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Arsenal Wenger has lifted the lid on his efforts to sign Kylian Mbappe for Arsenal, as well as he reason why the French star turned the Gunners down.

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• Arsenal failed with Mbappe approach
• Wenger reveals details
• Youngster chose to stay at Monaco

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wenger spoke openly about visiting Mbappe's parents to convince them to swap first club Monaco for Arsenal. In the end, the family decided to stay put, resisting interest from Liverpool and Real Madrid, too.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The approach from Arsenal can be placed around 2016, when the player was 17 and making his senior breakthrough with Monaco. The following year, a childhood picture of Mbappe wearing a yellow Arsenal shirt from 2004 surfaced online. But, later that same year, he completed a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain with an obligation to buy worth €180 million. Earlier this month, football's worst kept secret was finally let out of the bag when Real Madrid announced his arrival.

• WHAT WENGER SAID

  "It was a footballing blow, and an obvious one too. Seeing a photo [of Mbappe wearing an Arsenal shirt], hurts my heart a little," Wenger told French broadcaster . "I went to his parents and tried to convince them. At the time, he was a little shy, people were starting to ask him for his first autographs in Monaco. At the beginning of your career, you don't have too much pressure at the start and they managed to persuade him to extend it by promising him that he would play more easily at Monaco than at Arsenal, Liverpool or Real Madrid. We can say that his parents advised him well and that he made the right decision."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  Mbappe is already a World Cup winner but will be keen to lead France to European Championship glory as captain over the coming weeks. Their campaign kicks off on June 17 against Austria. But he has been denied the opportunity to make it a marathon summer of international football after Madrid denied his wishes to also represent France at the Olympics.

NFL legend and Burnley investor JJ Watt feels the pain of France star Kylian Mbappe having been left bloodied himself by an unfortunate broken nose.

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• American football star left battered & bruised
• Real Madrid-bound forward suffered similar fate
• Both put bodies on the line for collective cause

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Both men have forged their sporting reputations on the ability to barge through and beyond opposition defences. Watt’s job was to get at rival quarterbacks, which he turned into an art form, while Mbappe’s pace and power has allowed him to break goal records at Paris Saint-Germain while also becoming captain of his country.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mbappe and Watt are not the kind of characters to back down from a challenge, and that occasionally means putting their body on the line. Mbappe did just that when taking a nasty blow to the face during France’s Euro 2024 opener against Austria.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 25-year-old, who is linking up with Real Madrid this summer, was left with blood pouring out of his nose as he had to be replaced and will now need to be fitted with a protective mask before taking to the field again. Watt has been in that position himself, with his nose left seriously misshapen at times.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  France are now sweating on Mbappe’s involvement in their upcoming fixtures. They are due to be back in action against the Netherlands on Friday, but there have been suggestions that their skipper may not be cleared to return until the quarter-final stage of Euro 2024 is reached.

The January transfer window has just over a week left to run and Celtic already have their eyes on a target to bring to Parkhead in the summer.

Celtic's search for a new number one

According to Football Insider, the Hoops have made signing a new number one a priority for the summer transfer window as they look for a new long-term option in that position.

Current first-choice Joe Hart is out of contract at the end of the current season and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be offered an extension.

The report claims that the Scottish giants have identified Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher as one of their top targets to take over from the former England international.

It states that the Ireland international, who is valued at £20m by the Premier League side, is ready to move on from Anfield in search of regular game time, which has opened the door for Celtic to swoop in for him.

Brendan Rodgers could now avenge the blunder that was made with the signing of Nat Phillips from the Reds by landing a fantastic signing from Jurgen Klopp's side.

Nat Phillips' struggles in Scotland

The English centre-back spent the first half of the season on loan at Celtic from Liverpool and failed to nail down a regular place in the starting XI.

He only made six appearances in the Scottish Premiership and started three matches for Rodgers. One of those starts produced a calamitous performance as the 26-year-old flop scored an own goal in a 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock.

Phillips also featured in two Champions League games for the Hoops and lost a staggering 67% of his aerial duels and 100% of his battles on the ground, as opposition players found it far too easy to get the better of him.

These statistics show that the Liverpool loanee struggled domestically and in Europe before being allowed to return to England at the start of this month.

The stats that show why Kelleher could avenge Phillips' failure

Celtic could now avenge the blunder they made with the signing of Phillips by securing a deal for Kelleher at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Irish colossus, firstly, is 25 and could be the long-term number one at Parkhead. He is 11 years younger than Hart, who is out of contract this summer, and could be Rodgers' number one for many, many, years to come.

This means that there is long-term value to be had with the Reds youngster if the Hoops snap him up on a permanent deal, whereas Phillips was only short-term loan that did not work out on the pitch.

Kelleher, who was once hailed as "exceptional" by Klopp, could also arrive as an upgrade on Hart in terms of their respective shot-stopping abilities.

The 25-year-old ace has been Liverpool's first-choice in the EFL Cup in recent seasons and recorded a save success rate of 73% or higher in two of the last three campaigns.

Meanwhile, Hart has saved 67% of the shots on his goal in the Premiership this season and saved 65% of the shots against him during the 2022/23 campaign.

Kelleher has also stopped 9.1% of crosses into his box over the last 365 days in European competitions, in comparison to the Celtic stopper's 1.2% of crosses during the same period of time.

Therefore, the Hoops could avenge their Phillips blunder by signing a superb Liverpool talent who could be a key player for the club for many years to come.

Rangers already have an agreement in place with one current player over a major new contract this summer, according to a fresh update regarding his future.

Rangers contract news

The Gers had a solid January transfer window in the end, making some important loan signings to bolster the squad depth that Philippe Clement has in his armoury. Fabio Silva arrived on a temporary basis from Premier League side Wolves, acting as an exciting addition, given his reputation as a good young attacker. Meanwhile, Oscar Cortes was a late addition at Ibrox, too, making the move from Lens until the end of the season.

Both are – for now at least – only at the club until the summer, looking to make a positive impact in the Scottish Premiership title race, and the likes of Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe all out of contract at that point, too, among others.

Oscar Cortes expected to sign permanent Rangers deal

According to a new update from Football Insider, Oscar Cortes will be given a "huge" long-term deal at Rangers this summer, on the condition that he impresses Clement and the board during his loan stint at Ibrox.

"Oscar Cortes will land a four-year contract and a “huge” pay rise if he thrives during his loan spell at Rangers, sources have told Football Insider. The Colombia international joined the Ibrox giants on loan for the remainder of the season on deadline day from RC Lens.

"The Gers have an option to buy the winger in the summer, which will be triggered if he meets performance-related targets in the second half of the season. If he impresses manager Philippe Clement and Rangers chiefs, he is expected to earn an improvement to his weekly salary and a long-term contract running until 2028."

This should be seen as a massive incentive for Cortes between now and the end of the campaign, with a shiny new contract hovering in front of him, and that should only benefit Rangers in the title battle.

The fact that so many established players could leave in the summer means that Rangers would be getting a lot of money off their wage bill, which would then free up funds to be able to make Cortes' switch permanent. The 20-year-old clearly has to perform in order for this to happen, however, so if he doesn't hit the ground running and finds himself struggling for playing time under Clement, the Gers could decide that looking at an alternative target is the sensible option instead.

Rangers may have a bigger talent than Shankland in their 18 y/o sensation

Rangers may have an academy prospect who could be better than Shankland

By
Ross Kilvington

Feb 2, 2024

Some patience may be needed to begin with, as he adjusts to a new style of football and country, but 11 goals in 25 caps for Colombia's Under-20s – he has also appeared once at senior level – can only bode well.

Hungary have confirmed that Baranbas Varga is to undergo surgery on a facial fracture and will not figure again at Euro 2024.

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• Striker required urgent medical attention
• Taken to hospital for further treatment
• In stable condition & starting recovery

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 29-year-old required urgent medical attention after competing for a high ball during the Group A clash with Scotland. He was caught as Angus Gunn attempted to punch the ball clear, with team-mates immediately alarmed by Varga’s condition as he lay prone on the pitch.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A protective screen was erected using blankets, in order to give the player and physios some privacy, with Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai in tears before Varga was stretchered from the field and taken to hospital. It was later announced that Varga was conscious and “stable” in a Stuttgart medical facility.

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  WHAT HUNGARY SAID

  A further statement from the Hungarian football federation read: “Several bones in Barnabas Varga’s face were broken during the collision during the match, and he also suffered a concussion. The Ferencvaros striker is most likely to undergo surgery. He spends the night in the hospital in Stuttgart. The whole team is rooting for him!”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Hungary boss Marco Rossi said of the scary incident: “I do not know if he suffered a clash with the goalkeeper or another opponent because it was a confusing situation. That is also why the VAR checked if there was a penalty or not. What I heard from the players was that Barnay in that moment looked not conscious. Everybody was really worried about his condition and also worried about the fact the doctors arrived a little bit late, shall we say. They probably didn’t realise it was a dangerous situation. Fortunately now we can say Barnay is not under any kind of risk. Probably he will be operated on in the following hours because he suffered a fracture. The most important thing is he is healthy. For sure, if we go through in this competition he will not be part of the team any more.”

England fans were left fuming after a dire first-half performance by the Three Lions against Slovakia in the last 16 of Euro 2024.

• England went up against Slovakia in last 16
• Fell behind to goal from Ivan Schranz
• Fans fumed on social media

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  England's uninspiring form at Euro 2024 continued on Sunday as the Three Lions took on Slovakia for a place in the quarter-finals. Southgate made one change to his team, bringing in Kobbie Mainoo in midfield, but saw his team put in another dismal display. England ended up going in at half-time 1-0 down thanks to a goal midway through the half by Slovakia's Ivan Schranz.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Fan @ytalksfootball was clearly furious with England's performance, posting on X: "Holy shit this is beyond a joke. Sack Southgate at HT. These players genuinely look lost. This is beyond stinking out the place. Southgate should be prosecuted for this…"

  Another supporter @Gillykins58 wrote: "Bloody hell that was pathetic. Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Sack Southgate!"

  However, @joel_mcalary925 could see some positives from the match: "The one good thing that will come out of this is Southgate being finally sacked."

  Another fan, @Ronn_uk, is also expecting Southgate to get the boot: "Whatever is going in Euro this is disgrace for England to concede against Slovakia despite having good player. Southgate need to be sacked. Sack Southgate now."

  And @OmegaLuke felt the axe could come very soon: "Honestly if we lose today Southgate should be sacked before that plane takes off to bring him back Having this squad of talent & the tactics of a 'togetherness' isn’t going to get you anywhere Take Steve Holland with you too. He’s just as useless."

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  WHAT THE PUNDITS ARE SAYING

  Meanwhile, Gary Neville fumed at Southgate's decision to omit Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold from his starting XI. The former England and Manchester United defender told ITV Sport: "It’s illegal that Trent Alexander Arnold isn’t playing for England today. The best footballer we’ve ever seen at right-back or full back in this country."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fans have been left furious by Southgate's reluctance to make changes to his team at Euro 2024 despite seeing his players underperform in Germany. Supporters at the tournament have also shown their frustrations by throwing beer cups at Southgate after a disappointing draw with Slovenia. The Three Lions made it to the final of Euro 2020 and have a squad packed full of talent, with stars such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in the squad, but have lacked any sense of cohesion or structure so far in the tournament.

Arsenal are ready to make a move for a marquee striker this summer, and have already decided to join the race for one superstar.

Arsenal chase new number nine

It is no secret that Arsenal are in need of a striker this summer. The Gunners are in unstoppable form in the Premier League as things stand, but have struggled in the out and out forward department nonetheless.

Gabriel Jesus has been sidelined through injury, managing just 13 starts and finding the net just four times. Meanwhile, Eddie Nketiah has struggled to take on the mantle, which has led to Mikel Arteta experimenting with one of Kai Havertz or Leandro Trossard as his striker in recent weeks.

Though effective in the short term, it is clear the Gunners need a new frontman for next season, and there is already significant speculation as to who that player could be.

Osimhen on Gunners radar

Obviously, Victor Osimhen is the name that springs to mind when looking across the striker market, with the Nigerian attacker having a £113m release clause in his contract according to reports in Italy. The problem is that the Gunners are not the only side keen on adding the Napoli man to their attack, with Premier League rivals Chelsea and European giants Paris Saint Germain both also keen on the forward and both likely to be able to offer a more financially lucrative package.

That is not set to deter Arteta and Edu however. As per Sports Witness, the club are "ready to sign up" for the race for his signature, with Osimhen having previously stated that a move to the Premier League would be his dream.

The £113m release clause would also come with hefty wages, with Osimhen likely to demand a significant increase on his current £8.5m per year deal (£163,000 per week).

Osimhen's first preference appears to be Chelsea, but barring a major turnaround in the second half of the campaign the Blues will not be able to offer a chance to shine on the Champions League stage, while Arsenal are set to be in next season's competition as things stand, something that could work in their favour.

The decision follows up on Mikel Arteta's recent comments where he insisted that his side must be 'in the conversation' to sign Kylian Mbappe when he leaves Paris Saint Germain this summer, despite his destination already seemingly set in stone in the form of the Santiago Bernabeu.

Kylian Mbappe: Net worth, salary, Real Madrid contract, girlfriend, boots

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By
Charlie Smith

Jun 3, 2024

Should they fail to land Osimhen, the club have plenty of other options. Ivan Toney has gone on record revealing that he would like his next club to be Arsenal or Liverpool, while the Gunners have also been linked with RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who has a £43m release clause in his contract with the German side.

Wrexham have tied highly-rated defender Max Cleworth to a new contract, with some fans considering that to be the “best news ever”.

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• Academy graduate has penned fresh terms
• New contract set to run until 2027
• Hollywood co-owners making deals possible

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 21-year-old, who has been billed as a Premier League star of the future, has signed a three-year deal through to 2027. He has helped the Red Dragons to back-to-back promotions – as Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney make dreams come true in North Wales – with 99 appearances reached in total.

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  WHAT CLEWORTH & PARKINSON SAID

  Cleworth has told the club’s of committing to fresh terms: “I’m delighted and I wanted to get the contract signed as soon as possible because the club is going in one direction, and I want to be part of the plan going forwards. I’ve developed and matured as a player, I’m mentally stronger and I’m looking forward to developing that further with the club.”

  Manager Phil Parkinson added: “Max has been on a great journey with us so far and I’ve really enjoyed watching him develop as a player. He’s a player with a huge potential and it’s important to keep our up-and-coming players with the club.”

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Wrexham fans are delighted to see the club’s two-time Young Player of the Year staying put, with @kevwrexham1974 saying on social media: “Best news ever”. Those sentiments were echoed by @RichFay, who said: “Best bit of business we’ll do all summer.” Sticking with that theme, and @ DaveEdWxm added: “Massive signing and signal of intent from the club…. great news Max has had a superb season.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reynolds and McElhenney continue to make the funds available for deals to get done this summer. Arthur Okonkwo is back at SToK Racecourse on a permanent basis, Lewis Brunt has been snapped up from Leicester and Cleworth joins George Evans in signing a new contract.

Last summer, Wolves were able to snap up Matthew Whittingham, one of the stars of Manchester City's under-18s' title triumph. Whittingham had scored seven times and set-up 11 more in 2022/23, so may have been regarded as a significant academy coup at Molineux.

The deal for the Englishman, who can play in a variety of midfield roles and even popped up at left-back, is part of a broader recruitment plan for Gary O'Neil's side. Harry Hooman, head of UK recruitment at their academy, said at the time:

"We’re always on top of the ‘bigger’ club’s players and monitoring the ones who are possibly looking to come out for a better pathway at some point."

Latest Wolves transfer news: £60m Neto claim, exciting replacement eyed

What’s going on at Wolves now the window is finished? Catch the latest news and rumours here…

By
Brogan Clasper

Feb 11, 2024

Wolves are now continuing that policy in their free-transfer pursuit of Arsenal's Amario Cozier-Dubbery, who's out of contract at the end of the season. It recently emerged that the Midlands outfit are interested in the 18-year-old as the Gunners try to reach an agreement over an extension, with Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax and Anderlecht all watching closely too.

Wolves ready to strike for Cozier-Duberry "bargain"

Speaking to GiveMeSport, CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs said Wolves "in particular" are ready to pounce on any stumbling blocks in talks at the Emirates. He believes that Cozier-Duberry could be a bargain, and says Arsenal are aware that his suitors inside and outside the Premier League are circling.

He said: “Wolves in particular are very much across this and hoping that they might be able to, should things not go Arsenal's way, get a transfer over the line in June. It's also fair to say that Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund, amongst others, are also facing the same situation. That's normal because when a player is available on a free transfer in June, there's always that ability to get a bargain deal and try to pre-agree something on a free transfer. Arsenal know this.”

Cozier-Duberry could be the missing piece at Wolves

Cozier-Duberry is enjoying an excellent season for Arsenal's under-21s, scoring or assisting eight goals in nine Premier League 2 appearances and netting a couple more in his four UEFA Youth League outings. He's also shone at the international level by hitting the target twice for England's under-19s in friendlies against Switzerland and Romania.

Mikel Arteta has taken notice of his form and named him on the bench for the EFL Cup trip to Brentford in late September as well as the Champions League match against Sevilla in early November, but he's yet to make a full debut for the title-chasers.

As you can see in the table above, there aren't any specialist wide players putting up especially eye-catching numbers in Wolves' under-21 current crop, so Cozier-Duberry may be regarded as a missing piece in O'Neil's next generation.

Mauricio Pochettino has been handed another Chelsea blow with news of a new injury to a "quality" Stamford Bridge star.

Chelsea manager latest

It has been a debut season to forget for Pochettino and Chelsea, with the club’s EFL Cup final defeat to Liverpool on Sunday the latest setback. The Blues have now lost their last six domestic finals and were dubbed the "Blue billion pound bottlejobs" by Gary Neville after their extra-time display against the Reds at Wembley.

Pochettino’s long-term future at Chelsea appears to already be in doubt, with reports suggesting the club and by extension owner Todd Boehly are looking at Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim and Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi as possible replacements.

The Argentine did hit back at Neville’s claim, saying: “I have a good relationship with Gary and I don’t know if that’s how I can take this opinion. But I respect his opinion. Of course, we made a few changes with [Conor] Gallagher and [Ben] Chilwell in extra time, it is true we didn’t keep the energy of how we finished the second half.

“But for sure I feel proud. I feel proud of the players, I think they made a big effort. We are a young team and, there is nothing to compare with Liverpool (just) because they finished with also a few young players. I think it’s impossible (to compare the two sides). He (Neville) knows the dynamics are completely different. I think it’s not fair to talk in this way, if he said that.”

Christopher Nkunku injury news

The Blues already have a host of first-team players sidelined and now have another in Christopher Nkunku, who was a used substitute against Liverpool on Sunday.

Fabrizio Romano shared the news on X of the unspecified injury to the Frenchman, which was confirmed by Pochettino.

It has been an extremely frustrating first. season for Nkunku, who has made just two Premier League starts. He was praised by Pochettino, though, after scoring against Wolves on Christmas Eve.

"I'm very pleased to see Nkunku score and it shows how important he can be for us. We cannot put too much pressure on him. He’s been out for a very long time and that is why he came on after 60 minutes, to help ease him in.

"He’s a quality player who can score goals and we are pleased he did that today, although of course we are disappointed not to win the game. Christo needs time to arrive in this way but we are very confident in him to get to his best and be a key player for us."

However, he now looks to miss more games, starting on Wednesday against Leeds United in the FA Cup.