3 hours ago
Xabi Alonso has told Chelsea he wants the club to explore an ambitious deal to sign ****** nal midfielder Martin Zubimeni.
Alonso is a long-term admirer of Zubimendi, who came through the Real Sociedad academy. The Chelsea manager is also a graduate of the San Sebastien side's youth system and coached Zubimendi during his time as head coach of Real Sociedad B, between 2019 and 2022.
According to Simon Phillips, Alonso has asked Chelsea to enquire about a deal. Zubimendi signed for ****** nal from Sociedad for a fee of around £51m last summer, and made 57 appearances across all competitions, scoring six times.
Arsenal are unlikely to want to part with the 27-year-old, despite his fall from favour across the run-in. Zubimendi was left out of the side for the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, with Myles Lewis-Skelly preferred.
The Gunners are also closing in on the £75m signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, to further reinforce their midfield group.
#zubimendi #martin
Alonso is a long-term admirer of Zubimendi, who came through the Real Sociedad academy. The Chelsea manager is also a graduate of the San Sebastien side's youth system and coached Zubimendi during his time as head coach of Real Sociedad B, between 2019 and 2022.
According to Simon Phillips, Alonso has asked Chelsea to enquire about a deal. Zubimendi signed for ****** nal from Sociedad for a fee of around £51m last summer, and made 57 appearances across all competitions, scoring six times.
Arsenal are unlikely to want to part with the 27-year-old, despite his fall from favour across the run-in. Zubimendi was left out of the side for the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, with Myles Lewis-Skelly preferred.
The Gunners are also closing in on the £75m signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, to further reinforce their midfield group.
#zubimendi #martin
4 hours ago
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images For Premier League
Christian Norgaard's time at ***** nal has come to an end after Everton completed the signing of the experienced midfielder, bringing the curtain down on a brief spell in north London just one year after his arrival from Brentford.
When ***** nal signed Norgaard last summer, the move appeared to make plenty of sense. Brentford's captain arrived with extensive Premier League experience and looked an ideal option to provide depth and leadership in midfield.
It did not work out that way.
Mikel Arteta rarely turned to the 32-year-old when ***** nal's biggest matches arrived, preferring instead to rely heavily on Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi throughout the campaign.
#year #regan
Christian Norgaard's time at ***** nal has come to an end after Everton completed the signing of the experienced midfielder, bringing the curtain down on a brief spell in north London just one year after his arrival from Brentford.
When ***** nal signed Norgaard last summer, the move appeared to make plenty of sense. Brentford's captain arrived with extensive Premier League experience and looked an ideal option to provide depth and leadership in midfield.
It did not work out that way.
Mikel Arteta rarely turned to the 32-year-old when ***** nal's biggest matches arrived, preferring instead to rely heavily on Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi throughout the campaign.
#year #regan
23 hours ago
Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes is leaving the Magpies for the Premier League champions after ****** nal agreed a reported $100 million deal for the Brazil star.
Guimaraes turns 29 in November and leaves Newcastle as perhaps their most important player since the departure of Alan Shearer. He had expressed interest in a move to ****** nal after the Magpies failed to seal a return to European football last season.
MORE — Ceilings, floors, and basements for all 20 PL teams
His 31 goals and 32 ****** ists in 195 appearances hardly tell the story of a midfielder who can play anywhere from the 6 up to the 10 and held a talismanic stature in the club, captaining them to a League Cup win that ended decades of silverware frustration.
For ****** nal, it's a statement of intent after losing the midfield battle and then some in their Champions League Final loss to PSG, where Mikel Arteta's men were limited to 25% possession and lost in penalties. The Gunners can now deploy a midfield three of Guimaraes, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard, with Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, and Myles Lews-Skelly bringing absurd depth to the side.
#mikel #champions #midfield
Guimaraes turns 29 in November and leaves Newcastle as perhaps their most important player since the departure of Alan Shearer. He had expressed interest in a move to ****** nal after the Magpies failed to seal a return to European football last season.
MORE — Ceilings, floors, and basements for all 20 PL teams
His 31 goals and 32 ****** ists in 195 appearances hardly tell the story of a midfielder who can play anywhere from the 6 up to the 10 and held a talismanic stature in the club, captaining them to a League Cup win that ended decades of silverware frustration.
For ****** nal, it's a statement of intent after losing the midfield battle and then some in their Champions League Final loss to PSG, where Mikel Arteta's men were limited to 25% possession and lost in penalties. The Gunners can now deploy a midfield three of Guimaraes, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard, with Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, and Myles Lews-Skelly bringing absurd depth to the side.
#mikel #champions #midfield
5 days ago
Well folks, it's that time again. August is here and so begins ******* nal's slate of preseason matches. Today, the Gunners face Girona to cap off a week of training in Spain. They take on Real Betis (and Hector Bellerin) in Dublin on Wednesday, August 5th, Dortmund next Sunday in the Emirates Cup, and Como on August 12th before the Community Shield on August 16th. The Premier League season kicks off in less than three weeks — the 21st home to newly promoted Coventry.
Arsenal – Kepa, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Havertz, Nwaneri, Dowman, Tzolis, Gyokeres
Everyone should be prepared to overreact wildly to a lineup several players off the first XI. Because that's what you do in the preseason, after all. None of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, Ebere Eze, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, David Raya, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, nor William Saliba are in today's squad.
The Brazilians rejoined the team in the last day or two. Gabriel Martinelli got married a few days ago in Greece but is back with the squad. Martin Ødegaard is due back next week. The England players after that and the Spanish contingent last of all. William Saliba will miss a fair bit of time recovering from the back injury he played through at the end of the season and during the World Cup.
The Gunners are also expected to do a fair bit of business before the start of the season. A move for Bruno Guimaraes seems close. The rumors are swirling around a massive move for Vini Jr. The club intends to sign a CB to cover during Saliba's absence. They may also sign a right back — Jurrien Timber is still recovering from the groin problem that kept him out of the World Cup.
#gabriel #season #saliba
Arsenal – Kepa, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Havertz, Nwaneri, Dowman, Tzolis, Gyokeres
Everyone should be prepared to overreact wildly to a lineup several players off the first XI. Because that's what you do in the preseason, after all. None of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, Ebere Eze, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, David Raya, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, nor William Saliba are in today's squad.
The Brazilians rejoined the team in the last day or two. Gabriel Martinelli got married a few days ago in Greece but is back with the squad. Martin Ødegaard is due back next week. The England players after that and the Spanish contingent last of all. William Saliba will miss a fair bit of time recovering from the back injury he played through at the end of the season and during the World Cup.
The Gunners are also expected to do a fair bit of business before the start of the season. A move for Bruno Guimaraes seems close. The rumors are swirling around a massive move for Vini Jr. The club intends to sign a CB to cover during Saliba's absence. They may also sign a right back — Jurrien Timber is still recovering from the groin problem that kept him out of the World Cup.
#gabriel #season #saliba
5 days ago
The preseason is officially underway with the Gunners facing Girona for their first official friendly on Saturday as the defending Premier League champions look to capitalize on last season's successes. Bolstering the side has been a main emphasis, with Christian Tzolis and Ilan Mellier already in the fold.
It looks like the midfield will get a major boost as reports from numerous outlets this morning confirmed that ******* nal are finalizing the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle for approximately £80m. With everything seemingly agreed upon, there is little left beyond the medical, scheduled for Monday, and the official club announcement.
The path to his signing has been a tricky one. Despite early reports indicating that the player was easily sold on the move, Newcastle were adamant that they were not willing to sell their captain, especially after losing Sandro Tonali to Spurs as they looked to stave off a mass exodus of key players for the second year in a row. Manager Eddie Howe seemed convinced he'd stay, but also did not sound like he had much say in transfer matters during an interview last week. Whether the transfer of Bruno had any influence on it, Eddie Howe resigned from his position shortly after.
There's been a palpable bit of division over this transfer from ******* nal fans. He's a seasoned PL and Brazil national team veteran and undeniably talented, but his reputation as a hot head and a "dirty" player has given a few fans reservations, while others are more than willing to look past his previous transgressions (Jorginho's head is still ringing) if he helps the club win more trophies.
How he will fit into the midfield is the big question. Martin Zubimendi came into the side last season as the 6 with Declan Rice as the 8. By the run in, though, Zubimendi's form had dipped and Rice was deployed at the base of the midfield more often with Myles Lewis-Skelly. Guimaraes is a quality Rice ******* ogue and can play both the 6 and the 8 at a high level, which means that Arteta will have an excellent deputy to take minutes off of both he and Zubi. That he can slide into the starting lineup without a distinct drop in quality already makes him a smart acquisition.
#last #arsenal #bruno #eddie
It looks like the midfield will get a major boost as reports from numerous outlets this morning confirmed that ******* nal are finalizing the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle for approximately £80m. With everything seemingly agreed upon, there is little left beyond the medical, scheduled for Monday, and the official club announcement.
The path to his signing has been a tricky one. Despite early reports indicating that the player was easily sold on the move, Newcastle were adamant that they were not willing to sell their captain, especially after losing Sandro Tonali to Spurs as they looked to stave off a mass exodus of key players for the second year in a row. Manager Eddie Howe seemed convinced he'd stay, but also did not sound like he had much say in transfer matters during an interview last week. Whether the transfer of Bruno had any influence on it, Eddie Howe resigned from his position shortly after.
There's been a palpable bit of division over this transfer from ******* nal fans. He's a seasoned PL and Brazil national team veteran and undeniably talented, but his reputation as a hot head and a "dirty" player has given a few fans reservations, while others are more than willing to look past his previous transgressions (Jorginho's head is still ringing) if he helps the club win more trophies.
How he will fit into the midfield is the big question. Martin Zubimendi came into the side last season as the 6 with Declan Rice as the 8. By the run in, though, Zubimendi's form had dipped and Rice was deployed at the base of the midfield more often with Myles Lewis-Skelly. Guimaraes is a quality Rice ******* ogue and can play both the 6 and the 8 at a high level, which means that Arteta will have an excellent deputy to take minutes off of both he and Zubi. That he can slide into the starting lineup without a distinct drop in quality already makes him a smart acquisition.
#last #arsenal #bruno #eddie
1 month ago
After the win against Uruguay, Spain came away with mixed feelings. A victory is always a reason to celebrate, but there are two players who have not been very happy.
We’re talking about Zubimendi, who still hasn’t played, while Rodri has played every minute. It is said to be because he arrived very tired after a long season with ****** nal, but it is still striking.
At the same time, the other player who has created a bit of uncertainty was Gavi, who started against Cape Verde and then was on the bench again without seeing any minutes on the pitch.
Without a doubt, two striking decisions by De La Fuente...
We’re talking about Zubimendi, who still hasn’t played, while Rodri has played every minute. It is said to be because he arrived very tired after a long season with ****** nal, but it is still striking.
At the same time, the other player who has created a bit of uncertainty was Gavi, who started against Cape Verde and then was on the bench again without seeing any minutes on the pitch.
Without a doubt, two striking decisions by De La Fuente...
1 month ago
Martin Zubimendi has spent one season at ******* nal, winning the league ******* le and reaching the Champions League final, but questions are already being asked about whether Sandro Tonali would represent an upgrade in midfield for the Gunners this summer.
Arsenal are interested in signing the Italian midfielder and face strong competition from Tottenham, who have already started making moves to secure his signature. Newcastle United are reluctant to allow him to leave, although interest in the player continues to grow ahead of the transfer window.
Tonali is believed to be open to a move to London, which has encouraged Tottenham’s pursuit, while ******* nal are also considering entering the race more seriously as they continue evaluating additions to their squad for next season.
The Gunners believe Tonali could fit well into their midfield system and may still attempt to hijack the transfer from Tottenham once they intensify their transfer activity. ******* nal remain keen to strengthen key areas of the squad despite their successful campaign last season.
Tottenham are currently pushing harder to secure the midfielder, but ******* nal may feel confident about their chances if they decide to pursue the deal aggressively. Tonali’s willingness to move to London could work in favour of either club depending on how negotiations develop.
Arsenal are interested in signing the Italian midfielder and face strong competition from Tottenham, who have already started making moves to secure his signature. Newcastle United are reluctant to allow him to leave, although interest in the player continues to grow ahead of the transfer window.
Tonali is believed to be open to a move to London, which has encouraged Tottenham’s pursuit, while ******* nal are also considering entering the race more seriously as they continue evaluating additions to their squad for next season.
The Gunners believe Tonali could fit well into their midfield system and may still attempt to hijack the transfer from Tottenham once they intensify their transfer activity. ******* nal remain keen to strengthen key areas of the squad despite their successful campaign last season.
Tottenham are currently pushing harder to secure the midfielder, but ******* nal may feel confident about their chances if they decide to pursue the deal aggressively. Tonali’s willingness to move to London could work in favour of either club depending on how negotiations develop.
