Exclusives &#8211; CaughtOffside

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Arsenal transfer boost as striker target prefers Premier League over another interested club

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

“I can’t say that I know what or who he was talking about when he said that certain people in the club didn’t help him amid all the criticism. In terms of what went wrong for him at Arsenal, the team just very quickly outgrew him as Mikel Arteta’s overhaul took shape.

“Pepe just didn’t have the attributes needed to be a success under Arteta. For all his talents going forward, he was pretty one dimensional and his defensive side of the game just wasn’t good enough to live up to Arteta’s demands.

“It’s a real shame to see him without a club now. He’s only 29 and should still be playing. Hopefully he can find somewhere soon and can enjoy a decent end to his career.”

The post “It’s a real shame” – Arsenal expert responds to Gunners flop’s criticism of the club appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Arsenal would ideally like to keep this player despite transfer interest, says expert

Mark Brus — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 10:11:08 +0000

Arsenal would ideally like to keep Emile Smith Rowe, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts in his latest exclusive column for the Daily Briefing.

Speaking to CaughtOffside for this week’s column, Watts discussed the current situation regarding Smith Rowe and interest from Fulham and Crystal Palace, while he also provided some insight into what’s going on with Eddie Nketiah and a possible move to Marseille.

Arsenal fans will no doubt be keen to have these players’ situations resolved soon, so they have a clearer idea of what kind of squad Mikel Arteta will be working with next season in what could be a hugely important campaign for the club.

Having come so close to winning the Premier League title last term, Arsenal now urgently need to have a good transfer window, and that will likely require some player sales to help fund new signings.

Smith Rowe and Nketiah make sense as candidates for the exit door after a lack of recent playing time, and Watts has given us his latest understanding of their situations, admitting that Smith Rowe is perhaps a player Arteta could try to keep if he gets his way.

Arsenal transfer update from Charles Watts

Emile Smith Rowe in action for Arsenal

“There has been a bid from Fulham for Smith Rowe, but that has been rejected. A second bid is expected, but Crystal Palace are also expected to make an offer soon having made their interest in the playmaker known,” Watts said.

“In an ideal world, Mikel Arteta would keep Smith Rowe. This time last year he made it clear that he would not be sold and I think his stance would be the same this time around if it was just down to a footballing decision. But Smith Rowe now has just two years left on his contract and has a strong desire to be playing regular football having sat on the bench for much of the last two seasons.

“So Arsenal would reluctantly let him leave should a good offer arrive from Fulham, Palace or anyone else. But at the moment that offer has not arrived and that is why Smith Rowe has flown with the squad to the United States. It’s certainly not a case that Arsenal will be forcing him out of the door.”

More Stories / Latest News

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Arsenal transfer boost as striker target prefers Premier League over another interested club

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

He added: “It’s a similar situation for Nketiah. Marseille’s interest is interesting. It would be a bold and exciting move for Nketiah to make. But for Arsenal to let him go, then Marseille would have to commit to stumping up some serious cash. Whether they can hit the type of number that Arsenal are holding out for is up for debate.

“I don’t believe a bid has arrived yet from the French club. The interest is there, but as far as I’ve been told it hasn’t materialised into anything concrete yet.”

The post Exclusive: Arsenal would ideally like to keep this player despite transfer interest, says expert appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Arsenal’s imminent signing will be scary for the rest of the Premier League – expert

Mark Brus — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:18:39 +0000

Arsenal FC expert Charles Watts has heaped praise onto the Gunners for their patient approach over the incoming signing of Riccardo Calafiori, with the journalist also stating that he expects the Italy international’s presence in Mikel Arteta’s squad to prove a pretty frightening prospect for the rest of the Premier League.

Calafiori looked superb for Bologna last season and also impressed for Italy at Euro 2024, and now it looks to have earned him a big move to the Emirates Stadium, which Watts feels was never really in doubt despite the saga dragging on for a while.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the latest edition of his weekly column for the Daily Briefing, Watts gave us his insight into what he’s expecting from Calafiori as his move to Arsenal edges closer to completion.

Arsenal fans will certainly be excited by this arrival, which looks like just what Mikel Arteta needs as an upgrade on unconvincing duo Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior on the left-hand side of his defence.

Calafiori transfer: Arsenal expert on this exciting deal

“Arsenal have had to stay patient when it comes to their move for Riccardo Calafiori. But that is something they have shown they are willing to be when it comes to landing players they really want,” Watts said.

Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal looks an exciting signing

“You just have to look at when they signed Martin Odegaard on a permanent basis from Real Madrid in 2021 as a prime example of that.

“They were made to wait all summer by Madrid and could easily have grown frustrated and moved on to other targets. But they were happy to play the waiting game because Mikel Arteta and Edu were convinced Odegaard was a player who could take the team to the next level and they have been rewarded for that patience.

“They have not had to wait as long for Calafiori as they did for Odegaard and I don’t think they were ever worried that the deal would not get done. It feels like talks with Bologna have gone relatively well. It’s the massive sell-on fee that Basel will be due for the deal that has made things a bit tricky.”

He added: “I think it’s a really exciting signing for Arsenal. Left-back was one of two positions in the team last season where there was no real consistency. Arteta was having to mix and match throughout the season, with the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakob Kiwior all filling in there.

More Stories / Latest News

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Arsenal transfer boost as striker target prefers Premier League over another interested club

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

“When you look at Calafiori and where his strengths are, he looks like a really smart signing. He has the qualities to invert into midfield from left-back thanks to how comfortable he is with the ball when he drives forward. But if Arteta wants to use Ben White as his inverted full-back on the right, then Calafiori can just move more centrally and make up a three with Gabriel and William Saliba.

“Arsenal were so strong defensively last season and you have to think the addition of the 22-year-old is only going to make them even better at the back. That’s a pretty scary scenario for the rest of the Premier League.”

The post Exclusive: Arsenal’s imminent signing will be scary for the rest of the Premier League – expert appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Newcastle and Aston Villa the latest clubs to register interest in Rabiot

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 08:35:34 +0000

Adrien Rabiot left Juventus after five years and is now a free agent. To date, his main goal has been to maximise his next contract in terms of salary received, given that it will probably be his last big deal as a top player.

For this reason, he refused the renewal that Juventus offered; a three-year contract on the same wages.

Adrien Rabiot wants Premier League move

Clearly, that didn’t satisfy either him or his mother – who is also his agent.

According to CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of Rabiot’s plans, the 29-year-old is now looking for more economically advantageous proposals, and there are a number of clubs in the Premier League that remain interested in him.

With the potential exit of Casemiro in mind, Manchester United have put Rabiot among the preferred profiles to strengthen their midfield. Sources indicate that Erik ten Hag appreciates him a lot.

Adrien Rabiot is wanted by a host of clubs

However, the Red Devils will face competition for the Frenchman’s services as Newcastle have included him on their list.

The reason for so doing is because it’s believed that there’s a good chance Bruno Guimaraes could leave before the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

Aston Villa are also interested, with Unai Emery asking for a new player with the specific set of skills that Rabiot possesses.Paris Saint-Germain have had contact with his mother to talk about his possible return, whilst Galatasaray have a concrete interest despite the player preferring a move to the English top-flight.

In the next few days Rabiot will make his final decision, and the saga will finally be over.

The post Exclusive: Newcastle and Aston Villa the latest clubs to register interest in Rabiot appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Nothing concrete between Liverpool and 23-year-old talent with €60m release clause

Darren Looney — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 19:35:29 +0000

Liverpool are not expected to make a move for Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo in the coming weeks despite recent reports linking the Premier League giants to the Japanese talent.

Japanese outlet Sports Nippon claimed that Liverpool had agreed a deal to sign the 23-year-old for a fee in the region of £50m, but that is not believed to be the case according to transfer expert Matteo Moretto.

The Merseyside club were linked to Kubo back in January but Moretto states that this latest story is just an old one being dug up again.

The transfer journalist is not aware of anything imminent between the Merseyside club and the Real Sociedad winger and nothing should be expected between the parties throughout the rest of the transfer window as things stand.

Kubo has been with the La Liga club since 2022 and has impressed many during his time in San Sebastián.

With Mohamed Salah having turned 32 this summer, Liverpool will be on the lookout for his replacement in the future and that may lead them to Kubo. However, the Japanese star is likely to be playing his football with Sociedad this season, where he has a contract until 2029.

Liverpool are not expected to make a move for Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo

More Stories / Latest News

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Arsenal transfer boost as striker target prefers Premier League over another interested club

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

Nothing concrete between Liverpool and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo

Writing in his latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside’s The Daily Briefing, Moretto addressed the latest links between the Merseyside club and the Japanese international, playing down the Premier League club’s links to the winger.

“Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo was linked with Liverpool during the winter transfer window, and this week fresh reports have emerged about Liverpool potentially activating his €60m release clause,” the transfer expert said.

“My information on this is that there is nothing concrete in the works, and I’m not aware of any talks with him over a move either.

“It’s an old topic that has come up again, and from what I’ve been told, in recent hours, and in recent days, we should not expect anything imminent for Kubo.”

The post Exclusive: Nothing concrete between Liverpool and 23-year-old talent with €60m release clause appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: AS Roma looking to hijack Leicester City’s move for 21-year-old Serie A talent

Darren Looney — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:59:58 +0000

AS Roma are trying to hijack Leicester City’s move for Juventus star Matias Soule as the Italian giants have submitted a higher offer than the one tabled by the Premier League club.

CaughtOffside previously reported that Leicester have submitted a €24m proposal for the Argentine winger and that Juventus were ready to accept that offer and allow Soule to move to the English top flight.

Personal terms have already been agreed between Leicester and the Juventus player with the 21-year-old set to receive a contract at the King Power Stadium until 2028/29.

However, things have changed, as Roma are now leading the race to sign Soule having made an offer of €29m plus add-ons to Juve for the Argentine talent.

Sources have told CaughtOffside that the Turin club will accept the best offer that arrives for the winger and that Leicester City have already been informed that they will lose the race for Soule following Roma’s latest move.

It remains to be seen if the Foxes will respond with a higher bid and if they do, that could bring the Premier League club back to the front of the race.

Roma plan to talk to the Juventus player’s agents soon as they continue to make moves to get a deal for the winger over the line.

AS Roma have submitted an offer for Leicester City target Matias Soule

More Stories / Latest News

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Arsenal transfer boost as striker target prefers Premier League over another interested club

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

Leicester City target Matias Soule has attracted a lot of interest this summer

Soule spent last season on loan with Frosinone and impressed with the Italian club across the 39 appearances he made. The Argentine scored 11 goals and assisted a further three, which caught the attention of several clubs ahead of the current transfer window.

Napoli, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Brentford have all been linked with the 21-year-old this summer; however, the race is currently between Roma and Leicester.

It looks like Soule will be playing his football in the Italian capital this season, but it is not over until the Premier League club decide what they want to do in response to the Giallorossi offer.

The post Exclusive: AS Roma looking to hijack Leicester City’s move for 21-year-old Serie A talent appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“Congratulations to Man United” – Fabrizio Romano responds to “really surprising” transfer deal

Mark Brus — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:36:45 +0000

Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has congratulated Manchester United on what he felt was a “really surprising” move to sign Leny Yoro from Lille this summer.

The talented young Frenchman shone in Ligue 1 to establish himself as one of the top young players in Europe, attracting strong interest from Real Madrid and also coming to pretty much a full agreement with the Spanish giants, according to Romano as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside for the latest episode of The Debrief Podcast.

Romano praised Man Utd and congratulated them for this surprise deal, as he admits he fully expected Yoro to end up at Real Madrid until a few days before the Red Devils had the deal wrapped up, following a strong approach for the 18-year-old.

Yoro has now gone on to play for United in pre-season, and fans will no doubt be excited by his immense potential as the club finally starts to smarten up its recruitment with the signings of some superb long-term additions like Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee.

Yoro transfer surprised Fabrizio Romano

Leny Yoro looks an exciting signing by Manchester United

Discussing how the Yoro deal ended up going, Romano said: “Honestly, yes (it was surprising). “Not in the final days, because since that Tuesday when Manchester United were able to agree the fee with Lille, I understood that they were really entering strong in the race and with a good chance to make it happen. Maybe a 30-35%, but still a good chance.

“But before that, absolutely yes. If you asked me in June, in May or in April, the answer was absolutely Real Madrid. And I think if you asked Leny Yoro in that moment of the year, it was Real Madrid, absolutely. He wanted to go to Real Madrid, he agreed everything perfectly with Real Madrid, his project at Real Madrid was ready.

“So it was really surprising. And congratulations to Man United because to enter the race in that way and to be able to close the deal in almost ten days has been really, really fantastic, surprising in a positive way.

More Stories / Latest News

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Arsenal transfer boost as striker target prefers Premier League over another interested club

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

“Yoro wanted to fulfil his dream to go to Real Madrid, but then at the end of the day, they didn’t want to pay the same amount of money invested by Manchester United. So their strategy to attack on club side before and then try to convince the player was the winning strategy, while Real Madrid were convinced of Leny Yoro waiting for them probably also till next year when his contract was due to expire.

“So, yes, it was surprising, not in the final days, but I would say in terms of general feeling of the transfer window, a really surprising and fantastic signing.”

The post “Congratulations to Man United” – Fabrizio Romano responds to “really surprising” transfer deal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Man Utd add new option to midfielder search as big name available for just €20m transfer fee

Mark Brus — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:17:48 +0000

Manchester United have added Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana to their list of potential midfield transfer targets this summer if they fail to reach an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain over Manuel Ugarte.

Sources close to the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Man Utd now plan to check on Fofana’s situation as they look for a cheaper option on the market, with the Frenchman understood to be available for as little as €20m.

Fofana impressed in Ligue 1 last season and looks like he could be a good fit for a number of other top clubs, particularly United as they need a new midfielder this summer to come in as an upgrade on the ageing Casemiro, while Sofyan Amrabat’s future looks uncertain after his loan spell at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils had been prioritising a move for Ugarte, but it looks like Fofana could be more affordable, and CaughtOffside understands AC Milan’s pursuit of the player has also gone cold, which could allow other clubs back into the race.

Youssouf Fofana is on Manchester United’s radar

Fofana transfer: Too good an opportunity for Manchester United?

Milan had an offer of €12m for Fofana turned down by Monaco, and it will take something in the region of €18-20m to convince them to sell.

Even if that’s a bit pricey for Milan, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem for United, so it will be interesting to see if they match that price to try and get a deal done quickly, or if they still try to negotiate it down slightly.

More Stories / Latest News

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Arsenal transfer boost as striker target prefers Premier League over another interested club

Liverpool looking to steal 6ft 5in player from Aston Villa

It may also be that Ugarte will remain the priority, but it makes sense that the club are also exploring alternatives, with Fofana known to be on the market this summer as Monaco are under financial pressure to sell big names almost every summer.

Fofana looks like he could also benefit from a new challenge and it would be exciting to see if he could take his game to the next level in the Premier League.

The post Exclusive: Man Utd add new option to midfielder search as big name available for just €20m transfer fee appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: AC Milan to re-start transfer talks with Tottenham as they’re set to walk away from another deal

Mark Brus — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:54:49 +0000

AC Milan are set to re-start transfer talks with Tottenham over Emerson Royal as they’re prepared to walk away from a potential deal to sign Aston Villa full-back Matty Cash.

Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Cash has been a target for Milan this summer, though Villa’s asking price of €35-40m for the Poland international is deemed too high for the Serie A giants.

Royal was also looked at by Milan earlier in the summer and he remains an option on their radar, with the Brazilian also keen to leave Spurs for a move to the San Siro, CaughtOffside understands.

It is now anticipated that Milan will end their efforts to sign Cash as they’re not optimistic about being able to strike a deal on favourable terms, meaning they will look at Royal and other alternatives.

More Stories / Latest News

Returning Arsenal star praises key figure who was “very supportive” during lengthy injury

Arsenal transfer boost as striker target prefers Premier League over another interested club