Saka and White update, Arteta’s new striker plan – Five things spotted in Arsenal Dubai training

Mikel Arteta put his players through their paces during Arsenal’s first training session in Dubai. After crashing out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, the Gunners jetted off to the Middle East for a warm weather camp at the NAS Sports Complex.

After a busy festive fixture schedule, Arsenal finally have the chance to recharge their batteries. The North Londoners won’t be in action again until February 15 when they lock horns with Leicester City at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League.

Arsenal are currently six points adrift of Liverpool, who sit at the top of the table. However, Arne Slot’s side have a game in hand against Everton – which could prove significant by the end of the campaign.

Liverpool will fancy their chances of crowning themselves English champions, but the Gunners mustn’t be underestimated.

White gets stuck in

Ben White was spotted at the heart of the action as he continues to rebuild his match fitness. The 27-year-old defender has been sidelined since November after having surgery on a knee injury.

While his absence has fast-tracked Myles Lewis-Skelly into the starting lineup, Arsenal have missed White in the backline. His return to action in the next few weeks will come as a huge boost for Arteta.

Arsenal directly tell £50m midfielder’s agent they will bid BIG but ONE major problem arises

Arsenal have taken a big step towards signing Hugo Larsson in the summer transfer window, with a report revealing that the north London club are already in talks for the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder but there are five other top teams who are keen on the youngster.

While it is clear that Arsenal need to sign a top striker in the summer, there is also a case to be made about the Gunners needing to freshen up their midfield. Jorginho is out of contract at the north London club at the end of the season and could leave for Flamengo. Thomas Partey could also part ways when his current deal runs out in the summer of 2025.

Arsenal are keen on signing a new central midfielder to support Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, and it has now emerged that the Gunners are in talks over a deal for Larsson.

Arsenal in Larsson is very advanced, with the Premier League giants in direct talks with the midfielder’s agents.

The Gunners have told Larsson’s representatives that they are ready to make a big bid for the Sweden international midfielder in the summer transfer window.

While it is not clear how keen the 20-year-old would be to push for a move away from Eintracht Frankfurt, the German club themselves are ready to cash in on the highly-rated central midfielder.

Arsenal, though, will face a massive problem in getting a deal done for Larsson, who has scored four goals and given one assist in 29 matches in all competitions for Eintracht this season.

Arsenal favourites to sign 90-goal speedster with winger’s stance revealed as Mikel Arteta gets involved

Arsenal have emerged as favourites to sign Karim Adeyemi in the summer transfer window, with a report revealing the attributes of the Borussia Dortmund winger that have impressed Gunners manager Mikel Arteta as the Spanish media reveals that the north London club tried to sign a Barcelona forward in the January transfer window.

Adeyemi has been on the books of Dortmund since 2022 and has established himself as one of the best young players in the Bundesliga. Blessed with the ability to play in a number of positions in attack and frightening speed, the 23-year-old has been deployed mainly as a right winger this season, with head coach Niko Kovac occasionally using him on the left and down the middle as a centre-forward.

Liverpool and Napoli were linked with Adeyemi in the January transfer window, but no move materialised, and it has now emerged that Arsenal are the favourites to sign the youngster in the summer of 2025.

According to Fichajes, Arsenal are “the most likely candidates” to sign the German star.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been hugely impressed with Adeyemi’s “speed, balance and goalscoring ability”, and believes that he would be a perfect fit for his team.

Adeyemi, who has scored 90 goals and given 58 assists in 248 appearances so far in his career, himself would find the prospect of playing in the Premier League for a London club very attractive.

Arsenal wanted Ferran Torres in January

Arsenal’s desire to sign a striker in the January transfer window following the injury to Gabriel Jesus has been well documented.

It has now emerged in the Spanish media that the Gunners were keen on former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres.

According to Marca, Arsenal have had always had Torres in their sights and thought of signing him.

Arsenal WILL return for striker target in summer after talks with FOUR in January

Arsenal intend to sign a new forward this summer and have laid the groundwork in the winter window, despite not bringing in a new addition.

The Gunners thrashed Manchester City 5-1 last weekend but a disappointing 2-0 (4-0 on aggregate) defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final exposed again the lack of a target striker.

It’s no secret that Mikel Arteta wants a new striker, but ultimately the right targets weren’t available for the Gunners, despite a bid being submitted for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, which was swiftly rejected.

Arsenal had a domestic loan spot free, there is a good chance they would have tried to sign Brighton striker Evan Ferguson until the end of the season.

However, because the London club had already brought in Raheem Sterling and Neto on loan from Chelsea and Bournemouth respectively, signing Ferguson on loan was impossible.

Ferguson does have admirers at Arsenal but due to their loan situation, they could only sign him permanently last month, which was not something Brighton wished to sanction.

Sources state that Arsenal did call Brighton to ask about their price demands and the conditions of a permanent deal for Ferguson. But in the end, the 20-year-old striker was happy to reunite with his former manager Graham Potter at West Ham, on a straight loan until the summer.

Arsenal enquired for Igor Jesus and Benjamin Sesko in January

As we reported in mid-January, Botafogo striker Igor Jesus was another possibility for Arsenal last month and they held talks with his agents about a potential deal.

Botafogo were willing to sell Jesus for around £20m and would have preferred an exit in January before their season begins. However, Jesus was more of an Edu ‘legacy’ target rather than someone high on the list of targets following his departure.

 

Hansi Flick’s new tactic continues to make Barcelona look even more unpredictable

FC Barcelona have been full of pleasant surprises this season, and that list continues to grow. Under the supervision and guidance of Hansi Flick, the Catalan giants have looked like an entirely new team. Now much more direct and hungry to attack their opponents, this Barcelona team is a different breed altogether.

Intense pressure, quality on the wings, an extremely aggressive high-line, and intricate build-up play in the central areas of the pitch, this Barça side is as exciting as it gets. From being able to demolish teams like Real Madrid in back-to-back games and thrashing Valencia in the Copa del Rey, the team continues to soar.

However, that does not mean that there is no evolution or tinkering at play. Just because a tactic or formula worked for much of the season does not mean that it does not require refinement or even being entirely changed up altogether if the coach believes that to be necessary.

Within this Barcelona team, there is no such thing as too much innovation. From Hansi Flick’s side, the most recent and effective innovation has come in the form of his experimental ‘False 9’ formation. Even with Robert Lewandowski’s absence, the German coach has managed to give the team an entirely different and unique weapon to make use of.

Moreover, as pointed out by Mundo Deportivo, the results that have come as a direct consequence of this experiment speak for themselves. Whenever Lewandowski has not been present, Flick has started to opt for a player like Ferran Torres or Dani Olmo rather than another traditional striker.

This has then allowed Barça to play with much more fluidity and movement around the opposition. Across the four games that this tactic has been used in, 22 goals have been scored by Barcelona, which means an average of around 5.5 goals per game.

The first time this experiment was seen in action was against RCD Mallorca in December of last year. That match ended in a 5-1 victory for Barcelona, with Ferran Torres as the player starting at the top. Then came the game against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, and that match ended in yet another massive 5-1 victory for Hansi Flick’s side but this time with Dani Olmo leading the charge.

Since then, two more games have come around where this formation was used and it was against Valencia on both occasions. The first instance was in La Liga, where Ferran Torres started and the team decimated the opposition with a 7-1 scoreline. Right afterwards, in the most recent game, Barça cruised to a 5-0 win in the Copa del Rey.

Torres 10, Pedri 8.5 | Valencia 0-5 Barcelona: Player ratings

FC Barcelona hand Valencia yet another thrashing, this time in the Copa del Rey. With a 5-0 victory away from home, the Catalan giants continue to advance in the competition. Now, Barcelona have been guaranteed a place in the semi-finals as they are among the last four remaining teams.

With a perfect performance from Ferran Torres in a game in which he grabbed an early hattrick, he was helped by goals from Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal as Barça cruised to victory. Even beyond the attacking players, however, the team was brilliant across the board.

Here are the player ratings for the Barcelona players.

Player Ratings:

Wojciech Szczesny: 7.0

A rather uneventful game for the Pole, but he was always alert whenever he was called into action. His saves were clean and his ball distribution was decent as well, so a solid performance across the board.

Jules Kounde: 6.5

A rather sluggish game for the Frenchman, who was perhaps a part of the reason that Barcelona could not generate too much threat from the right side of the pitch. However, he did his part in nullifying Valencia as much as possible.

Eric Garcia: 8.0

Despite not being a regular starter, Eric Garcia showcased yet again why he has a point to prove. The Spaniard was class against Valencia, and both his ball-playing and defensive input was more than sharp.

Pau Cubarsi: 8.0

The Spaniard was simply too smart for Valencia to do anything against. His positioning to always catch the opposition forwards in offside positions was clear to see, and it really frustrated the home side. Moreover, his defensive actions were just as brilliant and impactful.

Alejandro Balde: 8.5

Lethal on the left flank, the Spaniard was quick and precise with his decisions. His assist to Ferran Torres for the opening goal was also particularly exceptional, and it was just one moment out of many that showcased his brilliance today.

Frenkie de Jong: 7.5

Totally composed in the midfield, the Dutchman continued his fine run of form in 2025. His passes were crisp and accurate, as they allowed his teammates to circulate the ball faster and create more dangerous opportunities against the opposition.

Pedri: 8.5

Sensational and the heart of this Barcelona team, Pedri continues to amaze with his football. With him on the field, the Catalan giants are always in store for some scintillating football and today was no different. Beyond just his usual trickery and mastery of the ball, he even managed to grab a beautiful assist.

Lamine Yamal: 8.0
Not his most impactful game, but he still managed to grab a rather fortunate goal for himself. However, especially when it came to his carry ons and ball progression, Valencia did well to limit the Spanish winger in the game.

Fermin Lopez: 8.0

Grabbed a great goal for Barcelona and that was his reward for the amount of hard work he put in. However, it was clear to see that the Spaniard was a bit more lethargic in the second half and it clearly impacted his performance near the end of the game.

Raphinha: 8.5

Despite struggling to find the back of the net early on, he managed to contribute in other ways. His commitment to the cause was never in question, and his link-up play with the rest of the Barcelona players was solid. Even managed to grab two brilliant assists by setting up Ferran Torres for his hattrick and Yamal for his goal.

Ferran Torres: 10

A first half hattrick for the Spaniard and so much more that he did perfectly, Ferran Torres truly had a masterclass of a performance as a centre-forward. His runs were well-timed, his finishing was sublime, and his link-up play with his teammates made everyone around him look better as well. Just perfect.

Arsenal ‘confident’ of landing explosive star despite his ‘relief’ at snubbing Gunners in January

Arsenal are reportedly ‘confident’ that they’ll be able to land Norwegian youngster Sverre Nypan in the summer, despite the fact he was ‘relieved’ not to make the move in January.

Arsenal were one of a few sides keen on landing Nypan in January. They, Manchester City and Aston Villa were all said to be linked with the 18-year-old, who was directly involved in 18 goals in the 2024 season for Rosenborg.

The Gunners’ talks went the furthers, but Nypan turned them down in order to stay at Rosenborg.

England to assess his options, the Gunners are ‘confident’ of landing him, given he has been forced to consider a move to the Emirates ‘more carefully’.

Indeed, he has been impressed by the north London outfit, and is not against signing for them, so Arsenal believe a summer move is on the cards.

With that said, it’s also believed Nypan was ‘relieved’ that he chose not to join them in January.

Indeed, he made that choice so he had more time to mull over what was best for his career. Nypan will therefore remain with Rosenborg for at least the first portion of next season, which runs from March to November.

But that could be a sticking point in the potential transfer, as a summer move would be mid-season for Rosenborg, and could therefore see either them or Nypan reject the move, not wanting an unsettled squad.

With the financial might of Arsenal compared to an Eliteserien club, Rosenborg might not be able to refuse them, but Nypan could decide not to jump ship and leave his club in trouble during a season.

Saka return, White starts, Martinelli out injured – Arsenal XI post-Dubai warm-weather camp

Arsenal have flown to the Middle East to kickstart a much-needed period of rest, recovery and training in what is a welcome ten-day break between the defeat on Wednesday to Newcastle and the Premier League trip to Leicester City on February 15.

Arsenal’s hectic fixture schedule will finally ease after this too and until the Champions League returns in March, the Gunners will get more full week gaps between matches. There is also expectation over the return of some key individuals in the group.

After there were no signings made in the January transfer window, this has only furthered the pressure on the group for the remaining matches this season. Gabriel Martinelli came off against the Magpies with a hamstring injury, which is sure to only worsen that pressure.

Considering the break and what we know about the squad, we can piece together what the team could like after the trip and into the future. David Raya had an uncharacteristically poor display against Newcastle, suffering an error which led to Anthony Gordon’s goal, which killed off the tie completely.

He will, however, be expected to continue in goal and get over this blip. The same can be said for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who both also had arguably their worst performances of the season, which came at the worst time – however, there is very little chance that either spot will be under threat from February into March.

Myles Lewis-Skelly has earned his spot, and it will be the job of Riccardo Calafiori to earn it back. Ben White, too, will be fighting with Jurrien Timber now for the right-back spot, but it will offer Mikel Arteta the chance to rest the Dutchman.

In midfield, the typical three players will, of course, keep their spots. Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey will be expected to start, especially with the gaps between fixtures coming the Gunners’ way.

Up top, we will still be waiting for the return of Bukayo Saka but there is a good chance by March, we will see it, Saka is on the trip with the players, pushing to come back. In his place is Ethan Nwaneri, who stylistically offers the most similar to Saka.

Up top, Kai Havertz will have got a valuable rest meaning he can hopefully rediscover some of his best form. While Leandro Trossard is the most natural starter in the wake of another potential injury for Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal XI post-Dubai: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Nwaneri, Havertz, Trossard

Real Madrid plan world-record bid for ‘phenomenal’ Arsenal star as Gunners stance revealed

Real Madrid are planning to go big for Arsenal defender William Saliba in the summer transfer window, with a report revealing what the Gunners could do in the event of a bid from Los Blancos as a top Liverpool star has been backed to move to the Santiago Bernabeu along with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

One of the areas that Madrid need to address in the summer of 2025 is their defence. Eder Militao is injured at the moment, while Antonio Rudiger is 31 and David Alaba is 32 and has had injury issues of his own. Raul Asensio has looked promising, but he is still only 21.

It has been so dire for Madrid this season that head coach Carlo Ancelotti has had to play Aurelien Tchouameni in central defence despite the Frenchman being a midfielder by trade.

Madrid have decided to sign a top-class defender in the summer of 2025 and have made Arsenal and France international star William Saliba “an absolute priority”.

There were rumours last month that Madrid had already been in touch with Saliba’s entourage over a summer transfer, and now it is being reported in the French media that the defending Spanish and European champions are planning to go all out for the 23-year-old defender.

The Gunners do not want to sell Saliba, who has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world and has been described as a “phenomenal” and “aggressive” player by Arsenal legend Martin Keown.

Arsenal will demand a huge transfer fee, and Madrid are aware that they will need to make a world-record bid and make Saliba the most expensive defender in history to get a deal done.

Harry Maguire holds the record for being the most expensive defender in football history.

Manchester United paid Leicester City £80million for Maguire in the summer of 2019.

Virgil van Dijk tipped to join Real Madrid

Virgil van Dijk was once the world’s most expensive defender when Liverpool paid Southampton £75million for the Dutchman in January 2018.

Van Dijk has gone from strength to strength at Liverpool and is still a world-class centre-back at the age of 33.

The Netherlands international centre-back is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season, and his former Southampton teammate Jose Fonte has tipped him for a potential move to Madrid as a free agent at the end of the season.

Madrid are also trying to sign Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, with a report in Spain this week claiming that it is 90% certain that the defender will move to the Santiago Bernabeu on a free transfer.

Fonte told Mundo Deportivo: “Van Dijk would thrive at Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at one of those clubs next season.”

The Portuguese defender added: “I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at one of those clubs next season, because those clubs will be looking for defenders who are as reliable as Van Dijk and everyone will be watching if he reaches the end of the season without signing a new contract.

“He can still play at the highest level and has shown that he can take care of himself. He will have no problem staying at the highest level for three or four more years.”

Latest Real Madrid news: Brahim Diaz to Liverpool, Theo Hernandez competition

While Madrid are keen on a deal for Alexander-Arnold, there is a chance that Los Blancos could lose one of their own players to Liverpool.

A report has claimed that Liverpool are keen on signing Brahim Diaz from Madrid in the summer of 2025.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is a huge fan of Diaz and is keen on working with the winger at Anfield.

While Diaz is an important player in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, he is not guaranteed a place in the starting lineup.

One player that Madrid do not want to let go of is Endrick. While the striker is not a regular in Los Blancos’ starting linup, he is only 18 and is one for the future.

Reports in Spain this week stated that West Ham United made an ambitious move for Endrick in the January transfer window.

The Premier League club approached the Brazil international striker’s entourage with a view to signing him on loan until the end of the season.

Endrick turned down the chance to move to West Ham, with Madrid also not in the mood to entertain any offers for the teenager.

Our Italian transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti has reported that Madrid are the most serious suitors for Hernandez, but defending Premier League champions Man City are now showing interest in the left-back.

€55m Barcelona player facing a considerable challenge to retain his importance in the team

One of the most notable achievements of FC Barcelona in the recently closed winter transfer window was the successful completion of Ronald Araujo’s renewal operation, as negotiations with the center-back had been going on for quite a while, and had also been quite complicated at times.

However, despite his recovery from injury, he returned to action only at the start of 2025 after missing the entire first half of the season, and now even with his future sorted out, Diario AS notes that things are not looking too well for him at the Catalan club.

An indication of the problems he can face going forward was received in the recent game against Alaves, as the defender was substituted at half-time by Hansi Flick.

The German tactician revealed in the press conference after the game that he was taken off because of the yellow card he had been shown, but the need to have good passers could also have been a reason for Flick to introduce Eric Garcia in his stead.

The Barcelona coach seems to have identified the propensity of opposition coaches to trap Araujo and wait for him to make a faulty pass, and against Alaves, he was quick to make amends before this weakness cost his team.

Although the €55m-rated Uruguayan has improved a lot in this aspect since his move to the Catalan club, this is still a notable weakness in his game, something that can prove costly for him under Flick.