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Arsenal have been utterly transformed over the last four years, from a team struggling in midtable to one fighting for the Premier League and Champions League.

Mikel Arteta has worked wonders on the pitch with his tactical approach, but alongside Edu Gaspar, he has also turned the Gunners into shrewd operators in the market, both in terms of incoming and outgoings.

The likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun have all been moved on for sizable fees under the Spaniard and Brazilian, which is something that rarely happened under the former leadership.

However, for all the poor sales conducted before Arteta found himself in the hot seat, there were some great ones here and there, including one player loved by Arsène Wenger.

Wenger's biggest sales

So, before we get to the player who netted the Gunners a considerable profit, let’s look at a couple of the most significant sales completed while Wenger was still at the club.

The first player that has to be mentioned is English midfielder Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, who joined the North Londoners from Southampton in the summer of 2011 for a fee reported to be around £15m, including add-ons.

Over the following six seasons, the Portsmouth-born star would make 198 first-team appearances for the club, in which he scored 20 goals and provided 28 assists, so it was quite a surprise when Liverpool were willing to pay £35m for his services in August 2018.

The 31-year-old would go on to enjoy a relatively successful stint on Merseyside, winning several trophies, but the injury problems that saw him miss around 178 games for the Gunners continued up North.

Another of Wenger’s most significant sales was another midfielder who left for a fee in the region of £35m: Cesc Fàbregas.

The Spaniard joined the North Londoners in 2003 for around £2m and would go on to make 303 appearances for the first team over the following eight years before finally returning to Barcelona and then making a number of moves that would see him play for Chelsea, AS Monaco and Como.

Unlike Chamberlain, losing the exceptional international was a severe blow on the pitch. Still, the silver lining was the enormous profit, but another player loved by Wenger, who Unai Emery sold, netted the club an even larger profit.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

The sale of Alex Iwobi

Yes, the player in question is none other than Nigerian international Alex Iwobi, who joined Arsenal as a youngster before breaking into and establishing himself in the first team under Wenger.

The Lagos-born dynamo, whom the Frenchman dubbed “exceptional” in November 2017, made 149 first-team appearances for the North Londoners between the 13/14 and 18/19 seasons, eventually being sold to Everton in the summer of 2019 for a massive fee of £35m with 15 goals and 24 assists to his name.

Now, while the versatile academy gem wasn’t a star of the team at the time, Emery’s decision to offload him when he did was a surprise, but given that he joined the club’s youth set up as a youngster, the fee he bought in was all profit, making it one of the best sales in the club’s history, at least from a financial perspective.

Iwobi’s senior career
Club	Arsenal	Everton	Fulham
Appearances	149	140	43
Goals	15	9	7
Assists	24	16	3
Goal Involvements per Match	0.26	0.17	0.23
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, while the 28-year-old has since established himself as a Premier League-level player, making 140 appearances for the Toffees and 34 for Fulham, he hasn’t quite developed into the world-beater that some at Hale End thought he might.

Ultimately, Iwobi was a useful player for Arsenal when he was at the club, but Emery and those in charge at the time did exceptionally well to get such a significant fee for him in 2019, especially as, at the time, the Gunners were not known for being particularly great sellers.

Contact made: Arsenal keen on signing amazing £75m Trossard upgrade

Arsenal could take their attack to the next level with the sensational forward.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 23, 2024

Leeds United will be hoping to fight their way into the top two in the Championship when they play host to Plymouth Argyle at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites have drawn three of their last five games in the division and will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 0-0 draw at Bristol City last time out.

Largie Ramazani missed out through injury and the other forwards in the team failed to step up to score the goals for Daniel Farke, as Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James were selected on the flanks in his absence.

Scoring goals has not been a major issue for the West Yorkshire outfit this season, though, as they have found the back of the net 19 times in 12 games.

Only Sunderland (23) and Norwich City (22) have scored more goals than Farke’s side, which shows that he has created a potent and exciting attack at Elland Road.

They are now preparing to take on a Plymouth side that are currently one place above the relegation zone and have conceded 22 times in 12 games.

Their head coach, though, certainly knows a thing or two about scoring goals, as they are managed by former Premier League icon Wayne Rooney.

Wayne Rooney's goalscoring records

The former Derby County and Birmingham boss enjoyed a stunning career and established himself as a legend for both Manchester United and England.

He did hold the record for the most goals in England history, with 53 goals in 120 caps, but has since been overtaken by Harry Kane’s haul of 68 goals in 100 caps, which shows that the forward was an elite goalscorer at international level.

During his time with Manchester United, Rooney racked up a staggering 253 goals and 139 assists in 559 matches in all competitions for the Red Devils.

The English ace, who played as a centre-forward or a second striker for the majority of his playing career, consistently provided quality in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Along with plenty of goals and assists, Rooney also collected his fair share of trophies throughout his career. He won five Premier League titles, one Champions League, four League Cups, and one FA Cup with United.

Whilst he may not go on to achieve the amazing success that Rooney did at club and international level, Leeds have an emerging talent brewing who could be their own version of the England legend in Mateo Joseph.

Mateo Joseph's academy form for Leeds

The Spanish striker, who previously played for England at youth level before declaring for Spain, joined the Whites in January 2022 from Espanyol’s academy.

He had a slow start to life in the country, with a return of two goals in 11 academy matches, in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign before hitting his stride in his first full season with Leeds.

In the 2022/22 term, Joseph caught the eye with a superb return of 16 goals and two assists in 21 appearances in the Premier League 2 for the U21 side as a centre-forward.

He showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis at youth level in the academy for Leeds and earned himself three Premier League appearances off the bench for the first-team that term, as Leeds were relegated to the Championship.

U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed him as a “wonderful” player and a “major talent” after his performances for Spain and Leeds at U21 level, with four goals in four caps for Spain’s U21s, after a return of three goals in ten matches for England’s U20s.

His form for club and country at youth level earned him a chance in the senior squad under Farke in the 2023/24 campaign, and he showed promise in his limited minutes on the pitch.

All 20 of his appearances in the Championship last season came as a substitute, scoring one goal in that time, but he did score twice at Stamford Bridge as a starter against Premier League giants Chelsea in the FA Cup.

This term, however, Joseph has emerged as a genuine starting-calibre centre-forward for Leeds and is emerging as a huge prospect for the club, at the age of 21.

Mateo Joseph's form this season

The Whites have their own version of Rooney brewing at Thorp Arch as the 21-year-old sensation has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Championship.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Like the England legend, Joseph is a powerful and aggressive striker who likes to hold the ball up and get involved in play, by holding off defenders and finding teammates with passes, whilst also scoring goals.

Whilst he does not have the bulky build that Rooney was known for, the clip below illustrates how well the academy graduate uses his body to get the better of experienced defenders.

That was one of the two goals that the Spanish youth international has plundered for the West Yorkshire outfit in the Championship this season, to add to the one he managed last term.

Whilst he has not been a prolific scorer at senior level, yet, his aforementioned form for the academy suggests that the potential is there for him to eventually develop into a lethal goalscorer for Leeds.

Appearances

12

Starts

8

Goals

2

Big chances created

4

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, Joseph has also showcased his creative quality in a Whites shirt this season in the Championship, with four ‘big chances’ created in eight starts.

This shows that the attacker is unselfish and looks to constantly get other players involved in the final third, hence why he has already registered three assists in the second tier.

Joseph, therefore, has the potential to develop into a complete centre-forward due to his pace, physicality, goalscoring potential, and creative quality, with plenty of time for him to fulfill his potential at the age of 21.

Leeds could move on from Solomon by unleashing "immense" star in new role

The Leeds United star has thrived in an attacking role for his country this season.

ByDan Emery Oct 29, 2024

This is why Leeds may have their own version of Rooney brewing in Yorkshire, ahead of the legendary forward’s trip to Elland Road on Saturday.

Ex-Manchester United coach Carlos Queiroz has revealed how a challenge he set Cristiano Ronaldo helped to make the Portuguese a GOAT.

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Ronaldo was snapped up from Sporting in 2003Took first steps towards greatness at Old TraffordMentality forged back then has been maintainedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Queiroz was working alongside legendary Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson when the opportunity to sign Ronaldo presented itself in 2003. Two exciting talents on Sporting’s books were being considered at that time, but it was CR7 that ultimately made his way to Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Speaking to , Queiroz has said of the advice that he offered which led to another iconic No.7 arriving in Manchester: “I was in my office and they called me to say that Ferguson needed me. At that time, I had no responsibility for scouting. I sat down in front of him. 'Here we are looking at two names from a club you know well and they are two Portuguese players. I want to know what you think. One is called Cristiano Ronaldo, the other Ricardo Quaresma', he told me. And I answered 'both', twice. Then, when I had to choose just one, I said it had to be Cristiano.”

DID YOU KNOW?

That call proved to be particularly shrewd, with Ronaldo going on to become a Premier League, Champions League and Ballon d’Or winner with United. His first spell in England delivered 118 goals through 292 appearances in all competitions.

GettyWHAT CARLOS QUEIROZ SAID

Queiroz added on how he set about unlocking the potential in Ronaldo’s game that has allowed him to go on and become an all-time great: “One day I called him into my office, when we were starting to introduce certain technological approaches. 'I have a challenge for you. You were born to be the best player in the world and that is a privilege, you should be grateful for that blessing. I am here to help you, but you have to tell me if you are available to work because, if you are not, I don't have the patience to waste time'. The next morning, he knocked on the door to ask when we were starting. He was always one of the first to arrive.”

Enzo Maresca has ruled out recalling Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is on loan at Bournemouth, but admitted that Chelsea No.1 Robert Sanchez could be dropped.

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• Sanchez under scrutiny after glaring errors vs Man City
• Coach is unsure whether he will start against West Ham
• However, recalling Arrizabalaga is not in the plans

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sanchez has come under increasing scrutiny following his latest blunder in Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to City. His mistake directly led to Erling Haaland’s goal, further tarnishing his reputation as the club’s No. 1 goalkeeper. The Spaniard now holds the unwanted record for the most errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season, with five.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amid the goalkeeping fiasco at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea loanee Arrizabalaga has been performing well for a high-flying Bournemouth side. Despite the Spaniard's impressive form with The Cherries, the Blues have no plans to recall him to solve their current crisis.

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  "No, absolutely not," he stated, shutting down any speculation about a mid-season return for the 29-year-old, who remains the most expensive goalkeeper in football history after his £71 million transfer to Chelsea in 2018.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With Sanchez struggling, pressure is mounting on Maresca to turn to Filip Jorgensen, who has impressed whenever given the opportunity. However, the Chelsea boss remains non-committal on whether a change will be made ahead of the next game.

  “No, not yet," he said. "The decision, I have two-three days (to make). The good thing is any decision I make I feel good (about it) because every time Filip plays he has done well. So, Filip or Rob? We will see. Any decision will be okay.

  “The only thing I can say is we need the fans, the players need them, but also understanding that sometimes for different reasons they cannot be happy with players or managers in general. “But for sure we need their support because they have to trust our direction. I am the first one that if I see something I don’t like, I do not accept that.”

Hosts still trail by 359 in follow-on as Will Jacks makes inroads on flat deck

ECB Reporters Network14-May-2022Kent are battling to save their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Surrey at Beckenham, having reached 82 for one in their second innings at stumps on day three.The hosts are still 359 behind the Division One leaders’ total of 671 for nine, but Zak Crawley and Ben Compton batted through most of the evening session after Kent were forced to follow on.Will Jacks bowled Crawley for 35 in the penultimate over of the day, but Compton is unbeaten on 47, alongside side night-watchman Matt Milnes, who is nought not out.Earlier Jacks took his best first-class figures of four for 65, as Kent were dismissed for 230 in their first innings, while Jamie Overton took three for 33. Ollie Robinson’s was Kent’s top scorer with 71, while Compton made his second 47 of the day.What had looked like a typical Beckenham “road” when Surrey were batting suddenly resembled a country lane full of pot holes when Kent resumed on 45 for one.Daniel Bell-Drummond lasted for 40 minutes, but was brilliantly caught by Ollie Pope in the slips off Jamie Overton for 13 and Jack Leaning made just nine before he was bowled by Jacks.Overton was generating some serious hostility and Surrey thought he’d dismissed Compton when a fearsome delivery bounced up and knocked the left-hander’s helmet off his head and onto the stumps. However Compton was given not out after the umpires conferred, under an ECB regulation brought in before the 2021 season to encourage batters to wear helmets.Surrey initially looked bewildered by the decision, but any tension was defused after coach Gareth Batty consulted the match referee Simon Hinks. “We’re all good,” Batty shouted at Overton, giving him the thumbs up. “Just do it again, chief.”Overton followed up with five equally menacing deliveries, but after being checked out by medical staff Compton somehow survived the rest of the over, in more than one sense, only to be given out caught behind off Jacks in the next.Jordan Cox then edged Worral to Ben Foakes for 12, leaving Kent in deep trouble on 116 for five at lunch.Kent’s hopes of avoiding the follow on took a further hit when Overton bowled Darren Stevens for seven, ripping out his off stump and Jacks then removed George Linde, who was caught in the slips by Rory Burns for 26.Milnes had made 13 when Colin de Grandhomme had him caught by Pope and the biggest home cheer of the afternoon came when Nathan Gilchrist avoided making his seventh consecutive duck when he hit the same bowler for three.Any delight Gilchrist had at evading what would have been a first-class record faded when he was caught by Sam Curran off Jacks for five and Robinson’s defiance ended, along with Kent’s first innings, when he hit Overton to Jacks with the final ball before tea.Kent badly needed to win a session and did so for arguably they first time in the match, with Compton and Crawley resisting for nearly two hours. At one point Sam Curran came into the attack, bowling spin, but the visitors were frustrated until Crawley played on to Jacks, leaving Milnes to bat through to the close.

Aston Villa have reportedly joined the race to complete a free transfer for Unai Emery, according to reports coming out of Italy.

Aston Villa still wary of financial fair play

The Villans were forced into early transfer action over the summer thanks to the June 30th deadline for their accounts, with the club needing to balance their books for Premier League financial fair play reasons.

So tight was their deadline that they announced the departure of Douglas Luiz on June 30th, but didn't announce the confirm of Juventus duo Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior until July 1st, a new financial year.

Aston Villa sold a "beast" in 2015, now he scores more often than Watkins

He was terrific for the Villans during his time at the club.

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 10, 2024

Of course, the two deals were separate transactions, but the pair relied upon one another to be completed. Villa's position was also boosted by the sale of Moussa Diaby to Al-Ittihad later in the window, with the club recouping a hefty fee for the winger.

Despite this upheaval, it was still a strong window for the Midlands outfit, with the Villans signing eight new players headlined by the arrivals of Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen from Everton and Chelsea respectively.

Aston Villa's new signings (summer 2024)
Player	Fee
Amadou Onana	£50m
Ian Maatsen	£37m
Cameron Archer	£14m
Jaden Philogene	£13.5m
Lewis Dobbin	£8m
Samuel Iling-Junior	£11.8m + add-ons
Enzo Barrenechea	£6.7m + add-ons
Ross Barkley	£5m

With a net spend of just £40m, they have managed to add seriuos quality and depth to Unai Emery's side, but the issues with financial fair play have not disappeared entirely. According to the Athletic, Villa are "still tight on PSR restrictions", which may restrict big spending in the months to come despite Emery's potential wishes.

One way to fix that is to continue their shrewd spending, and now they have been named as one of the clubs chasing a potential free transfer.

Villa eye up soon to be free agent

That comes as reports from Italy name Aston Villa as one of the sides "in the running" to sign Jonathan David next summer, after having had contact with the Lille striker this summer. He is down to the final 10 months of his £27,500 a week deal with the Ligue 1 side, and is yet to pen fresh terms, though he hinted he could be willing to do so while on international duty with Canada.

“Well, right now we’re speaking with the (Lille President Oliver Letang) about a possible extension,” David said. “We’ll see how that goes. I’m open to anything."

Should he opt not to sign a new deal, he will be a free agent next summer and have his pick of interested clubs. The report adds that Emery personally admires the striker, who was described as a “phenomenon” by old Gent manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck and has found the net 87 times in 190 outings for Lille.

Inter are also interested, but can already call upon the services of Ballon d'Or nominee Lautaro Martinez and World Cup finalist Marcus Thuram. On a free transfer, David may well be the perfect solution to Aston Villa's financial conundrum, with the Villans needing to improve their squad on a budget.

Weather interference and an excellent pitch for batting combined to sentence the LV=Insurance County Championship clash between champions Warwickshire and Surrey to a draw at Edgbaston.A mouth-watering opening-round clash between two sides with serious title aspirations ended in stalemate with Surrey on 43 without loss in their second innings after Warwickshire piled up 531 in their first.Related

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On a pitch offering the bowlers nothing, Bears wicketkeeper Michael Burgess hit a career-best 178, his fourth first class century. He enjoyed resolute support from the tail, notably No. 11 Oliver Hannon-Dalby with whom he added 122 for the tenth wicket. Hannon-Dalby made an unbeaten 11 off 89 balls, having got off the mark from his 67th ball faced.Warwickshire took advantage of the favourable batting conditions which, along with the loss of 47 overs in the match to rain and bad light, killed off any hopes of a positive result.”Overall, it was a solid start for us,” Will Rhodes, Warwickshire’s captain, said. “There were plenty of positives but a few things for us to reflect on so it is good now for us to have a week without a game so we can work on those before we come back against a very good Essex team.”It was a magnificent partnership between Burge and Olly. Huge credit goes to Olly for all the work he had put in on his batting in the winter, as have all the bowlers with their batting. Burge batted brilliantly for his career-best. I’m really pleased for him. He works really hard on his game and is really getting his rewards.”Gareth Batty, Surrey’s head coach, said: “I asked the lads to start the season on the front foot and I thought they did that quite magnificently with the bat and with the ball. We were 116 for 0 with the bat and then had them 41 for 4 so I am pretty happy with those starts, we just need to extend them.”The pitch got slower as the game on and became turgid at times which is why the game panned out the way it did. But I am super happy with the way we played with bat and ball. Yes, we can be better, we asked the players to start on the front foot and they certainly did.”Then home side resumed on the final morning on 293 for 7 and soon raised the third batting point in unusual fashion when Craig Miles headed a short ball from Jordan Clark over the slips for four.

Aston Villa are among a handful of Premier League clubs keeping an eye on an exciting Championship player, according to a new report.

The Villans play their second Champions League game of the season on Wednesday evening as they welcome Bayern Munich to Villa Park, but heading into the game there has been a bit of transfer news that could occur in 2025.

Emery benches Digne in 2 changes for predicted Aston Villa lineup v Bayern

Aston Villa will be nervously preparing for their Champions League showdown versus Bayern Munich.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 2, 2024 Aston Villa transfer news

Unai Emery’s side were very busy during the summer, as they put together a squad that could compete in the league once again as well as in Europe. It has been a good start to the campaign for the Midlands side, but it appears that they could have their eye on more transfer business in 2025.

Villa are said to be keeping a close eye on Atletico Madrid player Samuel Lino, as Emery is keen to improve his options on the left-hand side of his team. The club’s sporting director, Monchi, has been keeping an eye on the player ever since he joined the La Liga side in 2022, and it now seems they are readying their move.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are also looking to improve their forward line, as they are interested in signing Valencia striker Hugo Duro. They have been left impressed by Duro’s performances in Spain, and are keen to add him to their squad in the near future. Interest in Duro comes as there are still concerns about the future of Jhon Duran despite his excellent form in front of goal.

Aston Villa send scouts to watch two Boro stars

According to TBR Football, Aston Villa had scouts in place to watch Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg against West Brom at The Hawthorns on Tuesday evening. The representatives from Villa were there to look at both West Brom and Boro, but they looked closely at Hackney in particular, who has been very impressive in the Championship this season.

Hackney, who has been labelled as “immense” by his manager Michael Carrick, scored the only goal on Tuesday, and it would be no surprise to see him turning out in the top flight next season. It appears that his form has caught the attention of Villa, who were joined by scouts from Nottingham Forest and Wolves.

Van den Berg meanwhile joined Boro in the summer of 2023, and was an important performer for them last season. The defender has missed the last few games through injury, but made his third start in the league on Tuesday as Boro picked up a huge result.

Rav van den Berg

Hayden Hackney

Apps

43

77

Goals

1

7

Assists

0

6

He may be someone that Villa look to bring in as a long-term replacement for Diego Carlos, who put in a struggling performance against Ipswich Town and hasn’t really nailed down a place during his time at Villa Park.