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Scotland’s 5-1 defeat to Germany on the opening night of Euro 2024 means tonight’s clash against Switzerland is arguably win or bust for Steve Clarke’s men.

It was men against boys last Friday evening as a resurgent German side showed why they should be feared in this competition.

Even Scotland’s goal wasn’t their own, with Antonio Rüdiger netting an own goal, and it is clear there is much to improve on ahead of a match against a Swiss side who secured an impressive 3-1 win over dark horses Hungary.

Deploying a 5-4-1 system which has served Scotland well in the past, it was evidently clear that it would not work against Julian Nagelsmann’s charges, with the wingbacks failing to provide adequate attacking support throughout the game.

Clarke is well known for sticking with the same formation, regardless of previous results, but something has got to give this evening, especially with what is at stake.

The manager could finally go against the grain and deploy a slightly more attacking system in a bid to secure a win over the Swiss. Here is our predicted starting XI ahead of the second group game..

1

GK – Angus Gunn

Despite conceding five goals on Friday evening, Gunn will retain his place between the posts for the game tonight.

Son of former Scotland goalkeeper Bryan Gunn, the current Norwich City shot stopper only made his debut for the nation in 2023 against Cyprus, already racking up 11 caps thus far.

2

RB – Kieran Tierney

Clarke’s change of formation (hopefully) will see a few positional changes. Tiernay is a natural left-back, but he has Andy Robertson to battle for that position.

Instead of shoehorning him in at centre-back, the manager should deploy him on the right side of defence, giving him a chance to solve his main issues there. This also means Clarke can bench Celtic man Anthony Ralston.

Tierney played in that slot under Gordan Strachan a few times, with Scotland actually going undefeated in those games. Perhaps a change this evening could benefit the side?

3

CB – Grant Hanley

Following Ryan Porteous’ sending off against the host nation, he will be banned for the final two group-stage matches.

This means Hanley will come into the starting XI. He played for 45 minutes in the 5-1 defeat and, with 51 caps to his name, is certainly experienced.

4

CB – Scott McKenna

McKenna’s header was diverted in off Rudiger on Friday to give Scotland a consolation goal, but consolation was all it was.

The former Aberdeen gem should come into the starting XI to partner Hanley after Jack Hendry struggled against the likes of Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. Winning zero aerial duels while taking just 33 touches during the game.

5

LB – Andy Robertson

The captain failed to inspire his teammates against a German side full of attacking intent and something will need to change against the Swiss.

So often a threat down the left flank, the Liverpool star failed to deliver an accurate cross from three attempts while also losing possession ten times throughout the game.

6

CM – Billy Gilmour

Gilmour had to settle for a place on the bench during the opening night of the tournament, coming on with just over 20 minutes to go, replacing the ineffective Callum McGregor.

The Brighton and Hove Albion gem is one of the finest young talents Clarke has at his disposal and a change of formation tonight will see him brought into the heart of the midfield to add some dynamism.

7

CM – Scott McTominay

So often the hero for Scotland during qualification – scoring seven goals in just eight matches – McTominay will be expected to have better chances tonight compared to last week.

He failed to even register a single shot on goal against Germany, although he did win six of his eight ground duels along with succeeding with 50% of his dribble attempts and Clarke will surely be asking him to burst forward more often this evening.

8

CM – Callum McGregor

The Celtic captain is the only Scot to have scored at a major international tournament this century, yet he was poor on Friday.

He completed only 13 passes during the game, lost possession four times and won just one of his five contested duels, being subbed off for Gilmour with just over 20 minutes to go.

Although Clarke has the likes of Kenny McLean and Stuart Armstrong to call upon in the heart of the midfield, he will stick with McGregor for the clash tonight in the hope that his display against the hosts was a one-off.

9

AM – John McGinn

McGinn’s goal-scoring record for Scotland is exemplary. In 67 appearances for his country, the Aston Villa machine has scored 18 goals, which is just 12 shy of the record held by Kenny Dalgleish and Denis Law.

He is missing a goal at an international competition, however, and will be determined to right the wrongs of Friday evening against Switzerland.

10

AM – Ryan Christie

Christie enjoyed a wonderful season for AFC Bournemouth during 2023/24, registering six assists as he shone under the new regime.

Against Germany, however, he failed to have a single shot on goal or make any key passes, struggling against a resolute defence.

An inconceivable run of three red cards in eight Premier League games already this season is threatening to derail the Gunners' pursuit of glory

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When Arsenal first left Highbury and moved into their lush Emirates Stadium palace, they started to come in for a new kind of criticism when swathes of trophies at first failed to follow that path across Ashburton Grove.

The loss of, and inability to replace, core figures of steely resilience like Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Sol Campbell coincided with defensive fragilities creeping in. It became an easy stick to beat the Gunners with – they were there to be had, you could get at them, they're too soft, and other such adages without too much nuance.

Mikel Arteta, across nearly half a decade of management back in north London, has sought to reverse that long-standing narrative. For the most part, he has succeeded and made Arsenal one of Europe's meanest teams, but they are now threatening to unravel their hard work and slip over to the wrong side of the dark-arts horseshoe.

Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth largely came about because, for the third time already this season, Arsenal had to play a large portion of the game with only 10 men. William Saliba's sending off for a last-man tug on Evanilson was deemed a red card-worthy offence after a VAR check and the Gunners ceded total control of a very winnable match.

These dismissals, however, aren't the result of a conspiracy and nor are they acts of martyrdom, as much as those of a red-and-white affiliation would like to believe.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Daft reds

  Whether you want to strip back that frightening stat of three red cards in eight matches individually or analyse them as a collective, it's pretty clear and obvious that Arsenal have dug this hole for themselves, even if you lean on the side of leniency.

  Sure, you can look at Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard's near-identical expulsions and label them as soft, but it's a tag which works both ways. Neither player had to walk that tightrope with such carelessness, without heeding the warning that a place in the referee's notebook brings. In fairness to Rice, he fronted for the cameras after he was sent off against Brighton and took responsibility for his misgiving, while he was also quick to lambast he and his team-mates' bad habits at the weekend.

  Saliba's red card, meanwhile, was a strange lapse from a defender who has credentials to be the best in the world in his position. Just days after uncharacteristically clattering Lois Openda and conceding a penalty during France's 2-1 win at Belgium, he made the error of playing with fire as the last man in a high-line of defence. Again, a measly challenge of plausible deniability is present given how far Bournemouth striker Evanilson was from goal, but it was a questionable and needless discretion nonetheless.

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  Lessons not learned

  As previously alluded to, Arteta has done incredibly well to this point of his managerial career. Trying to slay the Arsenal demons of old was a task which led to the downfall of club legend Arsene Wenger and his successor Unai Emery, yet Arteta has emerged as the victor in the arm wrestle against ghosts of Gunners past.

  These nuisances aren't completely wiped out yet, however. The only smidgen of leeway you can really afford to Arsenal is that they previously had a reputation as a team who weren't the sharpest tools in the shed and this someway remains in the football subconscious, a ripple beneath the undercurrent of today.

  Mistakes are made to be learned from, though. The convenience of this tale shouldn't explain why an almost entirely different group of players are repeating history. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. After Trossard was given his marching orders against Manchester City for an offence similar to Rice's a fortnight earlier, Gary Neville puffed out his cheeks on commentary and like a disappointed schoolteacher bemoaned, "They're not learning."

  The insistence that this is a culture problem is probably a false one at least, mainly because we're not talking about players past and present getting into handsy scraps or flying into challenges with disregard for their opponents' shins. That be a sign of promise.

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  Arteta's role

  One way or another, this all comes back to Arteta. Wolves boss Gary O'Neil magnanimously reiterated both pre and post-loss to Manchester City that the buck starts and stops with him in regard to results and what happens on the pitch, irrespective of controversy and ill fortune. It wouldn't hurt Arsenal and their own staff to start looking inward either.

  This is a team in the Spaniard's image, there are no doubts left over that anymore. He has constructed a squad of physical giants with equal grace, developed them into a side capable of challenging for the most major of honours. They are title contenders for good reason, yet they are also held back and rightly doubted because of all else.

  So many think-pieces have attributed Arsenal's rise to the culture Arteta has created within the club. But if he is responsible for cultivating the vibes and the positives, he is also the architect of downfall and the man behind overstepping the mark.

  The talk of 'embracing dark arts' was a little overblown, though was built on the foundation of Arsenal's willingness to explore a different kind of menace. It is now the challenge of maturing with their heads screwed on they must be embracing.

  Arteta isn't stupid and is fully aware of the task ahead. At a press conference on Monday, he said: "Playing with 10 men always is an issue. The trust is, when you analyse it, three different very actions and the outcome of them, the reasons are very different. Regardless of that we cannot continue to play with 10 men at this level. We need to eradicate that, it's clear. The reasons, how – it doesn't matter. We have to focus."

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  Turn the tap back on

  Disciplinary concerns aren't the only factor which could hinder Arsenal's title tilt. Arteta's reversal of philosophy from total football to scrape-and-scrimp in pursuit of glory is working mischievously in tandem with their run-ins with the football law.

  If anything, this element of their malaise has gone under the radar having been usurped by these discrepancies. The fear of it rumbling on is of similar threat to the Gunners.

  Obviously, football is a trickier sport to play with a one-player disadvantage, but Arsenal appeared happy to sit in and play for a point for over one half of their loss at Bournemouth. They had no out-ball until Gabriel Martinelli's 64th-minute introduction, which made Raheem Sterling's first-half withdrawal for Jakub Kiwior all the more confusing. And look, we're not asking for Arteta to go full Ange Postecoglou and sit his side on the halfway line at all times. Any sort of attacking intent wouldn't go amiss, mind.

  It's great for Arsenal they have at long last put in the hard yards to shore up their defence and fight for points at that end of the pitch. Now they need to turn the tap back on at the other end.

Arsenal were so desperately close to sealing their first Premier League crown in 20 years last season.

The gap to Manchester City? Just two points. It was gut-wrenching for the Gunners but they will have to dust themselves off and go again this summer as they aim to build a team capable of going beyond the 90-point mark.

One of the primary areas of focus is in attack but who Mikel Arteta and Co welcome to the club is anyone's guess.

One thing is for certain, it's unlikely to be Benjamin Sesko. The RB Leipzig forward had been linked relentlessly with a move to the Emirates Stadium in recent weeks but is now reportedly set to stay in Germany, penning new terms with his current employers.

The midfield is also an area the Gunners are looking to strengthen. One target is allegedly Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes.

What Ray Parlour has said about Guimaraes

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of NetBet Casino, Ray Parlour was discussing Arsenal's plans for this summer.

One player he was asked about is Toon star Guimaraes. Arsenal are reportedly eyeing up a move for the Brazilian this summer but with a £100m asking price, any move is unlikely.

That's a viewpoint that Parlour holds. Telling FFC, he said: "I like him as a player, he is very strong and has been a big part in the improvement that Newcastle have made under Eddie Howe.

"If Partey moves on then Arsenal may go for a more efficient player than Guimaraes, so I’m not 100% sure Arteta will look to pursue him. Personality-wise, he will also need to fit into the dynamic of the squad as well."

Arsenal had been interested in the former Lyon man prior to his move to St James' Park but it would appear as though Edu has missed the boat with this one.

The Londoners have enjoyed plucking ready-made Premier League talent in years gone by. Last summer it was Declan Rice and Kai Havertz. The summer before that it was Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus.

So in 2024, could it be Marcus Rashford? Potentially.

What Ray Parlour has said about Rashford to Arsenal

Reports emerged a few weeks ago suggesting that the Manchester United star could be a surprise option for Arteta in the transfer market.

Perhaps taking inspiration from the way he revived Havertz last term, the Spaniard could potentially do the same with a floundering talent at Old Trafford.

Rashford was in scintillating form during the 2022/23 campaign, scoring 30 goals and registering ten assists in all competitions. However, 2023/24 was a torrid one, netting just eight times and subsequently missing out on a place in England's squad for Euro 2024.

That said, Parlour has backed him to be a cracking acquisition if a shock move was made in the forthcoming months.

He told FFC: "I think if Mikel Arteta feels Rashford can fit into his plans then he would be a great signing for Arsenal. It seems evident that Rashford needs a new challenge as hasn’t been firing for Manchester United of late."

Where he fits into the side would be an issue to overcome but nonetheless, the Romford Pele has suggested he could revive his form by seeking a change of scenery.

"He can fit well into the Arsenal side on the left or even through the middle. He is still young and I believe he has that hunger to succeed and the challenge of Arsenal and pushing for the title should interest him," Parlour continued.

"It does also depend on FFP as Arsenal would have to let a couple of players leave – which could be Smith Rowe and Nelson – if Rashford was to be the player Arteta chose to chase for signature. Rashford has always played well against Arsenal and a new challenge can be exactly what he needs to resurrect his career. We’ve seen it before that players need a change of environment."

So, how much would he cost? Probably an arm and a leg. This would not be a cheap move for Arsenal despite the England international's form over the last year.

CIES Football Observatory values the player at £68m but it's likely he'd fetch more than that.

Ray Parlour backs Arsenal to sign PL star who will cost as much as Rice

Ray Parlour was speaking to Football FanCast about the Gunners’ plans for the summer window.

By
Matt Dawson

May 8, 2024

Sports Interactive has announced that Football Manager 25 has been delayed until March 2025.

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• FM25 given lengthy delay
• SI explains they have been 'rushing' release
• First FM on Unity engine

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Football Manager 25 was scheduled to be released at the start of September, with Sports Interactive transitioning to the use of a new engine, powered by Unity. They initially delayed the game until the end of November, but have now confirmed that it will instead release in March. At the same time, they have offered to refund pre-orders and have also confirmed that the next gameplay reveal will take place in January.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  FM25 has officially been announced just last week, with a roadmap also promised, but SI have now explained that they do not feel they can release an acceptable product within the current timeframe. How this now impacts FM26, because the games are released on an annual schedule, is yet to be seen.

• WHAT SI SAID

  In a statement, SI wrote: "After careful consideration, Sports Interactive have made the tough decision to further delay the release of Football Manager 25.

  "Following discussions with SEGA, our licensors and partners, we have agreed the best course of action is to delay the launch until March 2025. Specific platform release dates will follow once confirmed.

  "In our last Development Update in September, we explained that we needed to push FM25’s original release back to give ourselves more time to deliver the best possible experience for this first instalment in a new era of Football Manager.

  "This additional time has not been sufficient to ensure the game quality and experience meets your expectations and our very high standards.

  "In the previous blog we explained that it has been a difficult development cycle for the studio. Many things have been moving slower than we had predicted – despite everyone in the team working at an incredible pace to try and get everything done.

  "Timelines were already tight and, as rightly pointed out by many of your recent comments, we were simply rushing too much and in danger of compromising our usual standards. This has put an enormous amount of pressure on everyone working across the studio, who are all passionately committed to delivering the best game possible.

  "FM25 is the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation. We simply cannot compromise the delivery of this crucial juncture in Football Manager’s history by rushing to release it in November.

  "Of course, this is not where any of us expected to be seven weeks out from our release but, in the spirit of our studio values, we always consider the bigger picture – and the bigger picture here is that we need this additional time to deliver a game that we can all be proud of."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  This marks a disastrous period in SI's history as they aim to overhaul FM and have twice been forced to delay the most anticipated release in the game's history. Those wanting to role-play as a virtual manager will have to stick with FM24 for now.

West Bromwich Albion didn't mess around after exiting the Championship play-off semi-final stages, revealing their retained list five days after their 3-1 second-leg defeat to the Saints, with seven senior Baggies players released in the process.

Out of all those chucked to the scrapheap, Matt Phillips' exit would have stung the most, considering the experienced 33-year-old had accumulated 255 appearances for the Baggies in total across eight memorable seasons, before being greeted with this news after an injury-heavy 2023/24 campaign personally.

Still, the ageing attacker registered 26 appearances when fit for Carlos Corberan's men and played his part somewhat – picking up six goal contributions along the way – but will now find he's a free agent come the end of this month regardless.

This could mean West Brom are in the market for many a winger to fill gaps in the areas down the flanks at the Hawthorns, which is why the promotion nearly-men are looking at this potential capture to soften the blow of the 33-year-old leaving for nothing.

West Brom still in the hunt for "fantastic" forward

Fresh off the back of a "fantastic" season with Oxford United, as it was described by football pundit Carlton Palmer recently, Josh Murphy now has a major decision to make, with his contract situation at the Kassam Stadium unresolved.

The Sun reported back in April that the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Southampton, Queens Park Rangers and more were going after the electric winger's services, who bagged ten goals from 38 games in total for the U's on the way to promotion being sealed.

Two of those ten strikes came during his side's victorious play-off final win over Bolton Wanderers at Wembley, as Murphy's tricks and flicks down the left wing proved too much for the Trotters to handle on the day, who collapsed on the big stage for Des Buckingham's men to win 2-0 to pull off a shock promotion.

Still hopeful that their ex-Norwich City man could stay put in Oxfordshire for his side's exciting voyage up to the Championship, with contract talks currently underway, the Baggies will still have their fingers crossed they can tempt him to relocate to the West Midlands instead, to possess a player in a similar ilk to Phillips again.

Why Murphy would be a strong Phillips replacement

Despite being more of a natural left winger, which is a position that also needs filling in Corberan's camp with Mikey Johnston returning back to Celtic, Murphy can still be a Phillips replacement in terms of what he offers to West Brom even whilst operating on the left flank.

Both content with twisting and turning defences with slaloming runs when darting forward, as can be seen in the table below, Murphy's ten goal contributions just in the regular season – all of which came in 2024 – wasn't far off being eclipsed by Phillips' six either, despite the soon-to-be free agent playing two games less as a regular absentee to the Hawthorns treatment room.

Bettering Phillips on a number of their comparative attacking statistics, however, Murphy could be viewed as the perfect replacement for Phillips, as well as bolstering the left channel for Corberan's men, with Johnston also departing meaning the Baggies need a new hero there.

Corberan's immediate future in the Baggies hot-seat isn't even secure at the moment though, but they'll hope he stays put in the dug-out for next season, with Murphy shining brightly potentially for a side who could go one better and win promotion next campaign.

West Brom could seal a "very special" signing to transform Thomas-Asante

West Bromwich Albion will hope Brandon Thomas-Asante is back firing in the goals next season regularly alongside this new recruit.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 3, 2024

Over the years, Everton have had their fair share of fan-favourites who have given multiple generations of supporters memories to last a lifetime.

From Dixie Dean to Tim Cahill, the club have employed many talents who have gone on to achieve unthinkable things and set records that are yet to be beaten – including Dean's record of 60 league goals during the 1927/28 campaign.

However, in recent times, the club have struggled on and off the pitch, with many players failing to impress and unable to make the impact they would’ve desired.

FFP and PSR issues have restricted the club as to what they can spend, devoting more focus on selling players to balance the books, rather than allowing them to make a name for themselves at Goodison Park.

Despite the troubles since the start of the 21st century, the club was home to numerous stars who lit up Merseyside, with one player especially capturing the hearts of many during his brief stint at the club.

Financial Fair Play: What is PSR, how does it work and who's in trouble?

Leicester City have become the latest club charged with an alleged PSR breach, but what could happen next?

By
Stephan Georgiou

Apr 16, 2024

Andrei Kanchelskis’ career at Everton

Following a fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson during his time at Manchester United, attacker Andrei Kanchelskis vowed never to play for the club again, subsequently moving to Everton in the summer of 1995.

The Toffees forked out a club-record £5m for the Russian, placing high expectations on him to succeed on Merseyside, especially after finding the net on 14 occasions the season prior at Old Trafford.

However, Kanchelskis endured a tough start to life with his new side, failing to score in any of his first seven league matches, before a double against local rivals Liverpool opened the floodgates during the 1995/96 campaign.

He would find form towards the tail end of the season, including a run that saw him score eight times in just seven matches – including a hat-trick against Sheffield Wednesday, which saw him end the campaign with 15 goals, making him the club’s top scorer.

He would make just another 20 appearances in the Premier League during the following season, scoring four times before abruptly ending his time at Goodison.

Kanchelskis would leave for £8m to join Fiorentina in Serie A during January 1997 – a figure that saw the club make £3m profit on the Russian in just 18 months, an excellent return.

To this day, he remains a fan-favourite on Merseyside, with his £5m deal up there with one of the club’s best pieces of business in the Premier League era.

But, just how much would that deal be worth today? Well, lucky for you, we have the answer.

How much Andrei Kanchelskis would be worth in 2024

Nearly 30 years on from his big-money move, the game has transformed dramatically, with huge amounts of money available in today’s game.

However, the premise remains the same, players who know where the back of the net is cost an absolute fortune, with the record transfer in 2024 sitting at over £200m, following Neymar’s transfer to PSG back in 2017.

If that same move went through today, Kanchelskis would've cost the club a jaw-dropping £64m to get through the door, according to Totally Money's Transfer Index.

That would make the “sensational” former Everton forward, as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Teddy Draper, worth more current Toffees centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, who is valued at around £60m following strong interest from fellow Premier League side Manchester United.

Although the club have secured their Premier League status for another season, boss Sean Dyche would've loved to have a player like the Russian within his ranks.

His constant goalscoring threat would not doubt have added to the club’s measly tally of just 39 goals in the league this season, with the club desperately needing reinforcements this summer.

Everton hit gold selling PL icon who'd be worth more than Lukaku in 2024

He made the club a huge profit when he departed Goodison Park.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 15, 2024

Portugal and Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot opened up about his experience of playing alongside compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo.

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• Dalot finds spending time with Ronaldo an enriching experience
• Ferdinand joked Ronaldo is tight with his finances
• Dalot and Ronaldo played together at United

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  During a chat with Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand on TNT Sports, the 25-year-old defender spoke highly of his national team captain with whom he shared a dressing room for one and a half seasons at Old Trafford and also in the Selecao side since 2021 where he has earned 24 international caps.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Portuguese full-back further claimed that every time he leaves Ronaldo, he comes back richer. Ferdinand then jokingly asked if the Al-Nassr gives him money as he suggested that the 39-year-old is generally tight with his finances despite being vastly wealthy.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Ferdinand asked about the similarities between Dalot and Ronaldo, to which the United player said, "I learned a lot from him and I know you are close to him as well. Every time I leave him, I feel more rich. I'm not talking about money, no he doesn't give me money. But personal-wise, you can leave any space with him and if he is really comfortable with you, you'll leave with something new that you learn."

  In between, the former England international quipped, "He's tight, he's tight, he's tight."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Dalot could be next seen in action on Wednesday as Erik ten Hag's side take on FC Twente in their Europa League 2024-25 opener. Ronaldo, on the other hand, will next face Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League on Friday with Al-Nassr.

Neymar is looking sharp as he prepares to end his 11-month injury nightmare, with the Brazilian picking out the top corner during Al-Hilal training.

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• Damaged knee ligaments in October 2023
• Has taken in a long road to recovery
• Stepping up fitness ahead of long-awaited return

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 32-year-old forward has been out of action since damaging knee ligaments during an appearance for his country in World Cup qualifying on October 18, 2023. A long road to recovery has been taken in by the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Neymar has been restricted to just five appearances and one goal for Al-Hilal, with fitness issues preventing him from figuring as prominently as he would have liked in the club’s 2023-24 Saudi Pro League title triumph. He is, however, fully committed to the cause.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Transfer talk over the summer was quickly played down – amid speculation of a reunion being enjoyed with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at MLS side Inter Miami – and Neymar will be honouring the final year of his contract in the Middle East.

Arsenal have been looking into signing a highly-rated potential replacement for midfielder Thomas Partey, and he could cost them just £34 million.

Arsenal open to selling Partey as Edu chases new Rice partner

The Ghanaian was a key player under Mikel Arteta last season, making 33 Premier League appearances, but he's been far more starved of chances this term.

Arsenal show club they're prepared to pay £52 million to sign their key man

It would be enough.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 10, 2024

Partey's been handed the starting nod by Arteta on just seven occasions in the league across 2023/2024, which is a far cry from his previous mainstay status. This is largely down injury problems and the form of Declan Rice, with Jorginho also coming into his own in recent months.

Arsenal officially rewarded the latter with a contract extension this week, keeping Jorginho at Hale End until 2025, but it is likely that Partey may well be gone far before then.

Indeed, it is believed Arteta is open to selling Partey this summer, with clubs in Saudi Arabia taking a firm interest and apparently considering a "lucrative" contract offer for the ex-Atletico Madrid star (GiveMeSport).

The 30-year-old's contract also expires next year, giving sporting director Edu precious little time to make any money back off the £45 million they paid to sign him from Atletico in 2020.

Now could be the time to sell Partey and respectfully wave goodbye to the midfielder after years of service. It is believed that Arsenal are also keen to sign a new central midfielder this summer, who could step into the African's shoes.

Reports this week have suggested Arsenal are holding talks with Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. Indeed, claims from Spain have also surfaced recently that Edu is prepared to pay £52 million to sign Zubimendi – which would be enough given that fee is the full value of his release clause.

However, Arsenal have other positions they want to strengthen as well, namely in-between the sticks, defensively and further forward (Simon Collings). Money will have to be spent wisely when the window reopens, and a cheaper alternative to Zubimendi could be Borussia Monchengladbach ace Kouadio "Manu" Kone.

Arsenal looking into signing Manu Kone to replace Partey

Indeed, according to Stev Kay talking to KS1TV, relayed by TBR, Arsenal have been "looking into" signing Kone this summer, coming after reports from Sky Germany last year that he could cost as little as £34 million to prise away from Gladbach.

The 22-year-old has made 20 Bundesliga appearances this term, with WhoScored detailing his main strength as an excellent dribbler. Interestingly, former Premier League keeper Mark Schwarzer urged Liverpool to make a move for him last year.

"There is one player, for me, that stands out that plays for Borussia Monchengladbach and that’s Kone," said the Australian on Sky Sports' The Football Show (via HITC).

“He is only 21 years old. He came from Toulouse. He has only been at Gladbach for two years. But he has been a real big find for them and a phenomenal player in the Bundesliga. I think someone like him could do really well at Liverpool.”

Leeds United have it all to play for when they host Norwich City at Elland Road in the second leg of the Championship play-off semi-finals on Thursday night.

The Whites were held to a 0-0 draw by the Canaries in the first leg at Carrow Road on Sunday and will now compete for a place in the final at Wembley later this week.

Daniel Farke's side do not yet know what division they will be competing in for the 2024/25 campaign, yet there has already been transfer speculation ahead of the summer window.

Football Insider reported last month that the club would accept an offer in the region of £30m for Wilfried Gnonto, should a team come in with a firm offer in that ballpark.

Farke, however, may already have an heir to the Italian's place in the squad within the academy set-up, as young forward Josh McDonald has shown great potential this season.

Wilfried Gnonto's Championship form

The 20-year-old forward has enjoyed a solid, if unspectacular, campaign with Leeds in the Championship, after being part of the team that suffered relegation from the Premier League last term.

Gnonto has failed to nail down a place in the starting XI throughout the entire season, with 19 starts out of 36 league appearances, but has chipped in with double figures for goals and assists.

As you can see in the table above, the former Zurich star has been directly involved in ten goals, with eight strikes and two assists, in 36 outings.

That is an average of one goal or assist every 3.6 matches on average in the second tier, which shows that he has been a semi-regular contributor in the final third.

Why Josh McDonald could be Wilfried Gnonto's heir

Amid speculation over Gnonto's future at Elland Road, McDonald could eventually emerge as his replacement in Yorkshire if he continues to impress at academy level.

The talented whiz, who only turned 17 in March, has enjoyed a terrific season for the U18s at Thorp Arch, with a return of seven goals and seven assists in all competitions.

He has racked up seven goals and six assists in 22 U18 Premier League matches, an average of one goal contribution every 1.69 outings, and produced one assist in six FA Youth Cup clashes.

The impressive youngster, who can play on the left or the right flank, was described as a "lovely" player by journalist Connor McGilligan earlier this month, and his statistics back that up.

McDonald appears to be an excellent prospect for Leeds on paper with his fantastic contributions as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the U18 side.

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It is, of course, now down to him to prove that his form can translate over to the U21 team and then the first-team in the years to come to stake a claim for a place in the senior squad.

If he can continue to replicate his current level of scoring and creating, then he could eventually be a fantastic heir to Gnonto's position out wide, as a forward who can score and assist goals more frequently than the Italian.