All posts by h79snht.top

What a defining summer this could be at Arsenal. 12-months ago the club was deeply embroiled in two separate transfer sagas sending panic levels soaring around North London. The eventual sale of Cesc Faberags and Samir Nasri left Arsene Wenger with a monumental bank balance but little time to sufficiently purchase replacements. The consequences were severely detrimental during the seasons opening weeks as the Gunners struggled to get over the hangover of losing two key players. From the looks of things this time around the Frenchman has seen the error of his ways and is conducting his transfer business as early and quickly as possible. The swift £10 million capture of Lukas Podolski from Cologne could be turn out to be a very shrewd move especially if he has a prosperous Euro 2012 campaign with Germany. Bringing some big names to the Emirates Stadium will also aid Wenger’s attempts to tie captain Robin Van Persie down to a new long-term contract. The Dutchman has held talks with the club over an extension but the fear that he will leave to boost his chances winning trophies remains.

This week on FFC which prolific French international striker is Wenger chasing and do Arsenal need to start paying close attention to the salaries they’re handing out to average players as the financial fair play rulings loom.

Best of FFC

A wage balance that Arsenal need to finally strike

A huge investment that delivers no guarantees

Fast becoming a ‘must have transfer’ within the Premier League

The TEN South American Talents to Tempt Premier League big boys

Should Arsenal look to follow suit and play hardball?

Arsenal set to lodge £6.5m bid for Montpellier striker

Caption Competition: England quartet get a surprise visitor

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Best of WEB

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The Great Arsenal Summer Clearout – A Cultured Left Foot

Time for Wenger to change strategy and philosophy – Gunnersphere

Nine Reasons to Be a Happy Gooner – Online Gooner

Would it make sense for Arsenal to pursue this Blackburn midfielder? – Gunnersphere

Here comes the summer – Arseblog

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Arsene, if you want to buy in the chav bargain basement, buy the right ones. – Le Grove

Wenger to go cheap – again? Bendtner & Arshavin on their way & Welcome Bould, go find us a Beckham! – Highbury House

If Baines Wants Out, It’s Arsenal He Should Sign For, Not United… – Transfer Tavern

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Quote of the Week “It is more than excitement, it is an absolute privilege and an honour.I know I have some big boots to fill with Pat having spent 44 years at the club and that is going to be the hard part.”I will be learning on the job a little bit but myself and Neil Banfield are more than excited.” Steve Bould talks about replacing the immortal Pat Rice as Arsene Wenger’s assistant.

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Wenger states delight at avoiding 4th place

Liverpool are interested in signing Benfica and Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Nunez impressing in Portugal

The 22-year-old has been making a name for himself in Portugal in recent times, having joined Benfica from Almeria in 2020.

Nunez has scored an incredible 18 goals in just 17 Primeira Liga starts so far this season, and his manager Jorge Jesus has even tipped him to be the ‘best in the world’ one day.

Liverpool have recently signed Luis Diaz from a top Portuguese club in Porto and it could be that Nunez is next on the list.

The Latest: Liverpool keen on move for Nunez

That’s according to Football Insider, who claimed that a Reds source has confirmed the club’s interest in the Uruguayan.

Liverpool are thought to be ‘closely monitoring’ Nunez’s current situation, with his current deal at Benfica not expiring until the summer of 2025.

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The Verdict: Long-term regular?

Nunez looks like a hugely exciting prospect, and while Liverpool are incredibly well-stocked in attacking areas, it is vital to plan for the future.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are all in and around 30 years of age and won’t go on forever, and with Diaz and Dioga Jota as younger alternatives, it could be that Nunez is seen as the final piece in the jigsaw in terms of the Reds’ next great front three.

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His record this season speaks for itself and he could come in as more of a squad player to begin with, potentially even joining as a replacement for someone like Firmino, should the Brazilian move on suddenly.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to join another Premier League club. Find out who it is here.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has raised an intriguing possibility about what Jesse Marsch’s tactical plans at Leeds United might be…

What’s the story?

In a fan discussion for The Athletic, Hay said: “Marsch has used a front two before. When Bamford is back, does that create and opportunity to pair Bamford with Rodrigo? Or Gelhardt? Fascinated to see what he does formation wise. It surely won’t be 4-1-4-1.”

Bamford will be key

Having missed such a large part of the season, Patrick Bamford’s return to the starting line-up at Elland Road can’t come soon enough.

The England international has led the attack for the Whites for the past few seasons now, and while the defence has been a real issue for them this season in the Premier League, they’ve missed that cutting edge and focal point Bamford offers up top too.

What Leeds fans could expect though in the future, is seeing Bamford being joined alongside by another forward, perhaps someone like Rodrigo as Hay suggests.

In an analytical piece done by Mark Carey and Hay for The Athletic, they noted: “As a former employee of three teams from the Red Bull stable and a self-confessed disciple of Ralf Rangnick’s swashbuckling style, Marsch makes no bones about the fact that his style is focused on physical intensity, direct play, and collective aggression from his players.

“True to the RB philosophy, a glance at Marsch’s most common formations used in all competitions from his period at Salzburg and Leipzig shows that has implemented the well-known 4-2-2-2 structure more often than not.”

Rodrigo has already played in a more withdrawn role for Leeds, so the idea of playing the support striker role next to Bamford and giving him the licence to get into the box rather than come much deeper could potentially get the best out of the Spaniard.

After years of getting used to Bielsa’s unique tactical style, Marsch’s seeming preference for a 4-2-2-2 and having a strike duo should surely excite Leeds fans and the prospect of seeing them find the back of the net much more regularly than they have done this season.

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Meanwhile, this Leeds star could explode at Elland Road…

Wolves have started to make a habit of moving some of their key players out of the club over the past few years.

Diogo Jota headed to Liverpool in 2020, followed more recently by Adama Traore’s loan switch to Barcelona during the previous January transfer window.

With the upcoming summer transfer window in mind, it seems as though the Old Gold will look to take some precautions in making sure one of their current key figures doesn’t follow in Jota and Traore’s footsteps with a Molineux exit.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had this to say about Max Kilman’s immediate future at Molineux and what Wolves could do to keep him at the club amid recent transfer links with fellow Premier League club Chelsea.

He said: “I’m sure there will be contract talks, maybe in the summer, just to improve his terms and bring him more in line with the other top earners at Molineux.

“It would show his reward for the progress that he’s made for the club as well.”

Fans will be buzzing

Since arriving at the Midlands club back in the 2018 summer window on a free transfer from Maidenhead United, the 24-year-old has gone on to make himself a pivotal figure for the Old Gold.

He has amassed 63 senior appearances in a Wolves shirt across all competitions, chipping in with one goal and two assists along the way.

Taking into account how the Englishman has managed to tackle more opposition players (49) this season than any other Wolves centre-back and make more blocks (48) than any player in Bruno Lage’s squad, it’s safe to say that the £8.1m-rated man has played a big part in the Old Gold’s decent defensive record in this campaign.

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Additionally, with Kilman being younger than his fellow centre-backs Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly, it would make sense that the club would be desperate to keep hold of him as he has the potential longevity ahead of him to be a long-term feature at Molineux for the foreseeable future.

With all of that in mind, it’s safe to suggest that a lot of fans connected with the Midlands club would be delighted to see the defender put pen to paper on a new deal that would ward off any potential interest from elsewhere.

In other news: 49 tackles won: “Phenomenal” Wolves gem has been Lage’s “standout” player this season – opinion

Aston Villa are back in action this evening with a Premier League clash against Leeds United at Elland Road. 

Now with two consecutive victories under their belt in their previous league outings against Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton, scoring six goals and conceding none in the process, Steven Gerrard’s side will be hungry to add another three points to their tally for the campaign. 

In his pre-match press conference, the 41-year-old revealed that in terms of which players will be available for selection for tonight’s game, defenders Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa will be available again after missing the match against Southampton, as well as Carney Chukwuemeka.

With that in mind, here’s our prediction for Villa’s starting XI to take on Jesse Marsch’s side. 

Having started all but one of Villa’s league games so far this season, it’d be a surprise to see anyone other than Emi Martinez start in goal, who will be hoping to keep a third consecutive clean sheet.

In a back four, we think both Digne and Konsa will come back into the side alongside Tyrone Mings and Matty Cash with Ashley Young and Calum Chambers dropping out after starting in the win over Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side at Villa Park.

Regarding the 27-year-old former Arsenal man, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville labelled his display against Newcastle United as “clumsy,” which could make it an easier choice for the Villa manager to make in terms of putting Konsa back in.

Moving on to the midfield, given how prominent he’s been for Villa so far this season, it seems likely that John McGinn will keep his place in the team to try and keep the home side from attacking as much as possible given how he’s racked up a higher average of tackles per game (2.9) than any other player in Gerrard’s squad in this campaign.

Next to the Scotland international, we think the former Rangers boss will stick with Douglas Luiz after he managed to get his name on the scoresheet last time out against the Saints.

Then, next to those two, we predict that Gerrard will make a change by bringing Morgan Sanson in for Jacob Ramsey after the Englishman’s uneventful display in his previous appearance over the weekend, which would see the Frenchman make his third league start of the 2021/22 season.

Labelled as a “great technician” by Dean Smith in the past, the £59k-per-week midfielder could use this match as great opportunity to show what he’s capable of in an attacking sense given Leeds’ knack of conceding goals.

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Finally, it would make sense for the Villa boss to stick with the same three players that scored in the last game to see if they can find the back of the net once again this time around against a side that have conceded more league goals than any other team in this campaign.

This means that Philippe Coutinho will line up once again behind the strike duo of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings.

In other news: Good news: Aston Villa handed huge injury boost ahead of Leeds, Gerrard surely buzzing – opinion

West Brom managed to rescue a point in their latest Championship outing yesterday as Adam Reach scored with virtually the last kick of the game to snatch a 2-2 draw against Bristol City.

The home side went ahead after 29 minutes through Nahki Wells before a penalty goal from Karlan Grant put the Baggies level with 69 minutes on the clock.

Former Aston Villa figure Andreas Weimann put Bristol ahead once again in the 85th minute after he assisted Wells’ goal in the first half, only for Reach to save a point for Steve Bruce’s side right at the death, leaving them unbeaten in their past four league games.

Aside from Reach and his dramatic late goal, one other figure in a West Brom shirt that was rather crucial for them on the day was midfielder Alex Mowatt.

With the full 90 minutes under his belt, the Englishman had 84 touches of the ball in total and managed to complete 52 of the 62 passes he attempted, with one cross, two long balls and one key pass.

The midfielder also managed to complete the one dribble he attempted, showing how useful he was on the ball for his side.

Also, and arguably, more importantly, the 27-year-old was rather effective off the ball as well by winning 71% of the duels he was involved in and winning five tackles, which is more than any other Baggies player managed to make on the day.

Birmingham Live also picked up on the work that the midfielder did to help the team from a defensive point of view by saying that he “helped at the back, deep into his own half to try and recover play during Bristol’s attack.”

This display ultimately earned the former Barnsley star an overall match rating of 7.2, making him the highest-rated player that started the game for the Midlands club according to SofaScore.

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Having been labelled as a “massive” player for the Baggies earlier in the season by former West Brom and Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael, this is certainly what Mowatt was yesterday, especially when it came to making sure the home side didn’t score more goals than they did, making him a real hero for his current boss.

In other news: Sold for £16.5m, now worth 78% less: Dowling pulled a WBA blinder over £43k-p/w dud

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Paulo Dybala, who will be out of contract in the summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Italian journalist Niccolo Ceccarini claims Spurs are ‘at the window’ to sign the Juventus attacker on a free transfer after the Serie A giants announced that the Argentinian would be leaving the club.

The north Londoners have been named as potential suitors, bolstered by the influence of sporting director Fabio Paratici, who played a key part in signing him for the Old Lady back in 2015, joining from Palermo.

Atletico Madrid are also keen on Dybala but both sides will have to wait for the 28-year-old to make a decision on his long-term future after the current campaign, where he has featured in 29 matches for Le Zebre.

Creative bargain

Now valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, Dybala would be something of a bargain for Spurs this summer.

Despite doubts over his future at the Allianz Stadium, the 32-cap international has still delivered 19 goal contributions (13 goals, six assists) from 23 starts across the Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League.

That correlates into a goal or assist once every 101.5 minutes – not bad for someone that has suffered from his fair share of injuries during his time in Italy.

The 2019/20 campaign saw Dybala register some of the best numbers of his career, managing a whopping 17 goals and 14 assists across 46 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

During the course of his time in Turin, the versatile frontman has also played a variety of positions, making him a very attractive prospect for manager Antonio Conte – most naturally a number 10 or second striker, he has also been deployed on both wings and up front.

Just imagine the sorts of numbers he could put up alongside Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski – a mouthwatering attacking quartet.

“I feel like he’d be unstoppable with Kane because he’s not a number nine, so he’s got to be playing alongside a striker like that,” once claimed Serie A expert Conor Clancy to Football FanCast. “I’d have him as a number 10, like that support striker which will give him a little bit of freedom to move.”

Tottenham have long lacked this sort of presence, at least dating back to the departure of Christian Eriksen in January 2020. That much is evident by the fact that Conte has happily shipped his two potential replacements – Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso – out on loan at the start of the year.

Aside from his obvious talent in front of goal, the 28-year-old dynamo has averaged 1.6 key passes and registered 1.9 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, which suggests he’s a more than capable ball-carrier and playmaker, too.

Ex-Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey has been taken aback by this ability in the past, he told The Athletic:

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“I can just confirm that Dybala is an unbelievable player. He’s very gifted — a team player — and some of the things he’s done in training and some of the games this season has been quite breathtaking.”

Meanwhile, Dybala has earned comparisons to Diego Maradona, with current Spurs star Kulusevski believing that he possesses a “magical left foot.”

Paratici, and particularly Tottenham, could do little wrong in trying to snap up the Argentine this summer, especially on a free transfer. It could prove to be remarkable business, at least on the above evidence.

AND in other news, Conte can now axe “out of form” £91k-p/w dud as Spurs plot bid for 22 y/o “phenomenon”…

West Brom striker Daryl Dike is expected to miss the rest of the 2021/22 season through injury, reliable journalist Joseph Masi has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Dike missing for months

The American joined the Baggies from Orlando City during the January transfer window, seen as someone who could spearhead their promotion charge.

Instead, Dike made just two Championship appearances totalling 84 minutes before picking up a hamstring injury, and he hasn’t featured at all since.

While it has been hoped that the 21-year-old could return before the end of the season, a worrying update has now emerged ahead of this weekend’s clash with Birmingham City.

The Latest: Masi provide negative update

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Masi claimed that Dike’s season looks set to be over, following an update from manager Steve Bruce in his pre-Birmingham press conference:

“Steve Bruce just held his pre-Blues presser. Daryl Dike unfortunately is unlikely to play this season. Bruce offered him the chance to do his rehabilitation in America but Dike wanted to stay.”

The Verdict: Enormous blow for Baggies

West Brom’s season has gone from promising to disastrous and this is a major setback in a campaign that is increasingly becoming one to forget.

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Dike showed what a force he can be in the Championship with Barnsley last season, scoring nine goals in 14 starts, and without his goal threat, it is hard to see Bruce’s side getting back into the playoff picture.

The hope is that the youngster is back fully fit for the start of next season, at which point he will be primed to be one of the Championship’s leading strikers.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte could be without one of his key first-team stars this afternoon…

What’s the latest?

Spurs welcome Newcastle United to north London as both teams return to Premier League action following the international break, and the Italian will be hoping to maintain ground in the race for a top-four finish.

But ahead of kick-off, some worrying news has emerged as Sergio Reguilon could be a surprise absentee after pulling up in training on Thursday, as revealed by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold.

‘football.london understands that Sergio Reguilon pulled up in training on Thursday with a problem and had to leave the session,’ he wrote.

Huge blow

Whilst not in the best of form, the absence of the Spanish wing-back would still be something of a major blow to Conte and the Spurs squad, especially as this game will be too soon for his alternative, Ryan Sessegnon, to return.

“The good news is that [Oliver] Skippy and Sessegnon are very close to being back with the team, to having training sessions with us. They are not yet ready for the game against Newcastle, but they are improving,” the Italian revealed in his pre-game press conference.

The prospect of playing the Magpies without an out-and-out left wing-back is certainly cause for concern, even more so given the fact that Conte’s system relies so heavily on attacking influence in the role.

Reguilon is amongst Spurs’ most creative options, averaging 1.3 key passes per game, a feat only bettered by frontline duo Heung-min Son (two) and Dejan Kulusevski (1.7), as per WhoScored.

Elsewhere, the former Real Madrid dynamo has been a key influence defensively too, where he has registered an average of 1.6 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game; numbers that exceed that of Sessegnon.

If unavailable, it leaves Conte with little options.

Matt Doherty could switch across to the other flank, something he has done only three times across his last 50 competitive appearances in all competitions, whilst there could be a change in formation that sees Ben Davies deployed in his natural left-back role amongst a back four, rather than three.

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That’s something the Italian has done just once since being appointed as Nuno Santo’s successor, resulting in a 2-0 defeat to his former club, Chelsea.

Without Reguilon, Conte will be handed a late dilemma over team selection and that will surely leave him absolutely gutted, if not fuming as injuries show no sign of easing up at Hotspur Way.

AND in other news, Forget Davies: Conte must start £27m-rated Spurs “beast” today, it could be game-changing…

Tottenham Hotspur are a club who have endured a huge transition over the last couple of months, especially after Thomas Frank took the reins during the off-season.

The 52-year-old has wanted to put his own stamp on the first-team squad in North London, but it appears to have been a slow process over recent months.

The Dane has only been able to lead the Lilywhites to 13th place in the Premier League, subsequently only winning one of their last seven league games – losing five of them.

Despite only arriving during the off-season, he’s already seen huge questions being asked about his long-term future, with the lack of form no doubt contributing to the noise around his position.

One of his decisions could prove to come under huge scrutiny, especially given the recent struggles one player has endured despite the faith shown in him by the manager.

Why Romero should be removed as Spurs captain

After taking the reins in the summer, Frank named a leadership group within the Spurs team to help lead the club up the Premier League table in the 2025/26 campaign.

Five players were named in such a group, but centre-back Cristian Romero was named as the leading option – as seen in many games this season where he’s worn the armband.

The Argentine has started 13 out of a possible 17 league games this season, including the 2-1 defeat against Liverpool on home soil back on Saturday evening.

However, it was yet another night to forget for the 27-year-old, as he was sent off for a fourth time in his Lilywhites career after kicking out on Ibrahima Konate in stoppage time.

Such a situation is an example of the head loss Romero is capable of having, as seen by his red card tally, something which you simply can’t accept from a captain.

He’s already racked up seven yellow cards this campaign in the Premier League, which further showcases his lack of discipline despite the responsibility he possesses.

It’s just the latest example of why he can’t be trusted in the role, with Frank desperately needing to take such responsibility away from him in the coming weeks.

The Spurs player who should replace Romero as captain

After Romero was appointed as club captain, Frank named four other players to help lead the club in the right direction during his tenure in charge of the Spurs.

Ben Davies was just one player who was named in such a group, no doubt due to his experience in North London, having been on the books now for 11 years.

James Maddison was another, but the Dane has so far been unable to call upon the England international after he suffered an ACL injury in a pre-season friendly.

Guglielmo Vicario also could prove to be a viable option, but like Romero, he’s often been unreliable this campaign, with his mistakes costing the side in key moments – as seen at Nottingham Forest last weekend.

As a result, Micky van de Ven should be handed the chance to lead the side, with the Dutch international arguably being the shining light within the backline this campaign.

The 24-year-old has been a fantastic option for the Lilywhites since his transfer in the summer of 2023, often being the man to get the side out of trouble with his incredible pace.

He’s often led by example at the back, with many of his performances letting his ability in and out of possession do the talking – something which is the opposite of Romero.

Van de Ven, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one presenter, has completed 91% of the passes he’s attempted, whilst completing 50% of the dribbles he’s attempted – offering Frank’s side an excellent option when playing out from the back.

Subscribe for deeper Spurs captaincy insights Explore deeper Spurs leadership coverage — subscribe to the newsletter for thorough breakdowns of captaincy decisions, player form and tactical context, plus deeper analysis of Romero, van de Ven and Frank’s strategic choices. Subscribe Subscribe for deeper Spurs captaincy insights Explore deeper Spurs leadership coverage — subscribe to the newsletter for thorough breakdowns of captaincy decisions, player form and tactical context, plus deeper analysis of Romero, van de Ven and Frank’s strategic choices.

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However, without the ball, he’s often been dominant, as seen by his incredible tallies of 3.1 duels and 1.2 tackles won per 90 in the Premier League this campaign.

Micky van de Ven – stats in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

16

Goals scored

3

Pass accuracy

91%

Chances created

0.3

Tackles won

1.2

Aerials won

1.2

Dribble success

50%

Recoveries made

3.6

Stats via FotMob

As previously mentioned, such stats could have been improved further, but his incredible positioning and pace had often got himself and the team out of tricky positions.

Whilst his main responsibility is defending, the centre-back has also thrived within the final third, as seen by his incredible tally of three goals in the league during 2025/26.

Such a tally places him as the Lilywhites’ second top goalscorer at present, with the Dutchman certainly a phenomenal all-round talent for Frank’s side.

At just 24, he has bags of time to become even better in the years ahead, potentially leading Frank’s side to success in the years ahead during his tenure.

As a result, he deserves the chance to captain the club, with the manager needing to make a bold call given the struggles and failures of Romero in recent months.

Related Not Romero or Simons: 5/10 Spurs flop is becoming Frank's biggest liability

Thomas Frank has some huge calls to make after Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat to Liverpool.

Posts ByEthan Lamb