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Some will feel Ramsdale was good enough to continue as Arsenal’s number one, but Raya is certainly another fine player, having really impressed during his time at Brentford.

If he can reproduce that form as an Arsenal player, then this will surely end up being smart business by the north London giants.

The post “Clause will be triggered” – Arsenal’s first permanent signing of 2024 already “guaranteed”, says expert appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal could be making a mistake by waiting until the summer to address key issue

Darren Looney — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 07:02:57 +0000

Arsenal have made the decision to sign a new striker in 2024 but the Gunners may be making a mistake by waiting until the summer to address the issue.

Mikel Arteta is in need of a proper number nine and according to Football Insider, Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and Brentford’s Ivan Toney top the Spanish coach’s list of forward targets.

The North London club have been long-term admirers of Vlahovic and have tried to sign the Serbia star on numerous occasions. It is believed that Juve may need to sell the 23-year-old next year due to their financial situation, but a mid-season move will be very difficult to complete.

Closer to home, Toney is expected to leave Brentford in 2024 and the Bees will ask for huge money in January for their star man, according to the report.

Therefore, it would be best to wait until the summer as the Gunners would get to see how the 27-year-old performs upon his return from a long ban.

Where will Toney end up in 2024?

Arsenal are once again competing at the top of the Premier League and a criticism that has been thrown their way is the lack of firepower up top.

With both Man City and Liverpool stacked in this area, it could see the Gunners punished as the season progresses.

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Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus have managed just five and four goals this season, and although they have plenty of talent, they lack the presence of a proper number nine in the box.

With the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United also on the lookout for a striker, could one of these clubs swoop in and sign some of Arsenal’s top targets in January? It makes sense for the North London club to wait until the summer to address this issue but could it be a mistake with so much on the line during the current campaign?

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Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano expects “smart” transfer window for Chelsea this January

Mark Brus — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 13:01:41 +0000

Chelsea are likely to try for a smart transfer window this January, according to Fabrizio Romano as he spoke exclusively to CaughtOffside via the Debrief Podcast.

By ‘smart’, Romano means there will be a bit more order to what Chelsea are doing after what has been a busy and chaotic period for the Blues due to so much change in personnel, both on and off the pitch, in the last year or more.

More specifically, Romano said that we can probably expect Chelsea to try for a new striker, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Brentford’s Ivan Toney again named as the players on their radar, even if they won’t necessarily be easy deals to get done.

Romano still says he can’t see Osimhen leaving Napoli in January, meaning Toney could be more realistic, though negotiations have not yet started.

“I expect Chelsea to be smart – at the moment there is no news, after years of many stories about owners, directors, managers, players. This is the best way,” Romano said to Angus Scott and Ben Jacobs on today’s show.

Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney could be ideal signings for Chelsea

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“A striker remains a priority, we’ve mentioned Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney. Nothing has changed for Osimhen and I don’t see him moving in January … in the summer it could be different.

“With Toney the situation could be different – he wants to play for a top, top club and Chelsea are still interested. Let’s see if they will attack the situation but they haven’t opened negotiations yet.”

On Chelsea’s plans for a new defender, Romano added: “I expect Trevoh Chalobah to leave Chelsea in January and for them to explore options for a new centre-back – that’s one of the players they want to prioritise in 2024.”

Chelsea fans will no doubt hope the club have something smart up their sleeve, though a quiet window also wouldn’t go amiss for precisely the reasons Romano outlined above!

The post Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano expects “smart” transfer window for Chelsea this January appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Badiashile truth, Arsenal’s difficult deal, Toney surprise and more – exclusive Fabrizio Romano transfer news column

Fabrizio Romano — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 19:00:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

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Real Madrid’s bad luck with injuries continues

Real Madrid have been really unlucky with injuries this season. We know what happened with Courtois and Militao in the summer, and then there is the situation with Arda Güler. Now two more players have picked up injuries whilst on international duty and are going to be out for some time.

Eduardo Camavinga has a knee injury and will be out till the end of 2023. The hope is he’ll be available in January for the Super Cup against Atlético Madrid. Vinicius Jr. was injured whilst playing with Brazil against Colombia. Now there is a waiting game for a final decision, in order for everyone to understand how bad the problem is and how long Vinicius will be out of action for.

Real Madrid’s position at the moment is not to be hasty and do anything in the January transfer window. Unless anything changes and perhaps Vinicius Jr’s injury is worse than first thought, Madrid will stay with the same team to the end of the season and then do something in the summer.

Douglas Luiz remains Arsenal’s top target

It’s also important to mention guys that injuries are not helping Arsenal either, with Thomas Partey’s situation ensuring that Arsenal will still look at midfielders in the January transfer window.

I mentioned the name of Douglas Luiz last week as the top target for Arsenal, and I can confirm guys that Arsenal really, really want and appreciate Douglas Luiz. He’s a player they’ve had on their list for more than two years, and Arsenal consider him the perfect midfielder for their way of playing, for his intensity and for the quality he can bring. So many different factors make him top of the list for Arsenal now.

The problem remains that Aston Villa have no intention to let him go in January, so it’s going to be really difficult. It will take a really important proposal to tempt Aston Villa, so something not easy at all. But, for sure, Douglas Luiz is in Arsenal’s list and is a midfielder for the present and the future. Let’s see if they will be able to make it happen in January or they have to look at another solution in midfield.

Badiashile is definitely staying at Chelsea despite Milan rumours

Also guys, in the Italian press we’ve had some rumours about Benoît Badiashile and AC Milan over a potential January move. Guys, what I’m hearing is that the only centre-back expected to leave Chelsea is still Trevoh Chalobah. Chelsea invested big money last year in Badiashile, so letting him go on the cheap is something that they’re absolutely not considering.

It’s true that Milan appreciate the player but at the moment for Chelsea the idea is very clear; the only player leaving in January is Trevoh Chalobah. Chelsea are looking for a centre-back but Badiashile is absolutely part of Chelsea’s plans. For Milan, they would have to spend €35m-€45m and that’s something in January that they can’t and won’t do.

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Nov 24 2023, 10:12

In other news…

Ivan Toney – Brentford will try any way to keep Ivan Toney in January and then sell him in the summer. It’s still not clear if this will be possible but they will try. I’m not aware of any precise info on release clauses and a new deal with Brentford as of today. As of now, there is only interest from Arsenal and Chelsea, still no concrete negotiations.

Timo Werner – Despite rumours, I have to say no, honestly, I didn’t hear that he’s being offered to other clubs. Some Premier League clubs have asked about his situation as it’s not an easy time for him at Leipzig, but I don’t have any confirmation yet on club names as it’s purely early stages, nothing concrete yet.

Man United – Paul Mitchell remains the favourite for the sporting director post, yes. There are more candidates in the frame but Mitchell has always been the first choice since day one. The announcement is expected next week, then they will make a final decision on a new director.

Marcos Leonardo – He will leave Santos in January and the price could be around €20m, but it’s a complicated package that could include add-ons, percentage on future sale etc. Roma wanted him last August but they had three bids rejected, and now it’s a very open race.

Barcelona – Barça are 100% behind Xavi at this stage, nothing has changed. They all support the manager and trust him for the present and future project. Also he extended his contract just a few weeks ago.

Albert Gudmunsson – I’m not mentioning specific clubs as it’d be disrespectful on the day he signs a new deal at Genoa, but also there’s really nothing now – just scouting activity. Clubs from the Premier League and Bundesliga have sent their people many times to follow him, and his new deal at Genoa is to help them to get good money on any future sale – as well as giving him a bigger salary.

The post Badiashile truth, Arsenal’s difficult deal, Toney surprise and more – exclusive Fabrizio Romano transfer news column appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Surprising developments in Ivan Toney saga with Arsenal and Chelsea on alert

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:35:30 +0000

The transfer of Ivan Toney away from Brentford appears to be a foregone conclusion, despite the fact that the Bees have supported the 27-year-old throughout his ban from football for betting irregularities.

By the time that Toney is able to return to competitive action on January 17 next year, he will have been out of the game for eight months.

It’s believed he has been training with the west Londoners and playing games behind closed doors to keep his fitness up, however, it’s likely to take a few weeks of Premier League games before he’s fully match fit once again.

Any clubs that are interested in taking the England international will need to factor that in to any potential negotiations.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea are credited with an interest in the player, though there have been some surprising developments as far as a January move is concerned.

Fabrizio Romano, speaking to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing column, noted that:

“Brentford will try any way to keep Ivan Toney in January and then sell him in the summer. It’s still not clear if this will be possible but they will try.

“I’m not aware of any precise info on release clauses and a new deal with Brentford as of today.

“As of now, there is only interest from Arsenal and Chelsea, still no concrete negotiations.”

There’s a sense of inevitability that the move will happen at some point soon, though a summer move would now appear to be the most likely scenario.

Whether that will hinder his chances of representing England at Euro 2024 won’t be clear until later in the season when Gareth Southgate assesses his options.

That surely has to be the aim for the player, as well as enjoying a great second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

The post Exclusive: Surprising developments in Ivan Toney saga with Arsenal and Chelsea on alert appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Ivan Toney contract shock will leave Arsenal and Chelsea reeling

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 07:25:59 +0000

Brentford ace, Ivan Toney, will soon be back on the football pitch after serving his ban for various betting issues.

The striker is due to play again on January 17, exactly two month’s time, and his re-appearance in the English top-flight surely can’t come soon enough for the Bees and for Toney himself.

Though it’s likely to take a while for him to rediscover his form and match fitness, his eye for goal means that the vultures have been circling even whilst he’s been sat on the sidelines.

However, Arsenal and Chelsea, two of the teams linked with a move for the 27-year-old, appear destined for initial disappointment.

That’s because, according to talkSPORT, Brentford are confident that Toney will sign a new deal with them.

Their support of the player has been unequivocal, and it appears that such faith is being repaid by the striker.

It would be a real coup for the west Londoners if they were able to keep hold of their prized asset, however, there does appear to be a caveat to any deal being signed.

According to 90Min, the player will insist on a release clause in order that he can still move before the end of his current Bees deal which is due to expire in 2025.

Any such arrangement would have to be of benefit to both parties, and would therefore not rule either Arsenal or Chelsea out of signing him in the longer term.

The post Ivan Toney contract shock will leave Arsenal and Chelsea reeling appeared first on CaughtOffside.

England’s attacking depth: Who will be Harry Kane’s understudy at Euro 2024?

Jake Staniland — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 22:24:43 +0000

As Gareth Southgate prepares for the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, it raises the question of who could step in as the primary striker if Harry Kane is unavailable.

Undoubtedly, Kane holds the title of England’s number one striker, backed by his outstanding form with Bayern Munich, boasting 21 goals in 15 Bundesliga and Champions League appearances.

Who will be Kane’s England understudy at Euro 2024?

Ollie Watkins

Ollie Watkins, displaying impressive form with 11 goals for Aston Villa in the 2023/24 season, has caught the attention not only of his club but also of England manager Gareth Southgate as Euro 2024 approaches. The former Exeter City striker’s goal-scoring prowess has become particularly prominent under the management of Unai Emery.

Ivan Toney

Ivan Toney, representing Brentford in the current season without yet making an appearance, has had a limited England career with zero goals in one cap. His brief stint on the international stage includes a nine-minute substitute appearance in a Euro 2024 qualifying win against Ukraine, where he replaced Harry Kane.

However, Toney’s opportunities might have been more substantial if not for an eight-month suspension related to betting rules in May.

Eddie Nketiah

Eddie Nketiah’s current club form of five goals in league and cup competitions for Arsenal in the 2023/24 season is quite a steady return. The 24-year-old holds an England career record of zero goals in one cap.

Notably, he achieved his 100th Premier League appearance for Arsenal recently, but a recent injury has led to his exclusion from Gareth Southgate’s latest squad.

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with four goals in league and cup competitions for Everton in the 2023-24 season, boasts an England career record of four goals in 11 caps.

Despite a hiatus of more than two years from wearing the England shirt due to injury issues, Calvert-Lewin has made a notable impact since returning to action. His contributions include scoring four times this season, including the decisive winner against West Ham last month.

Callum Wilson

Callum Wilson has demonstrated fine form with seven goals in league and cup competitions this term. Despite being older than Harry Kane at 31, Wilson’s impressive performance earned him a recall to Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad.

Unfortunately, injury troubles have once again forced his withdrawal from the squad.

Wilson holds an England career record of two goals in nine caps.

Tammy Abraham

Tammy Abraham is yet to make an appearance for Roma in all competitions this season due to an injury.

With an England career record of three goals in 11 caps, Abraham’s last appearance for the national team was almost 18 months ago.

Abraham has previously showcased his goal-scoring prowess with 25 goals in 75 Serie A appearances.

The post England’s attacking depth: Who will be Harry Kane’s understudy at Euro 2024? appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Kylian Mbappe’s future, Jadon Sancho Al Hilal transfer option & Chelsea striker targets – Ben Jacobs column

Ben Jacobs — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 23:59:00 +0000

Jadon Sancho almost certain to leave and Al Hilal will be one to watch

Jadon Sancho is almost certain to leave Manchester United in January. There is both European and Saudi interest.

However, a lot of the European clubs want a ‘try before you buy’ type deal. This means a straight loan, or one with an option. Juventus are the latest club to consider Sancho, as Fabrizio Romano revealed.

Saudi clubs have considered Sancho before, and on September 7th Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq made a superficial enquiry. Manchester United wanted a loan with a £50m obligation to buy and this was out of Ettifaq’s budget.

Al-Hilal could be one to watch for Sancho. Their priority is to replace Neymar during his long-term ACL injury, but not necessarily with a like-for-like profile. They just want a goalscorer. Sancho hasn’t been tempted by a Saudi move in the past, but dealmakers aren’t put off by rejections…

Victor Osimhen and other names who turned down Saudi

This last point was apparent with Victor Osimhen, who was subject of an offer from Al-Hilal last summer. The Nigerian told the Obi One Podcast that every time an offer was turned down another was made and he eventually seriously considered joining.

“I never thought of [leaving in summer] at first,” he said. “But when this huge offer came from [Al-Hilal] it was tempting. It was a big one… I had three meetings and made up my mind to stick with the team.

“In August it was a huge decision for me to take. The more I said no to these people the more they increased their offer. It was literally like ‘wow’… they never gave up until the end of their transfer window.”

Saudi Pro League clubs are still likely to be busier in the summer rather than in January.

Casemiro and Kalvin Phillips are two targets for 2024. Tottenham’s Son remains on the list. He’s been there since last summer, as exclusively revealed last summer. Son has always dismissed links, but dealmakers always knew he wouldn’t leave in 2023.

Neymar, Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane all turned down initial approaches, yet all three eventually joined the Saudi Pro League and that’s why dealmakers continue to push even with targets that show little or no interest.

Richarlison could also be a name to watch, but multiple Saudi clubs are worried about his age. Al-Ettifaq are one of them. And, of course, Mo Salah remains a big summer target. There’s no guarantee it will be Al-Ittihad who return for the Egyptian. Al-Hilal is also a possibility.

Victor Osimhen or Ivan Toney to Chelsea?

Victor Osimhen has been linked with Chelsea

Osimhen to Saudi is very unlikely now in 2024. Having turned down the Al-Hilal offer, the Nigerian is likely to stay in Europe. He hasn’t agreed a contract with Napoli despite a two-year extension being quite close at points over the summer.

A mid-season move is still relatively unlikely, especially with Napoli well on course to get out of their Champions League group.

Osimhen is keen on a Premier League move and has spoken about how as a kid he owned both a Chelsea and Manchester United shirt, and used to watch Didier Drogba videos on YouTube to try and improve his game.

Chelsea will be looking for an elite striker in 2024. They are prepared to wait until summer if they need to rather than move in January. There are a lot of links with Ivan Toney, but the price Brentford would require in January makes that quite difficult. It could be as high as £80m. And not everyone in Chelsea’s senior leadership or recruitment team feels Toney is the right choice, especially mid-season when he’s gone so long without playing.

Toney wants to stay in London and would welcome an Arsenal or Chelsea offer, but don’t be surprised if the latter keep their powder dry and wait for another name.

Osimhen is undoubtedly an option, and he’ll be (a least a bit) cheaper next summer compared to last. This could also present a scenario where, as with Christopher Nkunku, Chelsea try to pre-sign Osimhen in January for the summer in order to jump ahead of the market.

But right now nothing is advanced because all interested clubs are simply trying to understand what Aurelio De Laurentiis will sell for since last summer he simply wouldn’t engage for anything under €150m. Now he may accept €120m. Plus, with Rudi Garcia outgoing, Osimhen may also take time to assess what life is like under Walter Mazzarri, who is expected to sign a short-term deal.

When to expect a decision from Kylian Mbappe

We may not get clarity on Kylian Mbappe’s future in January. PSG are calm about the situation. They feel like discussions over a renewal will take place in the latter half of the season, after the window closes. They are not braced for a Real Madrid offer mid-season, and Carlo Ancelotti has already ruled out doing January business.

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PSG have felt for some time that Mbappe will either renew long-term or renew with a clause allowing him still to be sold this summer. Both options protect the club financially since they allow PSG to get a fee.

But even if Mbappe leaves for free, PSG now feel they won’t lose out financially because Mbappe is prepared to forgo certain payments should he leave without renewing. That means both club and player can focus on football and deal with the specifics of either a renewal or exit later in the season. So there is no pressure or urgency to resolve Mbappe’s future before or during January.

Mbappe is expected to decide based on how the season and project goes at PSG, and that’s why a deep Champions League run is important.

The post Kylian Mbappe’s future, Jadon Sancho Al Hilal transfer option & Chelsea striker targets – Ben Jacobs column appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: €120m striker an option for Chelsea next summer as hierarchy not fully sold on Ivan Toney

Darren Looney — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 20:39:26 +0000

Chelsea will be in the market for a top striker in 2024 and the Blues may get one of the best in Europe as Mauricio Pochettino looks to take his team to another level.

The West London club brought Nicolas Jackson to England this summer but the 22-year-old is still raw and it has been clear throughout the opening part of the campaign that the forward is not ready to lead the Blues’ line.

Therefore, Pochettino wants a World-class striker in 2024 and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen could be the man as the Premier League club’s hierarchy are not fully sold on Brentford’s Ivan Toney, states transfer expert Ben Jacobs.

Osimhen has grown into one of the best strikers in Europe over the last two seasons and the best is yet to come as the Nigerian star is still only 24 years old.

Victor Osimhen is liked by Chelsea

Writing in his exclusive Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Ben Jacobs has given an insight into Chelsea’s striker targets for next year and has provided an update on the future of Osimhen.

“Osimhen is keen on a Premier League move and has spoken about how as a kid he owned both a Chelsea and Manchester United shirt, and used to watch Didier Drogba videos on YouTube to try and improve his game,” the journalist said.

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