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Despite only winning one of their last six fixtures, Leeds United are in a strong position in the Premier League with double the points of 18th-place Burnley.

However, unless they get back to winning ways, they will be dragged into the relegation battle. Ahead of their clash with Tottenham, Daniel Farke spoke to the media about his team’s season and preparation for the game.

The conference came with bad news for Leeds fans, with confirmation that both Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto will be unavailable. Additionally, goalkeeper Lucas Perri is back in team training, but the game against Thomas Frank’s side comes too soon for him to be available. James is the more severe of the three injuries, with the Welshman expected to be out until after the November international break.

All three players will be big losses for Farke against Spurs. However, the Leeds boss seemed positive going into the game, due to players “stepping up when needed”. Another reason Farke may be happy is that he knows the fans will soon receive news that will bolster their spirits.

Leeds set to unveil new contract

Leeds are preparing to announce a new contract for 16-year-old talent Harry Gray. Gray is highly rated by the club and is currently developing well as a forward, having represented Leeds at youth level and once at senior level with a four-minute cameo against Stoke in the Championship. Gray has also impressed at national youth level, where he has represented the England Under-17s on five occasions, scoring once.

Journalist Graham Bailey revealed the news that Gray would imminently have a contract announcement: “Leeds are very excited with Harry Gray. His new deal is done. They’ll be announcing that next week. They are very excited by that internally, obviously.”

However, despite the new contract, it may be a while before Gray is seen in the senior team, and he almost certainly won’t face his brother Archie Gray when Leeds play Tottenham on Saturday.

Gray's route to the first team

Ahead of the season, The Athletics Beren Cross predicted Gray to be Leeds’ “breakout player”. Cross stated that Gray could start putting in performances this season despite his age and emulate strikers like Harry Kane and Michael Owen.

Despite the hype and positive contract news, Leeds fans will have to wait to see Gray’s Premier League debut, as, in his pre-match press conference, Farke confirmed that the 16-year-old was suffering a minor issue with his hip.

The other concern is that Gray plays up front and Leeds brought in two new strikers this summer, making him fourth in the pecking order behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe.

The good news for Gray is that none of these players have hit the season running, so if he continues to perform well in training and stay fit, Farke may try him up front at some stage in the season.

Even if Gray’s appearances are sporadic this season, at 16 years old, he has plenty of time ahead of him to develop and earn his place in the starting 11.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has named one of his former teammates as the “worst” signing in the club’s history, branding him “so unprofessional”.

Scholes names former teammate as "worst" Man Utd signing

It would be fair to say that very few of the signings Man United have made since Sir Alex Ferguson retired have worked out, with YouTuber Adam McKola particularly critical of one of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s additions on The Overlap earlier this month.

McKola said: “I think Jadon Sancho is the worst signing Manchester United have ever made. There’s big competition for it. We spent £80m on Antony who is useless.

“For me Jadon Sancho is the biggest waste of space I’ve ever seen in a United shirt. I think he’s a disgrace and I can’t wait to see the back of him.”

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Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 16, 2025

Sancho has been widely reported to rake in £300k-a-week, yet he has never managed to deliver in a United shirt, being shipped out on loan to Chelsea last season, with the west Londoners agreeing to pay a £5m penalty fee to avoid having to sign the winger permanently.

You may expect Scholes to name one of the Red Devils’ current players as their worst signing ever, off the back of finishing 15th in the Premier League last season, but the club legend believes one of his former teammates is at the top of the list. The legendary midfielder said:

Bosnich undoubtedly one of Man Utd's worst signings

Bosnich was signed as a successor to the legendary Peter Schmeichel, but the goalkeeper was unable to make the step-up, making 23 Premier League appearances in the 1999-00 season before being snubbed by Ferguson.

Fabian Barthez was ultimately brought in to replace the Australian, who ended up moving to Chelsea, and the Frenchman fared a lot better, spending three full seasons at Old Trafford and winning two Premier League titles.

While Bosnich was undoubtedly a terrible signing for Man United, it may be a little harsh to suggest he is the worst-ever, considering the goalkeeper arrived on a free transfer from Aston Villa.

Sancho, on the other hand, is widely reported to have cost £73m, which is the fourth-highest fee Man United have ever shelled out on a player, making it even more criminal the 25-year-old mustered up just 12 goals and six assists in 83 matches.

Arsenal are fresh off the back of a blockbuster transfer window as they look to compete with fellow big spenders Liverpool for the Premier League title.

Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta worked in tandem on some huge deals, with the former making quite an impression since replacing ex-sporting director Edu Gaspar in late March.

Arsenal’s confirmed summer signings

Price tag

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

The Italian oversaw a transfer spend worth over £250 million on an array of new signings across the pitch, perhaps most notably Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, who could both prove to be absolutely vital.

It is early days, but after Arsenal’s limp 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, the Gunners have already attracted criticism for their lack of ingenuity in the final third, especially away from home.

Eze and Gyokeres bagged 68 goals and 24 assists in all competitions between them last term, with the pair joining Kepa Arrizabalaga, Piero Hincapie, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Noni Madueke as Berta’s first eight major signings as sporting director.

Berta’s deadline day capture of Hincapie was labelled a “masterstroke” as well, with Arteta now boasting two capable back-ups to William Saliba and Gabriel at the heart of his defence.

Amidst the international break, and as Arteta prepares for a crucial next game, controversial former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has shared a very interesting story from his time at the Emirates Stadium.

Guardiola phoned Adebayor "every morning" in talks to sign him from Arsenal

The 41-year-old, in an interview with Sky Sports this week, shared the story behind his blockbuster move from north London to Man City — which, of course, resulted in that infamous away end celebration.

Before signing for City, Adebayor was a wanted man across Europe after 62 goals and 18 assists in 142 total appearances under Arsène Wenger, with then-Barcelona boss, a much younger Pep Guardiola, ringing the player “every morning” in a bid to sign him.

The forward didn’t end up staying at City either, and instead was the target of further loathing from supporters, even joining north London rivals Tottenham after a brief stint on loan there and at Real Madrid.

Adebayor’s last club was quite recently, Togolese side AC Semassi in 2023 to be exact, but didn’t manage a single goal there before finally deciding to hang up his boots for good.

Stumps A thrilling third day’s play of the Ranji Trophy final took a potentially decisive turn late in the third session, when Sachin Baby, who was a symbol of concentration and grit all day to construct 234-ball 98, fell with Kerala 56 away from a first-innings lead. That opened the floodgates for hosts Vidarbha to barge the door down, by picking up the three remaining wickets quickly to take a 37-run lead by stumps.Harsh Dubey and Parth Rekhade, the left-arm spin twins, picked up six wickets between them as Kerala saw the lead snatched from under their rug in eerily similar circumstances to what they did to Gujarat only a week earlier. Dubey ended with 3 for 88 across 44 overs, to surpass Ashutosh Aman’s tally for most wickets in a single Ranji season. He’s now on top of the list with 69 wickets.The big moment came 30 minutes into the final session when Rekhade danged a carrot with Baby approaching three figures in his 100th first-class game. With mid-on in, Baby looked to launch him over the infield but ended up dragging it to Karun Nair at the deep midwicket boundary. Baby took an eternity to walk off and couldn’t believe what he’d done. In that moment, it felt as if Kerala’s hopes hinged on a lead that eventually was taken away from them when the lower order was snuffed out.Jalaj Saxena, Kerala’s last hope, soldiered on for 76 deliveries to make 28 before an attempted paddle off Rekhade had him miss the ball as it crashed into the stumps. Kerala still needed 43, but there was a sense that the end was nigh. Saxena’s wicket was massive, for he was looking completely at ease against the turning ball that occasionally spat on the batters with a few spots from the rough areas of both ends making it difficult for the batters.Like it has on many occasions, the prelude to Saxena’s wicket was a lengthy recovery break when Yash Rathod fell flat on the ground with cramps and needed treatment from the physio before play resumed. It was almost as if that break forced a slight lapse in concentration from Saxena as he attempted to paddle one from outside off, having played that stroke a number of times during his innings to deliveries drifting into the pads.Darshan Nalkande finished with 3 for 52 in the first innings•PTI

Once Saxena fell, Kerala folded with 19-year-old Eden Apple Tom, playing in only his third Ranji game and his first in nearly three years, bowled attempting a sweep after he’d blunted the bowling for a better part of the last 45 minutes. The last hour undid all the hard work Baby did in being able to have Kerala dare to dream of a lead, but he’ll know with two full days left and two quality spinners in his ranks, Kerala’s ability to bounce back will depend on how quickly they’re able to lift themselves from the pall of gloom that seemed to have set into the dressing room when their final wicket fell.The nature of Kerala’s collapse in the end was dramatic and won’t tell you how well the batters had done to give them sight of a lead in the first place. Local boy and two-time Ranji winner with Vidarbha, Aditya Sarwate, led the way with 79, and was the first to fall on the third day when he was prised out by Dubey, who quickly changed his approach from trying to bowl full and flat to looping it into the batters and having them jab at deliveries.Once such delivery that jumped at Sarwate lobbed off the bat to Danish Malewar at silly point just a few minutes after he’d reprieved him by putting down a low catch at gully. That wicket forced Vidarbha to go on an attack, as Baby, who overturned an lbw through DRS on 54, opened up to play some wonderful shots – the secret to his runs early on lay in how late he played the ball and how disciplined he was outside off.Mohammed Azharuddeen took much pressure off Baby as he late cut the spinners well to keep picking runs and bring the deficit close to double digits when Vidarbha’s decision to take the second new ball midway through the 93rd over immediately paid dividends. Off the very first ball of the 94th, Azharuddeen was trapped lbw by Darshan Nalkande’s in-ducker that beat his inside edge.Saxena then showed some intent up front by hitting two boundaries off his first five deliveries, before he buckled down in Baby’s company. The pair added 46 when Baby’s hoick – what would best be described a brain fade – changed the complexion of the innings, and possibly the match itself.

Henry Martín picked up the injury during Monday’s training session and is expected to be out for an undetermined period. The Club América captain had just returned in the 2-1 Clásico Nacional defeat to Chivas. After an injury-plagued year, he had regained fitness but still hasn’t scored this Apertura 2025 after eight rounds.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Henry Martín picked up the injury during training

  The fallout from América’s loss to Chivas in the Clásico Nacional continues to worsen. Forward Henry Martín, who came off the bench in Saturday’s match, has once again been ruled out due to a new injury setback.

  On Tuesday, Martín did not join his teammates on the training pitch at Coapa. Shortly afterward, the club confirmed he had suffered a sprain in his right knee – a major blow for .

  While América stated that the recovery timetable will depend on how the injury progresses, medical sources suggest that knee sprains of this nature can require anywhere from three weeks to six months of rehabilitation, depending on the severity.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  A challenging year continues for the club captain

  This Apertura 2025 has been particularly rough for the Mexican international. A string of injuries has prevented him from regaining top form and even pushed him out of the national team picture. So far, Martín has appeared in just three league matches – against Querétaro, Necaxa, and Chivas – without completing the full 90 minutes in any of them. In total, he has logged only 111 minutes and is still searching for his first goal of the campaign.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  How long will he be sidelined?

  If the sprain is minor, Martín could be back in time for Matchday 11, when América takes on Pumas in the . But if the injury proves more severe, there’s a chance he could miss the rest of the tournament.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  América face a tough road test this weekend

  Next up for André Jardine’s side is a high-profile visit to Monterrey on Saturday, a clash between two teams currently battling at the top of the table.

أعلنت رابطة البريميرليج عن الفائز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في الجولة الخامسة لبطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز للموسم الحالي 2025/2026.

ويتصدر ليفربول جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بالعلامة الكاملة 15 نقطة، بعد مرور 5 جولات، إذ حقق فوزًا مثيرًا أمام نظيره إيفرتون في ديربي الميرسيسايد بثنائية مقابل هدف على ملعب “آنفيلد”.

وكان مانشستر سيتي قريبًا من تحقيق فوز مهم أمام آرسنال في ديربي الجولة الخامسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، لكن الجانرز تمكنوا عن طريق مارتينيللي من تسجيل هدف التعادل القاتل في الدقيقة 92، لتنتهي المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل منهما.

وشهدت الجولة أيضًا فوز مانشستر يونايتد على نظيره تشيلسي، في ديربي آخر من ديربيات الجولة الخامسة الممتعة بنتيجة 2/1، على ملعب “أولد ترافورد”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كيف علق حساب الدوري الإنجليزي على مركز محمد صلاح في ترتيب الكرة الذهبية 2025؟

واختارت رابطة البريميرليج الهولندي ريان جرافنبيرخ، لاعب خط وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، أفضل لاعب في الجولة الخامسة بعد الأداء المميز الذي قدمه أمام إيفرتون.

وقاد جرافنبيرخ ليفربول للفوز على إيفرتون بعدما سجل الهدف الأول من صناعة النجم الدولي المصري محمد صلاح، ثم صنع الهدف الثاني للمهاجم الفرنسي هوجو إيكتيكي.

وحصل اللاعب البالغ من العمر 23 عامًا على 31% من الأصوات في استطلاع رأي الجماهير وأتى برونو فرنانديز في المركز الثاني بنسبة 20% ثم أنطون ستاش 16%، وجيريمي دوكو ونوردي موكيلي، كلاهما 11%، وأليكس إيوبي 6%، ومارتن دوبرافكا 4%، وتيريك ميتشل 1%.

يخوض فريق مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي أولى مبارياته ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا لموسم 2025-2026، اليوم الخميس، حين يلاقي نابولي الإيطالي.

ويستقبل مانشستر سيتي خصمه نابولي على ملعب “الاتحاد” في إطار مباريات الجولة الأولى لمرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويشهد مانشستر سيتي بعض الغيابات في صفوفه بداعٍ الإصابة، وعلى رأسهم المصري عمر مرموش لإصابة في الركبة.

كما يغيب عن مانشستر سيتي كل من، جون ستونز، ريان شرقي، ريان آيت نوري، بالإضافة إلى ماتيو كوفاسيتش.

ومن المتوقع أن يبدأ حارس المرمى الإيطالي جيانلويجي دوناروما أساسيًا، وستكون مباراته الأولى مع مانشستر سيتي في دوري أبطال أوروبا، بعد انتقاله للفريق من باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي في انتقالات الصيف. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي المتوقع أمام نابولي

حراسة المرمى: جيانلويجي دوناروما.

خط الدفاع: ريكو لويس، روبن دياز، ناثان آكي، جفارديول.

خط الوسط: رودري، برناردو سيلفا، تيجاني ريندرز.

خط الهجوم: فيل فودين، إيرلينج هالاند، جيريمي دوكو.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Where is Alexander Isak going to be playing his football next season? The Newcastle United striker is one of two attackers embroiled in a huge transfer saga involving the Magpies and Premier League champions Liverpool. It is fair to say that his future is up in the air right now.

A new report from David Ornstein explains that the Reds have contacted Eintracht Frankfurt over a possible move for Hugo Ekitike, also a key target for Liverpool. However, Arne Slot’s side have also made a move for Isak. Newcastle are hoping to keep their number nine and also sign Ektiike.

At this stage, it is too difficult to predict which striker will end up where next season. A recent development could see Newcastle move for a different striker altogether.

The latest on Newcastle’s striker pursuit

It will be fascinating to follow this transfer saga, which does not seem like it will come to a conclusion anytime soon. Perhaps the Magpies will instead look to pursue a new target up front, and have been linked with someone from within the Premier League.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, the North Eastern giants hold a strong interest in Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, and, in the view of Bailey, like the striker ‘an awful lot’.

They are said to be ‘one of several Premier League clubs in talks’ to sign the forward in the 2025 summer window, meaning the competition will be stiff.

Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest are also interested in a deal that could see the striker leave for as little as £40m.

Why Wissa would be a good signing

Perhaps it would be wise for Newcastle to untangle themselves from this Isak and Ekitike saga and focus on someone with a fantastic record in the Premier League, instead. Wissa is certainly that guy, and his top-flight numbers speak for themselves.

The 28-year-old has played 137 Premier League games in his career so far, finding the back of the net 45 times and assisting a further 13 goals. The last two seasons have seen the DR Congo international reach double figures for goals.

The 2024/25 campaign was comfortably Wissa’s best in the Premier League. He featured in 35 games for Brentford, scoring 19 times and grabbing five assists, stepping up in the wake of Ivan Toney’s departure. Impressively, the striker contributed to seven goals in the final seven games of the season.

If Isak is to depart St James’ Park this summer, then replacing him will be no mean feat. Last season, former defender-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports the Swede is the “best striker in the Premier League”, talking in December 2024.

Well, the stats from last season make it easy to see why the Liverpool legend spoke so highly of Isak. He bagged 23 goals in 34 Premier League appearances, as well as that crucial strike in the Carabao Cup final triumph over Carragher’s former side.

Finding an heir to the throne of Isak will not be easy, but perhaps Wissa, an “exceptional” striker according to Jamie Redknapp, could be the guy they’re looking for. They are actually noted as statistically similar players, as per FBef from the top flight last season and some of the stats stand out.

Of course, one of the most important stats for strikers is their shooting numbers. The Brentford star averaged 0.21 goals per shot per game last season, slightly pipping Isak, who had 0.2. The pair averaged the same number of goals per shot on target, with 0.46, too. Wissa’s 0.59 goals per game is not too far off Isak’s tally of 0.75.

Wissa and Isak key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Wissa

Isak

Goals

0.59

0.75

Goals per shot

0.21

0.2

Goals per shot on target

0.46

0.46

Goal-creating actions

0.31

0.46

Ball recoveries

2.5

1.88

Aerial duels won

0.93

0.85

Stats from FBref

This could be a steal for Newcastle, at a price of just £40m. Wissa is undoubtedly one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League, and only scored four fewer goals last season than Isak managed.

He has the quality and consistency to become the heir to the Swede’s throne and make the Magpies forget all about signing Ekitike this summer.

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Leeds United aren’t messing about getting their business done early during the chaotic summer transfer window.

Already, Daniel Farke’s Whites are two signings down with plenty more activity expected at Elland Road, with Lukas Nmecha starting proceedings when joining from Wolfsburg, before Leeds dipped their toes in once more to land Jaka Bijol for a bumper £15m.

Of course, there will be the worry of exits still to come – as faces such as Junior Firpo slowly edge away from their West Yorkshire home – but the general feeling in the air at the newly promoted side will be one of optimism, especially as Leeds are usually notoriously slow out of the traps to seal signings.

Nikola Krstovic could be the next notable pick-up through the door, but the Whites might be able to land an even better signing than the potent Montenegrin if they succeed with this other pursuit.

Leeds join the race for £9m star

As per a new report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Leeds are now in the race to snap up promising Borussia Mönchengladbach left-back Lukas Ullrich this summer.

Bailey states that the Bundesliga giants are looking to tie the Germany U21 international down to a new deal. However, significant interest from the Premier League – away from just Leeds being keen – could potentially jeopardise those talks.

Indeed, it’s stated that Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Everton, Brighton, and Nottingham Forest are all also chasing the £9m-rated defender, as per Football Transfers, meaning Leeds will have their work cut out to advance to the front of the queue for Ullrich’s services.

Still, Leeds might well deem it more of a necessary and worthwhile venture chasing after the Berlin-born starlet than continuing to pursue Krstovic, with the newly promoted side desperately short on numbers down the left.

Why Ullrich could be a better signing than Krstovic

Leeds already possess the likes of Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford in attack, even if the Lecce striker didn’t move on to England, with the Dutchman just fresh off a 19-goal season in the Championship.

Moreover, Bamford – away from his recurring injury problems – is also a Premier League-experienced head that could still offer Farke a worthwhile option if needed, as seen in his respectable 24-goal tally at the intimidating level.

Therefore, it would be safe to assume that the Whites are well-stocked in this department for the time being, with it also being a risk to splash around the £30m mark on Krstovic, considering Georginio Rutter is their most expensive capture ever at just £5.5m more.

Whereas, for £7m, Leeds would be able to win a star in Ullrich, who should only get better with time, and a purchase that is needed far more urgently than another centre-forward joining the building. After all, if you remove Firpo from Leeds’ ever-changing squad, only an ageing Sam Byram is available in the left-back spot.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

52

Accurate passes

20/28 (71%)

Successful dribbles

1/1

Clearances

4

Tackles

6

Total duels won

7/10

The in-demand 21-year-old has already shown he can do it on the big occasion for club and country too, as seen in his one goal and two assists last season as an attack-oriented full-back for Gladbach, on top of his recent heroics for his nation at the U21 Euros when his early assist got Germany up and running against the youthful Three Lions.

On the night, the “high intensity” defender – as described by Germany U19 manager Guido Streichsbier – showed he can tussle with the likes of Harvey Elliott and Ethan Nwaneri and come out on top, meaning he might well be ready for the challenge of the Premier League to follow.

He isn’t quite at Firpo’s level just yet, considering the ex-Barcelona defender picked up a hefty ten assists last campaign.

But, having been noted as making “huge strides” already by manager Gerardo Seoane, the Premier League might well just be the next big step he has to adjust to, with Farke also known to get the maximum out of up-and-coming youngsters under his wing.

He'd be unstoppable with Tanaka: Leeds make offer to sign "complete" star

Leeds are looking to sign a new midfielder this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 26, 2025

Football might have come to a brief stop, but there is no rest for the wicked, and Arsenal have a potentially era-defining few months ahead of them.

To ensure they get over the line in the Premier League next season, Mikel Arteta and new Sporting Director Andrea Berta need to nail their transfer dealings, and if they can bring in Rodrygo, that’d be an excellent start.

The Real Madrid superstar has been linked with a £85m move to the Emirates on multiple occasions over the last few weeks, and the combination of his outlandish ability and stature in the game makes him someone who could really move the needle in the Gunners’ favour next year.

However, if recent reports are to be believed, the North Londoners could now be closing in on another attacking talent who’d be an even more exciting signing than the Brazilian international.

Arsenal transfer news

Given Arsenal’s position in English football and how close they seem to be to glory, it’s hardly been a surprise to see them linked with a plethora of incredibly exciting players in recent weeks, such as Bradley Barcola and Takefusa Kubo.

Transfer Focus

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

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The former could cost the club a whopping £101m this summer, which might be an eyewatering sum of money, but it might also be fair enough, as in 58 games for Paris Saint-Germain this season, he scored 21 goals and provided 19 assists.

Kubo would be a far cheaper option at around £50m, but he’s not been anywhere near as prolific as the Frenchman, racking up a reasonable but unspectacular haul of seven goals and four assists in 52 games.

However, while a wide player would be a welcome addition to the club, Arteta and Co’s priority has to be a new number nine, someone like Benjamin Sesko.

Fortunately, a recent report from Caught Offside has claimed that Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Slovenian striker.

In fact, on top of confirming that Berta has already held direct talks with RB Leipzig, the report has revealed that the Gunners are now among the frontrunners for the player, alongside London rivals Chelsea.

However, it won’t be a cheap deal complete; the report states that Leipzig want €80m for their star attacker, which is around £68m, and a fee Arsenal should pay, as not only would Sesko be an incredible signing, but a more exciting one than Rodrygo as well.

Why Sesko would be more exciting than Rodrygo

So the first thing to say is that Rodrygo would, in fact, be an incredibly exciting signing for Arsenal to make this summer. After all, he’s a Champions League and La Liga-winning winger who knows how to score a goal or two.

However, for our money, the “instinctive” Sesko, as dubbed by journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor, would be just that bit more exciting, and there are several reasons why.

The first is that, in signing him, Arteta and Co will finally be addressing the club’s longstanding need for an out-and-out striker, and more than that, he’d be coming in with a proven track record of scoring goals and providing assists.

For example, in the 22/23 campaign, he scored 18 goals and provided four assists in 41 appearances; last season, the Slovenian international scored 18 goals and provided two assists in 42 appearances, and then this year, the Leipzig star was able to rack up an impressive haul of 21 goals and six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes.

In other words, the Radeče-born “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, averaged a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or every 120.66 minutes this season.

Sesko vs Rodrygo 24/25

Player

Sesko

Rodrygo

Appearances

45

50

Minutes

3258′

3290′

Goals

21

13

Assists

6

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.6

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

120.66′

143.04′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, the Real Madrid star scored 13 goals and provided ten assists in 50 appearances, totalling 3290 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.17 games, or every 143.04 minutes, in a far better team.

Finally, on top of his current ability in front of goal, the former Salzburg gem has received some rave reviews from scouts and analysts, with the respected EBL claiming he “has the potential to become the best #9 in the world” – which is also what makes him that bit more appealing than Viktor Gyokeres, another of the more heavily linked strikers in recent weeks.

He argues that this is down to the combination of him being “a 6’4 speed demon” who is “unstoppable in transition” and the fact “he can dribble”, all while also being “an elite ball-striker.”

That might sound hyperbolic, but a few of these strengths are on show in this goal, with him using his acceleration and mighty left foot – and you only need to look through some of his other goals to see his immense technical ability.

Ultimately, Arsenal need more than one attacking signing this summer, but from his goal tally this season to his potential and technical ability, Sesko would be the club’s most exciting addition.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 2, 2025