Brighton and Hove Albion &#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

According to recent reports, former club Odense BK retained a whopping future sell-on clause, and although the exact figure has not been revealed, it is thought to be worth seven figures.

Regardless of how much Newcastle profited from Mineth’s sale having signed him for just £7 million, fans will still be gutted they won’t get to see the highly-rated forward in action in the club’s famous black and white stripes.

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Brighton reject Napoli bid for Billy Gilmour; Serie A club told to increase offer

Andrew Walker — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 10:17:50 +0000

Brighton and Hove Albion have reportedly rejected an opening offer from Napoli for midfielder Billy Gilmour.

That’s according to a recent report from talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, who claims Antonio Conte has made a move to sign the former Chelsea academy starlet.

Spending the last two years at the AMEX, Gilmour, 23, had been a first-team player under Roberto De Zerbi — starting 24 Premier League games last season. However, with the Italian boss recently joining Marseille, the midfielder’s future has now become uncertain.

Napoli told to increase offer for Billy Gilmour

Perhaps not as highly rated by new manager Fabian Hurzeler, the Scotland international, now wanted by Napoli, may be assessing his options ahead of the new 2024-25 season.

Billy Gilmour has emerged as a transfer target for Napoli.

The 2022-23 Serie A title winners have reportedly made an opening offer worth £8 million, and although it has been quickly rejected by Tony Bloom, the Seagulls could agree a deal worth £12 million.

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Napoli face a summer of uncertainty themselves with both Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen wanted by Paris Saint-Germain. However, with both attacking players yet to make a move, reinforcing Napoli’s midfield appears to be a priority for Conte and his backroom staff. It will take a little more to lure Gilmour away from England’s south coast though.

Over to you, president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

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Brighton tickets: How to buy Brighton tickets for Premier League games at Amex Stadium

Ahad Shaukat — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 03:45:00 +0000

Brighton are about to start a new era after the departure of manager Roberto De Zerbi.

The Seagulls have appointed new manager Fabian Hurzeler, who at the age of 31, has become the youngest permanent head coach in the Premier League.

Brighton finished 11th in the league last season but they would be hoping to get back into Europe just like they did under their former manager.

The Premier League club have signed winger Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle United and fans are getting excited to see him play at the Amex Stadium next season.

So how do you buy tickets to watch Brighton?

How to buy Brighton tickets

Tickets for Brighton home games can be purchased via the club’s official ticketing page.

For many games, tickets will only be sold to club members. Brighton membership costs £38 per season.

But buying a membership does not guarantee you any tickets.

Is buying Brighton tickets easy?

Getting tickets for some games is easier than others when buying directly through the club.

Purchasing tickets through a trusted reseller, such as livefootballtickets.com can often be easier than buying from the club, especially for fans who only go to games every now and again.

What is the best resale ticket site for Brighton tickets?

While some resale companies can be full of red flags, livefootballtickets.com is a super safe site that offers an unrivalled service.

Fans buying from livefootballtickets.com will be given a 150% money-back guarantee on all ticket purchases.

The site also has a five-star rating on Trustpilot, plus customer support that exceeds expectations.

Brighton are known for playing attractive football at the Amex Stadium.

About Amex Stadium

Amex Stadium is a football stadium in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex.

On May 31, 2011, Brighton took possession of the building from the developers.

The stadium’s layout made it possible to hold all kinds of sports and activities.

It served as the venue for a few Rugby World Cup 2015 and UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 matches.

It has a capacity of 31,876 and Brighton are known for playing some of the most attractive football in the Premier League.

Brighton’s Premier League fixtures (2024/25 season)

The below dates are subject to possible change at this point.

17/08/2024 15:00 Everton (a)

24/08/2024 12:30 Manchester United (h)

31/08/2024 12:30 Arsenal (a)

14/09/202415:00 Ipswich Town (h)

22/09/2024 14:00 Nottingham Forest (h)

28/09/2024 15:00 Chelsea (a)

05/10/2024 15:00 Tottenham Hotspur (h)

19/10/2024 15:00 Newcastle United (a)

26/10/2024 15:00 Wolves (h)

02/11/2024 15:00 Liverpool (a)

09/11/2024 15:00 Manchester City (h)

23/11/2024 15:00 A.F.C. Bournemouth (a)

30/11/2024 15:00 Southampton (h)

03/12/2024 19:45 Fulham (a)

07/12/2024 15:00 Leicester City (a)

14/12/2024 15:00 Crystal Palace (h)

21/12/2024 15:00 West Ham United (a)

26/12/2024 15:00 Brentford (h)

29/12/2024 15:00 Aston Villa (a)

04/01/2025 15:00 Arsenal (h)

14/01/2025 19:45 Ipswich Town (a)

18/01/2025 15:00 Manchester United (a)

25/01/2025 15:00 Everton (h)

01/02/2025 15:00 Nottingham Forest (a)

15/02/2025 15:00 Chelsea (h)

22/02/2025 15:00 Southampton (a)

25/02/2025 19:45 A.F.C. Bournemouth (h)

08/03/2025 15:00 Fulham (h)

15/03/2025 15:00 Manchester City (a)

01/04/2025 19:45 Aston Villa (h)

05/04/2025 15:00 Crystal Palace (a)

12/04/2025 15:00 Leicester City (h)

19/04/2025 15:00 Brentford (a)

26/04/2025 15:00 West Ham United (h)

03/05/2025 15:00 Newcastle United (h)

10/05/2025 15:00 Wolves (h)

18/05/2025 15:00 Liverpool (a)

25/05/2025 16:00 Tottenham Hotspur (a)

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

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West Ham leading chase for €30m-rated defensive ace

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:47:41 +0000

West Ham certainly appear to have their act together in this summer’s transfer window.

Though some targets have already slipped through their fingers, others have already put pen to paper and it seems that technical director, Tim Steidten, isn’t going to rest until he’s built a squad that Julen Lopetegui is happy with.

According to CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of the Hammers’ transfer plans, Ajax’s 24-year-old defender, Josip Sutalo, is of interest.

West Ham want Josip Sutalo

The Bosnian, who actually represents the Croatian national team, has also been watched by Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion.

It’s understood that West Ham are leading the race because of their recent dealings with the Dutch giants, from whom they signed Edson Alvarez and Mo Kudus.

Both of those players have settled in at the London Stadium wonderfully well, and if they’re able to land Sutalo too, it’ll be a great hat-trick for the East Londoners.

West Ham could bid for Josip Sutalo

Ajax are seemingly not pushing their man out of the exit door but are understood to value him at somewhere between €25m and €30m.

Fulham are unlikely to do business at that price, though the Hammers and the Seagulls are expected to come in with first offers around the €20m-€23m mark.

From the player’s point of view, Ajax are in the Europa League qualifiers and, if they manage to negotiate them successfully, will have a European campaign to look forward to.

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Jul 23 2024, 14:02

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

Jul 23 2024, 14:00

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

Jul 23 2024, 13:59

None of West Ham, Brighton or Fulham can offer Sutalo that, though the standard of football domestically week in and week out will be far higher than what he’s used to.

Were the Dutch side to therefore accept any offers for his services, it leaves the defender with quite the conundrum.

The post West Ham leading chase for €30m-rated defensive ace appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Newcastle were in mix for Arsenal academy graduate as expert laments transfer blow

Mark Brus — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 13:38:54 +0000

Newcastle United were alongside Brighton in the mix for the transfer of former Arsenal youngster Amario Cozier-Duberry this summer, according to Charles Watts.

The Gunners journalist, speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, made it clear he was disappointed to see this talented homegrown player leaving the Emirates Stadium, though he imagines Brighton could also end up being a good move for him.

It seems Arsenal tried to offer Cozier-Duberry a new contract, but he chose instead to try a new move elsewhere, and it will be interesting to see if he made the right choice to go to Brighton over Newcastle.

The 19-year-old looks like he has a big future in the game, even if it’s still a bit early for anyone to be able to predict how he’ll get on with this new challenge in the Premier League.

It clearly seems like one that Arsenal supporters and pundits like Watts will continue to keep an eye on in the future, though.

Amario Cozier-Duberry of Arsenal

Cozier-Duberry transfer decision a blow for Arsenal, says Watts

“Losing Amario Cozier-Duberry was a blow this summer,” Watts said.

“Arsenal wanted to keep him and made what they viewed as a very good offer to the young winger. Obviously, Cozier-Duberry and his representatives decided that his future was better served elsewhere, however, and that is entirely up to them and Brighton certainly looks like a good a move for a young player who has shown how big of a talent he is.

“There was other interest. Newcastle were certainly in the mix, as were clubs from Germany, but I look at Brighton as a smart choice.

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“It’s hard to say right now whether he will go on and make it in the Premier League. That’s just impossible to predict at this stage. But all I can say is from what I’ve seen from him, he certainly has the ability to go on and be a success at the top level.

“He just needs to keep doing what he is doing and then take his chance when it arrives. And you have to admit it’s far more likely that that chance will come at Brighton than it would have at Arsenal.”

The post Exclusive: Newcastle were in mix for Arsenal academy graduate as expert laments transfer blow appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Brighton playmaker with 75 Premier League goals & assist agrees transfer to Bundesliga giants

CJ — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 13:07:46 +0000

Brighton playmaker Pascal Groß has agreed on a deal to return to his native Germany with Borussia Dortmund, according to reports.

Groß has been a key figure for the Seagulls since their promotion to the Premier League in 2017, registering 75 direct goal involvements (30g/45a) in 228 top-flight appearances. Last season, the 33-year-old finished behind only Ollie Watkins (13) and Cole Palmer (11) on 10 Premier League assists.

However, Groß — who has eight caps for Germany and was part of the Die Mannschaft side that reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals on home soil this summer, playing 45 minutes of their opening 5-1 win over Scotland — has entered the final year of his contract at the American Express Stadium.

That means Brighton must act now if they’re to receive a fee for the midfielder, rather than losing him for free next summer.

Dortmund agree terms with Groß

Pascal Gross of Germany reacts during the international friendly match between Germany and Ukraine at Max-Morlock-Stadion on June 03, 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany.

According to Sky Sports Germany (via Bulinews), 2023/24 Champions League finalists Dortmund have now reached an agreement on personal terms with Groß that will see him sign a two-year deal with an extra option year.

All that is left now is for the two clubs to agree on a transfer fee and while there is yet to be a concrete figure reported, it’s understood Brighton value Groß in the region of €8-10m (£6.7m-8.5m).

Groß last played in the Bundesliga back in 2016/17 for Ingolstadt and has six goals and 12 assists to his name in 70 appearances in the competition, which also includes a previous spell with Hoffenheim.

The post Brighton playmaker with 75 Premier League goals & assist agrees transfer to Bundesliga giants appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Brighton beat off significant competition to sign exciting young talent

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 05:58:21 +0000

Brighton and Hove Albion have rightly been lauded for their transfer business over the past few seasons.

Though the Seagulls have still sold on some of their best players, they’ve done so at a huge profit which has allowed them to strengthen elsewhere.

Developing young players has become their forte, and that perhaps explains why the Premier League outfit have agreed a deal for Gothenburg’s 18-year-old player Malick Junior Yalcouye.

Brighton agree deal for Malick Junior Yalcouye

CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of the deal recognised that both Bayern Munich and Manchester United were two of the first teams to be monitoring the player’s movements, though an official offer from the two European giants wasn’t forthcoming.

Similarly, Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven registered an interest but nothing more.

Gent, Ajax and Brentford’s interest in Malick Junior Yalcouye was more concrete, but all three have been beaten to the punch by Brighton.

It’s understood that the club will pay €10m for his services, and he will be offered a five-year contract.

Brighton directors had been impressed by the Ivory Coast player’s abilities but were waiting for a new coach to be unveiled before making their move.

With Fabian Hurzeler having been secured as Roberto De Zerbi’s replacement, the young German is readying himself for his first pre-season in English football, and he’ll now be able to call upon the services of Malick Junior Yalcouye as needed.

It remains an exciting time for a club that continue to exceed all expectations, and it will be interesting to see if the Hurzeler experiment is as successful as those of Graham Potter and De Zerbi.

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Transfer news: Calafiori Arsenal green light, Real Madrid double deal, Man City star exit & more

Fabrizio Romano — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 16:15:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Riccardo Calafiori gives green light to Arsenal, but Chelsea still in the race

The big story of the last few days is with Riccardo Calafiori and if you’ve been following on here then you’ll know since last week about the strong interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. Both clubs are really interested in Calafiori, and now Arsenal have presented their proposal to the Italy international – it’s a long-term contract, the salary is not an issue at all, and they also presented their project to the player, and he is open to joining Arsenal in case they can reach an agreement with Bologna.

So, there is already a green light from Calafiori to Arsenal, but what about Chelsea? My understanding is that Chelsea are prepared to approach Bologna, and that they will try to include players in the negotiation. It’s a different strategy, but Chelsea are still there, even if Arsenal are the favourites at the moment.

Arsenal have a shortlist with three names in that position – left-footed defenders who can play centre-back or left-back. Jorrel Hato fits the bill in that respect and also remains one of the most appreciated talents by Arsenal, but for now Ajax still insist to keep him for one more season. So, Calafiori is exactly what Arsenal are looking for in that position, and Mikel Arteta has approved the potential deal and we’re now waiting for the next step. Let’s see what will happen between Arsenal and Bologna, this is now the crucial point.

It’s also important to note that Calafiori has given the green light to Arsenal because Juventus are almost no longer in the race. For weeks and weeks, Juventus wanted Calafiori, they had an agreement on the salary with Calafiori, but they are now considered out as they cannot agree on a deal with Bologna. The truth is that Bologna are furious with Juventus after their manager Thiago Motta made the move there this summer, and so that’s why they are furious with Juve and they would prefer to sell the player abroad.

Now they have the chance, because Arsenal are there and Arteta is really keen to bring Calafiori to the club. The relationship between Arsenal and Bologna is also very good after they previously negotiated the deal for Takehiro Tomiyasu, so let’s see if Chelsea can come up with something, or if Arsenal will now win the race for one of the most talented young defenders around. Despite rumours about PSG and Bayer Leverkusen, I’m told that the only two clubs in the race are Arsenal and Chelsea, with Arsenal ahead at the moment.

It will be interesting to see his development from here, and how Arsenal plan to use him if they manage to complete this signing. He can play easily as a centre-back or left-back, he’s excellent in both positions; he was a left-back for his whole career before this superb season as centre-back last season.

What does Joao Palhinha transfer mean for Joshua Kimmich?

Joao Palhinha and Joshua Kimmich

Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich is now a ‘here we go’ as there has been a breakthrough in talks between Bayern and Fulham. Palhinha asked very clearly to be allowed to join Bayern, and now it looks closer to going through, so what could this mean for the future of other Bayern midfielders?

There has been a lot of speculation about Joshua Kimmich in particular as he’s in the final year of his contract at Bayern now, and some fans have asked me if Palhinha’s arrival means he’s replacing him.

Let’s see what happens because Bayern have still a chance to extend Kimmich’s contract. Still, the most likely scenario at the moment is for Kimmich to leave and try a new experience, it will also depend on proposals because Kimmich will explore all the options available to him after the Euros.

Truth about Liverpool swap deal and Marc Guehi links

It’s been a quiet summer for Liverpool so far, but we know there was recently interest in Anthony Gordon, and there has been some speculation about a failed attempt at agreeing a swap deal with Newcastle.

Some outlets have reported that Joe Gomez was one of the names being offered by Liverpool to Newcastle, but I can’t confirm this. Newcastle and Liverpool had a contact for Gordon, as reported a few days ago, but a swap deal was never something close or concrete, so I don’t have this information I’m afraid.

In terms of names coming in for the defence, Marc Guehi has been linked with Liverpool (as well as other clubs) several times and he’s impressing with England at the Euros. There is interest from many clubs, but nothing close or concrete yet as he wants to focus on the tournament now and not be distracted. For sure Guehi remains an interesting name for this summer with two years left on his contract at Crystal Palace.

Ederson to Saudi remains one to watch

There is a lot of movement in Saudi Arabia – the market there has restarted and we’re heading into important days. Al Ittihad also have a new manager in Stefano Pioli, and something could happen from the Premier League in the next days.

One concrete possibility is for Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson to move to Saudi – it remains the case that he has proposals from Saudi clubs, as I reported at the end of May. There are discussions ongoing between Al Nassr and the agents of Ederson, though they’re not the only ones showing an interest. Ederson is open to a move to Saudi, and Man City are open to letting him go.

Now City are waiting for an official bid from Ederson, and of course a move will depend on the financial proposal. Still, City have been aware of this possibility since May and so they extended the contract of Stefan Ortega, because if Ederson leaves, Ortega will be the new first-choice goalkeeper for Pep Guardiola and City will bring in a new backup for that position.

Real Madrid remain ready to sign Davies and Yoro this summer if the money is right

Real Madrid have had a busy few months and they have two more big names on their list at the moment – Alphonso Davies at Bayern, and Leny Yoro of Lille. So what’s the latest with these players?

Real Madrid remain very keen on Davies and never stopped contacts on the player side. However, it depends on the asking price, because if Bayern put Davies on the market for a normal fee, Real Madrid are happy to start a negotiation, otherwise they are very happy with the squad they have.

If Davies were then to stay at Bayern but not sign a new contract, then the chances for Real Madrid to move for the Canadian left-back next summer as a free agent would be very concrete. So it could either be Davies now for a reasonable price, or Davies in 2025 if he doesn’t extend his contract at Bayern.

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With Yoro, the situation remains quite clear – Real Madrid want the player, and the player wants to go to Real Madrid. The message to the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain has always been clear – his desire is to go to Real Madrid, so he is pushing to go there and he is ready to wait for them.

Real Madrid don’t want to pay big money for a player who’s out of contract next summer, so it’s a similar situation as with Alphonso Davies, it would also in this case need to be a fair price. Still, there is the feeling that Lille would be ready to sell the player this summer, and this is why it remains a very strong topic for this summer, with contacts taking place.

For now, the only way for clubs like Man United, Liverpool and PSG to enter strongly into the race is if negotiations between Lille and Real Madrid collapse. In that case, Yoro could open the door to other clubs, but for now Real Madrid is his absolute priority.

Crysencio Summerville to PSG links explained

There has been an interesting story coming out about PSG being interested in Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville. I’ve spoken before about the expectation being for Summerville to leave Leeds after they couldn’t win promotion back to the Premier League, and I’ve also reported on Summerville to Brighton being discussed, so what about these new links with PSG?

My understanding is that the situation is: Summerville shares the same agents as Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida. PSG are in talks with Geertruida on personal terms, so Summerville was mentioned during talks but there’s still no negotiation ongoing between the clubs or the player’s agents. It’s an open race with Brighton and more clubs interested.

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Arsenal transfer news: Calafiori battle with Chelsea, Ugarte links, Nketiah asking price & more

Charles Watts — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:35:00 +0000

This article was originally published on the Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Charles Watts’ exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service at thedailybriefing.io

Arsenal express interest in Riccardo Calafiori transfer

The current links with Riccardo Calafiori remind me of Arsenal’s interest in Manuel Locatelli a few years ago. The club liked Locatelli and had made that known to the player’s representatives, but they were always under the impression that he wanted to join Juventus. So while the interest was there, it never really went any further than that.

And that’s how I see things with Calafiori right now. Arsenal are interested in him and have expressed that interest. Bologna are aware of it and so is the player. Calafiori is seen as someone who could come in and strengthen Mikel Arteta’s defensive options this summer. But Arsenal know that there is widespread interest in him from other clubs, both in Italy and in the Premier League. So it will not be an easy deal to get done should Bologna agree to let him go.

It is one to keep an eye on though as the summer progresses and there’s no doubt it would be an exciting signing for the Gunners should they be able to pull it off.

Calafiori has obviously put himself in a shop window with his performances at the Euros. Several top clubs are looking at him, but the expectation right now is that he would favour a move to Juventus over all other options. At the moment there seems to be a bit of animosity between Bologna and Juventus, however, because of Thiago Motta’s decision to move to Turin, so Bologna are looking to make life as difficult as possible for Juventus as they look to lure Calafiori away as well.

For Bologna, it is of course very beneficial to have Arsenal and Chelsea looking at the player as that could strengthen their hand when it comes to any future negotiations with Juventus.

Arsenal are looking at possible new arrivals in defence this summer, but they have good options at the back and I don’t really see them spending big money on someone like Calafiori unless they move a player on and right now that doesn’t seem close to happening.

There is interest from Italian clubs in Jakob Kiwior, but it would take a sizeable bid to sign the Poland international, who impressed last season – especially over the closing months of the campaign.

Eddie Nketiah has admirers but £50m price tag has not been confirmed

A possible price tag of £50 million for Eddie Nketiah has been a big discussion point over the last week or so. I have to admit though, I’m a bit sceptical about that figure.

Arsenal are open to offers for Nketiah and I’ve always felt like this will be the summer that he does leave the club. I struggle to see someone paying £50m for him though. That just feels a bit too high for me, although from Arsenal’s point of view it makes sense to value him as high as possible when it comes to any negotiations.

It’s simple business really, but I’ve not been told that the £50m figure is accurate. Nketiah is a decent player though and I do think Arsenal should be getting good money for him this summer.

He’s still only 25 and he’s proven that he can score goals in the Premier League. He’s also improved his all round game massively under Mikel Arteta.

Eddie Nketiah in action for Arsenal

He just needs to go and play regularly now. If he does that, I have no doubt that he can make a big impact somewhere.

Crystal Palace are long-term admirers of the striker and he’s been close to going to Selhurst Park on more than one occasion in the last couple of years. Fulham, Brighton and West Ham are also believed to be interested.

At the moment Nketiah is over in Marbella with a handful of other Arsenal players as they prepare for the start of preseason. Arteta is with them and he has shown he has plenty of faith in Nketiah.

So I don’t think Arsenal will push him out of the door this summer, but they are certainly open to offers. Whether anyone will go as far as £50m though, I’m not so sure.

Were Arsenal right to sell Granit Xhaka when they did?

Granit Xhaka is deservedly getting the plaudits for his fantastic performances for Switzerland at the Euros. He’s been absolutely superb, just as he was for Beyer Leverkusen during their remarkable season in Germany in 2023/24.

Obviously people are looking at how he has been performing since leaving Arsenal and question whether the club made a mistake in letting him go.

I don’t think they did, although I’m convinced they would have won the title had he still been in North London last season.

The football he is producing now should be no surprise because he’s playing exactly as he did during his final two years with Arsenal. Mikel Arteta took his game to a new level and he has continued that under Xabi Alonso.

Ideally, Arteta would have liked Xhaka to have stayed at Arsenal, but Xhaka wanted to go. Arteta had managed to convince him to stay with the club 12 months earlier when the Swiss International was again pushing for a move. But he was unable to do the same in 2023.

Xhaka only had a year left on his contract and made it clear to Arsenal during the final few months of the 2022/23 campaign that he wanted a new challenge. Arsenal could have kept him of course, but then they would have lost him for nothing in the summer of 2024. So they had to let him go really.

It was just about trying to get the best deal possible for him, which I think they did when you take into account his age and contract status. A fee of £21.5 million was pretty decent.

Arteta was very loyal to Xhaka. The pair had an excellent relationship and had a great amount of respect for each other. So when Xhaka said he wanted to go, Arteta reluctantly agreed to allow it to happen.

Xhaka had spent a long time at Arsenal and at times his stay was very difficult. The way he turned things round and won over the supporters was an unbelievable redemption story and I think it was the right decision to let him go out on a high, especially with Declan Rice coming in.

Arsenal will surely sign a midfielder, but Ugarte and Rabiot seem unlikely

I did smile to myself when I saw reports saying Manuel Ugarte had been offered to Arsenal.

It might well have happened obviously, but Arsenal are not in the business any more of signing unwanted players because they are offered to them by clubs or agents.

Arsenal’s transfer policy now is planned out months in advance and one thing they will not do is sign someone just for the sake of it.

I will be very surprised if they don’t sign a midfielder this summer. It’s an area they are working hard to strengthen, but I would be surprised if it’s a player that another club are just looking to get rid of.

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Adrien Rabiot is another name that seems to be linked every few months and he is now on the market obviously as a free agent after his contract ended with Juventus. But I don’t see him being an option for Arsenal. He just doesn’t tick the right boxes when it comes to the type of profile they look for.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Martin Zubimendi once the Euros comes to an end. His future will be decided one way or the other and we know Arsenal are long-term admirers.

Getting him out of Real Sociedad won’t be easy, as he has suggested himself given his love for the club, but I don’t think Arsenal have totally given up hope on that one yet.

The post Arsenal transfer news: Calafiori battle with Chelsea, Ugarte links, Nketiah asking price & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: £50m Arsenal transfer figure not confirmed, four interested clubs named by expert

Mark Brus — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 10:18:32 +0000

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has interest from four Premier League clubs this summer amid talk of him possibly leaving the Emirates Stadium for a transfer fee as high as £50million.

However, speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Charles Watts played down the idea of Nketiah costing as much as £50m, saying he hadn’t had this price tag confirmed by his sources, despite it circulating in some media outlets recently.

Discussing the possible suitors for Nketiah, Watts named West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Fulham as possible options for the 25-year-old ahead of next season, though it seems nothing is particularly advanced on this story for the moment.

Although Watts says he’s sceptical about the £50m price tag doing the rounds, he does think Arsenal should be in line to get good money for Nketiah, so this could be a deal to watch out for, and one that could have a big impact for the club as it would represent pure profit from a Financial Fair Play perspective.

Nketiah transfer update from Arsenal expert Charles Watts

Eddie Nketiah could leave Arsenal this summer

“A possible price tag of £50 million for Eddie Nketiah has been a big discussion point over the last week or so. I have to admit though, I’m a bit sceptical about that figure,” Watts said.

“Arsenal are open to offers for Nketiah and I’ve always felt like this will be the summer that he does leave the club. I struggle to see someone paying £50m for him though. That just feels a bit too high for me, although from Arsenal’s point of view it makes sense to value him as high as possible when it comes to any negotiations.

“It’s simple business really, but I’ve not been told that the £50m figure is accurate. Nketiah is a decent player though and I do think Arsenal should be getting good money for him this summer.

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