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Even Arsenal fans were likely taken by surprise when William Saliba strolled into the first team with such ease. The Frenchman, who had been signed under Unai Emery, had been long-forgotten by most casual Premier League enjoyers given his loan spells back in his home country.

It seemed like the £27m expended to bring him in was due to be a bust, and one that Mikel Arteta would have to deal with rather than profit from.

However, after a season in which they pushed Manchester City so close to the title, it is incredible just how important the 21-year-old proved to be. He was imperious at the back alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, and it was no surprise to see their charge collapse after the injury he sustained in March.

In the ten league games in his absence, they have only mustered just four wins, as opposed to the five-game win streak they had been enjoying prior to it.

Despite that, his work in propelling them back into the Champions League has already been achieved. It has returned the Gunners' stock to a level that can finally attract the biggest names again, and the Emirates has suddenly announced itself as an attractive proposition for prospective stars.

Ironically enough, this could lead to assets being brought in who will actually surpass the young stopper. For example, should their reported pursuit of the €60m (£52m) Kim Min-jae come to fruition, no longer would fans clamber to laud Saliba. The South Korean would immediately take precedence.

How good is Kim Min-jae?

The reason that such awe would be attached to the 26-year-old stems back to his work in helping Napoli claim the Serie A title, a feat that Arsenal could not achieve in their own league.

Kim was so instrumental that he has missed just two matches in the league all season. For all his qualities, it is this reliability that stands above all else.

That even seems to surpass the praise of Italian journalist Ivan Zachoroni, who has boldly claimed: "He is the best defender in the world. There is no player to compare in terms of skill and consistency. Kim Min-jae is the perfect defender with no flaws."

This kind of superlative adulation is clear to see in his statistics, which far outperform even Saliba. His 7.24 average rating is only bettered by two others within his title-winning squad and is upheld through a 91% pass accuracy, 1.2 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and 3.6 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

For comparison, although this has been his breakthrough term, the former Saint-Étienne man has only mustered 1.3 tackles and three clearances per game, having also given away two penalties, made three errors leading to a shot and one leading to a goal, per Sofascore.

It is clear that Saliba's youth makes him raw and often culpable. Kim, on the other hand, has experience at the top level, challenging for elite honours. There is a precedent that in time that gulf in quality could be bridged, but for now it is a lofty gap. Bringing him to the Emirates would be a dream come true, not least for the France international to learn from such a fine centre-back.

An agonising end to the season has blown Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes far from their reach after dominating the majority of the campaign.

Mikel Arteta’s side lead the pack for 248 days this term, yet a sour April and damning home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion has all but shattered their dreams of claiming their first league title since 2004.

While it has been a successful season away from the title charge, claiming their first Champions League finish since 2015/16, the Gunners are reportedly looking to push on to new heights through the summer transfer window.

With just two games left, the club are turning their attention to business as the north Londoners hope to strengthen their squad ahead of a busy schedule next campaign.

Despite scoring goals not being an issue for the Gunners, they have been linked with a forward in the pursuit to improve in all areas.

What’s the latest on Moussa Diaby to Arsenal?

Bayer Leverkusen forward Moussa Diaby is reportedly a player on Arsenal’s radar according to L’Equipe (via the Daily Mail).

It’s speculated that Paris Saint-Germain could rival the Gunners for the winger’s signature, who is believed to be valued around £65m, according to Evening Standard.

What could Moussa Diaby bring to Arsenal?

The 23-year-old has maintained a Sofascore rating of 7.18 this season, ranking him as Leverkusen’s second-highest performer in the Bundesliga.

In 31 league appearances, the Frenchman has contributed to 17 goals through eight assists and scoring nine himself on the right flank.

Once described as “electrifying” by journalist Aaron Stokes, the Leverkusen dynamo is a player being monitored by a handful of clubs, as per the aforementioned sources.

The signing of Diaby could impact Arsenal in several ways, most evidently through depth and adding goals, but also by being introduced as a player that could seriously challenge Bukayo Saka.

The Englishman has had a formidable season at the Emirates, however, he has undergone a dip in form alongside his team, perhaps somewhat attributive to the absence of William Saliba, as highlighted through a graphic presented on Sky Sports.

Since March the forward’s rate of shots on target has dipped from 0.9 to 0.4 per 90 minutes, as well as his total shots minimising from 2.6 to 1.7.

With few options on the flanks, Saka has not lost his place in the starting eleven, which brings the topic of depth and ability to chop and change if players aren’t performing in order to boost their level of competition.

The success of competition is evident on the opposite flank, where after being dropped for Leandro Trossard against Aston Villa, Gabriel Martinelli was introduced and scored in a change that inspired the squad to win on the day.

Diaby, like Saka, has been integral to his side’s success this season, with the two players sharing many comparisons in their game.

Both enjoy being on the ball, with the Arsenal man averaging 54.5 touches per game to Diaby’s 42, and the Englishman maintaining a 48% successful dribble rate (1.7 per game) to the Leverkusen winger’s 51% (1.5 per game), relative to their appearances this season, as per Sofascore.

The signing of the Leverkusen "demon" – as once highly regarded by 'The Euro Expert' Alex Barker – would not only strengthen Arsenal’s squad but provide options for starting places to fuel competition amongst the forward’s to ultimately enhance performance, only time will tell if Arteta can get his man.

أعلن نادي برشلونة تشكيل الفريق لمباراته أمام أتلتيك بلباو، في بطولة كأس ملك إسبانيا، المقرر خوضها مساء اليوم الأربعاء.

ويلتقي برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو في إطار منافسات ربع نهائي بطولة الكأس لموسم 2023/24، على ملعب “سان ماميس”.

وتنطلق مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيك بلباو في تمام الساعة العاشرة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فالفيردي عن الجدل التحكيمي بين برشلونة وريال مدريد: جيرونا يتصدر الدوري بدون ضوضاء تشكيل برشلونة أمام أتلتيك بلباو

حراسة المرمى: بينيا.

خط الدفاع: كوندي، أراوخو، كريستنسن، بالدي.

خط الوسط: جوندوجان، فرينكي دي يونج، بيدري.

خط الهجوم: فيران توريس، ليفاندوفسكي، لامين يامال.

📋 𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗢́𝗡 pic.twitter.com/XORaR2SyOk

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) January 24, 2024

Arsenal are pushing to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha this summer, with sporting director Edu making constant calls to try and orchestrate the move, according to recent reports from Spain.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

90min have recently reported the Gunners are looking at signing a right-sided winger during the summer transfer window, with Mikel Arteta keen for more strength in depth next season, and Barcelona's Ferran Torres has been shortlisted.

Another winger who could be targeted by the north London club is Wolverhampton Wanderers' Pedro Neto, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, although the transfer guru clarifies that nothing is concrete at this stage.

There may be stiff competition for Moussa Diaby this summer, with Manchester United, Newcastle United and Real Madrid interested, however the Bayer Leverkusen star is now emerging as a priority target for Arsenal.

According to a report from SPORT (via Sport Witness), Raphinha is concerned by the potential arrival of Lionel Messi at Barcelona in the summer, which would push the 26-year-old down the pecking order at the Camp Nou.

As such, the Brazilian is now considering leaving the La Liga club, and he has a number of Premier League clubs vying for his signature, with Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal all named as potential suitors.

Edu has been making constant calls to try and orchestrate the winger moving to Arsenal, but he will not come cheap, as Barca would be looking to receive around €70m – €80m (£62m – £71m) in order to sanction his departure.

Is Raphinha really worth £71m?

There is no doubting the Brazil international's ability, weighing in with eight goals and nine assists for Barcelona this season, the second-highest number of goal contributions in the entire squad, behind Robert Lewandowski.

For a winger, the "incredible talent" is also very adept in the defensive side of the game, ranking highly for both interceptions and blocks completed per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

That said, the asking price for the Porto Alegre-born star is huge, and it would be unwise to spend so much money on a right-winger, when Arteta is already blessed with a top-class option in that area, in Bukayo Saka.

Saka has recorded more goal contributions than any other Arsenal player this season, so the Gunners would be better off targeting a young back-up option, who would be more willing to play second fiddle to the England international.

Aston Villa have enjoyed a lot of talent over the years, the club have been the home for a number of Premier League greats, including Manchester City winger Jack Grealish, who lifted the title last season after being raised as a professional at Villa Park.

In football, players come and go, whether it be in good nature or controversy, the game is constantly rolling in an influx of new talents and offloading expired names as each season runs by.

A fan-favourite at Villa Park was subject of a controversial ending to his career in the Midlands last summer, as Anwar El Ghazi departed the club to return to his homeland with PSV.

The 27-year-old made 105 appearances in both the Championship and Premier League over his four and a half seasons in claret and blue, scoring 21 goals and assisting 10 in the respective league competitions.

The Dutchman was an integral member of Villa’s promotion side in the 2018/19 season and continued his form into the top division where he was a valued member of the squad. The winger was praised by pundit Adrian Clarke for the “great balance” he offered to Villa as a dynamic wide player back in 2020, so where did it all go so suddenly wrong for El Ghazi?

What could have been for El Ghazi at Villa?

Steven Gerrard’s 11 months in charge of Villa was a tough time for the Englishman, made even tougher by his squad’s difficulty in adapting to his playing style, one that finally brought success back to Glasgow Rangers.

El Ghazi – who was once hailed as a "technician" and as "magnificent" by pundit Michael Brown – was one that came out of Gerrard’s regime worse off, as his system had little place for flank dominating wingers, with the preference placed on creativity coming from central midfield.

Subsequently, the Barendrecht-born winger went from a hero at Villa to an out-of-favour squad player, ending in a loan move to Everton that January. Things went from bad to worse for the wide man, as he appeared just twice for Everton in the half-season loan, ultimately bringing his time in England to a damning close.

Speaking to The Athletic last year, the Dutchman admitted he misses England and Villa “a lot” following his move to Eredivisie back where it started, this time with PSV, who paid just £3.5m for him in the summer.

The 27-year-old has had an impressive season in the Netherlands, seeing him contribute eight goals and two assists across 27 appearances in all competitions. These are returns that are more than the likes of Leon Bailey (seven G/A), Emi Buendia (seven G/A) and Philippe Coutinho (one G/A), including the latter two combined, as per WhoScored.

It’s good to see the winger enjoying his football again, El Ghazi was in the news last week for his converted penalty in the KNVB Cup final that saw PSV beat his boyhood club Ajax to the prize.

Things are now a case of what could have been for the attacker, as Emery has revolutionised Villa in his short time at the club so far.

The Spaniard admitted his wishes in January to sign a “specialist winger” which prompted a question of nostalgia to just how well the Dutch international could have fared had Emery arrived in the Midlands sooner.

Crystal Palace are considering a move to bring Atletico Madrid defender Matt Doherty back to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Doherty's future?

The Irishman had his contract at Tottenham Hotspur terminated in January which saw him complete a permanent move to the Metropolitano Stadium, but it’s fair to say that he hasn’t been able to make the impact that he would have hoped upon joining.

The Los Colchoneros right-back has made just one appearance since putting pen to paper and to be more specific has played just 12 minutes of competitive football, as per Transfermarkt, so is significantly out of favour under Diego Simeone.

Having only signed an initial six-month deal, the 31-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the season and will therefore be a free agent on the market in the summer should he not be offered an extension, and it appears that his possible availability has caught the eye of Roy Hodgson.

According to 90min, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Burnley and Sheffield United are all “interested” in securing the services of Doherty ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Atletico full-back is “not going to sign” fresh terms and is “set to return” to the top-flight, where he’ll have four potential suitors queuing up to land him should the Blades achieve promotion.

Should Crystal Palace sign Doherty?

Doherty is older than the profile of player Palace should be targeting if they are looking to build their long-term future, but the fact that he would cost nothing means this is a move that is relatively risk-free. He’s also already proven in the Premier League, so we feel they should definitely pursue him.

The Nike-sponsored ace has posted 28 goal contributions (17 assists and 11 goals) in 119 top-flight appearances so loves to get down the flank and make the magic happen in the final third. The Swords native also ranks in the 98th percentile for number of shots and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 by full-backs, once again highlighting his desire to get forward.

Standing at 6 foot 1, Simeone’s defender would additionally bring fantastic versatility to SE25 having operated in five various positions throughout his career which are right-back, left-back, right midfield, left midfield and centre-back.

Doherty was hailed a “quality signing” by journalist Josh Bunting when he joined Spurs and he would be exactly that at Palace should he be convinced to put pen to paper at Selhurst Park, presumably on a low-cost and short-term deal.

Last night the Champions League well and truly delivered.Manchester City battered Leipzig 7-0 with Erling Haaland scoring a remarkable five-goal haul at the Etihad.That took him to 39 goals for the season in 36 matches with the Norwegian breaking a record in the process.The attacker broke the Citizens’ single-season scoring record, but there were headlines elsewhere.In the other game on the night Inter Milan drew 0-0 with Porto. That doesn’t exactly sound like a thriller, right? Well, think again.It was a game of high stakes with the Italian giants taking a slender 1-0 lead into the second leg.However, the game was nearly forced into extra time in the dying embers when a chaotic last couple of minutes played out.Deep into injury time, Porto had a shot cleared off the line before two opportunities fell the way of striker Mehdi Taremi in the same phase of play.The Iranian first hit the post before seconds later from the follow up cross, he saw a header rattle the cross bar after beating the goalkeeper all ends up.He slumped to the deck in disbelief at what had just played out, with misfortune striking the hosts in a quite frankly unbelievable way.

To confound the Portuguese outfit’s misery, they then had winger, Pepe, sent off for a second bookable offence after a rather nasty tackle.

It was a moment that drew plenty of reaction on social media, the best of which can be found below.

It is no real secret that Manchester United are seeking a centre-forward recruit this month, with the recent exit of Cristiano Ronaldo having left Erik ten Hag somewhat light in the attacking ranks heading into the second half of the campaign.

Following what was a hefty summer spend of over £200m – and with takeover talks still looming – it looks as if United will be acting with a restricted budget in the coming weeks, hence the need to find a low-cost, short-term option before the window is out.

According to Calciomercato, the Red Devils could well be interested in turning to a familiar face in the form of ex-Manchester City marksman, Edin Dzeko, with the Bosnian hotshot having just six months remaining on his existing deal at San Siro.

That could well lead to an exit from the Serie A side in January, with the Old Trafford outfit seemingly eyeing up a possible move to bring the 36-year-old back to the Premier League, having previously scored 72 goals during his time at the Etihad.

Turning to the veteran asset – who has 319 club career goals to his name to date – may not appear an ideal scenario to some due to his age, although the prolific “beast”, as described by journalist Joe Lago, is still delivering the goods in Italy.

The 126-cap maestro has scored ten goals and registered four assists in 23 games in all competitions this term, having notably scored in the recent triumph over league leaders Napoli to end their opponent’s unbeaten run.

That should indicate that the ageing figure can still very much do a job at the elite level, with Ten Hag potentially able to utilise the former City man in a similar way to his use of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar during his time in charge of Ajax.

Despite being well into his 30s after returning to Amsterdam for a second spell in 2017, Huntelaar went on to play an important role for the Eredivisie outfit under Ten Hag’s tutelage, notably scoring 16 goals in 28 league appearances during the 2018/19 campaign – despite only 13 of those outings coming from the start.

Having that experienced and clinical figure off the bench was certainly a useful tool for the current United boss, with the one-time Real Madrid striker netting nine goals from just six league starts the following season, before bagging seven goals in only 11 league outings in the first half of the 2020/21 season.

Such was his impact, Ten Hag was seemingly desperate to keep his compatriot at the club even longer, only for Huntelaar to eventually opt to join German outfit Schalke in January 2021 for the final few months of his illustrious career.

The experienced coach may well have potentially wanted the aforementioned Ronaldo to take on that super-sub, part-time role at the Theatre of Dreams, although he could now find his Huntelaar 2.0 with the acquisition of Dzeko.

Wolves picked up another valuable point in their fight against relegation on Wednesday night as they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa.

Daniel Podence handed Julen Lopetegui’s side the lead with a brilliantly taken strike, with the Old Gold excellent value for a half-time advantage, but they failed to hang on to what would have been a superb three points against a resurgent Villa side.

Danny Ings was the man to break Wolves’ hearts late on, as he collected Tyrone Mings’ ball over the top and easily beat Jose Sa for the leveller.

It could have been much worse for Lopetegui too, had Leon Bailey taken his golden late opportunity but the Jamaica international would inexplicably shoot wide after rounding Sa.

While Podence scored a brilliant goal, Lopetegui arguably has Max Kilman to thank for his side holding on to a point at Villa Park on Wednesday evening.

As per Sofascore, the centre-back would earn an impressive 7.5/10 rating for his performance, with only Podence and Mings (both 7.7) rated higher.

With Wolves leading, the former Futsal star produced a superb piece of defending to keep the scores level, as he turned Ludwig Augustinsson’s goal-bound volley wide on the line.

This certainly impressed Express and Star journalist Liam Keen, as he tweeted:

“Absolutely unbelievable from Kilman. Augustinsson shot beats Sa and is going in, but the defender makes an incredible header off the line.”

Kilman would also contribute a mammoth 11 clearances, three tackles and two blocks, which is even more impressive when you consider he has averaged just 4.3 clearances, one tackle and 0.9 blocks per game in the Premier League so far this campaign.

The 25-year-old was also assured in his passing, completing 46/55 passes at Villa Park with an accuracy of 84%, which once more, is slightly better than his season average of 82.8%.

If Wolves are to remain in the Premier League this season they will need defenders to put their bodies on the line on a regular basis, as Kilman did against Emery’s side on Wednesday, so the English defender should be recognised as Lopetegui’s true star performer.

Sunderland are not targeting Jerry Yates in January, according to journalist Phil Smith.

The Lowdown: Sunderland wanting a striker

Prior to Sunderland losing former loanee Ellis Simms, who was recently recalled by his parent club, it appeared that they needed a new striker due to Ross Stewart’s injury woes this season. Now Simms has left, that need will have likely increased.

The Black Cats are currently sitting just one point off the play-offs and will be hoping to kick on in the second half of the season, but some pressure perhaps has to be taken off Stewart’s shoulders.

As things stand, Sunderland have just one striker on their books, but someone who seemingly won’t be joining despite recent links is Blackpool’s Yates, who has got nine goals this season.

The Latest: Yates not on the radar

Smith has revealed on The Roar podcast that despite recent transfer links, he’s not heard anything about Sunderland exploring the signing of Yates.

He said: “In January, things can change incredibly quickly, so you would never be definitive about any player. My understanding is that Yates certainly isn’t one who’s been on the radar up until this point.

“I think if you look at Yates, he’s a very good Championship striker, no doubt about that – he’s also 26 and I think he would cost a fairly large amount of money to sign him from Blackpool.

“So he doesn’t really fit what Sunderland have been trying to do over the last few windows and want to do moving forward.”

The Verdict: Sunderland going in a different direction

Smith is right to acknowledge Yates is a top-level Championship striker, as he currently sits as the league’s fifth-highest goalscorer this campaign, but with Stewart already the definitive first choice at the Stadium of Light, it’s unlikely Yates would settle for playing second fiddle.

This, along with the fact Sunderland and Tony Mowbray are seemingly looking to build a young and energetic side with players such as Amad Diallo, Aji Alese and Dan Neil featuring prominently, so a young striker would look to be a more likely move.

It would make a lot of sense for Sunderland to dip back into the loan market this month to replace Simms, not least as he was only a Black Cats player on a temporary basis. This would save money for the summer and also allow Mowbray to continue his great work developing young stars.