SETTABLOID

Declan Rice has jumped to the defence of Kobbie Mainoo amid criticism of the Manchester United youngster’s performance against Iceland.

The teenager’s meteoric rise represented one of the few uplifting aspects of a disappointing season for the Premier League giants.

Mainoo’s own breakthrough campaign was capped by his winning goal in last month’s FA Cup final but it was a different story of the 18-year-old upon his return to Wembley last night.

England produced a disjointed display in front of a near capacity crowd and were ultimately booed off following an insipid 1-0 defeat.

Mainoo was only one of several players partially at fault for Jon Thorsteinsson’s winning goal and Rice insists his partnership with the United starlet is a work in progress and one that can flourish in Germany starting next week against Serbia.

He said: ‘Yeah, look we done it in March and it was really positive. I can imagine tonight because we lost some people are saying stuff but that’s football these days. Kobbie’s young,

‘I’m young, our midfield options are young. Look, we’re going to learn every game and that’s the beauty of football.’

Responding to the frosty reception his players were met with at the final whistle, meanwhile, England manager Gareth Southgate said: ‘I completely understand. We didn’t play well enough to keep them excited within the game.

‘As I said, we had some very, very good chances that normally would be finished, which could have given a different complexion to the game, and, of course, would have affected the confidence of the opponent.

‘But that might also have masked some flaws that were apparent tonight.

‘From my perspective, I’ve learned a lot from the game, but no qualms with the supporters’ reaction.

‘To have the fans with you here obviously makes a massive difference, but you have to give them enough goalmouth action, you have to play well enough, press and win the ball with intensity to keep them with you during the game.

Juventus winger Federico Chiesa has been linked with a move away from Italy this summer.

According to a report from Fichajes, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United are keen on the 26-year-old Italian winger.

Mikel Arteta is reportedly looking to add more depth to his squad and the Italian has been identified as a potential target. Chiesa has had a reasonably good season with Juventus, scoring 10 goals in all competitions. He is likely to cost around €40-45 million this summer. It will be interesting to see if Arsenal can get the deal done.

The Gunners need more depth in their squad if they want to do well across multiple competitions. They will be hoping to win the Premier League title and the UEFA Champions League in the upcoming season.

They will face competition from London rivals Chelsea, who are looking to bring in upgrades on players like Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke. All three players have had mediocre seasons and the Blues are looking for a more reliable attacker.

The Italian will certainly be a quality addition and it remains to be seen whether he is ready to join a club without Champions League football. Chelsea had a mediocre season by their standards and they will look to bounce back strongly. They need to sign quality players in order to get back to the top of English football once again.

Newcastle want Federico Chiesa

Finally, Newcastle United are on the player as well. Miguel Almiron has been linked with a move away from the club and the Magpies are looking at the Italian international as a potential alternative. He is versatile enough to operate on both flanks and he will add goals and creativity to the side.

The reported asking price might seem steep and it will be interesting to see if Arsenal, Chelsea or Newcastle can convince Juventus to accept a more reasonable offer..

Bacary Sagna has urged Arsenal to snap up a Manchester United forward who’d form a deadly duo with a current Gunners star and strike fear into the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.

It was largely a season of doom and gloom for Man Utd, though winning the FA Cup to round out the campaign was as good a way to end as any.

Among those to struggle at Old Trafford was Marcus Rashford. The frontman looked a shadow of the player he was last season when notching a career-best 30 goals across all competitions.

Man Utd are poised to embark on a sweeping squad overhaul and only young trio Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund are safe.

Of course, Man Utd won’t push the likes of Rashford and club captain Bruno Fernandes out, though they would listen to offers if gigantic ones were tabled.

Now, former Arsenal full-back, Bacary Sagna, has urged the Gunners to bite the bullet and bid for Rashford.

Such a move would send shockwaves through the Premier League and in Sagna’s eyes, Rashford could be the final piece of the puzzle that helps Arsenal topple Man City.

Sagna reckons Rashford’s pace and direct running would cause all manner of problems for Arsenal’s opponents.

The Gunners battled with City and Liverpool for the title last term and after falling short for the second season running, Sagna thinks they could go one better with Rashford in the forward line.

Rashford and Jesus a deadly combination?

“I would love to see Marcus Rashford at Arsenal,” began Sagna (as quoted by the Manchester Evening News). “I think if you added Rashford to Arsenal’s attack, with the pace that he has, Arsenal would destroy the opposition.

“Adding Rashford to an extremely talented squad would be a frightening prospect for Arsenal’s rivals. Rashford is so quick.

“I think Arsenal having Rashford would enable Arsenal to have more variety in attack and I would love to see Gabriel Jesus and Marcus Rashford in the same team, pressing with so much intensity.

“It would be a brilliant capture and I think there is room in the squad for a player of Rashford’s ability because Gabriel Jesus won’t be able to play every game and Kai Havertz can also play in a number of roles.

“Rashford joining Arsenal would be a wonderful signing for the club and a real statement of ambition.”

What about Rashford’s poor form?

Rashford endured a down campaign last term, notching just seven goals and two assists in the Premier League.

The end result saw the 26-year-old omitted from Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024.

Mikel Arteta will be keen to strengthen his squad after surrendering the Premier League title on the final day of the season. Arsenal have already been linked with some big names but, for now, it remains to be seen whether or not Edu will sanction another spending spree.

Last year, the Gunners forked out over £200million on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber – the latter of whom unfortunately missed most of the campaign due to injury, so he’ll be like a new signing. After heavily investing in two midfielders and a defender, perhaps Arteta may look to finally bolster his frontline this summer.

Benjamin Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee have both been linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium, but nothing more at this stage. So, with that being said, football.london have rounded up the latest Arsenal news and transfer gossip on Saturday, June 8.

European giants hijack Arsenal bid

Arsenal have been dealt a blow to the hopes of signing Youssouf Fofana this summer. The 25-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium recently as he continues to impress for Monaco in the French top flight.

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan are both interested in signing Fofana. The report states that no official offers or approaches have been made by the two clubs, but they’ll be keeping tabs on him during the Euros this summer.

Fofana was one of six central-midfielders named in the France squad for Euro 2024 by Didier Deschamps. While he’ll be desperate to represent his country, he faces tough competition from N’Golo Kante, Eduardo Camavinga, Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaire-Emery and Aurelien Tchouameni for a place in the starting lineup.

Benfica wonderkid to Man City?!

Bernardo Silva urged Joao Neves to join Manchester City this summer. The Benfica wonderkid has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League for a while now following his impressive performances in the Portuguese top flight.

“I’d tell him to go to Manchester City,” said Silva said ahead of Portugal’s friendly against Croatia on Saturday. “It’s not easy. He’s a player who, given his success last season, has many clubs wanting him.

“As a Portuguese and a player I like, I’d like to see him alongside me. But I want the best for him. Guardiola? I don’t need to convince him,” the Manchester City star added. “Joao Neves is already convincing because of the way he works and the energy he brings to the game.

“He won’t be a cheap player, it won’t be easy for many clubs to get in on the act. Let him make his decision, let it be what’s best for him. If he keeps up this energy, he has a very good future ahead of him.”

football.london says: “While Joao Neves would be a good signing – in the sense that Arsenal would be beating their rivals to a top prospect – I don’t think he’s ready for a big money move. Personally, I’d like to see him have one more season at Benfica before he explores his options. There’s no need to rush a decision over his future.“

Although the last season has only just finished with the European Championships fast approaching, eyes have already turned to the next season for some. As Arsenal just missed out on a first Premier League title in 20 years, the desire to put that right next season is of course significant.

Therefore, many are expecting the club to be ruthless in the market and bring in quality to help close the gap to Manchester City. There is also the chance to exploit the changes managerially at Liverpool and Chelsea with further uncertainty over Manchester United as well with Pep Guardiola potentially entering his final season with City.

What Arsenal need is reinforcement across their squad and Mikel Arteta will welcome back players who were hardly available to him due to injury. With that said, football.london takes a look at what a dream line-up could look like for Arsenal next season as they aim to end their title drought.

In goal, David Raya is indeed expected to arrive at the club on a permanent basis with the £27million option in his loan from Brentford being exercised. football.london has been told not to expect any surprises there with it being a matter of when rather than if the signing is rubber-stamped, but Aaron Ramsdale could still leave meaning a new No.2 will need to be found to push the starting stopper.

Into defence and any signings Arsenal make will find it extremely difficult to break past Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. However, one player who is expected to break into the back four is Jurrien Timber and the magic of the summer signing from last year is the unpredictability about where it could be in that defensive line; for now, left-back looks a very strong potential option.

Into the midfield and it is worth pointing out that neither Declan Rice nor Martin Odegaard will be dislodged from the middle three. There are even shouts to see Ethan Nwaneri get more chances in the midfield this season, and quite rightly so.

However, up top the chase for Benjamin Sesko is on and his potential could indeed displace Kai Havertz and send Gabriel Jesus into something of a utility role for the forward line. The 6ft 5ins Slovenian has been very impressive for RB Leipzig and look ready so soon to make the next jump in his career.

Dream Arsenal 2024/25 XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Guimaraes, Odegaard; Saka, Trossard, Sesko.

Arsenal are ready to reinvigorate their attack this summer and while the main focus will be on finding a centre-forward they could take the chance to replenish their wings too – so here are all the wingers they’ve been linked with.

For a few seasons now, concerns have been building about the overuse of Arsenal’s star player Bukayo Saka. Therefore, it remains a topic on the agenda for the club to bring in more competition and cover out wide.

But they are not exclusively looking at right-wingers, since they could bolster the ranks on the left too if an opportunity emerges. Edu will be leaving no stone unturned in the quest to give Mikel Arteta’s squad those crucial finishing touches ahead of another potential Premier League title battle.

Here are all the wingers linked with Arsenal ahead of the summer 2024 transfer window. Divided by league, TEAMtalk guides you through each player’s situation and how likely a move to Arsenal appears to be.

PREMIER LEAGUE

Kaoru Mitoma

Current club: Brighton

Age: 27

Contract expires: 2027

Although Mitoma’s 2023-24 season wasn’t quite as exciting as his 2022-23, he remains a player of interest for many. Reports in Spain recently claimed – to a degree of surprise – that Arsenal were leading the race for the right-footed forward.

Pedro Neto  

Current club: Wolves

Age: 24

Contract expires: 2027

A long-term topic of links with Arsenal, Neto could be gearing up for a summer exit from Wolves. TEAMtalk has confirmed the left-footer is on Arsenal’s radar, but they are battling most of their top-six rivals to land him and would likely have to offer a fee surpassing Wolves’ current record sale.

Michael Olise 

Current club: Crystal Palace

Age: 22

Contract expires: 2027

Arsenal were named as contenders for the left-footed Olise in British newspapers recently, but TEAMtalk has since verified that he only wants to pick between Chelsea and Manchester United for his next club.

Marcus Rashford

Current club: Manchester United

Age: 26

Contract expires: 2028

It was TEAMtalk who told you in early May that Arsenal are interested in Rashford and could make a bid for the out-of-form forward, but it would have to be of a significant fee to tempt Manchester United into selling their academy graduate. Other outlets have since backed up Arsenal’s interest, including claims of contact between Rashford and Arteta.

LALIGA

Viktor Tsygankov

Current club: Girona

Age: 26

Contract expires: 2027

The attacker is coming off the back of a superb campaign for the Spanish side who secured Champions League qualification for the first time in their history, partly due to his 15 goal contributions. He currently has a release clause of €30m/£25.5m.

Raphinha 

Current club: Barcelona

Age: 27

Contract expires: 2027

Reports in Spain and England have put Arsenal forward as suitors for former Leeds winger Raphinha, who keeps being linked with a Barcelona exit but has also been mentioned as a target for various other clubs.

Rodrygo 

Current club: Real Madrid

Age: 23

Contract expires: 2028

Speculative Spanish reports claimed Arsenal were in contact with Rodrygo in March, but more recent (and reliable) information suggests he won’t be leaving Real Madrid this summer.

Nico Williams 

Current club: Athletic Club

Age: 21 (turns 22 in July)

Contract expires: 2027

Various British outlets have revealed Arsenal’s interest in Williams, with one website even claiming they could trigger his release clause. However, as with many of these potential targets, there are other clubs battling for his signature too; in March, TEAMtalk learned of interest from London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham.

REST OF EUROPE

Desire Doue

Current club: Rennes

Age: 18 (turns 19 in June)

ontract expires: 2026

After enjoying a breakout season in Ligue 1, versatile attacking midfielder Doue has caught the attention of many clubs, but online reports in May claimed Arsenal are the ones who could make the first contact for him.

Rafael Leao

Current club: AC Milan

Age: 24 (turns 25 in June)

Contract expires: 2028

There has been speculation in Spain about Arsenal moving for Leao, Serie A’s top assist provider in 2023-24, but it seems far-fetched due to his high price tag. Fabrizio Romano has also denied any knowledge of the move being possible.

Donyell Malen

Current club: Borussia Dortmund

Age: 25

Contract expires: 2026

After previously playing in Arsenal’s academy, Malen continues to be linked with a return to the club. German expert Florian Plettenberg has confirmed a comeback could be a concrete option for the right-footer, who has openly admitted he would be willing to re-join Arsenal.

Antonio Nusa 

Current club: Club Brugge

This week, Semih Kılıçsoy’s agent confirmed Arsenal’s interest in the player.

The Gunners’ chase had already been reported by the Turkish media this year, and it was now made clear that there’s a hunt for the 18-year-old.

Today, it’s Aksam who feature a story on Kılıçsoy’s future, claiming it’s not only Arsenal who are willing to take him to the Premier League.

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz has already spoken about his future amid interest from Arsenal and Juventus.

The Brazil international has been heavily linked with a move away from Villa once again, but this time it’s not just because of the vast interest but also a need to sell.

Unai Emery is reportedly considering letting Luiz go to help Villa with their net spending figures as the Premier League’s strict profit and sustainability rules are looming large. The Villans must sell a key player or two before they can consider making big summer acquisitions and with Champions League football incoming, that’s quite the necessity.

A Manchester City flop has been tipped to replace an Arsenal star this summer with Fabrizio Romano confirming that negotiations have taken place.

Pep Guardiola and Man City generally get things spot on when it comes to the transfer window, although there are some notable exceptions to this rule.

One of those players is Sergio Gomez who has struggled to make an impact at the Etihad since his arrival from Anderlecht in 2022.

Guardiola’s side paid an initial £11m to sign the Spanish full-back, but he’s only started in two Premier League matches since arriving from Belgium.

Across all competitions last season, Gomez only played 445 minutes of football and struggled to dislodge the likes of Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol from the starting XI.

Given his lack of first team opportunities since arriving, it’s not much of a surprise that he’s now being linked with the exit door.

Real Sociedad are said to be keen on the Man City star as they look to replace Kieran Tierney, who was on loan from Arsenal last season.

“Real Sociedad open talks to sign left back Sergio Gomez from Man City, initial negotiations taking place,” Romano confirmed.

“Gomez, expected to leave Man City this summer and Real Sociedad are looking for Kieran Tierney replacement. Tierney returns to Arsenal and Real like Gomez.”

“Real Sociedad open talks to sign left back Sergio Gomez from Man City, initial negotiations taking place,” Romano confirmed.

“Gomez, expected to leave Man City this summer and Real Sociedad are looking for Kieran Tierney replacement. Tierney returns to Arsenal and Real like Gomez.”