, then the Old Gold would have fancied their chances of making their way up the table, but fixtures against Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool could see all their good work this term go up in flames.
Gary O’Neil has built a team capable of reaching impressive highs and if he manages to sign another few quality players this summer, there is no reason why they cannot continue the fine progress they have made during his debut season in charge.
The Molineux side last played in European competition during the 2019/20 season, being knocked out by Spanish side Sevilla in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Strengthening his squad could see the club reach similar heights and after Paris Saint Germain’s wonderful victory over Barcelona on Tuesday evening, many of the Old Gold faithful would have recognised one of the French club’s star performers – Vitinha.
The Portuguese midfielder ran the show for the French giants during their 4-1 win over the Catalan side to secure progression into the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Not only did he score the second goal for PSG on the night, but the former Wolves player also completed 95% of his passes, made two key passes, won four of his seven ground duels contested and lost possession just five times in 90 minutes, a truly wonderful performance.
|
Vitinha's stats for PSG against Barcelona in the Champions League |
|
|---|---|
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Key passes |
2 |
|
Total duels won |
4/7 |
|
Accurate passes |
58/61 |
|
Via Sofascore |
|
It was a far cry from his poor spell in the Midlands, but perhaps if Wolves had persevered with the player at the time, he may have been delivering these sorts of displays in the Premier League.
Wolves signed the then 20-year-old on a season-long loan deal from FC Porto, while they also had an option to sign him permanently if the move went well.
The youngster had shown plenty of promise in Portugal, yet his season in the Midlands didn’t quite live up to expectations as he made just 23 appearances across all competitions, scoring just one goal and grabbing only one assist.
He returned to his parent side at the end of the season and shone during the following campaign, which led to PSG making their move for the talented starlet. He is closing in on 100 appearances for the French side, showcasing his class at the highest level, and the Old Gold must certainly rue letting him slip through their fingers.
They have suffered bigger mistakes recently, however, most notably letting Pedro Goncalves leave for next to nothing in 2019 before he turned into a shining light for Sporting CP.
With Nuno Espírito Santo at the helm, Goncalves was signed on a free transfer in the summer of 2017, with the manager clearly having high hopes the player would emerge as a first-team star.
As it transpired, the attacking midfielder made only one first-team appearance for the Old Gold, turning out in an EFL Cup match during the 2018/19 season, before finally joining Famalicao the following summer for a fee believed to be in the region of £1m.
After a season which saw the youngster register 15 goal contributions – seven goals and eight assists – Sporting took a chance on him, and it has worked out fairly well over the previous few years.
In his maiden season, he helped the club end a 19-year title drought, scoring a quite remarkable 23 goals in the top flight before starring in the Champions League the season after with four goals in just five matches.
Portuguese football expert Tom Kundert dubbed Goncalves as “dangerous” in 2020, and he has gone from strength to strength since.
This season, he has registered 31 goal contributions in the top flight, along with creating 17 big chances, averaging two key passes per game and taking 2.8 shots per game as Sporting look set to win their second title in the previous four seasons.
His recent performances have seen the 25-year-old increase in value. According to Football Transfers, he is now valued at €19.7m (£17m) and there is no doubt this will just continue to rise over the coming months.
While Wolves have plenty of attacking talent in their current squad, Goncalves could certainly be an upgrade on certain members, notably Pedro Neto.
In the Premier League, Neto has registered 11 goal contributions, created seven big chances, averaged two key passes per game along with taking 1.8 shots per game.
Aside from key passes, Goncalves has better statistics across every other metric this term, while he also ranks higher among his positional peers.
Across the men’s next 14 competitions, Goncalves ranks in the top 5% for total shots (3.32), the top 12% for non-penalty goals (0.37) and the top 11% for touches in the opposition penalty area (5.25) per 90, proving he is one of the standout attacking players among his peers.
In comparison, while Neto has shone in spells for Wolves this term, he currently ranks in the lowest 88% for non-penalty goals (0.10), the bottom 65% for total shots per 90 (1.99) and the top 37% for touches in the opposition penalty area (4.65) per 90, clearly showcasing a massive gap in figures.
Of course, Neto is being compared to players among the top five leagues in Europe, yet it is evident that Goncalves has been a far better-attacking threat, not only this season, but over the previous four campaigns.
If Wolves knew how good the 25-year-old was going to turn out, then there is absolutely no chance that they would have sold him for peanuts five years ago.
They must certainly rue this massive mistake as the Sporting CP gem is running amok in Portugal, while Neto is currently out injured yet again.
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In recent years, Nottingham Forest have gained a reputation for developing youngsters, giving them first-team opportunities at the club before going on to achieve a successful career all over Europe.
Ryan Yates, the Reds' current captain, came through the Nigel Doughty Academy before forcing his way into the first-team picture in 2019 after multiple successful loan spells in the EFL.
Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash is another great example of the calibre of players who have come through the club's academy, with the right-back swapping the final third for the defensive third under former boss Sabri Lamouchi, which earned him a Premier League move to join Villa in a £16m deal back in 2020.
Both players have enjoyed varying levels of success since their professional debuts at Forest, but, the club also conducted great business by offloading another academy graduate just a year before Cash.
Winger Arvin Appiah rapidly progressed through the Forest youth system with the youngster having a lot of potential to be a success at the City Ground given his call-ups for various England sides as a youngster.
He quickly caught the eye with his pace and direct dribbling, with his performances earning him a first-team call-up for the EFL Cup tie away at Burton Albion in October 2018.
The forward came on as an 85th-minute substitute for his first-team debut, with the attacker managing to get on the scoresheet, despite the Reds' embarrassing defeat to lower-league opposition.
Despite his first goal off the bench in the cup, he would have to wait six months for his first start for the club, with Appiah starting in the 3-0 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday.
It would be only one of two starts for the Tricky Trees, before completing a shock move, joining Spanish second-tier side Almeria for £8m, just six months after signing a new four-and-a-half-year contract at the City Ground.
At the time, it was seen as a strange deal to sell one of the club's best young prospects, but nearly five years on from his departure it appears as though the club conducted sensational business.
Since his move to Spain, the now 23-year-old has only managed 62 appearances for Almeria, with the winger being sent on four separate loan spells, including a move to Rotherham United in the Championship during the current campaign.
He's featured 26 times in England's second tier this season, failing to score and only contributing one assist for the Millers in a woeful campaign as they suffered relegation – losing 28 of their 43 games so far.
|
Arvin Appiah's stats at Rotherham 23/24 |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Appearances |
26 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Successful dribbles |
11 |
|
Dribble success rate |
40% |
|
Shots |
8 |
|
Dispossessed |
12 |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|
As a result of his dreadful few years, Appiah has seen his market value plummet to just £420k, as per Transfermarkt, with the youngster worth less than veteran midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, who's valued at £850k – despite having turned 34 in December.
Appiah's value has dropped over £6.4m since he departed from the City Ground, with Forest able to use the money generated from the deal to avoid any FFP punishments in the Championship.
His rapid decline is awfully sad to see given his potential during his time at Forest, with the youngster needing to make a key decision over his next move if he is to ever reach his full potential, with his deal in Spain set to expire this summer.
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