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Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta will be offered the chance to sign PSV Eindhoven star Xavi Simons, according to reports.

Who could join Arsenal this summer?

The Gunners' hopes of sealing a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years have all but vanished after their dismal 3-0 home defeat to Brighton last Sunday.

Mathematically, there is still a possibility of Arsenal pipping Man City to top spot, but the Blues are firmly in pole position and have a chance to secure their third-successive domestic crown with victory over Chelsea this weekend.

City's imperious form saw them batter European heavyweights Real Madrid to book their place in the Champions League final, with all signs suggesting they're favourites for the title as things stand.

As a result, it could now be imperative for Arsenal to get summer transfer preparations underway for next season, with Edu and co believed to be targeting central midfielders, additions in defence and signings further forward.

West Ham star Declan Rice is believed to be a prime target with Ligue 1 duo Lois Openda and Jonathan David on their radar for the attacking areas.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is also attracting interest with Arteta keen to reinforce his defence, especially after William Saliba's injury arguably hampered their recent form.

As well as the aforementioned players, Arsenal could be handed the chance to sign PSV Eindhoven star Simons, according to a recent report.

This information comes courtesy of The Mirror, who claim the Gunners will be offered him in the next transfer window. The 20-year-old has been in mightily impressive form for PSV, clocking 16 goals and nine assists in the Eredivisie alone.

Simons' run has earned him call-ups to the Netherlands national team this season, and while Paris Saint-Germain have a buy-back clause of £10 million, they've so far not made an approach – opening the door for Arsenal to make their move.

Arteta is apparently on the look out for emerging talent and Simons has caught the eye of major clubs across Europe.

Who is Xavi Simons?

The attacker, who can play in midfield and further forward, is a player of huge potential – scoring 19 goals and registering 12 assists in all competitions over 2022/2023.

Simons has also been tipped for superstardom by former Spurs and Real Madrid star Rafael van der Vaart in an interview with Voetbal International (via Mundo Deportivo):

"When I look at his potential, I see that he can become the best soccer player in the world,” said Van der Vaart."Believe me: In a few years we'll all be saying: 'It's good to be able to have this kid in our national team."

Fans online have torn Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to shreds after he failed to make any sort of impact on his return to the Emirates Stadium last night with Chelsea.

What’s the latest on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?

Having once been much-loved and very highly-rated as a Premier League captain with Arsenal not so long ago, the striker’s career has stalled in recent times.

Indeed, now with London rivals Chelsea, Aubameyang has struggled to impress this season – much like nearly everyone else involved with the club.

On Tuesday night, however, he had the chance to get revenge on his former side as he returned to the Emirates for the first time since leaving in 2022 amid speculation of a falling out with Mikel Arteta.

Ironically, the £160k-per-week striker’s last Premier League start also came against the Gunners. On that occasion, he struggled as the Blues lost 1-0 at home and he managed just eight touches before being hauled off after 64 minutes.

Well, this week, things were even worse as two goals from Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus saw Arsenal race to a 3-0 lead before halftime.

In this period, Aubameyang had essentially zero impact, as he managed just nine touches (with four of those coming directly from kick-offs), had zero shots at goal, lost the ball once, made one foul, and lose two out of two attempted duels, via Sofascore.

Frank Lampard evidently had had enough by that stage and hooked him during the break, but the damage was already done as Chelsea were comfortably beaten 3-1 after the full 90 minutes.

With that in mind, it’s safe to say he failed to impress. And it’s not as though fans on Twitter had much sympathy for him either. Indeed, the 33-year-old was torn to shreds online.

Here are some of the best reactions…

Arsenal fans certainly enjoyed his display…

Some even suggested his time in the Premier League should probably be coming to an end.

Manchester United have enjoyed a fine season, with Erik ten Hag making his mark during his debut campaign in the Old Trafford dugout.

The Red Devils may not have been expected to secure a top-four place ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, let alone do so having also reached two cup finals. With silverware already in the bag and another trip to Wembley on the horizon, their transformation from last season's mess has been meteoric.

However, with such impressive performances understandably comes additional pressure.

Ten Hag spent big in the summer to bolster his squad massively, but there still remain glaring weaknesses within his squad, not least up front. Although the former Ajax boss might appreciate Wout Weghorst, the goal-shy loanee is far from the answer.

Two key targets seem to have already been identified, both with rather contrasting skill sets. Should the Red Devils fail to tempt Harry Kane from north London, despite their longstanding interest, perhaps they could simply turn to Benjamin Sesko as a more long-term solution to their striking woes.

Will Benjamin Sesko join Man United?

Writing for GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones gave an update on their search for a new forward. The Slovenian marksman continues to crop up as an option, but this makes for a perplexing transfer situation given the 19-year-old is already set to join RB Leipzig this summer.

Moving for a €24m (£21.3m) fee – well below his market value due to the shared Red Bull relationship – it is expected that the German outfit will seek to make a huge profit on the forward before he has even kicked a ball for them.

With United as long-time suitors and notorious big spenders, there is every reason to believe a deal could be made this summer.

How good is Benjamin Sesko?

With 14 goals in just 26 league matches for RB Salzburg, plus a further two in their domestic cup, it was been a prolific season for the young finisher. Such blistering form for someone of his age has understandably drawn praise, with journalist Ryan Taylor including him in the bracket of "generational talents". Meanwhile, fellow writer Manuel Veth agreed that the "kid is special".

What makes him so unique is not just his goalscoring, as the 6 foot 5 goliath also poses a fine physical threat upon which teams can build from. Given Ten Hag's liking towards Weghorst – who stands an inch taller than this potential successor – the Red Devils boss could seek to bring in this teenager and mould him into his perfect striker.

Whilst Kane might already have perfected such a role, and with an added hunger to push towards the all-time Premier League scoring record, he is hardly one for the future at 29. With a £100m upfront fee touted too, it is expected to be far from a cheap deal.

Despite being more inexperienced, Sesko could prove to be an intelligent investment for the future of the club, rather than rushing to sign the biggest, shiniest player available on the market – all at a cheaper price. This is a tactic they have deployed in the past since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, to little success.

Chelsea are expected to hold fresh talks with their main managerial target, Julian Nagelsmann, having recently introduced Frank Lampard as interim boss.

Who will be Chelsea's next manager?

Life under Lampard did not get off to the start in which Todd Boehly would have been hoping for on the weekend after they tasted defeat on the road.

Chelsea travelled to a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers and they were sent back to west London without any points after Matheus Nunes' goal sealed the win for the hosts.

There have been reports to suggest that Chelsea could potentially consider Lampard as an option for the permanent role if he was to impress until the end of the season.

However, on the back of the display at Molineux, it does feel as if he has an uphill task in the upcoming games in both the Premier League and Champions League.

A number of names have been linked as potential candidates for the vacancy at Stamford Bridge with the former Bayern Munich manager, Nagelsmann, being one of the big names.

And speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Blues are expected to hold a fresh round of talks with the 35-year-old over potentially becoming their new boss:

(5:00) "And what I can say is that, from what I understand, also in the last few days, the last few hours Julian Nagelsmann remains 100% open to speaking to Chelsea.

"There will be a new round of talks. So Nagelsmann remains the favourite candidate, from what I understand, to get the Chelsea job."

Should Chelsea hire Nagelsmann?

Nagelsmann's time at Bayern ended in disappointment with the board sacking him in favour of Thomas Tuchel despite being second in the Bundesliga table.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if the German would actually be open to working under Boehly given he is an owner who has proven a lot in his short time at the club.

Since arriving last year, Boehly has already made two managerial sackings in Tuchel and Graham Potter which could potentially prove a big red flag for the German boss.

Nagelsmann is a manager who has a lot of admirers across Europe with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid believed to be potential suitors ahead of the summer.

The 35-year-old – hailed a "master tactician" by Sky Sports' Adam Smith – is believed to be open to hearing the Chelsea proposal and their long-term project at Stamford Bridge.

But it will be intriguing to see whether the young manager can be convinced to work under the Chelsea owner on the back of the early issues under his tenure.

Boehly has undoubtedly backed his managers during the transfer windows, however, Nagelsmann may not view those players as what he needs to succeed at Chelsea.

Potter had his issues with trying to manage the huge squad in west London and it could potentially prove an unwanted headache for some managers.

The dramatic exit of Tottenham Hotspurs manager Antonio Conte has created a flurry of activity. From the club's perspective, they still want to secure a qualification spot, a job that has been thrust upon assistant coach Cristian Stellini. They will also want to make sure players are physically and psychologically ready for the battle that lies ahead. And amid all that, they must select, vet, and hire a new manager. The fans are worried if Stellini will be able to take Spurs to the Champions League final, the media is speculating on who will replace Conte and those in the running are polishing their Cvs. Stellini will be fighting for a good place come the end of the season as this could put him in the running as well.

Possible Candidates

There have been several names thrown about for Conte’s replacement, some names like Pochettino make sense and others do not so much. Believe it or not, there are odds, yes betting odds, just like sports betting on who is likely to be the next. Tottenham assistant stands a better chance than Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner.

Marco Silva

The current Fulham manager has had an incredible season his team is currently ninth in the league with 39 points, he was the manager behind Fulham's promotion to the Champions League last year. He blazed a trail through last season, beating Chelsea 1 -0 and then playing to a draw. He has a lot going for him at the Cottagers and might be reluctant to leave or he may want to leave while still on a high. We cannot dispute he would be a great fit at Spurs.

Ryan Mason

Ryan Mason stepped up after Jose Mourinho’s departure and led the team to a final seventh-place finish, Conte promoted him to first-team coach alongside Cristiani Stellini. They had some great games among them three consecutive wins, he has a positive attitude and gets on well with the players, especially as a former player himself. He could have an impactful contribution to the team if Spurs management were to give him a chance

Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino seems to be the favourite candidate amongst fans, he’s also the ‘tried and tested’ option which makes it easier for the players, support staff, and everyone at Spurs. During his previous tenure, he led the Spurs to a Champions League final in 2019, and before that, they made it to qualifications. He had such a good record at Paris Saint-Germain as well as winning the French Cup and Ligue 1 title, we think the French were too hasty in giving him the boot. There have been rumours that he is eyeing the Real Madrid job, so Spurs shouldn’t put all its hopes in the Mauricio basket.

Lastly

There are other contenders such as Luis Enrique and Thomas Tuchel that the media has speculated about. So far it's been mum from Tottenham Spurs, we are assuming they want to finish off the season well before making any life-altering announcements. The sacking of Conte has rocked the boat enough as it is.

Image Source: Pixabay

Over the previous few years, Glasgow Rangers have had their fair share of loan moves. Some work out fantastically well (Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi) while others, well, best not to discuss them too much (Dalcio and Umar Sadiq).

However, Malik Tillman has proven to be arguably one of the Ibrox side’s greatest temporary signings in recent years, with his raw talent and penchant for churning up moments of magic, endearing him to the Rangers support this term.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst dubbed the £13k-per-week gem as an “epic talent” and he has displayed his potential so far during his spell.

The American has scored nine goals and grabbed a further five assists this season whilst on loan from Bayern Munich, and there is no doubt that Michael Beale would want to sign him permanently, yet the fee could be an issue.

The Light Blues do have the first option on the player should the Bundesliga giants decide to sell, yet this would cost £5m and this could represent a decent sized chunk of Beale’s budget, while he may already have the ideal replacement – Hagi.

Could Ianis Hagi replace Malik Tillman at Rangers?

The Romanian started life at Ibrox in the same way as Tillman, on loan. He took to Rangers with ease, almost immortalising himself immediately with one of the finest European comebacks by the Gers in recent years, scoring twice against Braga in the Europa League to secure a 3-2 victory at Ibrox in 2020.

His loan move was made permanent at the end of that season, with the club agreeing to a £3m fee with Belgian side Genk and it proved to be an inspired move by then-boss, Steven Gerrard.

He played an integral part in the club winning their first Premiership title in a decade during 2020/2021, scoring six goals and grabbing nine assists while Gerrard described him as an “absolute dream to work with”, as he displayed his importance to the side that season.

The 6 foot dynamo is currently recovering from a long-term injury, which kept him out for almost a year, but once the 24-year-old gets back to his best, there is no doubt he can replace the American.

Hagi mainly operates just behind the centre-forward in an attacking midfield role – much like Tillman – however, he can also play on either wing if required.

The likelihood is, Tillman will return to Munich in the summer. Beale won’t have to splash the cash on a replacement, however, with the Romanian ready to spring back into action next term and show everyone exactly what they have been missing.

Jose Mourinho is a beloved and coveted name in west London, with the legendary Portuguese manager leading Chelsea to abundant success across two tenures, but signing the 60-year-old for a third spell would be a detrimental failure for owner Todd Boehly’s Blues project.

After taking ownership of the club last year and pumping incredible sums of cash into the transfer department, looking to reshape and remould a Blues outfit that fell to Liverpool at the final stage of both domestic cup competitions last term, but progress has plummeted to depths unforeseen at the season’s inception.

Languishing in tenth place in the Premier League, 11 points adrift of top-four, out of both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and trailing Borussia Dortmund following the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie, Boehly will be highly disconcerted by the trajectory his affluent project has taken, and despite replacing Thomas Tuchel with Graham Potter in the early phases of the campaign, a second managerial change might now be necessary.

An emergency board meeting was held earlier this week to get to the bottom of the strife, with the club winning just one solitary match from the past ten contests, and a host of managerial replacements have subsequently been circulating.

On this list is none other than Mourinho, who led Chelsea to a wealth of silverware multiple times across his two times at the head of the table, but returning for the manager once again would be a calamitous move for the club.

Would signing Mourinho spell disaster?

Mourinho’s total time spent leading the ranks in west London totals over five years, taking charge for 184 matches during his first tenure and then 136 games over his second; for his labours, he has clinched gold in a plethora of tournaments, notably winning three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and two League Cup trophies with Chelsea.

In his first spell, his average PPM (points-per-match) was an incredible 2.23, before his second stay was marred by a dreadful final season that saw him sacked in December 2015 and lowered his average to a still impressive 1.94.

However, if Chelsea made a move for the icon once again, it might well echo that of another manager who endured multiple stints at the Bridge, that of Guus Hiddink, who was in fact brought in to replace Mourinho over seven years ago.

Hiddink won just ten of his 27 matches at the helm in his second spell at Chelsea as he attempted to dig the Blues out of their rut, and there will indeed be fears that the past might poignantly repeat itself if Boehly does not stick to his guns and look to wipe a new, fresh sheen over Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, making a move for Mourinho would be nothing more than “nostalgia repackaged”, according to journalist Daniel Childs, with the manager’s move to Chelsea’s heated rivals Tottenham Hotspur an indication that the relationship might now be closer to acrimonious than harmonious for the demanding support. 

Now managing AS Roma in Serie A, the footballing boss has won the UEFA Conference League with his outfit and now seeks to return the club to their rightful place in the Champions League, but a return to Chelsea could indeed hamper all three parties involved.

Despite the nature of his previous exit from Stamford Bridge, Mourinho, hailed as “incredible” by John Terry, will be eternally endeared by the swathes of Chelsea support, but that is how it should remain.

Given the flow of the river that currently dictates the west London club’s new era, the Blues must target a fresh approach, and not rehash old tricks.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou will no doubt be considering his team selection ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Cup meeting at home to St Mirren, with the title-winning coach likely to be contemplating whether to rotate his charges for the visit of Stephen Robinson’s side.

One man who should well be exempt from dropping out of the side, however, is man of the moment, Aaron Mooy, with the experienced Aussie having been in truly “outstanding” form in recent months, according to his manager.

Having seemingly benefitted from his “immense” displays at the World Cup in Qatar, as per journalist Josh Bunting, the 32-year-old has forced his way firmly into the starting lineup of late, with previous regular Matt O’Riley having been usurped as the Old Firm outfit’s creative hub.

The former Huddersfield Town playmaker currently boasts a tally of six goals and six assists in all competitions so far this term, having most recently netted a delightful dinked effort in the win away at St Johnstone at the weekend.

The manner in which the 57-cap maestro – who has been described as a “leader” for his country by national team boss Graham Arnold – lofted the ball over the onrushing Remi Matthews was a testament to his burgeoning confidence, with it looking as if he is now “one of Celtic’s best”, according to writer Sacha Pisani.

This upcoming clash with the Buddies will seemingly allow the 5 foot 9 ace the chance to showcase just how far he has come since his initial struggles following his free transfer arrival, having been hooked at half-time in the meeting in Paisley back in September on what was his first league start for the club.

That rather limp showing from the £23k-per-week man – in which he failed to win any duels nor register any key passes – sparked notable criticism from former Parkhead hero, Stiliyan Petrov, who suggested that Mooy should have done better to track Mark O’Hara for the Buddies’ opener.

Another former Bhoys man, Charlie Nicholas, was also critical of Mooy’s display at the time, stating that the new man had looked ‘off the pace’ whenever he had featured in the early weeks of the season.

Since enjoying a regular run in the side following the league’s resumption in December, however, the one-time Brighton and Hove Albion gem has begun to truly showcase his class, firmly quashing those doubts over his suitability to life in Glasgow.

The aim will be for the in-form asset to maintain that hot streak on Saturday evening against one of his former employers, with the Saints no doubt set to be fearful of facing a player who looks somewhat unstoppable at present.

Wolverhampton Wanderers sealed yet another January signing under Julen Lopetegui recently, with midfielder Joao Gomes joining from Flamengo in a £15m deal, and it represents another excellent piece of business by the 56-year-old.

Could there be another late deal or two to come? With the Old Gold struggling near the foot of the Premier League table, their manager will surely be keen to build for the future with another signing.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke recently spoke to Football FanCast about Wolves’ potential interest in West Bromwich Albion right-back Ethan Ingram, saying: “Wolves are in the market for a new right-back and are keeping tabs on Ethan Ingram’s situation at the Hawthorns.”

With less than 18 months left on his current contract and Football Insider claiming that an exit could be on the cards, the Molineux outfit may just be ready to swoop with a late bid before tomorrow night’s transfer deadline.

Although the 19-year-old wouldn’t be expected to jump straight into the first team, he could become a regular in the future, and the right-back position is one where Wolves have struggled this season.

Nelson Semedo has had a season to forget, losing possession on average 8.2 times per match while ranking as Wolves’ 17th-best performer for his displays throughout the campaign according to Sofascore. Indeed, his shortcoming have previously been documented on Football FanCast and highlighted by journalist Alex Dicken.

It’s evident that a plan is required for not only the present but also the future on the right-hand side of defence, and Ingram could be an excellent option over the next couple of years.

Although Ingram is yet to make his Championship debut for WBA, he played against Derby County in the Carabao Cup earlier this season and showed glimpses of his potential during a 45-minute cameo.

He appeared comfortable on the ball, as evidenced by his 39 touches, while he made three clearances, won 75% of his aerial duels and was dribbled past only once, proving that the occasion didn’t faze him in the slightest.

He also provides an attacking threat and, following a 1-0 win for WBA U23s against their Sunderland counterparts last season, journalist Josh Bunting was impressed with the youngster, tweeting: “Ethan Ingram good at going up and down from full-back, also aggressive and I love that type of player.”

Lopetegui does seem intent on planning ahead for the future, and by signing Ingram, the Spaniard could have a player ready to compete for a place in Wolves’ starting XI sooner rather than later.

Tottenham Hotspur threw away a two-goal lead in embarrassing fashion as they were beaten by Manchester City in Thursday night’s Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Antonio Conte’s side looked to be on their way to recording a stunning result, continuing their good run of form against the defending champions, but it all came crashing down in the second half as the Citizens bagged three goals inside a rampant 12 minutes before netting a fourth late on for good measure.

Weirdly, the Italian seemed to have blamed the defeat on a lack of experience but in reality, his veteran players were the worst of the lot – Hugo Lloris made another blunder that gifted the opposition their first goal, Heung-min Son was way off it again, Harry Kane looked lost, and Ivan Perisic, well…

The Croatian was arguably the worst player on the pitch as, time and time again, he was skinned by undoubted ‘Man of the Match’ Riyad Mahrez.

Indeed, it was the 33-year-old wing-back who was on the receiving end of some pretty rough criticism as football.london reporter Alasdair Gold graded him as Spurs’ lowest-rated player on the night, writing:

‘Given a torrid time by Mahrez all night as the City man beat him easily down the left for all three of the hosts’ goals after the break. At the other end, he had a big chance to score but his low show was deflected onto the left-hand post. He was taken off not long after City’s third.’

Perisic had an absolute “nightmare match” – in the words of journalist Rob Guest – as he managed just 14 successful passes from 20 attempts in the 69 minutes he was on the pitch, whilst also registering only 42 touches – the fourth-lowest of any starter – which is poor when you consider the influence he should have on a game.

Also via Sofascore, the Croatian lost 56% of his duels, blundered possession 12 times (once every 3.5 touches) and failed to provide a shot on target, create a key chance or deliver an accurate cross, despite three attempts.

Football writer Andrew Gaffney would go on to suggest that the vastly-experienced Perisic plays “like an over-exuberant teenager at times,” with Sky Sports broadcaster Nubaid Haroon rubbing salt in the wounds, claiming that his defending was “laughable” throughout the game.

In what was also lambasted as a “concerning” display by Independent journalist Miguel Delaney, it’s evident that Perisic had an absolutely torrid time up against the two-goal Mahrez and if there’s anyone that let the manager and the fans down, it’s got to be him.

The former Inter Milan title-winner was given the run around as if he were in the school playground and that has to be a major cause of concern heading into games against Fulham, City again and AC Milan in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, “A wise move…” – Journalist backs out-of-work 50 y/o as “perfect” Conte replacement at Spurs…