
Ian Wright points finger over Arsenal tactic in PSG loss - 'Very surprised'
Arsenal have it all to do if they are to make the Champions League final following their loss against PSG and Ian Wright has questioned one aspect of the Gunners' performance
Ian Wright admits he is surprised that Arsenal did not immediately try to suffocate Paris Saint-Germain from the off in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie, which the French giants won 1-0.
PSG will have a slender advantage when Mikel Arteta 's men travel to Paris next week in pursuit of a place in the Champions League final. Ousmane Dembele plundered the game's only goal at The Emirates inside the opening four minutes.
Luis Enrique 's side have won plenty of hearts during the campaign for their swashbuckling throwback style and are fancied by many to go on and win the tournament.
But even in spite of PSG's ferocious attacking approach and star-studded squad, Wright is disappointed that Arsenal didn't try and take the game to their opponents.
Speaking on the Wrighty's House podcast, the Gunners favourite said: "I don't want to be negative about the team but I'm very surprised by the start of the game. I wasn't expecting that start. To be honest I was expecting PSG to back off but it was the other way around, it was the opposite. We should have been pressing them but it didn't happen. That's the disappointing thing, without being too negative.
"I think we really missed a trick in the way we started, we didn't take advantage of the crowd who were ready to scream and shout. I think we got away with out really because we didn't start like I thought we would, I was very surprised by that.
"I would love to hear Mikel Arteta 's post-match interview because I want to hear what he says about the start. I cannot fathom that you have a team like PSG come to your place and your tactics are to sit off them and let them play it out from the back and ease across the halfway line."
Although they will head to France needing to overturn a deficit in the second leg, Arsenal are still very much in the tie. But Arteta admitted post-match that the Gunners will 'have to do something special' if they are to make the Champions League final for just the second time in the club's history.
"If you want to win the Champions League final, you have to do something special. We're going to have to do something special in Paris to be there," Arteta said.

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The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool in for Barcola EXCLUSIVE, Chelsea urged to sign Guehi, Prem clubs queue for Sancho
THE thrills and spills of the summer transfer window are well underway with some huge deals in the pipeline. Liverpool are set to swoop for PSG star Bradley Barcloa SunSport can EXCLUSIVELY reveal. Elsewhere, Chelsea have been urged to sign Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi And Premier League clubs are queuing for Jadon Sancho's signature after Chelsea rejected the chance to make his move permanent. Today, 05:00 By Ian Tuckey Elanga back on radar Arsenal are tipped to show serious interest in ex-Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga. The £60million-rated Swede was outstanding for Nottingham Forest this season. The 23-year-old notched six goals and 11 assists as a Premier League ever-present, helping Nuno Espirito Santo's men finish seventh. TBR Football claim Arsenal are just one of the Prem rivals keen on the pacy attacker. Today, 04:30 By Ian Tuckey Gunners and Chelsea face Williams fight Athletic Bilbao are trying hard to persuade Arsenal target Nico Williams to sign a new deal. Spain's Euro 2024 has long-been the Gunners' preferred option as a new winger. But Chelsea and Bayern Munich are also reportedly monitoring the 22-year-old. Williams is under contract until 2027, with a reported £40m release clause. Reports in Spain suggest that fee is a stumbling block. And now it's claimed Athletic are working harder than ever to extend their star man's stay. Today, 03:00 By Ian Tuckey 'Blackmail and insults won't work' Sporting's president has furiously hit back at Manchester United target Victor Gyokeres saying: 'Threats and blackmail don't work,' writes MARTIN BLACKBURN. The Sweden striker is considering going on strike to force through a dream move to United or Arsenal. Gyokeres, 27, is furious with Sporting for going back on their word over a transfer promise to him and plans not to play for the club again. He believes he had a gentleman's agreement to leave the Portuguese giants for £50million with a further £8million in add-ons but that claim has been rubbished by president Frederico Varandas. And the Sporting chief insists he will not be bullied into letting the ex-Coventry forward move to the Prem on the cheap this summer. Varandas said: ' Sporting will not accept blackmail and insults – you should know me better by now. 'One thing is certain, we will not accept £50m plus £8m. As of now, Sporting has not received any bids for Gyokeres. 'He is a fantastic professional, to this day he has had zero offers. He has a three-year contract with Sporting.' Today, 01:00 By Ian Tuckey Villa, Spurs and Toon keen on Jadon EXCLUSIVE: Three Premier League clubs are battling to sign Jadon Sancho, SunSport can reveal, writes HENRY TOMLINSON. The former Borussia Dortmund winger is back at Manchester United after Chelsea rejected the chance to make his move permanent. Manager Ruben Amorim has no plans to integrate Sancho back into his first team – meaning the 25-year-old is searching for a fresh start. And SunSport understands Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all monitoring developments. Villa are thought to be keen on a loan deal for the player, but United would prefer cash to free up funds for a rebuild. Newcastle and Tottenham both see Sancho as a strong option as they look to build squads that can compete in the League and the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund were also tracking Sancho, but they've now opted for Jobe Bellingham. Despite netting in the 4-1 Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, Sancho couldn't seal a £25million switch to Chelsea. Chelsea had initially loaned Sancho from United and had agreed to buy him for £25million, unless they dropped below 14th or coughed up a £5m penalty clause. 11th Jun 2025, 00:16 By Ian Tuckey Djorde stays at home to help move away Chelsea's Djordje Petrovic asked to be left out of the Club World Cup squad to focus on his future. Petrovic, 25, enjoyed a successful loan stint at Strasbourg this past season and recently returned to the Blues' squad. And following his impressive performances in Ligue 1 the goalkeeper wants to be a guaranteed starter, something the West Londoners cannot offer him. According to The Telegraph, that is why the Serbia international asked to be omitted from manager Enzo Maresca's squad for the Club World Cup. Chelsea chiefs understand Petrovic's position and thus relations between the player and the club remain good. Thus, both parties agreed that Petrovic would be best served trying to sort out his future instead of travelling to the US. And should the keeper fail to secure a permanent move away to another club that meets his demands then he will rejoin Chelsea for pre-season training in July. Strasbourg have expressed an interest in signing the Serbian permanently this summer. However, there is also interest from various Premier League sides - West Ham being one of them - as well as teams from Europe. 11th Jun 2025, 00:14 By Ian Tuckey Foxes 'turn down Norwich bid for keeper' Leicester have reportedly rebuffed an initial Norwich bid for keeper Jakub Stolarczyk. The Pole, 24, has struggled for game time since arriving at the King Power Stadium four years ago. 11th Jun 2025, 00:09 By Ian Tuckey Cherries pal tips Milos for Liverpool Justin Kluivert believes Bournemouth team-mate Milos Kerkez will "probably" join Liverpool. Hungary star Kerkez is tipped to end the Reds' search for a long-term successor to Andy Robertson at left-back. And Dutch winger Kluivert told Voetbal Primeur: 'He'll probably go there. I hope so for him. 'He hasn't really said goodbye yet, but I hope he'll make it happen there.' 11th Jun 2025, 23:42 By Ian Tuckey Chelsea urged to go for Guehi Chelsea have been urged to pursue Marc Guehi. Ex-Blues striker Tore Andre Flo coached Crystal Palace's England centre-back when he was at Stamford Bridge from 2019-2021. But Gueho never broke into the first team, being loaned to Swansea before a permanent move to Palace. The ex-Norway, Sunderland and Leeds star told "I know Marc because I coached him when he was younger. "I worked for the academy for a few years. He's a great boy and I would love for him to be at Chelsea. 'He's such a strong defender. He's quick and he would fight for you and for the club. "That would be a very good signing.' 11th Jun 2025, 23:29 By Ian Tuckey Modric set for Milan Real Madrid legend Luka Modric will reportedly sign for AC Milan soon after the Club World Cup. The Croatia and ex-Spurs midfielder, 39, is a six-time Champions League winner. Sky Sports say Modric will undertake a medical but play for Real during the CWC. He'll then switch to his first spell in Italy. 11th Jun 2025, 22:57 By Ian Tuckey Broadcasting boost for Prem clubs Premier League chiefs have axed a little-known broadcasting rule ahead of next season, writes ALEX SMITH. There have been restrictions in place to stop youth-team matches being shown at the same time as senior top-flight games. But that blackout has reportedly been lifted for the 2025/26 campaign. Under-21 games in the Premier League 2 can now be live streamed even if they clash with fixtures on Sky Sports or TNT Sports. Official club channels are ready to "take the lead" in showing the action. But there are rumours of a TV deal in the coming years should viewing figures be significant. The rule change is a major boost for football fans up and down the country - especially Manchester United supporters. Viewers have long complained about MUTV not showing enough youth-team fixtures live. Just 14 of 35 Under-21 games were shown last season and just eight of those were Premier League 2 clashes. 11th Jun 2025, 22:35 By Ian Tuckey Rashford hits back at online critic Marcus Rashford appeared more than frustrated when a fan responded negatively to an upbeat message from the star on Instagram. The Manchester United striker's future is unclear after his successful loan with Aston Villa. But there have been tentative links with Barcelona - rated his dream destination. Rashford posted a video of himself going through a training routine. He added the words: "Feeling better again" - along with a grinning emoji. But when the clip was re-posted, one social media user responded: "Every pre-season he does these photo shoots but then goes to see boxing matches half way round the world days before important matches! "Makes no sense if you are feeling good one month before the season starts." The fan didn't back up his suggestion But Rashford replied online: "I'm feeling good because I'm now injury free pal." 11th Jun 2025, 22:15 By Ian Tuckey Kop in for PSG ace Barcola EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool are set to swoop for Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola — pushing their summer spending over £300MILLION, writes DAN KING. The Premier League champs intend to spend big on another attacker even after they complete a British-transfer record £127million deal for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz. And they are prepared to battle Bayern Munich for £100m-rated winger Barcola, 22. Liverpool have also not given up all hope of prising Alexander Isak away from Newcastle. Kop chiefs would still love 23-goal Isak to lead their new-look frontline. But if the Toon insist on a fee of around £150m for the 25-year-old Sweden international, Liverpool will bow out and look for an alternative. And Barcola has emerged as a spectacular Plan B after doubts emerged over his future with Champions League winners PSG. The Anfield giants have already spent £29.5m on Wirtz's Leverkusen team-mate, defender Jeremie Frimpong, 24, with another £40m-plus earmarked for Bournemouth's 21-year-old left-back Milos Kerkez. But it is the prospect of Barcola teaming up with Wirtz, 22, and Anfield icon Mo Salah, 32, which will have fans pinching themselves. Barcola, who is Bayern's No 1 target, is no longer part of PSG's first-choice front three. By Ian Tuckey Gunners linked to '£60m Elanga' Arsenal are tipped to step up interest in ex-Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga. The £60million-rated Swede was outstanding for Nottingham Forest this season. The 23-year-old notched six goals and 11 assists as a Premier League ever-present, helping Nuno Espirito Santo's men finish seventh. TBR Football claim Arsenal are just one of the Prem rivals keen on the pacy attacker. 11th Jun 2025, 21:26 By Ian Tuckey Ex-Utd midfielder set for Marseille Marseille say ex-Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes has agreed a deal in principle to join them. The four-cap Englishman, 24, has been a big success with Lille. But he's certain to leave on a free transfer in the summer. And he appears certain for a reunion with ex-Red Devils striker Mason Greenwood at Lille's French rivals Marseille. Sky Sports believe Gomes will sign a three-year deal. 11th Jun 2025, 21:19 By Ian Tuckey Sporting warn Viktor Sporting's president has furiously hit back at Manchester United target Victor Gyokeres saying: "Threats and blackmail don't work," writes MARTIN BLACKBURN. The Sweden striker is considering going on strike to force through a dream move to United or Arsenal. Gyokeres, 27, is furious with Sporting for going back on their word over a transfer promise to him and plans not to play for the club again. He believes he had a gentleman's agreement to leave the Portuguese giants for £50million with a further £8million in add-ons but that claim has been rubbished by president Frederico Varandas. And the Sporting chief insists he will not be bullied into letting the ex-Coventry forward move to the Prem on the cheap this summer. Varandas said: ' Sporting will not accept blackmail and insults – you should know me better by now. 'One thing is certain, we will not accept £50m plus £8m. As of now, Sporting has not received any bids for Gyokeres. "He is a fantastic professional, to this day he has had zero offers. He has a three-year contract with Sporting.' 11th Jun 2025, 21:15 By Ian Tuckey 'Prem clubs queue for Sancho' EXCLUSIVE: Three Premier League clubs are battling to sign Jadon Sancho, SunSport can reveal, writes HENRY TOMLINSON. The former Borussia Dortmund winger is back at Manchester United after Chelsea rejected the chance to make his move permanent. Manager Ruben Amorim has no plans to integrate Sancho back into his first team - meaning the 25-year-old is searching for a fresh start. And SunSport understands Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all monitoring developments. Villa are thought to be keen on a loan deal for the player, but United would prefer cash to free up funds for a rebuild. Newcastle and Tottenham both see Sancho as a strong option as they look to build squads that can compete in the League and the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund were also tracking Sancho, but they've now opted for Jobe Bellingham. Despite netting in the 4-1 Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, Sancho couldn't seal a £25million switch to Chelsea. Chelsea had initially loaned Sancho from United and had agreed to buy him for £25million, unless they dropped below 14th or coughed up a £5m penalty clause. 11th Jun 2025, 21:02 By Ian Tuckey Zubimendi worth more than £51m Reports in Spain are claiming that Arsenal will pay Real Sociedad MORE than his £51m release clause to seal the deal. The Gunners have faced competition from Real Madrid for Zubimendi's signature, but appear to be set to sign the midfielder in the coming weeks. Spainish outlet AS claim that Arsenal will instead pay just shy of £60m spread over three instalments. 11th Jun 2025, 19:24 By Ian Tuckey Pep pips Gunners to Nypan Manchester City look to have beaten off Arsenal and Aston Villa to the signature of Norwegian starlet Sverre Nypan. The Etihad club insisted they were not interested in the Rosenborg midfielder, 18, earlier this year but they have now made their move. An £11 million deal is being finalised but the plan would be to send him out on loan next season – possibly to sister club Girona. 11th Jun 2025, 19:17 By Ian Tuckey Brighton to seal Babis deal Greek wonderkid Babis Kostoulas is undergoing a Brighton medical. SunSport's KOSTAS LIANOS says: "Final deal between #BHAFC and Olympiacos is €35m (£29.7m) with €2m (£1.7m) in add-ons. "Kostoulas will sign five-year deal and will soon join Fabian Hurzeler's team for pre-season." The striker, 18, was eyed by Arsenal and Manchester United. He's already been already been compared to Argentine legend Gabriel Batistuta. 11th Jun 2025, 18:42 By Ian Tuckey Dortmund play down Sancho reunion talk Jadon Sancho's transfer saga deepened tonight. The Manchester United winger, 25, has been on loan at Chelsea. But Sancho and the Blues failed to agree terms over a permanent deal. Now the 23-cap Englishman's former club Borussia Dortmund have dampened talk of a reunion. Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said: "Of course, contact with Jadon is always there, in some way, because we have a very long history. "We have other priorities at the moment, and therefore the Sancho issue may have been played more in the media than discussed internally." 11th Jun 2025, 18:25 By Ian Tuckey Germans keen on Liverpool defender Bayer Leverkusen are interested in Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah - as Florian Wirtz prepares to go the opposite way. Quansah, 22, has also been linked with Newcastle. Liverpool reportedly value the former England Under-21 star at around £30million. Sky Sports say any move for Quansah would be separate from the Reds' looming deal for German attacking midfielder Wirtz.


Daily Mirror
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Premier League free agent XI including Kevin De Bruyne, Arsenal star, cult hero
Dozens of Premier League players officially become available for a free transfer on June 30 with plenty set to find new clubs without much trouble as sides search for bargains The released lists have been published, the soon-to-be free agents are searching for new clubs and Premier League sides could find some bargains to fill gaps once July 1 rolls around. And while so much of the focus surrounds the likes of Florian Wirtz's potential arrival at Liverpool in a British record £125m deal or whether Arsenal end up signing Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres to finally fulfil the need for a new centre-forward, several familiar names with piles of experience are set to find new destinations. Or maybe they will be able to broker a last-minute deal to remain at their club - such as Thomas Partey and Arsenal. Here is a strong XI of those available without a fee after June 30. Wayne Hennessey - Nottingham Forest Welsh goalkeeper fell out of favour at Nottingham Forest behind Belgium's Matz Sels but there are worse second-choice options. Vladimir Coufal - West Ham Dependable Czech full back lost his starting role to Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the season just passed but can still do a job elsewhere. Victor Lindelof - Manchester United The centre back remains injury prone, the biggest hurdle to him fulfilling a career that offered so much promise when he first arrived at Old Trafford. Next destination remains unclear. Michael Keane - Everton A solid option for those in need of depth at the back. Featured sporadically during final season at Goodison Park. Kyle Walker-Peters - Southampton Endured a season of misery at St Mary's as the club went straight back down to the Championship but he is one of few players in that squad with a genuine claim to remain in the top flight. Pablo Sarabia - Wolves Spanish veteran made twice the number of appearances off the bench as he did starts during final season at Molineux and is being linked with a return to Sevilla. Thomas Partey - Arsenal Gunners remain hopeful that terms can be agreed with the central midfielder, especially after Jorginho confirmed his return to South America, leaving Mikel Arteta short of options in the engine room. Christian Eriksen - Manchester United Dane wants to keep playing despite mobility issues but his experience would still make him an asset to many dressing rooms. Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City Premier League legend has made his feelings about departure from the Etihad clear and has no doubt he can continue to be decisive at the very top. Napoli have appeared at the front of the queue and a deal could be concluded sooner rather than later. Dominic Calvert-Lewin - Everton Striker heading for exit after talks over an extension stalled. At his best he is very good but consistency has remained an issue. Jamie Vardy - Leicester Bid farewell to the Foxes and has been linked with a switch to upwardly mobile Wrexham in the second tier. The mess around him at Leicester should not undermine fact he might still have a season or two of finding the net left. Free agent XI: Hennessey; Coufal, Lindelof, Keane, Walker-Peters; Sarabia, Partey, Eriksen, De Bruyne; Calvert-Lewin, Vardy. Subs: Olsen, Dawson, Mee, Evans, Reguilon, Antonio, Wilson.


Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Jadon Sancho's preferred club tells him they are not interested in transfer
Borussia Dortmund have told Jadon Sancho they cannot offer him a route back to the club this summer. Sancho has returned to Manchester United after Chelsea opted against signing him on a permanent deal following a season on loan at Stamford Bridge, paying a £5million penalty to avoid keeping him at the club. Ruben Amorim has no plans to integrate Sancho back into the first-team at Old Trafford. The 25-year-old has one year left on his deal thought to be worth around £300,000-a-week with United desperate to offload him on a permanent basis this summer. After being banished from the squad by Erik ten Hag, Sancho returned to former club Dortmund in January 2024, showing slight glimpses of his once fearsome form as the Bundesliga side reached the Champions League final. A return to Dortmund is reportedly Sancho's preferred option – but his former side are focusing on other priorities this summer. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. Bayer Leverkusen have also been linked with a move for Sancho with the club searching for a replacement for Florian Wirtz who is poised to complete a record move to Liverpool. 'Of course, contact with Jadon is always there, in some way, because we have a very long history,' Dortmund's sporting director Sebastian Kehl said. 'But it's not an issue for us right now. We have other priorities at the moment, and that's why the Sancho issue was probably played up more in the media than discussed internally.' More Trending However, the appointment of ten Hag as Xabi Alonso's replacement would surely scupper those plans given the history between the Dutchman and Sancho. United will take a huge hit on the £71m they paid to side Sancho five years if they do manage to offload him this summer. A loan deal could be a more likely option with Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham named as three clubs monitoring his situation. United meanwhile are also hoping to offload Marcus Rashford and Antony. The England international is still holding out for a dream move to Barcelona while Real Betis, where Antony shone on loan last season, are not thought to be in a position to meet United's asking price for a permanent move. MORE: Arsenal dealt blow as Nico Williams responds to Bayern Munich approach MORE: Chelsea sent message by Borussia Dortmund over failed Jamie Gittens transfer MORE: AC Milan hit 'problem' in talks to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Arsenal