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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shared a positive injury update ahead of his side’s Premier League clash at Burnley on Saturday.

The Gunners head to Turf Moor this weekend as England’s side to beat, aiming to extend their impressive unbeaten streak in all competitions since losing to Liverpool in the early stages of the season.

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

Arteta’s side have firmly established themselves as one of the most balanced and well-organized teams in Europe, boasting the best defensive record on the continent while continuing to pose a real threat going forward.

Defensively, Arsenal’s numbers are simply exceptional.

Across all competitions, they have conceded just three goals — a defensive record matched by no other top club in Europe’s major leagues — and they could be on to break an all-time Premier League record currently held by José Mourinho’s Chelsea of the 2004/2005 season.

Team

Season

Conceded

PL finish

Chelsea

2004-05

15

1st

Arsenal

1998-99

17

2nd

Chelsea

2005-06

22

1st

Man United

2007-08

22

1st

Liverpool

2018-19

22

2nd

Man City

2018-19

23

1st

Chelsea

2006-07

24

2nd

via ESPN

This remarkable solidity stems from a well-drilled backline featuring William Saliba, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber, who have quickly restored the Emirates Stadium’s reputation as a fortress.

With David Raya between the sticks making crucial saves, reinforcing his standing as one of the best goalkeepers in world football, opponents simply cannot break them down right now.

They’ve also become a nightmare from set pieces. Under Arteta’s coaching, and following the arrival of Gabriel Heinze as part of his staff, the league leaders tower above everyone when it comes to set-piece goals — scoring 11 times from corners and free-kicks so far.

This style has attracted some criticism, with Arsenal quite near the bottom of the pile for Premier League goals from open play, but supporters won’t care one bit if they carry on this superb run of form.

Their standing has been made all the more impressive considering a bunch of big-name first teamers are currently sidelined through injury.

William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli joined the Arsenal treatment table recently, missing their 2-0 win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup midweek.

Saliba was out for a brief period at the very start of 25/26 too, with summer signing Cristhian Mosquera performing excellently in his absence.

The young Spaniard appears set for an extended run in the team once again after Arteta’s latest update on Saliba, but there’s some good news sprinkled in there too.

Mikel Arteta shares positive Arsenal injury update pre-Burnley

While Saliba and Martinelli are both still absent with no timeframe put on their return, Arteta shares a positive update on the conditions of club captain Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, when asked if the trio could all be available for Arsenal’s North London derby clash against Tottenham in November, the response was ecstatic with Arteta expecting them back “very soon”.

Reports this week suggested that Madueke is making a “faster-than-expected” recovery at Arsenal and is closing in on a return.

Insider HandOfArsenal also stated earlier this month that Havertz is blowing away Arsenal staff and is on track to return ahead of schedule.

Odegaard’s return can’t come soon enough, with the Norwegian suffering terribly bad luck with injuries this term as he looks to put his fitness woes behind him and provide Arsenal with that extra cutting edge in the final third.

The former Real Madrid star suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee against West Ham just before the last international break, and estimates claim his comeback is booked for November.

Arsenal in preliminary talks to sign £44m PSG star who Arteta "dreams" of getting

Anyone who watched New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso's towering home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday in Game 5 of the NLCS knew it was a capital B-Blast.

However, it was also somewhat of a historic blast.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com—citing Statcast data—Alonso's three-run round-tripper was the longest home run hit by a Met in the postseason since data tracking began at scale in 2015.

Per DiComo, Alonso's home run traveled 432 feet—one foot longer than the next longest home run, clubbed by catcher Travis d'Arnaud in Game 1 of the 2015 NLCS against the Chicago Cubs.

It's true that New York hasn't played a ton of postseason baseball since '15—making the playoffs just four times in that span, including a pair of wild-card games or series losses.

However, that makes Alonso's home run no less impressive—and all the more meaningful for a long-suffering fanbase.

The MLB season rolls on as we get closer and closer to the All-Star break, and there are a few bets I’m looking to make on a shortened slate on Monday. 

I’m eyeing two right-handed starters on Monday and their strikeout props, as Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta and Philadelphia Phillies star Aaron Nola both could be in line to put up big K numbers. 

Plus, there is a moneyline underdog that I believe has some sneaky value on Monday night. 

Let’s break down these picks to kick off the week in baseball!

MLB Best Bets Today

• Freddy Peralta OVER 5.5 Strikeouts (-150)
• Seattle Mariners Moneyline (-108) vs. Tampa Bay Rays
• Aaron Nola OVER 5.5 Strikeouts (-165)

Freddy Peralta OVER 5.5 Strikeouts (-150)

Peralta has been one of the best strikeout pitchers in all of baseball this season, ranking in the 92nd percentile in strikeout percentage and whiff percentage, averaging 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

He gets a matchup with the Texas Rangers on Monday, who average just 7.57 strikeouts per game this season, but that still gives Peralta some leeway at his current K number.

Over his 15 starts, Peralta has cleared 5.5 K’s 12 times, and he only has one start (a game he lasted just 3.1 innings) where he finished with fewer than five strikeouts. 

That gives us a solid floor to lean on when it comes to this prop, and I expect Peralta’s season-long strikeout prowess to shine even against a tough offense. 

Seattle Mariners Moneyline (-108) vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The Seattle Mariners are holding a solid lead in the AL West entering Monday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are just fourth in the AL East. 

Can Seattle pull off a road win?

I believe so. 

Bryan Woo gets the ball for the Mariners in this matchup, and he’s led the Mariners to a 6-1 record in his seven outings this season. 

The righty has not allowed more than three runs in a single start this season, posting a 1.67 ERA and 2.83 Fielding Independent Pitching. 

I think that gives him a huge edge over Tampa Bay starter Taj Bradley, who comes into this start with a 4.06 ERA in eight outings. The Rays are 4-4 this season when Bradley is on the mound. 

Both of these teams rank in the bottom 10 in the league in OPS, so I’ll gladly trust the better starter on Monday night. 

Aaron Nola OVER 5.5 Strikeouts (-165)

The strikeout numbers haven't been what you’d expect from Nola this season (he’s in the 52nd percentile in strikeout percentage), but I like him to clear his prop against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. 

Detroit averages 8.84 strikeouts per game (22nd in Major League Baseball), which means Nola doesn’t have to lead this offense to more K’s than normal – like Peralta may have to – to clear this prop. 

Nola is coming off a six-strikeout game, and he’s cleared this prop in four of his last eight games. 

I wouldn’t call this my favorite prop of the night, but the Tigers have struggled enough at avoiding the punchout that I’ll bet on Nola to clear this number.

It wasn’t the perfect start to Nuno Espírito Santo’s tenure at West Ham United on Monday night, but it wasn’t far off.

The Portuguese manager’s first game in charge saw the Hammers take on David Moyes’ Everton, and while they fell behind in the first half, they rallied, equalised in the second 45 and could have gone on to win on another day.

However, while it’s not quite as important as the team’s fightback, the coach’s decision to leave James Ward-Prowse back in London suggests he’s ready to make significant changes to the team.

However, there is another member of the squad who isn’t good enough and should be left out, just like the Englishman, going forward.

Why Ward-Prowse's time is up under Nuno

West Ham paid Southampton around £30m to sign Ward-Prowse in the summer of 2023, and aside from a few good performances here and there, and the odd free-kick, it’s a move that can only be described as a disaster.

The former Saints star is not agile, powerful, or quick enough to play as one of the team’s two central midfielders, but at the same time, he has not shown enough in-game creativity to start in the ten, especially not when Lucas Paqueta is still at the club.

The Portsmouth-born ace has been so lacklustre since his move to London Stadium over two years ago that he was sent on a season-long loan to Nottingham Forest, only to be sent back halfway through the campaign, having made a grand total of ten appearances, six of which were starts.

Now, some may claim that with a new manager through the door, all of the players who struggled under Graham Potter should be given another chance, but unfortunately for Ward-Prowse, it was Nuno who refused to play him at the City Ground.

Perhaps the best example of why the 11-capped international has to be moved on as soon as possible are the statistics from his last game for the club.

Ward-Prowse’s game vs Palace

Minutes

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Accurate Passes

41/48 (85%)

Crosses (Accurate)

5 (1)

Shots on Target

0

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

3 (0)

Lost Possession

14

Fouls

3

Dribbled Past

2

All Stats via Sofascore

For example, in the game against Crystal Palace, he misplaced four of five crosses, lost eight of nine duels, was dribbled past twice, lost possession of the ball 14 times, and committed three fouls.

In other words, Ward-Prowse was, and is, a liability for West Ham and therefore, should ideally be sold in the winter window, alongside another player who has consistently failed to impress in East London.

The West Ham player who has to be dropped with JWP

The unfortunate reality for Nuno is that, while West Ham do have a number of quite brilliant players in the squad, they also have plenty who should be moved on as soon as possible.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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One of those who, unfortunately, falls into the latter camp is Konstantinos Mavropanos.

The Greek defender joined the club from Arsenal in the summer of 2023, and once again, while there have been some impressive moments here and there, he’s largely failed to live up to expectations.

We can see this in his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 6% for interceptions in the league among centre-backs last season, but just the top 35% for tackles, the top 56% for shots blocked and the bottom 23% for passes blocked.

In other words, the numbers back up the eye-test, and while it might sound harsh, they lend credence to the claim from journalist Tom Rennie that the 27-year-old is “nowhere near Premier League quality.”

A new manager didn’t make a difference either, as the former Stuttgart ace failed to prevent Michael Keane from opening the scoring on Monday night, despite initially being well-placed to do so.

Now, if there were no other options in the squad to replace him, Nuno might be forced to persevere with the Athens-born titan, but he has summer signing Igor Julio and Jean-Clair Todibo to choose from.

Ultimately, West Ham should look to sell Mavropanos and bring in a replacement in the winter window, as, like Ward-Prowse, he is not good enough to play under Nuno.

Related Fewer touches than Areola: Nuno must drop West Ham's "old-fashioned" flop

Nuno Santo has some big decisions to make at West Ham already.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 30, 2025

KL Rahul scored his third half-century in IPL 2025 on Tuesday night in Delhi Capitals’ (DC) win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), taking his tally to 323 runs in seven innings after missing the start of the season for the birth of his child. He is DC’s highest run-getter this season and the latest innings – a match-winning 42-ball 57 – was yet another performance where his skills as one of the most dangerous Indian T20 batters was on display.He is now averaging nearly 65 in his first season with his new franchise, and Cheteshwar Pujara has credited Rahul for leaving last season’s “baggage” – the fallout with LSG – at the door and moving on.”Just move on, don’t carry any baggage from the past,” Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut, reflecting on Rahul’s IPL 2025 form. “And that’s a good thing. Look, KL is a mature player. Last couple of years, he’s been batting well across formats. He doesn’t want to think about the past and wants to enjoy his batting and be in his zone, rather than think about what went wrong when he was playing for the LSG team.Related

• KL Rahul speeds up in bid to 'get back in the T20 team' ahead of 2026 T20 World Cup

• Kevin Pietersen is helping make Delhi Capitals' players better cricketers and loving it

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• Marsh, Markram and Rahul add spice to race for the Orange Cap

• Pant goes the other way – what's the rationale?

“It’s good to move on, which will also help him play well for DC and even for the Indian team. Because, lately, he is someone the India team also relies on, the way he’s batting. Even as a person, he looks a lot more mature now, he understands his game very well. We have seen a different KL Rahul this season. When he started [against LSG], he didn’t look that [fluid], but still he picked it up.”On Tuesday, after LSG had put up 159 for 6, Rahul walked out with DC at 36 for 1 in the fourth over. He took his time to get going, only getting to 19 off 20 balls by the end of the tenth over, but with Abishek Porel scoring quickly at the other end, DC were still placed quite well at 80 for 1. Rahul got going after that with sixes in back-to-back overs, off Ravi Bishnoi and Aiden Markram, the spinners, and, while never frenetic, got to his fifty off 40 balls before finishing the game with his third six.Nick Knight, the former England opener, said Rahul might be thriving because he doesn’t have to shoulder the responsibility of captaincy, like he had to at LSG.”Captaincy can do funny things to you – sometimes you thrive on it, sometimes it’s a burden,” Knight said. “Whether that’s had any impact, of not being captain now, just being free and being able to play the match situation.”We’ve got this obsession in cricket that the best player has to be captain. That’s not always the case, is it? I’m not saying that’s the case with KL Rahul, or even Rishabh Pant, but he’s batting with so much freedom and looks relaxed in the crease.”1:51

Pujara: Mukesh got reverse swing, executed yorkers

Pujara: Mukesh is ‘always looking for a wicket’

Pujara liked what he saw of Mukesh Kumar on the night, especially at the back-end of the LSG innings. His 4 for 33 ensured LSG finished with a below-par 159 that DC chased down with 13 balls to spare.”He is more than capable, even within the powerplay. He is someone who can take a couple of wickets in the powerplay, which he hasn’t done, but credit to him on how he came back after being hit in the powerplay,” Pujara said. “That yorker against Mitchell Marsh was probably one of the best [deliveries] in the IPL. He got the ball to reverse swing a bit, he executed his yorkers really well. Look, he is a confidence bowler, and he’s always looking for a wicket.”Knight also gave credit to DC captain Axar Patel for his bowling changes and making the best use of his resources. Axar had taken the new ball himself against the two overseas LSG batters – Marsh and Markram – and bowled four economical overs on the trot.”Axar, actually, had a good game,” Knight said. “I thought it was innovative to open the bowling with him [Axar]. I thought he used Mitchell Starc really well. It wasn’t swinging much up front so he took Starc out. Brought him back in the eighth over [ninth over] to make an impact and he did that with the Nicholas Pooran dismissal [later in the same spell].”Then he had Kuldeep [Yadav], himself and Mitchell Starc bowling in key moments in the middle to block LSG out. I thought it was an impressive performance from the skipper.”

Daniel Levy may be gone, but that’s not set to stop Tottenham Hotspur from planning their January business and they’re now reportedly expected to make a fresh move to sign an attacking star.

What next for Tottenham after Daniel Levy

For better or worse, it’s the end of an era at Tottenham. Levy has departed his role as chairman after almost 25 years to steal the headlines and leave the North London club heading into a new era. Whether he left of his own accord or was asked to step down is a debate for another day, but there’s no denying that Spurs now have the chance to start afresh.

But what next for Spurs? For almost 25 years, Levy was their man. Now, they must welcome a new face of ambition that many accused the former chairman of lacking.

In his place is Peter Charrington. The director of ENIC and former CEO of Private Bank will be joined by chief executive Vinai Vinkatesham, who will take on the day-to-day running of the club.

It is a change aimed at long-term success and one which could even feature a major transfer as soon as January if reports are anything to go by.

Tottenham expected to make Fofana move

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham are expected to make a January move to sign Malick Fofana after failing to reach an agreement with Lyon for his signature late on in the summer transfer window. The winger will reportedly be available for around €50m (£43m) this winter, with the likes of Inter Milan also keen to secure his signature.

Dubbed “magnificent” by scout Jacek Kulig, it should come as no surprise that there’s been so much interest in Fofana in the last six months. He has been one of the stars of the show in an often struggling Lyon side, who are only just finding their feet again in the current campaign.

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5 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 5, 2025

With one goal and one assist in three games in the current campaign too, it doesn’t look as though the 20-year-old is going to slow down anytime soon.

Just days after he struggled against Viktoria Plzen even as Rangers advanced in the Champions League qualifiers, one player has reportedly agreed a deal to depart Ibrox.

Martin "disappointed" by Plzen defeat

It’s been a frustrating start for Russell Martin, who has been as brutally honest as possible in his first set of games as Rangers manager. The former Southampton boss instantly hit out at his team following their opening day draw against Motherwell, but is yet to see his criticism have the desired effect.

Exciting Gassama repeat: Rangers submit bid to sign "dangerous" £3.5m star

Rangers are reportedly in talks to sign a star who would be an exciting Djeidi Gassama repeat.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 13, 2025

Since Martin’s scathing review, Rangers have defeated Plzen in the first leg of their Champions League tie, stuttered to a second-consecutive 1-1 draw in the Scottish Premiership against Dundee and managed to edge past their European opponents in the second leg despite suffering a 2-1 loss on the night.

In all three games, simply put, the Gers have been far from convincing. And Martin once again aired his disappointment on Tuesday night.

It looks as though the manager’s ruthlessness is set to continue too, with one player now heading for the exit door just days after the Plzen defeat.

Jefte reaches agreement to leave Rangers

As reported by UOL and relayed by Sport Witness, Jefte has now reached a verbal agreement with Palmeiras, who are set for face-to-face talks with Rangers to get their deal finalised. The Brazilian left-back started on Tuesday night and was one of many players who struggled to put in their best work. Now, days later, he looks set to depart.

Winning none of his tackles and making just six defensive contributions in total, as per Fotmob, Jefte was once again found wanting defensively on Tuesday night and it was perhaps one below-par performance too many for Rangers. That said, there was a time when he found himself at the centre of praise.

Former Rangers manager Philippe Clement told reporters last season: “It was what I expected, he’s a very talented player that’s why we made a big fight during six months to get him here.

“But from January on we kept a lot of contact with him and he was really convinced to come to Rangers, although a lot of teams were interested in him. He’s a very talented player for the future who for sure needs to learn still a lot, but it’s normal as he’s only 20 and he has one year experience in Europe.”

He remains suspended from bowling in top-flight cricket with Bangladesh’s selection for the Champions Trophy imminent

Mohammad Isam12-Jan-2025

Shakib Al Hasan remains suspended from bowling in top-flight domestic and international cricket•AFP/Getty Images

Shakib Al Hasan has failed a test of his bowling action for the second time after being suspended from bowling in top-flight domestic and international cricket. This latest independent re-assessment of his action took place at the Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Science in Chennai last month.Shakib’s suspension will remain in place, as a result. “Consequently, the player’s existing suspension from bowling in international cricket following the initial independent assessment at the testing centre of Loughborough University in the UK, also remains in place,” the BCB said in a statement on Saturday. “A successful reassessment is required for the bowling suspension to be lifted.Related

Shakib saga: BCB wait on Chennai results before CT 2025 decision

Shakib suspended from bowling in all top-level cricket

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“While Shakib is currently unable to bowl, he is eligible to continue playing as a batsman in all forms of domestic and international cricket.”Shakib had failed his first test at the UK’s Loughborough University late last year, after he was reported for a suspect action during an English county match in September. This prompted the ECB’s action to suspend him, and, in accordance with clause 11.3 of the ICC’s regulations for illegal bowling actions, his suspension was automatically recognised and enforced by the ICC in international cricket and by all national cricket federations in their respective domestic competitions.The continued suspension is likely to have an impact on Bangladesh’s squad for the Champions Trophy in February-March, although BCB president Faruque Ahmed said on January 3 that he desired Shakib back in the team. It was also reported recently that Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto gave his nod to the BCB regarding Shakib’s ODI return. The BCB has announced it will announce the Bangladesh squad on Sunday noon.Shakib has been out of international cricket since the two-match Test tour of India in September-October 2024. Following that tour, he could not travel back to Bangladesh in the face of student protests. Shakib had been a member of parliament in the Awami League government, which fell from power on August 5, in the face of a student-led revolution in Bangladesh.Shakib last played for Bangladesh in the two Tests against India, and his last ODI came during the 2023 World Cup.

The appointment is till the end of the Champions Trophy next year, after which the PCB will finalise the full-time coach

Danyal Rasool18-Nov-2024

Aaqib Javed had earlier served as UAE’s head coach•ICC/Getty Images

Aaqib Javed has been named interim head coach of Pakistan’s men’s national white-ball teams till the end of the 2025 Champions Trophy, of which Pakistan are the hosts.Former Pakistan quick and UAE men’s head coach Aaqib will continue to serve as a senior member of the Pakistan men’s selection committee, and “will be assigned additional responsibilities following the conclusion” of the Champions Trophy, the PCB said in a statement on Monday.The PCB added that it “will initiate the recruitment process for a permanent white-ball head coach” with the aim of completing the appointment by the end of the Champions Trophy, which is set to run from February 19 to March 9.Speaking at a press meet at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday, Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, said, “We have temporarily asked Aaqib Javed to take over as coach until Champions Trophy. We don’t want to act too hastily in bringing in another coach who isn’t right. So this three-month gap, Aaqib will work [in that position]. He definitely wants to work on other things but we requested him to work for three months as head coach and after that we will see about the other stuff he wants to do.”It is only for [Aaqib to be only] white-ball [coach] and only [in an] interim [capacity]. We will begin the process of looking for a head coach in the next 10-15 days so we can search and find a good head coach.”Jason Gillespie, meanwhile, will continue to helm the Test side, and will join the touring party for the two-Test series in South Africa, which starts on December 26 after a T20I and ODI series. Last week, Gillespie was sounded out to perform white-ball duties until the Champions Trophy, without a change in his current contract – in effect, to take on two additional formats without being paid more for the increased scope of his role. Gillespie turned that offer down.Aaqib continuing to be on the selection committee puts the PCB’s coaching set-up in the unusual position, where the interim white-ball coach does have a say in selection across formats, while the full-time red-ball coach does not have a say in selection for the Test side.The decision to hand Aaqib white-ball coaching duties at such a critical phase of white-ball cricket for Pakistan underscores how swift the speed of Aaqib’s ascent has been. Until a few weeks ago, he was Lahore Qalandars’ long-term coach and director of cricket operations, where he had a mixed record; he led the side to consecutive PSL titles, but also saw several bottom-place finishes, including earlier this season.Jason Gillespie will continue to be Pakistan’s red-ball coach•Getty Images

When appointed a member of the selection committee, he was viewed by the PCB’s top brass as the mastermind behind the implementation of spin-friendly pitches against England to turn that series. He quit his role at Qalandars to focus on the PCB, where he was initially viewed as the favourite to be appointed director at the National Cricket Academy. He served a stint as Sri Lanka’s bowling coach earlier this year, but now begins his highest profile challenge.Pakistan haven’t had a full-time white-ball coach since Gary Kirsten resigned in late October. Gillespie had been given additional responsibilities for the ongoing white-ball tour of Australia.The tour of Australia, where Pakistan won the ODI series but lost the T20Is, ends today, and Pakistan are next slotted to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Zimbabwe (November 24 to December 5) before travelling to South Africa. In South Africa, they will first play three T20Is (December 10 to 14) and then three ODIs (December 17 to 22) before the two Tests. Pakistan then play a two-Test series at home against West Indies (January 16 to 28) before hosting New Zealand and South Africa in a short ODI tri-series just before the Champions Trophy.

They might not have the trophies to show for it at the moment, but this Arsenal team are stacked with sensational players.

One of the most impressive is undoubtedly Bukayo Saka, who has taken on the role of club talisman and has become an output machine in recent seasons.

Likewise, Gabriel Magalhaes has developed from a player often labelled as error-prone to one of the most reliable in the squad and someone who knows exactly how to throw his weight around.

So, fans should be delighted that Arsenal are close to signing a player who embodies some of the best qualities of both.

Arsenal close in on game-changing signing

It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that, in terms of signings, this has been one of the most exciting summers Arsenal fans have had for quite some time.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, the highly-sought-after Martin Zubimendi has finally been announced, alongside the squad-bolstering acquisitions of Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Additionally, the promising Cristhian Mosquera and potentially great Noni Madueke have already undergone their medicals, and the links to Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze persist.

However, there is still one more player, perhaps the most important of them all, yet to be officially secured, although that might be about to change.

At least that’s according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has confirmed that Arsenal are nearing the final stages of their negotiations to sign Viktor Gyokeres.

The Italian journalist stated the following: “The conversation is still ongoing in London. The agents of the player are still in London to try resolve the agreement between all parties involved.

“Gyokeres is fighting to go to Arsenal. But obviously it’s really important to agree on the add-ons. They are really on it on every single hour, every single minute – Arsenal and Sporting are working on this deal.”

While we will have to wait and see what the overall package comes to, reports elsewhere have made it clear that the base fee will be around £55m, which seems like a fair price for a player of his calibre, especially as he could be described as a hybrid of Saka and Gabriel.

Why Gyokeres is a Saka & Gabriel Hybrid

Okay, we know this might sound a little out there to start with, but hear us out, as even though Gyokeres plays in a different position to both players and has some key differences, he also shares some unmistakable similarities.

Starting with Gabriel, for example, the former Coventry City star is a behemoth of a player, and while he might not have the heading ability of the Brazilian, he can certainly use his physique as a size advantage in the same way.

Don’t just take our word for it though, as The Athletic’s Thom Harris referred to the Swedish international as ‘a battering ram of a striker’ earlier this month, and you only need to look at the way he holds off defenders or simply barges past them in any of his numerous goal compilations.

In fact, while he couldn’t finish at the end, the 27-year-old demonstrated his brute strength against the Gunners in the Champions League last season, when he rode the challenges of both Gabriel and William Saliba to get into the penalty area.

Finally, he also has the mentality to match, with reports earlier in the window claiming that he was willing to give up millions to force this move and get the chance to win things at Arsenal.

This is also arguably something he shares with Saka, but the most significant aspect of his game that makes him similar to the Englishman is his output and willingness to put a team on his back.

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 4248 minutes, the free-scoring “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, put the ball in the back of the net 54 times and provided 13 assists.

In other words, the Stockholm-born machine averaged 1.28 goal involvements per game, or one every 63.40 minutes and was unsurprisingly his team’s most productive player.

While the Hale Ender wasn’t quite as prolific, he was still unreal in the games he played last season, racking up 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances, totalling 2619 minutes.

Appearances

37

52

Minutes

2619′

4248′

Goals

12

54

Assists

14

13

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

1.28

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.73′

63.40′

That means the mercurial number seven averaged a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or every 100.73 minutes, and was the club’s most productive player, despite missing over three months of the campaign.

Just imagine how dangerous the Gunners could be next season with the two game-changers playing alongside one another.

Ultimately, it won’t be cheap, but Arsenal appear to be onto a winner with Gyokeres, and the fact that he embodies the best aspects of Saka and Gabriel is proof of that.

Arteta's new Xhaka: Arsenal hold talks to sign "monster" £30m CM

The impressive midfielder could add some extra bit to Arsenal this summer.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 17, 2025