A week on from the start of the new Premier League season and Arsenal finally look ready for the challenge ahead.

It had been a slow pre-season for the Gunners but a 3-0 win over Bilbao has calmed the nerves, particularly after Viktor Gyokeres opened his account in the red and white.

A series of matches both on foreign soil and at the Emirates Stadium had left supporters feeling frustrated at a lack of change, but they got change on Saturday where the forward line certainly looked more potent.

Kai Havertz even got on the scoresheet, presenting Mikel Arteta with a dilemma over who to pick at centre forward next weekend when they face Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Before then, Arteta and Andrea Berta may hope to get another signing across the line.

Arsenal's transfer plans before September 1st

With Noni Madueke and Gyokeres signed, Arsenal have ticked off two of their biggest priorities this summer: sign some backup and competition for Bukayo Saka, and sign a new striker.

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However, there’s a lingering feeling that the Gunners need more in their forward line.

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard went goalless through pre-season and question marks are being raised again about the quality of the options on the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack.

As a result, Eberechi Eze’s name is once again doing the rounds and according to one report, a deal now looks closer than ever.

That’s according to Football Transfers who report this weekend that Eze is ‘closing in’ on a move to the Emirates.

Financial terms have already been agreed between Arsenal and Palace with Arteta’s side set to pay a total fee of £55m to Palace for the England star, with £30m set to come upfront. That’s lower than Eze’s reported £68m release clause.

Talks over the structure of the remainder of the instalments are ongoing but it’s not thought as though that will be a major sticking point.

Why Eze could be Arsenal's new Emile Smith Rowe

Let’s cast our minds back to the early years of Arteta’s reign in London. The years are 2021 and 2022 and it’s safe to say that it’s not entirely rose for the Spaniard.

However, Saka and Smith Rowe (you know how the song goes) came along and acted as the club’s saviours.

The latter may have only scored four senior goals in 2020/21 but came alive in 2021/22, scoring ten times in 33 league outings for the club.

A product of Hale End, he was adored by Arsenal fans and his crafty, clever skills won hearts from all corners of the Emirates.

We all know how it ended for the England international with his injury woes ultimately seeing him join Fulham last summer, but he certainly has similar attributes to Eze.

Not only can both players feature from the left wing, but they’re also excellent attacking midfielders who are capable of scoring goals. In 2024/25, Eze netted 14 in all competitions, with eight goals coming from 34 Premier League appearances.

To really rubberstamp the similarities, we’ve compared how Eze performed last season with Smith Rowe’s best term at Arsenal.

Goals

0.47

0.28

Assists

0.09

0.28

Shots

1.88

3.47

Key passes

1.41

2.01

Progressive passes

3.99

3.37

Shot-creating actions

3.15

4.69

Progressive carries

3.05

2.40

Successful take-ons

1.50

2.33

Carries into final 3rd

2.07

1.67

As far as the numbers are concerned, there are some notable differences during their peak seasons so far in English football.

Smith Rowe looked like the more prolific goalscorer while Eze, who is a “magician” in the words of Micah Richards, was more creative.

Ultimately, though, they share the same sort of style. They like to carry possession, beat their marker and influence play from similar zones in the final third of the pitch.

Smith Rowe captivated Arsenal fans with his running style and ability to glide past players. Eze shares that trait and would no doubt become a quick fan favourite if he traded Selhurst Park for the Emirates.

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Arteta's next Rice: Arsenal hoping to sign "phenomenal" £104m talent

Arsenal may yet add another central midfielder to their ranks.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 9, 2025

The England captain will have a scan on Wednesday morning after missing the final day’s play in Hamilton

Vithushan Ehantharajah17-Dec-20242:05

Stokes: We came here to beat New Zealand and we did it

“I ain’t holding back,” England captain Ben Stokes said when asked if scaling back his workloads as an allrounder was necessary after suffering a recurrence of a left hamstring injury during the third Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park.Stokes pulled up on day three as New Zealand racked up 453 in their second innings, setting England a target of 658. The 33-year-old will have a scan on Wednesday morning in Hamilton and had his left thigh heavily strapped as he sat out the final day’s play, in which England were dismissed for 234, handing the hosts victory by 423 runs.It was a consolation win, as England claimed the Crowe-Thorpe trophy 2-1. Stokes was able to take part in the post-series formalities, walking with a limp but relatively pain free between his various media duties. He confirmed it feels less serious than the torn hamstring sustained in August while batting in the men’s Hundred, which forced him to miss four Tests (a three-match series against Sri Lanka and the first of a tour of Pakistan). He had to be helped off the field then, but this time walked off without assistance.Related

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Having built himself back up over the last month in New Zealand, Stokes bowled 23 overs on day one of the third Test – the most in a single day across his career – with the 36.2 overs he eventually managed the most in a Test in over two years.This latest setback means yet more rehabilitation for Stokes, who underwent knee surgery in November 2023 in a bid to return to the bowler he once was. Putting his body on the line is nothing new for him, but as captain he acknowledged the importance of offering more as an allrounder to give the team another dynamic.His returns on paper this series – averaging 52.66 with the bat and seven dismissals at 36.85 with the ball – suggested he was trending in the right direction. It is why he was crestfallen as he left the field on Monday two balls into his third over of the day.Stokes, though, is in no mood to tailor his approach going forward. Having got over the initial disappointment, he is confident a full return should come quicker second time around.”I worked really hard to get myself into position to play the role that I did this game,” he said. “And it’s just one of those unfortunate things. But nah, I ain’t holding back.”Every time you walk out to field as an athlete, you’re putting yourself at risk of getting injury. Whether you feel great or you don’t feel great. I worked my arse off to get to where I was in this game in particularly with my body. It’s just sod’s law – the first time in a while I feel like I’m young again, something happens.”Obviously, [I was] incredibly disappointed walking off yesterday, very emotional about the whole thing.Ben Stokes was all smiles with the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy•Getty Images

“You’re always asking yourself, ‘Could I have done more? Should have done this, should have done that?’ But you know, when you sleep in it, and you take the emotion out of it, you realise that when you’re walking out there, you’re always putting yourself at risk of an injury.”Tuesday also marked the end of England’s joint-busiest calendar year of 17 Tests, finishing with nine victories and eight defeats. Though the team ended with a loss, Stokes was satisfied with their third series win of 2024, especially given it was England’s first in New Zealand since 2008.”We came here to beat New Zealand,” he said, “a team who wherever they go in the world are very competitive and knew they were going to be full of confidence after their historic win in India.”To play the cricket that we did in the first two games was very, very pleasing. We came here this week with the same attitude, same mindset, that we always do in the first two games out here. We just didn’t play anywhere near our capabilities.”It’s obviously disappointing to end the tour and the year with a loss. But what we came here to acheive, we managed to achieve. It’s no mean feat coming to New Zealand and beating them becease they’re a very very strong team in their home conditions.”

Nottingham Forest supporters will now be clamouring for the start of the Premier League season, safe in the knowledge that Morgan Gibbs-White will line up in the famous Garibaldi Red for the Tricky Trees’ opener against Brentford next month.

It really looked as if Gibbs-White would leave Nuno Espirito Santo’s side behind for a switch to Tottenham Hotspur, in a move that would have banked Forest £60m.

However, this controversial move would never get off the ground in the end, culminating in the 25-year-old penning a new, unexpected deal at the City Ground instead.

Forest will be on the hunt for some exciting signings now to further boost spirits in the Midlands, as a £30m attacker appears on the Premier League side’s shopping list, away from Nuno’s men also being close on a deal for Bologna forward Dan Ndoye.

Forest explore move for £30m attacker

Indeed, it looks as if Ndoye will be lining up next to the much-talked-about Gibbs-White very shortly.

According to Fabrizio Romano via X, the deal is done, as a £35m agreement has been reached between Bologna and Forest, following on from Evangelos Marinakis’ desire to land a standout replacement for Anthony Elanga.

Ndoye isn’t the only addition Forest might be anticipating in the forward areas, however, with a report by the Telegraph now revealing that the top-flight side have ‘discussed’ a potential move for Liverpool hotshot Ben Doak.

The up-and-coming Scotsman would dent the Marinakis bank account even more, with the Reds winger allegedly available for around the £30m mark.

However, this could be a price worth paying if he develops into even more of a blistering performer at the City Ground, with the potential here for Doak to become the club’s next iteration of Gibbs-White in the process.

How Doak can become Forest's next Gibbs-White

Gibbs-White is now a household name in the Premier League, having even been speculated to be on the radar of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this summer, away from Thomas Franks’ Spurs sniffing about.

However, the 25-year-old hasn’t always been viewed in this glowing light, having struggled to ever get going at former side Wolverhampton Wanderers before embarking on a transformative adventure with Forest.

When plying his trade at Molineux, Gibbs-White would only collect a paltry one goal and one assist in Premier League action. At Forest, though, he is a beast that cannot be tamed, as seen in his ever-growing tally of 45 goals and assists at the difficult level.

Doak will hope, if he leaves Anfield behind shortly, that he can also go on to be as key as the four-time England international is at the City Ground, having been utilised sparingly at Liverpool to date, but he has still managed to show off flashes of his immense quality.

Middlesbrough

24

3

7

Liverpool U21s

16

5

2

Liverpool

10

0

0

Liverpool Youth League

8

4

4

Liverpool U18s

5

2

2

Celtic

2

0

0

Despite failing to break his goal or assist duck in the senior picture on Merseyside, Doak does have a healthy 11 goals and eight assists next to his name in the youth picture at Anfield. If given more minutes in Nottingham, he could go on to be a star in the first-team scene, away from settling for limited chances under Arne Slot’s wing.

After all, last season also saw the “special” forward – as he’s been glowingly labelled by Jurgen Klopp previously – set the EFL light on loan with Middlesbrough, as seen in his hefty ten goal contributions from 24 Boro clashes.

Coincidentally, before gaining more opportunities at Molineux, Gibbs-White was also viewed as a rising star out on loan with Sheffield United, with a mammoth ten goals and 12 assists coming his way at Bramall Lane.

At the time, he was even hailed as having “the world at his feet” by Blades teammate David McGoldrick, with similarly glowing praise heading Doak’s way too last season from Boro-based commentator Mark Drury, who stated that the Scotsman “looks like a natural” under pressure.

Doak might well finally get his big break in the Premier League with Forest, as excitement levels continue to grow and grow at the City Ground about what next season has in store.

As noted by Football scout Antonio Mango, he truly is a “menace” of a player…

Gibbs-White will love him: Nottingham Forest set to finalise "top signing"

Nottingham Forest are close to sealing a £35m deal for this exciting attacker.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 28, 2025

Nottinghamshire have signed Australian seamer Fergus O’Neill for the first four rounds of next year’s County Championship.O’Neill, who has an impressive first-class record of 94 wickets at 19.91, is only eligible for a short-term visa but he will cover for the absence of Dane Paterson for the start of the season, with the South African’s availability uncertain after his Test recall earlier in the year.”It’s really exciting to get Fergus on board as a player who has enjoyed real success over the last couple of seasons for Victoria and I hope this is just the start of the Notts’ relationship with him,” Notts head coach, Peter Moores, said.”Whilst we can only secure his services on a short-term basis due to visa restrictions, it looks like he’s improving all the time and I think his style of bowling will work well in the early season conditions in England.Related

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“His strengths are his consistency and lateral movement, which are ideal skills to complement the rest of our bowling unit. He is more than capable with the bat, too, and will bolster our lower middle-order, from which runs are crucial – especially early in the season.”He will, in effect, replace Dane Paterson, who won’t be with us for the start of the season as his re-entry into the Test arena and our desire to strengthen our batting means we have opted for a slightly different style of player.”It is worth highlighting what a fantastic servant Dane has been to the club, though. His record is outstanding; he has built a great legacy with Notts in just a few years and remains an immensely popular character in the dressing room.”O’Neill is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield with 22 at 19.31. Last season, he took 40 wickets at 17.25.”The opportunity to play in England is really exciting, and one I’m looking forward to,” O’Neill said. “That it’ll be for Nottinghamshire with Trent Bridge as home is extra special – it’s somewhere that, as an Australian, has a real aura, and I can’t wait to step out there.”Hopefully I’ve got attributes with the ball which suit the conditions, and, coming off the back of an Australian summer, I’ll be heading into the Championship with games under my belt which always helps.”Notts finished eighth in Division One of the Championship last season, having been promoted from the second tier the summer before.

Crystal Palace have started off the campaign with a trophy to their name and could now be set to go toe-to-toe with Nottingham Forest to sign a talented midfield operator, per reports.

Crystal Palace lose CAS appeal after winning Community Shield

Oliver Glasner and his club have been involved in a turbulent couple of days that saw them win the FA Community Shield against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium, though the joy of another day in the sun has been blighted by recent developments.

Taking to social media platform X, journalist Ben Jacobs delivered that Crystal Palace have lost their CAS appeal against Europa League expulsion, and they will now have to settle for a place in the Europa Conference League this term.

He said: “Crystal Palace have lost their CAS appeal and will play in the UEFA Conference League this season. Nottingham Forest will replace them in the Europa League. Palace will consider all legal options.”

Nottingham Forest will replace Crystal Palace in the Europa League, igniting more fire between both clubs ahead of their meeting on matchday two of the Premier League season next weekend.

Chelsea await in their opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and the Eagles will hope to bring Leicester City playmaker Bilal El Khannouss into the fold as soon as possible, even if his arrival depends on Eberechi Eze leaving the club.

Crystal Palace now hold strong interest in "gifted" £17m ace, bid planned

Palace could be set to make an offer for a defender.

ByDominic Lund Aug 7, 2025

Veteran Raheem Sterling has held talks over a move to Selhurst Park and may be another option to provide a spark of creativity across the forthcoming season.

However, Glasner also appears to be focused on legs in central areas and could now be set to try and trump Nottingham Forest in the process.

Crystal Palace battle Nottingham Forest for Yunus Musah

According to reports in Italy cited via Area Napoli, Rai Sport journalist Ciro Venerato has confirmed Crystal Palace have joined Nottingham Forest in the race to sign AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah.

Napoli are also keen on the United States international and although the Rossoneri could ask for just under £26 million, even a fee of £21.6 million may be enough to prize him away from the Serie A giants.

Yunus Musah in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

40

Goals

0

Assists

3

Capable of playing in a variety of central midfield roles or on the right flank, the 22-year-old is a versatile presence who can deputise where needed. It should be noted that Napoli are looking to sell Giacomo Raspadori before accelerating their pursuit.

Labelled a “complete player” by Stefano Pioli, the AC Milan star completed 21 dribbles and won 19 tackles in the Italian top-flight last term, illustrating why he is a competent operator in several positions.

After losing their Europa League place to Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace could make a statement by bringing him to Selhurst Park as they now look forward after kicking the new term off with an encouraging victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield.

MatériaMais Notícias

A vitória do São Paulo por 2 a 0 diante do Internacional pode representar mais um passo importante no trabalho de Dorival Júnior para o restante da temporada. Isso porque a equipe apresentou controle quase que absoluto do jogo, e mostrou uma consistência bem maior se comparado com os últimos jogos pelo torneio nacional – contra América-MG e Coritiba.

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Um dos segredos para essa consistência foi a nova formação apresentada pelo treinador. Se Dorival tentou reproduzir um ‘4-4-2 losango’ em sua estreia contra o Coelho, contra o Colorado o comandante tricolor mandou a campo um 4-2-3-1, formação mais habitual ao longo de sua carreira, com Gabriel Neves, Pablo Maia e Rodrigo Nestor no meio-campo.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Pablo Maia marca golaço, e São Paulo tem grande atuação coletiva na vitória sobre o Internacional pelo Brasileirão

+Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

No momento ofensivo, o uruguaio era o primeiro volante, responsável por iniciar as jogadas, enquanto Pablo Maia dava apoio para a saída. A novidade ficou por conta de Rodrigo Nestor mais adiantado, como um meia. A construção do São Paulo ganhou mais qualidade e, acima de tudo, segurança, já que Gabriel e Pablo dão mais garantia de que não errarão o passe ou serão desarmados, em comparação com Nestor.

Mas, sem dúvida alguma, o grande trunfo do Tricolor na partida esteve no comportamento dos meias na hora de defender. Com dificuldade para tocar a bola por longos períodos de tempo – o time teve apenas 43% de posse -, os jogadores formavam um 4-1-4-1 com Gabriel atrás de Maia e Nestor, que foram bastante agressivos na marcação. Alan Patrick, jogador mais importante no meio Colorado, foi anulado graças a esta trinca.

Números da plataforma ‘Sofascore’ ajudam a demonstrar a eficácia do trio nas recuperações de bola: o trio foi responsável por 20% dos cortes (seis para o trio, em um total de 30) e quase 50% dos desarmes (nove para o trio, em um total de 19) de toda a equipe. Individualmente, Pablo Maia chegou a ser o terceiro atleta com mais cortes (4), atrás apenas da dupla de zaga, e o que mais desarmou (4).

Por enquanto, este meio-campo combativo, que deixa o time mais seguro, é o grande mérito do trabalho de Dorival, que afirmou na coletiva: com a segurança das vitórias, busca um São Paulo mais com a sua cara. Quer que o time tenha paredes e infiltrações para envolver o adversário. A ver como a equipe assimilará estas ideias, naquele que deve ser o próximo passo na evolução do trabalho.

Leicester City are building for a tilt at promotion from the EFL Championship and have identified a talented winger to strengthen their cause, according to a report.

Leicester City claim late victory over Sheffield Wednesday

Sunday’s late kick-off produced a clash between two of the more troubled clubs in the English second-tier of late, and the Foxes finally managed to give their fans something to shout about courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at the King Power Stadium.

After Jan Vestergaard and Wout Faes cancelled out Nathaniel Chalobah’s opening strike, Marti Cifuentes lavished praise on Leicester’s never-say-die attitude that saw them begin the campaign with three points despite a summer dominated by off-field problems.

He stated, citing tactical tweaks that he deployed: “There were some messages, some more tactical in terms of positioning and how we wanted to build up. We adjusted things in terms of how we attacked.

“They took the lead and we predicted them to be deeper. That means we had to create different situations for our attackers. Second, it’s important as a team to have this mentality. Here in this club you know very well about ‘Foxes Never Quit’. We need to chase the result, we need to chase the victory until the last second of the game.”

Nevertheless, Mads Hermansen’s move to West Ham has led Leicester to target Illan Meslier between the sticks. The Denmark international won’t be the only face to depart the East Midlands before the window closes.

Related Leicester City now want to sign 35-cap England star who may join for free

The Foxes could land an experienced midfield performer…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jul 9, 2025

Bilal El Khannouss could move from Leicester to Tottenham Hotspur after James Maddison suffered an ACL injury, indicating that Cifuentes will need to act if the Morocco international leaves a void to be filled, something that could now be addressed if reports are to be believed.

Leicester City enter race to sign Sebastian Tounetki

According to Transferfeed, Leicester City are interested in Hammarby winger Sebastian Tounekti, who is tied down to the Swedish outfit on a contract that runs until the summer of 2029.

Born in Norway, he represents Tunisia at international level and has registered two goals and five assists in 20 appearances across all competitions in 2025, in line with the alternative March to November schedule adopted in Scandinavia.

Sebastien Tounekti’s key statistics in 2024/25 – Allsvenskan (Fotmob)

Chances created

20

Successful dribbles

39

Shots on target

9

Touches in opposition box

136

Tackles won

13

Nevertheless, he is said to be happy in Sweden at this moment in time with his full focus on helping Hammarby to claim the league title, albeit it remains to be seen if Leicester will take their interest to the next level by submitting an official approach.

Finding gems in untapped markets may be key for the Foxes to add quality despite the looming threat of a points deduction. Either way, they will hope to sell the vision that success can still be achieved at the King Power Stadium regardless of circumstance.

If we just forget about yesterday afternoon’s rather underwhelming North London Derby – it was just a friendly after all – it would be fair to say this has been a largely positive summer for Arsenal.

Aside from yesterday’s minor blip, Mikel Arteta’s side have looked good on the pitch, and the board have been hard at work in the transfer market off of it.

The North Londoners have made six permanent first-team additions thus far, and while the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke are certainly exciting additions, the most significant is undoubtedly Viktor Gyokeres, who finally completed his £63.5m transfer from Sporting CP last week.

However, even then, the club continue to be linked with a host of talented players, including the superb Rodrygo, although they may be wise to opt for another, cheaper international they’ve been linked with, someone who could be described as another Gyokeres.

Arsenal's pursuit of Rodrygo

There is no doubt that one of the most exciting transfer links for Arsenal fans this summer has been to Rodrygo, as the Brazilian international has been at the heart of so much of Real Madrid’s domestic and continental success over the last six years or so.

Transfer Focus

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However, over the last two and a bit seasons, he has been playing out of his favoured left-wing position, and that, combined with an absurd amount of talent at the Bernabeu, has supposedly seen him become available this summer.

There have been a host of top clubs linked with the 24-year-old so far this summer, and according to reports from earlier in the window, the Gunners are very much interested.

It’s not hard to see why Arteta and Co would be keen to bring him to London, as even when not in his best position, the former Santos gem is still effective.

For example, in 54 appearances last season, totalling 3452 minutes, he was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.16 games, or every 138.08 minutes.

However, with a price tag of up to £86m, according to some reports, Arsenal may want to look elsewhere for an attacker they’ve previously linked with, one who could be described as Gyokeres-esque: Ademola Lookman

Arsenal could sign Lookman instead

Now, it is undoubtedly the case that for much of the last couple of weeks it’s looked like Lookman would be heading to Inter Milan, but as things stand, that move appears to have stalled.

So, with Arsenal already being linked with him several times this window, there is no reason they couldn’t hijack the move.

With that said, three reasons make the Nigerian international a Gyokeres-esque signing, with the first reason being his senior journey.

Like the Swedish international, the former Everton ace spent some time in English football but was never really able to establish himself in the Premier League, as in total, he has a record of just 11 goals and six assists in 96 games across spells with the Toffees, Leicester City and Fulham.

Then, instead of accepting a bit-part role in England, the London-born dynamo decided to move to Europe, joined Atalanta in Serie A and has been a lean, mean goalscoring machine ever since.

Lookman’s recent form
Season	22/23	23/24	24/25
Appearances	33	45	40
Minutes	1858′	2809′	2871′
Goals	15	17	20
Assists	8	10	7
Goal Involvements per Match	0.69	0.60	0.67
Minutes per Goal Involvement	80.78′	104.03′	106.33
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In fact, in the three seasons he’s spent in Bergamo, the “world-class” star, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, has an incredible record of 52 goals and 25 assists in 118 appearances, totalling 7538 minutes.

In other words, the 29-capped international has averaged a goal involvement every 1.53 games or every 97.89 minutes since joining the Serie A side, which is probably reason enough for the Gunners to consider him over Rodrygo.

Finally, at 27 years old, the Europa League winner is the same age as Gyokeres and should be ready to have an instant impact at the Emirates in a season in which the North Londoners have to win something.

Ultimately, Rodrygo would be a great signing, but at potentially just £43m and with the incredible record he has, Lookman might just be the better option.

Ian Wright 2.0: Arsenal in talks for PL "magician" who's their "top target"

The international game-changer would be an unreal signing for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 31, 2025

أثار الحديث عن تقدم جيفرسون كوستا، لاعب الزمالك السابق، بشكوى ضد النادي بشأن بند “بدل التدريب”، حالة من الجدل في الساعات الأخيرة، وسط تساؤلات جماهيرية حول حقيقة الموقف القانوني بين الطرفين.

وخلال الأيام الماضية، انتشرت تقارير عبر بعض المنصات تشير إلى أن اللاعب البرازيلي لجأ إلى الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، للمطالبة بمستحقات متعلقة بفترة وجوده في القلعة البيضاء.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كارثة جديدة تطارد مجلس الزمالك وتُهدد بـ إيقاف القيد

وفي تواصل خاص مع موقع بطولات، نفى وكيل اللاعب باولو جاميتو هذه الأنباء بشكل قاطع، مؤكدًا أن عقد جيفرسون مع الزمالك تم فسخه بالتراضي الكامل دون وجود أي أزمات مالية أو قانونية عالقة.

وقال جاميتو: “تم فسخ العقد مع الزمالك بالتراضي، ولم تكن هناك أي مشاكل بين الطرفين، لذلك الحديث عن شكوى ضد النادي غير صحيح تمامًا”.

وأوضح الوكيل أن قرار الرحيل جاء بناءً على رغبة اللاعب نفسه، حيث طلب جيفرسون إنهاء التعاقد في ذلك الوقت لاستكمال مسيرته الكروية في بلد آخر بعد تجربته القصيرة في مصر.

وأضاف: “اللاعب في الوقت الحالي لا يرتبط بأي نادٍ منذ نهاية الموسم الماضي، لكنه مرتاح تمامًا ولا توجد أي خلافات مع الزمالك على الإطلاق”.

Glasgow Rangers will take a healthy lead over to Czechia next week after they hammered Viktoria Plzen 3-0 at Ibrox under the lights on Tuesday night in their Champions League qualifier.

It was their best performance under Russell Martin, to date, with a clear style of play that brought success in and out of possession throughout the match.

The Ibrox boss made some bold calls with his team selection for the game, as he left out captain James Tavernier and Nicolas Raskin, whilst Oliver Antman was also handed a debut shortly after arriving in Glasgow from Go Ahead Eagles.

Antman did not need much time to settle into life in Scotland. The Finland international provided an assist of sorts in the first half, as his driving run won a penalty for the Gers.

He is not the only summer signing who has made a fast start to life with Rangers, though, as Djeidi Gassama continued to show that he has the potential to be an exceptional player for the club this season.

Why Djeidi Gassama can be a star for Rangers

The 21-year-old forward was signed from Sheffield Wednesday this summer to bolster the manager’s options on the flanks, but he did not arrive as a marquee signing.

Rangers reportedly paid a fee of around £2.2m to sign the French talent after he scored eight goals in 47 outings in all competitions for the Owls last term, which shows that he did not come in as a big-money recruit or a player with an outstanding record for his former team.

However, Gassama has quickly shown that he has the quality to emerge as a star for Martin and the Light Blues with his performances on the pitch for the Scottish giants.

Minutes

15

34

83

Shots

1

1

2

Goals

1

1

0

Key passes

0

0

1

Dribbles completed

2/2

0/1

2/3

As you can see in the table above, the Frenchman scored two goals and completed four of his six attempted dribbles in his first three outings for the club against Panathinaikos and Motherwell, before his impressive showing against Plzen on Tuesday.

Gassama added two more goals to his tally in the win over the Czechia outfit, scoring a curling effort in the first half before he headed into the bottom corner from Antman’s perfect cross in the second half.

The electric winger has offered a direct and exciting presence on the left flank for Rangers, and has provided goals to add substance to his performances, which is why he has the potential to be a superstar for the Light Blues.

Rangers made approach to sign new winger

According to Africa Foot, Standard Liege are looking to move on from winger Moussa Djenepo because of his wages, and the winger has a £1.7m release clause in his contract at the club.

Their report adds that Rangers and Leeds United, the two 49ers-owned clubs in Britain, have both made approaches over a potential deal for the winger this summer.

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However, the outlet does not explain whether or not either of those teams are planning to follow up on their interest in the former Southampton man, which means that it remains to be seen whether or not he is an active target for the Gers.

Africa Foot reveals, though, that Tractor SC and Persepolis are both interested in a deal to sign the Mali international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

This means that Rangers may have to move swiftly to conclude a move for the former Premier League forward, if they decide to pursue his services before the end of the summer window.

Why Rangers should sign Moussa Djenepo

The Gers should swoop to sign the 27-year-old attacker in the coming weeks because he could be a bargain signing to play as a back-up for Gassama.

Djenepo and Gassama could be a brilliant one-two punch on the left flank for Rangers, with one starting and the other able to come off the bench to make an impact against tired defences.

Like the former Sheffield Wednesday man, the Standard Liege winger is a direct forward who likes to get fans off their seats by taking opposition defenders on. This is evidenced by his 2.2 dribbles completed per game in the Super Lig on loan at Antalyaspor in the 2024/25 season.

Dribbles completed

4.08

Top 1%

Dribble success rate

55%

Top 24%

Touches in the opposition’s box

6.12

Top 6%

Fouls won

2.89

Top 4%

Penalties won

0.17

Top 3%

Assists

0.00

Bottom 3%

Goals

0.17

Top 49%

As you can see in the table above, the Mali international excelled as a dribbler, committing defenders and winning fouls, in the Super Lig, but he did not back it up with goals and assists.

The wing wizard, who once scored a stunning solo goal for Southampton in the Premier League against Sheffield United, only scored two goals in 23 league games for Antalyaspor.

Djenepo, who only scored five goals in 91 games for the Saints, is unlikely to arrive at Rangers as a winger who is going to produce 20 goals and assists over a season, but that would not be his role.

The £1.7m-rated star was once hailed as “hugely underrated” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, and the forward could play an underrated role as competition for Gassama on the left flank.

Martin could use the French winger to start matches and then bring Djenepo on as a perfect impact substitute, due to his terrific ability to dribble past players and win fouls to get the team up the pitch and to relieve pressure on the defence if they are holding onto a lead.

Overall, a £1.7m deal for Djenepo would be a low-risk signing that could allow the Gers to give Gassama a rest at the end of matches, whilst providing the Gers with another direct winger who can excite fans, even if he is unlikely to be a star player for Martin.

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