The upcoming summer could be full of major departures from the AC Milan roster, with their Champions League qualification in jeopardy.
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Hernandez, Maignan, Leao could depart in the summer
Milan facing financial uncertainty
Club could sell stars to offset missing out on Champions League spot
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WHAT HAPPENED?
A major squad overhaul could be on the horizon for AC Milan, as the club considers parting ways with three of its biggest stars – Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez, and Rafael Leao. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Calciomercato), the Rossoneri are weighing their options amid contract uncertainties and financial considerations.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Milan face contract uncertainties with key players Maignan and Hernandez, whose deals expire in June 2026. While a draft agreement could extend Maignan’s contract until 2029 with a salary increase to €5 million – a 56.25% increase – it doesn’t ensure his stay.
Meanwhile, negotiations for Hernandez's renewal have stalled, making a summer exit likely.
Leao, under contract until 2028 with a €175 million release clause, remains the subject of speculation, as few clubs can meet his buyout fee. Doubts persist about his future, even within his camp, adding to Milan’s concerns over retaining their top talents.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to Corriere della Sera, Maignan remains highly professional in training but appears less settled. Frequent injuries – keeping him out for over 50 games in three-and-a-half seasons – along with coaching changes have fueled uncertainty. With his 30th birthday approaching in July, Milan believe the coming summer would be the right time to sell the France international. Extending his contract until 2028 could help secure a better transfer fee, as his market value has dropped dramatically.
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WHAT NEXT?
The club is now more open to offers for Maignan, Hernandez, and Leao. While Theo’s exit seems inevitable, Maignan and Leao’s futures depend on Milan’s season outcome. Failure to qualify for the Champions League – worth €60 million – could force a squad overhaul, increasing the likelihood of major departures in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur insiders are refusing to rule out the sale of an “important” star in Ange Postecoglou’s squad – and there is little doubt his departure would be seen as pretty disappointing by supporters.
Players who could be sold or let go by Tottenham in 2025
As they near the ends of their contracts at Spurs, a quartet of bit-part or surplus players in Sergio Reguilon, Ben Davies, Fraser Forster and Alfie Whiteman appear set to leave N17 next summer.
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Reguilon, who spent last season on loan spells at Manchester United and Brentford, is currently training with the senior team, but is yet to make a single appearance in all competitions and has taken just one spot in a matchday squad.
The former Real Madrid starlet is now attracting interest from La Liga as a result, with Getafe interested in snapping up Reguilon on a free transfer next summer. Meanwhile, Davies appears set to bring the curtain down on his 10-year stay at Tottenham, and it is currently unclear what the future holds for him.
Ben Davies’ all-time stats for Tottenham
Total
Appearances
335
Goals
9
Assists
23
Bookings
43
Red cards
0
Minutes played
25,802
Elsewhere, Tottenham are leaning towards letting Timo Werner leave when his loan deal expires rather than trigger his ÂŁ8.5 million option-to-buy clause, while reports also claim Archie Gray could be loaned out by Spurs in the January window.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are believed to be keeping tabs on Cristian Romero, as the Argentinian is yet to pen a new contract, with Real Madrid and Serie A champions Inter also watching closely.
It is imperative that Postecoglou manages to retain Romero, who has formed an exceptional partnership with Micky van de Ven at the heart of Tottenham’s defence, with pundit Paul Robinson praising rumours of a potential new deal for the ex-Atalanta star.
“If you’re going to give a player a pay rise, you can’t do that without extending their contract, which is good news for Tottenham,” said Robinson to Football Insider.
“He and Micky van de Ven have been key. He brings grit and determination, and that little bit of bite they might not have otherwise. I think he’s a leader on the pitch, though not vocally. To tie him down to a longer-term contract is only good news.”
While Spurs appear very keen to keep Romero out of the clutches of Europe’s elite, they are more willing to do a deal over star right-back Pedro Porro.
Tottenham refuse to rule out selling Pedro Porro
According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham are refusing to rule out the possibility of selling the Spaniard in the event of a sizeable offer amid awareness that his market value may have significantly increased.
Joining from Sporting CP last year, Pedro Porro has since gone on to become imperative in Postecoglou’s system as an attack-minded wing-back alongside Destiny Udogie.
Both men are indispensable to the Australian, with pundit Stephen Warnock calling Porro and Udogie their “most important” stars. Tottenham have slapped an ÂŁ80 million price tag on the defender’s head as a result, per GMS, amid interest from both Man City and Real.
A report has shared what West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui has done to leave his players “surprised” behind-closed-doors, with pressure already on the Spaniard after a lacklustre start to the season.
Julen Lopetegui "definitely" at risk of West Ham sack
While it is still very early days, chairman David Sullivan and the Hammers hierarchy won’t be pleased at how West Ham have begun 2024/2025, having spent around ÂŁ120 million on nine new signings in a statement of backing for their new head coach.
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West Ham have won just once in the Premier League so far, and that came in late August with a 2-0 win away to struggling Crystal Palace. Since then, Lopetegui’s watched his side get put to the sword by Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool in all competitions, with Aston Villa also reigning victorious over West Ham on the league’s opening weekend.
It could’ve been worse as well, given it took a last-gasp Danny Ings strike to rescue a point away at Fulham, but West Ham did display fighting spirit to battle back from Bryan Mbeumo’s first-minute goal to salvage a draw away to Brentford on Saturday.
West Ham Results: 2024/25
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
Former West Ham recruitment chief Mick Brown, who left the club in June, told Football Insider this week that Lopetegui is “definitely” at risk of being sacked by the east Londoners if things don’t turn around quickly – especially considering the Spaniard has big shoes to fill in club hero David Moyes.
“I think there’s more pressure on him after what David Moyes managed to do,” said Brown.
“When 60,000 people are saying they don’t want this and they want a different type of football, the board have had to be careful with their decision. It’s always difficult trying to judge what the owners and directors will do. Their knowledge of the game is not great and they’ve made many mistakes in the past. They were warned to be careful what they wished for, but having made that decision [replacing Moyes with Lopetegui], they’re wary of making another mistake.
“I don’t know Lopetegui and I don’t know how he works, but if we’re looking at the results he’s had so far, which is what the game is about, he’s definitely at risk.”
There have also been murmurs of a dressing room altercation between Lopetegui and West Ham star Mohammed Kudus, but this has now been played down by sources.
West Ham players "surprised" by Lopetegui's last-minute team changes
According to GiveMeSport, what Lopetegui has done behind the scenes has baffled West Ham players too.
Indeed, it is believed the 58-year-old’s been making last-minute changes to his starting-line ups. Lopetegui’s decision to switch to a back-three against Chelsea “surprised” West Ham players in particular, with his late tactical calls taking members of the squad off guard.
It would seem as if the former Real Madrid and Spain manager is still working out the kinks of his new-look team and figuring out his best line-up, but it is no shock that players would have their heads turned by a sudden change of plans on matchday either.
To try and muster a rich vein of form, things do need to settle behind the scenes, and reports of player unrest certainly don’t help in that regard.
Often, a long and drawn-out international break is the best time for a big managerial decision to be made.
It remains to be seen whether or not the hierarchy at Wolverhampton Wanderers agree, as Gary O’Neil – for the time being – remains fixed to his Molineux job post, despite mounting pressures that he could face the sack very soon.
Wolves boss Gary O'Neil
If he is to remain in his job past the break, the former AFC Bournemouth manager will have to make some significant changes to his starting line-up, especially in defence.
Wolves' defensive woes this season
Taking a glance at the current Premier League table certainly makes for some grim reading if you’re a fan of the Old Gold, with Wolves only picking one meagre point from seven games to date.
Examining their predicament further, and it’s clear that an extremely porous backline is their undoing at the moment, having shipped a league worst of 21 goals.
The five worst defences in the PL (24/25)
Team
Amount of goals conceded
1. Wolves
21
= 2. Everton
15
= 2. Southampton
15
4. Ipswich Town
14
5. Brentford
13
Sourced by BBC Sport
That’s a staggering six more than both Everton and Southampton have leaked in the division across the same amount of contests, as O’Neil’s defenders continue to let their underfire manager down.
Wolves’ last dire display in the Premier League really exposed their defensive frailties, as the Old Gold fell to a 5-3 defeat on the road to Thomas Frank’s Brentford, with the visitors surrendering a worrying eight big chances in favour of the hosts.
O’Neil will need his side to be far more stoic in games to come to try and move up the league, which might result in him dropping this underperformer, who could end up costing the 41-year-old his job if he isn’t adaptable with his team selections.
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Toti Gomes' poor performances this season
Of course, with Wolves rock bottom of the pile currently, every defender will need to take some collective blame for the sorry state of the performances.
However, Toti Gomes will know his performances need to be far better going forward, if he is to keep being selected by his under-pressure boss.
Gomes’ PL numbers for Wolves this season
Stat – per 90 mins*
Gomes
Games played
5
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Clean sheets
0
Interceptions*
0.2
Tackles*
1.4
Ball recoveries*
2.4
Clearances*
3.6
Total duels won*
4.0 (61%)
Stats by Sofascore
The Portuguese defender has really struggled in the centre-back spots this season, yet remains constantly picked by O’Neil, owing to issues involving Yerson Mosquera’s serious recent injury and the fact he has been unable to find a top partner to play alongside him, amid Max Kilman’s departure.
The best course of action could well be to drop the floundering 25-year-old, however, who has failed to be an imposing presence this season for his side, having previously stood out at the back for Wolves the past couple of Premier League campaigns, with 73 senior appearances at Molineux now under his belt.
Toti Gomes warming up for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Football journalist Nathan Judah has even stated recently that continuing to pick the out-of-form defender will be a “recipe for disaster”, if Wolves are to sort out their faulty showings at the back.
The answer could well come in the form of boldly selecting young Wolves defender Alfie Pond over the 25-year-old, who has been making waves in the youth set-up at Molineux for some time now.
Pond has amassed 28 games in the U21 set-up and will be banging down the door for some opportunities in the senior mix soon, with O’Neil well aware that gambling with the 20-year-old could prove to be a stroke of genius and an instigator for performances to pick up, after cutting a dejected figure post the Brentford loss when talking to the media.
He might well hold back on that bold call for his side’s first game after the international break, however, as the mammoth task of toppling Manchester City awaits the low-on-confidence Old Gold.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil
Still, big calls will need to be made to arrest Wolves’ slide on the pitch, or O’Neil could well finally find himself out of a job.
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The powers that be at Wolverhampton Wanderers will have manager targets in mind.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement is quickly learning how difficult it is to be a success at Ibrox, with the huge expectations that come along with the job.
The Belgian boss won a trophy early on in his career with Rangers, lifting the League Cup with a win over Aberdeen, but has failed to make his mark in the Scottish Premiership.
His Gers side finished three points adrift of Celtic at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and are currently five points behind their local rivals after just five matches.
Clement is not the first manager to fall short in the Premiership as winning the division is a feat that has not been achieved since Steven Gerrard moved on from Ibrox.
Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.
His replacement, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, did enjoy some success in the dugout, though, as the Dutchman won the SFA Cup and reached the final of the Europa League, only to lose on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Things could have been so different for the former Rangers player and manager if he had landed one of his reported transfer targets during his first season in charge at Ibrox – Xavi Simons.
Rangers' reported interest in Xavi Simons
It was reported ahead of the 2022 January transfer window that van Bronckhorst wanted to bring the attacking midfielder to Glasgow to bolster his midfield.
The young gem’s contract with French giants Paris Saint-Germain was due to expire at the end of the season and Rangers were ‘leading’ the race to secure his services in January.
He was free to sign a pre-contract deal with a foreign team at the turn of the year and it was claimed that the Gers head coach wanted to build his team around the PSG youngster.
Unfortunately, Rangers were unable to strike a deal for him during the January transfer window and the midfielder ran down his contract with the Ligue 1 side before signing for PSV on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
The Dutch giants were seemingly able to convince the youngster that they were the best place for his future, rather than Ibrox, and landed his services.
This meant that van Bronckhorst and the sporting director at the time – Ross Wilson – had to dip back into the market to find an alternative to Simons ahead of the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Rangers were eventually able to land another attacking midfielder before the end of the January transfer window, as they snapped up Juventus flop Aaron Ramsey on loan.
Aaron Ramsey's Rangers struggles
The Scottish giants swooped to land the Wales international on loan until the end of the 2021/22 campaign and it was reported that they splashed out a fee of ÂŁ2m to secure his services for just five months.
That was a sizeable fee to pay for a short-term loan but they were bringing in a player with over 400 appearances for Arsenal and Juventus combined.
Despite his vast experience at the top level in Europe, Ramsey endured a frustrating spell at Ibrox and only managed two goals and two assists in 13 appearances in his five months at the club.
Of the nine Europa League matches Rangers played during his time in Glasgow, the Welsh flop played 86 minutes across three outings and was an unused substitute in four games.
Ramsey did have a huge say in how the season ended for the Gers in that competition, however, as the midfielder came on with two minutes to go in the final against Frankfurt and was the only player to miss a penalty in the shoot-out, which lost the final for van Bronckhorst.
21/22 Premiership
Aaron Ramsey
Appearances
7
Goals
2
Assists
1
Big chances created
0
Tackles + interceptions per game
0.8
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the experienced dud did not provide exceptional performances in the Premiership in his limited time on the pitch, with a decent but unspectacular return of two goals in seven games.
Former Scotland forward Frank McAvennie claimed, after the Europa League final, that Ramsey was the latest “big name” that “couldn’t hack it” at one of the Glasgow clubs, which is backed up by the midfielder’s struggles during his time at Ibrox.
Meanwhile, the player van Bronckhorst wanted to sign before Ramsey arrived – Simons – has gone from strength to strength since that season.
Xavi Simons' current market value
As per Transfermarkt, the attacking midfielder’s current market value stands at around €80m (ÂŁ67m) and that is a significant jump from the €1.5m (ÂŁ1.2m) he was valued at in December 2021, around the time of the link to Rangers.
Simons produced a staggering 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 matches during his only season with PSV in the Netherlands, before PSG activated a buy-back clause as part of the compensation for losing him on a free the previous summer.
The French giants have subsequently sent him out on loan to German outfit RB Leipzig in the last two seasons, and the 21-year-old magician has thrived in the Bundesliga.
Simons, who has been capped 22 times by the Netherlands, has racked up 11 goals and 16 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig to date.
23/24 Bundesliga
Xavi Simons
Appearances
32
Goals
8
Big chances created
14
Assists
11
Key passes per game
2.5
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Dutch starlet provided a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Leipzig in the Bundesliga last season.
Meanwhile, no Rangers player managed more than ten assists and no midfielder in the squad provided more than 1.7 key passes per game in the Premiership last term, which highlights how impressive Simons’ return in a major European league was in the 2023/24 campaign.
Ramsey’s huge struggles during his expensive loan spell at Ibrox and the Dutch wizard’s incredible rise, in performance and value, since Rangers wanted him suggests that Wilson may look back on that window with regret, as van Bronckhorst’s Rangers story could have ended differently had he landed his main target.
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If there were any doubts over whether investing ÂŁ9m into Adam Idah would be a wise move, Celtic’s number nine is swiftly easing those concerns amid what has been another impressive week at Paradise.
The Republic of Ireland international first raced home to round off Wednesday night’s thumping 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League, prior to proving something of a rescue man after producing a quick-fire double to help see off a spirited Falkirk side on Sunday afternoon.
That latest brace against Championship opposition has now taken the 23-year-old’s tally to 12 goals in just 25 games since initially joining the club on loan in January. Not bad going for a player whom Celtic and Norwich City hero, Chris Sutton, suggested was a “long way from the finished article” upon making the move to Glasgow earlier this year.
The former Carrow Road starlet has quickly won over those at Parkhead, with the same situation now occurring with the summer’s other marquee signing, Arne Engels, with the promising Belgian helping to ease the blow of Matt O’Riley’s long-awaited departure.
Arne Engels' start at Celtic
Football can be a cruel mistress, can’t it. O’Riley, Celtic’s Mr Dependable for over two years – having scored 27 goals in 124 games in total – finally secured a dream move to the Premier League this summer, only to pick up a nasty injury just nine minutes into his Brighton and Hove Albion debut.
Matt O'Riley
Not only has the Denmark international endured a difficult beginning in his new surroundings, but the playmaker will also have to observe the rise of a new star in his place back in Scotland, with that man Engels beginning to establish himself in Brendan Rodgers’ midfield trio.
It is, of course, early days, but the Old Firm side’s record buy – who cost a reported ÂŁ11m from Bundesliga side Augsburg – has already slotted in smoothly, chipping in with four goals and assists in as many games thus far.
Described as a “machine” by teammate Liam Scales, the 21-year-old is already starting to repay his hefty transfer fee, with the hope that he can continue to build on this stunning start in green and white.
Consistency over an extended period is required, however, something that a certain Cameron Carter-Vickers has shown ever since his arrival back in 2021 under Ange Postecoglou.
Carter-Vickers' market value
There’s no getting away from what was a worryingly shaky start against Falkirk on Sunday, with the visitors taking a shock 2-1 lead into the break to spark fears of a stunning, surprise upset.
Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers
It is hard to imagine such a scenario having occurred had Celtic’s centre-back “warrior” – as hailed by ex-Rangers man Alan Hutton – been on the field, however, with Rodgers’ men simply a different outfit when Carter-Vickers starts at the heart of the defence.
The USA international was particularly imperious in midweek in European competition, recording a 95% pass accuracy rate, while also winning four of his five ground duels having been rarely troubled on the night.
5 games (5 starts)
115.8 touches*
93% pass accuracy
5 clean sheets
2.6 interceptions*
1.4 tackles*
3.6 balls recovered*
5.0 clearances*
71% total duels won*
7.8x possession lost*
Described as the “best defender in Scotland” by the man who brought him to the club, Postecoglou, the 26-year-old has been integral to the Hoops’ latest period of dominance in Scottish football, having now made 122 appearances in all competitions to date.
Such form – which includes five successive clean sheets in the league this season – has also been paralleled by the former Tottenham Hotspur man’s stunning rise in value following his eventual ÂŁ6m permanent capture in 2022, with Transfermarkt now valuing him at around ÂŁ12m – level with Kyogo Furuhashi as the most valuable player in the squad.
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That figure thus eclipses the ÂŁ11m and ÂŁ9m fees paid for Engels and Idah, respectively, further showcasing just what a bargain Carter-Vickers has truly been during his time in Glasgow to date.
Long may it continue.
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The Hoops defender may not have earned himself a place in the starting XI on a regular basis.
Aside from Chelsea, Manchester United were the busiest of the traditional 'big six' sides in the summer transfer window.
Erik ten Hag welcomed in a number of exciting players, including Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt, while also clearing out the squad of several players deemed not good enough to help the team get back to the top of the game, such as Scott McTominay, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Donny van de Beek.
Erik ten Hag
However, while the club made decent money on some of their departures, one of their most prominent sales from last summer is now worth considerably more to their current side and even outperformed Marcus Rashford last season.
Rashford's recent form
In the 2022/23 campaign, very few players in European football, let alone in the Premier League, were more dangerous than Rashford.
For example, in his 56 appearances that season, he scored a whopping 30 goals and provided 11 assists, meaning that he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.36 games. This red-hot form understandably earned him a bumper new £375k-per-week contract, including bonuses.
However, while he was a goalscoring phenom two seasons ago, he took a massive step back last year and could only muster a return of eight goals and six assists in 43 games, or an average of a goal involvement once every 3.07 games, which is an enormous dropoff.
Even worse than that, the 60-capped international only scored seven goals and provided just three assists in 33 Premier League matches, which equates to a substandard average of a goal involvement every 3.3 games.
Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, he hasn't looked much better this year either. In his four games so far, including the Community Shield, he's failed to score or assist a goal.
Overall, things are not looking great for the Manchester-born winger at the moment, and the fact he was outperformed by a former United squad player in the league last season certainly doesn't help.
Anthony Elanga's recent form
The former United ace in question is Swedish international Anthony Elanga, who, after failing to stake a claim in the first team, was sold to Nottingham Forest for just £15m last summer.
Anthony Elanga
Since making the move, the 22-year-old dynamo has shown the three-time European champions exactly what they're missing by becoming one of the most important players in Forest's squad.
For example, in just 39 appearances last season, the "brilliant" winger, as dubbed by former United defender Wes Brown, scored five goals and provided nine assists. This means he produced the same number of goal involvements as Rashford in fewer matches, equating to an average of one every 2.78 games.
Appearances
36
33
Goals
5
7
Assists
9
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.38
0.30
However, when we look at just his Premier League performances, things start to look even more impressive, as all 14 of his goal involvements came in his 36 appearances in the competition, meaning he averaged one every 2.57 games in the most demanding league in football.
This outrageous output for a team that was battling relegation for much of the season understandably caught the attention of other clubs. According to a report from Sky Sports News, Newcastle United had a £50m offer rejected on deadline day last week.
Therefore, the Tricky Trees now value their £15m purchase at more than £50m, and based on his performances at the City Ground, who can blame them?
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Arsenal made some solid signings this summer, as Mikel Arteta brought Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori to the club, improving options in midfield and defence.
David Raya also joined on a permanent deal after spending last term on loan at the Gunners, a move that subsequently ushered Aaron Ramsdale out of the club, joining Southampton on transfer deadline day.
The north London side didn't stop there, however, adding the acquisitions of Neto from Bournemouth and then springing a late surprise to bring Raheem Sterling to the Emirates Stadium on loan.
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The English winger was exiled by Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, failing to make the matchday squads in all four of the club’s games this season so far.
With this in mind, he was looking for a way out of Stamford Bridge in order to play on a regular basis again.
Raheem Sterling
The Gunners were said to considering a move for the Englishman late in the window, having been offered his services due to his desire Stamford Bridge behind.
Well, after submitting a deal sheet with the 11pm window passing, they finally got their man across the line in the early hours of Saturday morning, confirming the move on a temporary basis.
It's initially thought that the winger could be taking a 50% pay drop, moving from his £325k-per-week wages. There's also reportedly no loan fee involved.
Had the Gunners brought him on a permanent basis then he may well have cost around €35m (£30m) according to Transfermarkt. This value has dropped drastically in recent years, with Sterling clearly entering the final phase of his career.
Arteta already has a talented winger in the squad who is worth way more than Sterling though…
Gabriel Martinelli’s market value at Arsenal
The Brazilian joined the club in the summer of 2019, costing just £6m from Ituano as Unai Emery looked to bring some young talents to the club.
Gabriel Martinelli's Arsenal statistics
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
44
8
5
2022/23
46
15
6
2021/22
36
6
7
2020/21
22
2
2
2019/20
26
10
4
Via Transfermarkt
Fast-forward five years and this initial outlay will likely give the Gunners a major profit in the next few years.
Indeed, his market value at Arsenal now currently stands at €70m (£59m), which is likely to keep on rising in the next 12 months if he enjoys a stellar campaign.
This valuation is nearly double that of Sterling, proving the Brazilian is by far the better option in the starting XI for Arteta.
The 23-year-old has registered 65 goal contributions – 41 goals and 24 assists – in 176 matches for the North Londoners since joining five years ago, establishing himself as one of the finest young wingers in the country.
The winger has already received praise from various figures in the game, none more impressive than Jürgen Klopp, who said Martinelli was a “talent of the century” after Liverpool drew 5-5 with Arsenal in October 2019.
Last season, the 23-year-old scored six goals in the Premier League – down on his previous figures – while also creating seven big chances, averaging 1.3 key passes per game and succeeding with 1.1 dribbles per match, showing far more than just a keen eye for goal.
Sterling vs Martinelli (23/24 PL season)
Stat (per 90 mins)
Sterling
Martinelli
Goals
0.36
0.27
Assists
0.18
0.18
Expected goals (xG)
0.30
0.30
Shot-creating actions
3.86
4.11
Progressive passes
3.55
2.90
Successful take-ons
2.05
1.79
Progressive carries
5.45
5.67
Stats via FBRef.
Considering he is still only 23, Martinelli’s abilities will surely get better in the coming years, meaning it won't just be his value which will improve.
The Brazilian has the chance to lead the club to glory this season as the Gunners chase down Manchester City in a bid to win their first title since 2004. They have certainly struck golf on him, no doubt about that.
Arsenal struck gold on "sensational" ace worth more than Merino & Williams
The special attacker has a massive season ahead of him this year.
Autor de gols importantes com a camisa do Sport e artilheiro isolado na temporada com 12 tentos assinalados, Mikael está sendo cada vez mais “abraçado” pela torcida. Cria da base, o camisa 99 nasceu no MaranhĂŁo e chegou ao clube da Ilha do Retiro em 2017 apĂłs passar por uma peneira em Bacabal, sua cidade natal, que fica a 405 quilĂ´metros da capital, SĂŁo LuĂs.
Em relação ao carinho do torcedor, Mikael já tem um apelido que vem ganhando cada vez mais adeptos diante de sua semelhança fĂsica e estilo de jogo com Adriano: “Imperador da Ilha”.
Os torcedores começaram a fazer o paralelo entre os dois centroavantes depois de uma assistência de Mikael na Copa do Nordeste deste ano, contra o 4 de Julho, alcunha essa que ganhou força diante dos bons números apresentados pelo jogador de apenas 22 anos de idade.
India captain says the vice-captain, alongwith Pujara, remain India’s ‘most important batsmen’ in Tests
Varun Shetty09-Feb-20213:21
#AskMatchDay: What will India’s XI look like in the second Test?
While acknowledging England’s dominance during the game, Virat Kohli asserted after the first Test that there will be no impulsive reactions from his team after a big defeat to start off the series. Kohli pointed that out on several fronts – in response to whether England were better prepared than the home team, whether India’s line-up needs any changing, and most pointedly at the suggestion that Ajinkya Rahane’s performances haven’t been up to standard.In 14 innings since India’s Australia tour began – including two warm-up matches before the Tests – Rahane has made two centuries, one of them a Player-of-the-Match effort in Melbourne that helped India bounce back from the lows of being bowled out for 36 in Adelaide. In the other other 12 innings during that phase, Rahane’s highest score is 42, and he aggregated only a run during India’s loss to England. But India’s vice-captain remains, Kohli said, one of their most important batsmen.Related
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“Look if you’re trying to dig something out, you’re not going to get anything because there’s nothing,” a visibly annoyed Kohli said in response to a question about Rahane’s performance during the post-match press conference. “I’ve said this many times in the past as well – along with Pujara, he [Rahane] is our most important Test batsman and he is going to continue to be. We believe in his abilities, we have believed in his abilities for a long time now and he’s an impact player.”If you’re talking about the MCG Test, he stood up and scored a hundred when the team wanted it the most. So you can look at a number of innings and what happens from thereon, but the reality of the situation is they’ve won the series in Australia. Here there’s just one Test, two innings and both… today, yeah you can put that innings aside. But in the first innings, he wanted to score a boundary. It was a brilliant catch by Joe [Root] that got rid of him. So if that goes for a boundary, he gets runs in the first innings and we’re not having this conversation. There’s absolutely no issues, everyone’s playing really well and we just need to be focused a lot more, understand that Test victories are earned in any conditions – whether they’re your own or you’re playing away. Nothing is a given in Test cricket and we need to be aware of that reality and work together as a team to keep putting a lot of pressure on the opposition. That’s our focus.”Virat Kohli calls for a quick single•BCCI
On a pitch that was widely acknowledged as a benign one during the first few days, India lost the toss and England batted into the seventh session of the match to take control. Kohli said India’s response to that 578, is where the match was lost, particularly due to a lack of any prolonged partnerships. He played down the suggestion that England were better prepared for this Test, given the recent series win in Sri Lanka in comparable conditions, and the fact that India last played Tests at home in November 2019.”That’s something that was said when Australia won the first Test as well in 2017,” he said, in reference to India’s last Test defeat at home in Pune. “So look, we don’t jump the gun, we don’t come to conclusions too early.”You could say they are well prepared but to say they’re better prepared than us in our own conditions is not an accurate assessment. If you look at the second innings, when the ball was really turning and bouncing, both the sides were pretty much similar in terms of how they went about their second innings. Maybe you can analyse then [after more games] whether we’re better prepared or they’re better prepared and whether this is our toughest challenge – we’re not jumping any guns yet and we’re just focused on playing good cricket and winning Test matches.”A template that’s emerged with India’s batting – and was the bedrock of their famous recent wins – is that they have needed help from their lower-middle order to either rescue innings or finish things off. This was the case in the first innings of this Test, and to some degree in the second innings as well with Kohli himself playing the anchor. Kohli said that the difference was about 80 runs missed with the bat in the first innings, and about that much extra conceded with the ball during England’s first innings.He put those down to their processes not going entirely right, while adding that not a lot of it would change either. There was no need to overthink their performances, he said, and that the reliance on the lower order was something India were looking at with a positive lens.”There’s two ways to look at this. As top order batsmen, we have to take more responsibility and pride in the fact that we have to do most of the work,” he said. “But, if your lower order stands up on such a regular basis, it should give confidence to us as a team and as a whole batting unit that once we have big partnerships up front, then these guys will do their extra job at the back as well. Which makes our positions even stronger.”We choose to look at the positives, regardless of what situation we’re in, and we will continue to do that moving forward. Not putting away the things that we need to improve on. We’re not a side that denies anything. We’re not a side that hides our faults or gives excuses. We accept defeat, things that have gone wrong, and we continuously strive to improve them and come back stronger and put in those performances that we as a side should be putting in every time we step onto the field.”