All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is personally in awe of a marquee player who he believes is the ideal player for his Spurs system, and the Lilywhites are also reportedly prepared to table a bid for him in January.

Tottenham's reported January transfer plans

We’re now 11 games into Frank’s tenure as Spurs boss, and the Dane appears to already be transforming the North Londoners into a far more resolute side.

Despite some recent concerns from a section of the fanbase after their ‘narrow escape’ draws against Brighton, Wolves and Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham displayed real grit at Leeds United last weekend to end their run of seven straight defeats in games just prior to an international break.

Goals from Mohammed Kudus, who was the player of the match, and fellow summer signing Mathys Tel sealed a 2-1 in Yorkshire to also end Leeds’ year-long unbeaten run in the league at Elland Road.

Mohammed Kudus

8.4

Mathys Tel

7.8

Noah Okafor

7.0

Sean Longstaff

7.0

Jayden Bogle

6.8

via WhoScored

The win means Spurs sit third in the Premier League table with the joint second-best defensive record in the division, with only table-topping Arsenal conceding fewer goals – a stark contrast to Ange Postecoglou’s final season in charge when they were far more fragile at the back.

So far, ex-chairman Daniel Levy and the board’s decision to appoint Frank is paying off, despite Simon Jordan urging Levy to consider Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner before Spurs hired their current boss.

The reshuffled Tottenham board following Levy’s departure, with CEO Vinai Venkatesham taking a more prominent role in the day-to-day running of the club, are also poised to try and back Frank in the January transfer market.

Spurs are reportedly keen to sign another winger and centre-back when the winter window opens, after they tried and failed to sign Man City forward Savinho in the summer, with the Brazil international since extending his Eastlands contract and ending all hope of a potential deal.

One of their rumoured targets for 2026 is Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, who also signed fresh terms earlier this year, and this has elevated his market value to north of £75 million.

Tottenham preparing January bid for Antoine Semenyo amid Thomas Frank belief

That is according to TEAMtalk, who report that Tottenham are positioning themselves to make a major January move for Semenyo and could be “next to bid”.

The winger’s explosive form so far this season has made him one of the Premier League’s most sought-after wingers.

Semenyo has scored six goals and provided three assists in his first seven league games, including a brace against Liverpool at Anfield, helping Bournemouth to a surprise top-four position and attracting attention from England’s top clubs, including Arne Slot’s side, Manchester City and Spurs.

Frank is said to view Semenyo as the “perfect fit” for his squad, particularly given the inconsistent displays from Brennan Johnson and the club’s need for more dynamism out wide.

Semenyo’s ability to play on either flank — combined with his raw pace, directness, and clinical finishing — makes him a tailor-made fit for Frank’s tactical system.

Tottenham’s pursuit of the Ghanaian international is expected to intensify in mid-season as a result, with an offer exceeding £60 million likely to test Bournemouth’s resolve, despite their price tag of £75m.

The Cherries, after extending his deal until 2030, are in a very strong position — and it is even believed that Semenyo rejected an approach from Arsenal in the summer.

However, the 25-year-old’s camp are apparently open to exploring other moves in January if a top side can meet Bournemouth’s lofty demands.

Arsenal are now willing to go all out to sign a “special” £130m Real Madrid star, who has made a fantastic start to the 2025-26 campaign.

Gunners looking to make another statement signing

Stan Kroenke & co backed Mikel Arteta considerably in the summer transfer window, making a number of statement signings, including Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze, and the owner has thus far been rewarded for spending big.

Indeed, the Gunners have made a flying start to the Premier League campaign, sitting top of the table after collecting 16 points from their opening seven matches, which is made even more impressive by the fact they’ve had some very tough fixtures.

Eze has received regular game time since his arrival, chipping in with two assists in the Premier League, and the England international may be set to keep his place in the side, given that Martin Odegaard continues to struggle on the injury front.

The Norway international was brought off after just half-an-hour in the 2-0 triumph over West Ham United, with it since emerging he has suffered MCL damage to his knee, but there is yet to be an update on when the captain could return.

It has subsequently been revealed that Arsenal may also look to bring in a new attacking midfielder, with a report from Grada3 revealing they are one of many clubs in the race for Real Madrid star Arda Guler.

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The likes of Newcastle United, AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in Guler, but the Gunners are thought to be particularly keen, with the report stating they are willing to do whatever it takes to ‘entice’ the 20-year-old.

Kroenke is prepared to go all out for the Turkey international, but it may take a huge offer to get a deal over the line, with previous reports suggesting he is valued at over £130m.

Signing "special" Guler would be statement of intent

With Odegaard and Eze on the books, there are doubts about whether it would be necessary to bring in another attacking midfielder, but it would be a major statement of intent if Arsenal were able to get a deal done.

Former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the starlet in the past, saying: “He is very effective, he scores a lot with little space, he has a special talent. He shows it better closer to the goal.”

This season, the Turk appears to have come on leaps and bounds, having already chipped in with six goal contributions in La Liga, meaning he needs just two more to match his tally across the whole of the 2024-25 campaign.

Guler would perhaps be a luxury signing for Arsenal, rather than a necessity, but Ancelotti’s comments, and the start he has made to the season, suggest the starlet has all the attributes to become one of the world’s best midfielders.

Former Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has picked his favourite manager out of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, having achieved great success playing under both.

A glittering career for Gundogan under great managers

The German is now very much in the autumn of his career, but he has arguably been one of the most successful and influential midfielders of his generation.

Gundogan won five Premier League titles and one Champions League crown with City under Guardiola, during the peak of his powers, but he also tasted Bundesliga title glory alongside Klopp in his younger days at Borussia Dortmund.

Guardiola and Klopp are right up with the best managers of the past 20 years, and among the longest-serving coaches in Premier League history, with the pair huge characters who enjoyed a great rivalry during their respective spells in charge of City and Liverpool.

Everyone will have their favourite out of the two, with some preferring the Spaniard’s tactical genius and others liking Klopp’s more free-flowing style, but what about Gundogan?

Gundogan picks between Guardiola and Klopp

Speaking to The Athletic, Gundogan gave Guardiola the edge over Klopp, due to achieving so much trophy-winning success with him in a City shirt.

This is clearly a tough choice for Gundogan, with the 34-year-old an enormous admirer of two people who have had an incredible impact on him as a player, but it does feel right to go with Guardiola, given their dominance of English football together with City.

As mentioned, Gundogan was a younger player with Klopp at Dortmund, scoring a penalty in the 2013 Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich, but he truly came into own as a player at the Etihad, becoming one of the first names on the team sheet in a squad littered with world-class footballers.

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His title-winning goal at home to Aston Villa on the final day of the 2021/22 season will never be forgotten by City fans, and Liverpool supporters for that matter, and his talent has been worthy of playing under two managerial greats of the game.

Liverpool are probing the market for reinforcements after a poor start to the Premier League season and could now be ready to break their transfer record in the process.

Despite returning from the international break determined to arrest their slump in form, the Reds were on the end of a comprehensive defeat to Nottingham Forest that hammered home some of the frailties Arne Slot has been trying to address since the beginning of the campaign.

Nevertheless, David James is a firm believer that Liverpool can still have a solid season despite losing six of their last seven top-flight matches, claiming that the Champions League may be where they are most likely to earn success.

He told BBC Sport: “Liverpool do not recruit for one season, they recruit for the future. I believe with the players they signed they can be good, but I was one of those that expected them to be fine from the get-go.

“The test for Arne Slot as manager is whether he can turn this around. Not winning the title this season doesn’t make it a bad season. Comparatively it does compared with last season but he wasn’t expected to win it last season. He has already ticked that box if we are looking at the broader picture. The Champions League now becomes more important and winning it would justify everything this season.”

PSV Eindhoven visit Anfield in midweek as the Reds bid to move well into the top eight of the league phase, which would result in an automatic place in the last 16 if they were able to finish the job.

January and beyond will be pivotal for Liverpool as they look to build for the challenges ahead, and they could now be willing to shatter their transfer record to land a premium target.

Liverpool submit club record bid for Federico Valverde

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have submitted an offer worth over £131 million for Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde. The Reds would also be willing to make the Uruguay international, who Toni Kroos called one of the ‘top three’ players in the world, their highest earner on over £500,000 per week.

Liverpool's record signings ranked

Willing to double his current wage at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Reds see Valverde as someone who could revolutionise their midfield after falling into a sticky patch under Slot. Simply put, he fits their tactical framework and England’s reigning champions are ready to convince him that Anfield is a place where he can thrive.

Internally, there is debate at Real Madrid over whether letting one of their high-profile stars leave the club would offer up the opportunity to invest elsewhere, as the size of the offer has caused discourse within Los Blancos’ higher ups, something that may give Liverpool a fighting chance of landing their man.

Federico Valverde at Real Madrid

Appearances

339

Goals

32

Assists

35

With any transfer more likely to occur in the summer, it now remains to be seen whether Valverde will become a statement addition on Merseyside.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared an update on Declan Rice and his condition heading into their crucial Premier League clash at Aston Villa this weekend.

Arsenal travel to Aston Villa as Arteta sweats over key men

Arsenal travel to Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime with Arteta sweating over the availability of multiple key players following Wednesday night’s hard-fought victory over Brentford.

Gabriel Magalhaes remains sidelined with a thigh problem that has kept him out of recent fixtures, while William Saliba continues battling what Arteta described as a “very bizarre” injury that forced him to miss the last two matches.

The Arsenal manager suggested Saliba’s absence would only last “a matter of days,” raising hopes he could return for this crucial early kickoff against Unai Emery’s resurgent side.

Cristhian Mosquera’s situation, though, presents greater concern.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Brentford

The summer signing landed awkwardly on his ankle after an aerial duel against Brentford and couldn’t continue past halftime, requiring further assessment this week.

Arteta admitted Mosquera’s ankle issue represents the most complex problem facing his medical staff, describing it as “more complicated” than the other defensive doubts ahead of Saturday’s encounter.

Leandro Trossard also remains doubtful after missing midweek with an unspecified muscular complaint.

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ByEmilio Galantini Dec 5, 2025

Like Saliba, the Belgian winger should return within days according to Arteta’s latest briefing, though his participation against Villa hangs in the balance until today’s final training session provides clearer answers.

Kai Havertz will miss out completely as he continues his recovery from a knee problem, with no return anticipated for weeks.

The German’s absence could force Arsenal to continue relying on Mikel Merino in an unfamiliar striking role, as Viktor Gyokeres steadily works his way back to full fitness after his own recent injury.

Merino has surprisingly flourished with 21 goals this calendar year for club and country, becoming Arsenal’s unlikely top scorer in the process.

Mikel Arteta shares Declan Rice injury twist out of Arsenal

The greatest concern, however, surrounds Rice after he limped off late against Brentford with a calf problem.

Interestingly, the midfielder confirmed to Sky Sports that he was fine and ready to go against Villa, as pointed out by Fabrizio Romano.

However, there has now been a twist to the tale.

When asked about the £240,000-per-week star’s condition, Arteta explained that Rice is in fact a doubt to play against Villa.

Much like Saliba and Trossard, the player will be subject to a late fitness test.

This contradicts what Rice told Sky, with Arteta seemingly taking a cautious approach when it comes to his star midfielder.

The former West Ham captain has become Arsenal’s most indispensable player this season, anchoring their midfield with relentless energy and robustness that nobody else in Arteta’s squad can replicate.

His ability to break up opposition attacks, control possession and cover defensive gaps has proven crucial to Arsenal’s title challenge, making him one of the first names on the team sheet every week.

Not having Rice available for one of their toughest games of the festive period would be an almighty blow, with Arteta hoping he can in fact take part in the Midlands.

That was all far more dramatic than it needed to be for Arsenal.

The Gunners came into this game top of the Premier League and top of the Champions League. They have been the best team in the country.

By contrast, Wolverhampton Wanderers have been one of the worst sides we’ve seen in top-flight history. They had and still have two points to their name.

The match didn’t play out like that, however. Some might say this was the worst performance of the Mikel Arteta era to date.

Arsenal found life difficult and did look as though they were heading towards a 1-0 victory. Rob Edwards’ side stood firm and scored a dramatic last-gasp equaliser. Off they went, celebrating like crazy in front of the travelling support.

Yet, the Gunners had other ideas. Bukayo Saka grabbed the bull by the horns, swung in a delicious cross that was headed into the back of his own net by Yerson Mosquera with a matter of minutes left. Arsenal had secured a 2-1 win.

How Arsenal beat Wolves

The north Londoners have swept teams aside with relative ease this term.

Yet, in recent weeks, they have found things trickier. They drew with ten-man Chelsea, lost in the last minute to Aston Villa and then very nearly tripped up against the bottom team in the division on Saturday night.

Arsenal have been accused of looking leggy across that run but the team selected by Arteta this weekend should have had enough.

Chalkboard

No disrespect to Wolves but Arsenal’s B team should have had enough to swat them aside. However, as the old saying goes, there is no easy game in the Premier League.

On this occasion, they had the mighty Saka to thank as he showcased why he is one of the best right wingers in the land.

Truth be told, Saka hasn’t been at his fluent best in 2025. His assist for Mikel Merino’s equaliser at Chelsea was his first league assist for a year.

That said, in recent weeks, he’s started to come alive and he delivered arguably his finest performance of 2025/26 to date.

It was Saka’s inswinging corner that led to the first goal. The ball came in, evaded everyone before it struck the post and came off Sam Johnstone before going in. It went down as an own goal.

Then, as Arsenal desperately craved a winner, Saka came up trumps again. He grabbed proceedings by the scruff of the neck and put his team back in the driver’s seat to win the title.

Saka’s cross was aimed at substitute Gabriel Jesus who got across Arokodare inside the area. Jesus didn’t get a touch but the Wolves defender did.

Arsenal had Saka and a brace of own goals to thank for their win. Plenty in red and white were way below par though.

Arsenal's biggest underperformer against Wolves

On paper, this looked like a very dangerous Arsenal side.

Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres all started as a three-prong attack but while the former dazzled, the latter two struggled significantly.

Gyokeres, in particular, has had a difficult week since returning from injury. The Swede came off the bench a week ago but did very little to inspire the Gunners at Villa Park.

In midweek, the big-money summer arrival struggled again, taken off just after the hour mark having made just four passes. He barely had a sniff of goal.

Sadly, the same could be said of his display against Wolves this weekend. On this occasion, he completed just three passes and had fewer touches (15) than goalkeeper David Raya (30). It was hardly a surprise to see one Arsenal podcaster suggest that it looked like Arsenal are “playing with ten men” when Gyokeres leads the line.

Minutes played

81

Touches

15

Accurate passes

3/6 (50%)

Shots

1

Shots on target

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Key passes

0

Ground duels won

2/4

Aerial duels won

1/2

While his hold-up play has improved to a degree, the hulking striker simply isn’t doing enough to influence play in the final third. His runs aren’t strong enough and that was evident in the first half.

Saka should have had another assist as the winger flashed in a low cross across the face of the goal. Gyokeres didn’t react quickly enough and couldn’t get on the end of it.

The former Sporting forward only ended up taking one shot, an effort he did well to fashion himself but he ultimately dragged the ball wide.

His performance was summarised brilliantly by Arsenal reporter Charles Watts who handed the attacker a 5/10 match rating, writing that ‘he couldn’t get into the game’ and that ‘Arsenal need more from him’. Sadly, that would appear to be an ongoing theme of his time at the Emirates to date.

For a man who scored 54 goals last season, it’s staggering that he doesn’t look likely to score. Arteta needed a striker who can score with regularity more than anything in the summer but on the evidence we’ve seen thus far, he is not good enough.

When Arsenal face Everton next week, the manager must choose either Merino or Jesus ahead of him instead.

Leeds United aren’t going to be heading straight back down to the Championship without at least putting in a fight.

The last time the Whites were relegated back down to the EFL’s elite league, they only managed to accumulate a sorry 31 points from 38 matches, with a concerning 78 goals leaked.

Already, with just nine games played this time around, Leeds are occupying 15th spot in the Premier League with a promising 11 points tallied up, with an early Brenden Aaronson effort sealing a third league win of the season against relegation rivals West Ham United on Friday night.

This promising start bodes well for Leeds being able to remain as a Premier League team, with Match of the Day’s Gabby Logan revealing at the weekend that the last ten promoted sides who have got to that 11-point total after ten games have all beaten the drop.

Leeds will just want to remain steady as wins slowly but surely continue to be picked up, with Stuart Dallas previously playing the role of being a calming and reliable presence perfectly when past anxiety crept in at Elland Road.

Why Stuart Dallas is a Leeds icon

While the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, and Raphinha stick out in recent memory as flashy entertainers in West Yorkshire, the Northern Irishman always stood out as being “Mr Reliable” for the Whites, as he was once affectionately labelled by former Premier League great Kevin Phillips.

267 Leeds appearances would come Dallas’ way in total, with the 34-year-old only getting better as time went on in a Whites shirt, even as he navigated the tough step-up to the Premier League.

Eight goals would fall into the adaptable number 15’s lap during his first-ever top-flight campaign, with his ability to line up all across the pitch – which included Dallas even lining up as a defensive midfielder on one occasion – making him a dependable asset right up until an unfortunate injury ended his playing days.

As former Leeds manager David O’Leary put it back in 2021, Dallas epitomised the tag of being an “unsung hero” throughout his long-standing affiliation with the club, with the one-time Championship title winner always putting in a top shift when pulling on Leeds white.

Daniel Farke could well feel he’s unearthed a new Dallas-style revelation in his current ranks, with the ace in question similarly full-blooded with his commitment to the Leeds cause so far this season.

Farke's "unbelievable" new Stuart Dallas

Leeds’ impressive summer recruitment has undoubtedly helped them to keep their heads above the relegation zone during the early stages of the 38-game campaign.

Indeed, Noah Okafor has already been heralded as a key “difference-maker” by Leeds-based content creator Oscar Mario, and it’s hard to disagree with that assessment, as the lightning-quick winger already has two Premier League goals in his back pocket. Alongside the Swiss international, Sean Longstaff has also stood out as a sterling bit of business, having only cost a reasonable £12m to obtain back in July.

Already, Longstaff has been able to endear himself to his new set of supporters by hammering home strikes such as this one he emphatically fired home against AFC Bournemouth in late September, with Dallas still being remembered to this day for being a player that similarly scored some memorable goals, namely that famous breakaway strike that was put away at Manchester City under Marcelo Bielsa when Leeds had been reduced to ten men.

More importantly, though, as Leeds face another battle against the drop, the ex-Newcastle United midfielder has also displayed plenty of bite and fight that’s reminiscent of the now-retired 34-year-old in his Elland Road prime, with a combined eight tackles and duels won last time out against the Hammers.

Games played

9

Goals scored

1

Assists

2

Touches*

46.2

Accurate passes*

27.1

Key passes*

2.0

Big chances created

5

Tackles*

3.0

Ball recoveries*

3.0

Total duels won*

5.0

All-in-all, Longstaff just seems to have that perfect blend of skill and determination that Dallas also possessed in spades, with his eagerness to get stuck in and battle also regularly being coupled with a hunger to create openings and play on the front-foot, as seen in him creating a high five big chances so far this season, which hasn’t been surpassed by anyone else in the division.

He is, of course, still in the infancy of his Elland Road career, but if he keeps going in this same electric manner, he will surely etch his name into the West Yorkshire outfit’s hall-of-fame as another “unbelievable” – as he was once branded by Newcastle legend Alan Shearer – Premier League performer, alongside some revered company.

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ByKelan Sarson Oct 26, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are adjusting to a more pragmatic tactical style under Thomas Frank. This has caused several contentious talking points to spring up over the past several months.

Yes, Spurs are imperfect, and improvements are needed. But they are also fifth in the Premier League after 11 matches, and have lost only three times.

Goals are being scored, albeit with underlying attacking metrics emphasising the work is needed in creative departments. But then, even this comes with the caveat that Tottenham have been without Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, arguably the two most creative outlets at the club, since before the start of the season.

1. Chelsea

3rd

20.4

2. Crystal Palace

2nd

19.4

3. Man City

10th

19.0

4. Arsenal

1st

18.8

5. Man United

7th

18.2

15. Tottenham

5th

11.0

Yes, more is needed. And Frank will consider across the next two international-break-filled weeks his options across the park, and how he can water the roots of his philosophy while growing his Tottenham garden into something viewed as new and growing, rather than negative and Nuno-esque.

The changes Frank needs to make at Spurs

Tottenham showed spirit and resolve against Manchester United last weekend, and though Richarlison’s late strike was cancelled out at the death by Matthijs de Ligt’s header, the hosts did not crumble but responded after a wretched first half.

That’s a glass-half-full way of looking at it, sure, but Tottenham must take the positives – as Frank did.

However, the Danish tactician needs to iron out the many creases in this squad, and one sure-fire way to start that process is by forgoing the decision to field Djed Spence and Richarlison as a left-sided partnership. Width and dynamism are needed down the flanks, and the out-of-position Spence and technically limited Richarlison don’t work well together.

When Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert connected in the second half, things changed.

Likewise, there must be a wider shift in regard to mentality and confidence. Over the past year, Tottenham have played 20 home games and they have won only three. Much-improved away results and a tougher framework from head to toe have scrubbed away the bitter lower-table position of last year, but there remains a need for more positivity, more fluency and enterprise on the ball.

The forwards need to much do more, yes, but the midfielders have flattered to deceive from this perspective this season, and it’s time for Frank to consider parting with one player who lacks the nuance in his role to thrive and make the system tick.

Frank must drop struggling Spurs star

When Tottenham signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January 2022, initially on loan and then for a fee just shy of £22m, they knew they had landed a talented and multi-faceted midfielder.

And yet he’s falling by the wayside in Frank’s system. The 28-year-old hasn’t fallen, not yet, but his performances are becoming a concern, with analyst Raj Chohan even describing him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.

The conundrum here is two-fold: Bentancur has just signed a new contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, raising his salary considerably to around £120k per week.

But the other angle here is that the Uruguayan just doesn’t work alongside Joao Palhinha, a player who has been regarded by many as one of the best Lilywhites players so far this season, having arrived on a loan deal from Bayern Munich in the summer.

So, if Palhinha has to play, his tough-tackling, protective presence in the middle, Frank must start playing a deep-lying midfielder beside him who can drive play forward with surgical passes. Instead, two pragmatic midfielders have been yoked together in a midfield lacking creativity under a manager who is facing criticisms for a pragmatic style of play.

It is not that difficult to identify the potential problem here, especially when bringing Xavi Simons into the equation, the playmaker yet to adapt to the rigours of the English game, and then addressing again the duel absence of Kulusevski and Maddison.

25/26

10

659′

24/25

26

1,653′

23/24

23

1,007′

22/23

18

1,506′

21/22

17

1,365′

As per data-led platform FBref, Bentancur actually ranks among the bottom 39% of Premier League midfielders this term for progressive passes per 90, underscoring the issues presented in the build-up. Palhinha, unsurprisingly, does not rank highly himself (bottom 11%).

The decision to start Bentancur from the bench against Man United – ending the South American’s run of six successive Premier League starts – tells of Frank’s awareness about all this, but then Pape Matar Sarr wasn’t at his best on that day in any case, albeit growing into the game after a shaky start, his energy and optimism a nice counterpoint to Palhinha’s ruggedness.

Much to chew on. Lucas Bergvall has the progressiveness to forge a protean partnership with Palhinha in the centre, but the teenager has not yet nailed down a prominent role under Frank.

Bentancur might have signed a new contract recently, but that does not mean he is unsellable. Conversely, this could provide an insight into a longer-term plan; this summer, Atletico Madrid were among those interested in an experienced midfielder whose stock has now risen from a financial vantage.

If Tottenham are to persist with the anchoring presence that is Palhinha, it might not be a bad thing to ship Bentancur and his limitations out. When the injured parties return, the picture will become a whole lot clearer, and Bentancur may well be absent from the view.

Spurs flop who's been "swallowed in the PL" must be dropped for Odobert

Thomas Frank can unleash Wilson Odobert by ruthlessly dropping this Spurs flop.

2 ByDan Emery Nov 10, 2025

Arsenal have made a blistering start to this season, and the theme of their success continues to be squad depth.

On Wednesday night, it was substitutes that made all the difference, as the Gunners beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League.

Riccardo Calafiori set up Noni Madueke to score the go-ahead goal, before Gabriel Martinelli raced around Manuel Neuer to stroke home the clincher soon after, all three doing so off the bench.

In recent seasons, most notably last year, Arsenal’s title hopes have been derailed by injuries, simply not possession-requisite deputies, in terms of quality, quantity and sometimes both, to cope with key absentees.

Well, this time round, numerous key figures have been or are currently still sidelined, and this has not hampered the Gunners one bit, so do Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta now have their eyes set on further new recruits in January?

Arsenal target a new attacker

Those who thought Mikel Merino up front had been confined to the past were very much mistaken, the Spaniard forced back into the emergency centre-forward role because, well, in recent weeks there haven’t been any other options.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyökeres remain sidelined, Martin Ødegaard, Madueke and Martinelli have all made their returns this week, but Leandro Trossard is a doubt for Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge after suffering a knock against Bayern, the severity of which is not yet known.

So, could Arteta request the arrival of a new attacker in January?

Well, according to reports in Spain, Arsenal are interested in signing Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, with Manchester United also in the race to secure his signature.

They add that die Schwarzgelben value the German international at £75m, but could be under pressure to sell, considering that his contract expires in 2027, hence why there is ‘intensifying’ interest from the two Premier League giants.

So, could he become the 13th German to feature for Arsenal, following in the footsteps of Jens Lehmann, Per Mertesacker, Mesut Özil, Bernd Leno, Lukas Podolski and others?

What Karim Adeyemi​​​​​​​ would bring to Arsenal

After beginning his senior career at RB Salzburg, Adeyemi joined Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for €38m (around £33m), scoring 31 goals and registering 22 assists for the club to date.

Analyst Ben Mattinson praises his “electric pace” and labels him a “transitional monster”, which is possibly best demonstrated by this goal he scored in the Champions League against Graham Potter’s Chelsea at the Westfalenstadion​​​​​​​.

Meantime, according to the Bundesliga, he is one of the fastest players in the division’s history, reaching a top speed of 22.77 miles per hour, which would result in an £80 fine if he ran that fast up Holloway Road parallel to the Emirates.

He is very much a key player at Dortmund, as the table below documents.

Goals

5

2nd

Assists

3

2nd

Shots

31

2nd

Key passes

12

3rd

Shot-creating actions

39

2nd

Goal-creating actions

7

2nd

Big chances created

4

2nd

Attempted take-ons

54

1st

Successful take-ons

24

1st

Progressive carries

35

1st

Top speed

32.2 km/h

1st

Touches in box

65

1st

Average rating

7.31

2nd

The table underlines Adeyemi’s importance to Dortmund.

Only Serhou Guirassy has scored more goals, with wing-back Julian Ryerson the only player boasting better creative numbers, but Adeyemi is currently combining the two.

The attacker also leads the way at die Schwarzgelben for all the dribbling statistics as well as top speed, registering the most touches of any Dortmund player in the opposition penalty area.

This emphasises how he is currently able to combine all the things that make both Madueke and Bukayo Saka elite – the two players noted as among the five most stylistically and statistically similar players to Adeyemi among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

Madueke is a direct dribbler who is a major goal-threat, underlined by the fact that he ranked third in the Premier League last season for progressive carries and fifth when it came to touches in the attacking penalty box.

Saka meantime is the creator in chief, registering more shot-creating actions and big chances created than any other Arsenal player so far this season, despite a spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Well, right now, Adeyemi is able to combine all of these qualities into one, seemingly fulfilling his full potential at the age of 23, suggesting he would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s team and could be the man to fire them to that elusive first Premier League title since 2002.

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ByAngus Sinclair Nov 29, 2025

Arsenal took a huge stride towards ending their two-decade wait for a Premier League title, after securing a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace earlier this afternoon.

Eberechi Eze’s goal against his former employers was enough to secure Mikel Arteta’s men all three points in a hard-fought encounter against the Eagles.

Three points alone is a huge deal for the Gunners, but given the slip-ups from their title rivals, the victory has become an even more important one for the club.

Liverpool suffered a 3-2 defeat to Brentford last night, whilst Manchester City fell to a 1-0 loss against Aston Villa this afternoon – resulting in a four-point cushion for Arteta’s side.

However, despite the triumph in North London, numerous players fell way below the high standards they’ve previously set for themselves in England’s top-flight.

Arsenal’s poor performers against Crystal Palace

Despite spending around £65m on the signature of Viktor Gyokeres, the striker has often failed to live up to the expectations of the Arsenal faithful in the last few months.

The Swede may have scored five goals for the Gunners to date, but he’s now without a league goal in any of his last five appearances for Arteta’s men.

His showing against the Eagles was yet another to forget for the 27-year-old, as he only registered 27 touches of the ball in his 90-minute showing – whilst also notching a solitary effort on goal.

Bukayo Saka has been another player who has made himself a fan-favourite at the Emirates, but there’s no denying that his showing against Palace was one below the expectations he’s set for himself.

The England international matched Gyokeres in failing to register a single effort on target, whilst also being unable to register a single chance for any of his teammates.

The 24-year-old also lost possession on 11 separate occasions, producing a somewhat wasteful showing – something which is highly unusual for his usual standards.

The Arsenal star who needs to be dropped after Palace

The three points will undoubtedly be the most pleasing aspect for Arteta, but he will certainly have a few issues to iron out ahead of next weekend’s clash with Burnley.

His men dominated the play in large spells, subsequently having 60% possession, but they were only able to muster three efforts on Dean Henderson’s goal.

Arteta’s side’s total xG of just 1.08 also reflected the lack of threat that the Gunners carried throughout the all-London affair at the Emirates this afternoon.

However, despite the disappointing performances from the aforementioned duo, Leandro Trossard once again failed to repay the manager’s faith in starting the winger.

The Belgian was handed his fifth successive league start this afternoon, but was unable to have the desired impact off the left-hand side of the Gunners’ attack.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, but was unable to hugely threaten the opposition goal – even missing a big chance in front of goal during his performance.

The 30-year-old also only completed one dribble, whilst achieving a tally of just 44 touches – a figure lower than that of goalkeeper David Raya, who achieved a total of 46.

Minutes played

90

Touches

44

Dribbles completed

1

Shots on target

0

Big chances missed

1

Crosses completed

1

Ground duels lost

60%

Possession lost

11x

Trossard’s dismal afternoon was further reflected in his tally of 60% duels lost, often struggling to create any chances against Palace right-back Daniel Munoz.

To top off his afternoon, the wideman was given a measly 5/10 match rating by The Express journalist Tom Parsons – further highlighting how poor he was in North London.

After such a display, Arteta must be left with no choice but to drop the Belgian back down to the substitutes bench, with Gabriel Martinelli deserving of a run off the left-hand side.

It’s a shame to see Trossard struggling to deliver, but given what’s at stake for the club this campaign, the manager has to be brutal if his side are to end their extended wait for a league title.

He’d easily take the #14 from Gyokeres, but Arsenal let him leave for £0

This one-time Arsenal prospect has gone on to become a “world-class” striker.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 25, 2025