Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Rejected Chance to Pursue PSG Ace Who Starred in Champions League Win
Désiré Doué has been turning heads in recent months with standout performances against Liverpool and Aston Villa, capped off by a stunning brace in the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan.
The young Frenchman played a pivotal role in PSG's shootout win over Liverpool, calmly converting the decisive penalty to send the English side packing. He followed that up in the next round by scoring a brilliant equalizer against Aston Villa in the first leg, helping PSG take control of the tie with a 3-1 victory.
Advertisement
With such poise in high-stakes moments, it's no surprise top European clubs are starting to take notice. And on the biggest stage of all, Doué delivered again—scoring twice in the Champions League final to help PSG lift the trophy.
Yet, there was one club that had a chance to make a serious move for Doué last summer but ultimately passed.
Arsenal missed out on PSG standout last summerAccording to Fichajes, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta passed on the chance to sign the PSG ace that the club had been tracking for £30 million last year. His reasoning was simple during a meeting with the club's directors: 'We already have Martinelli,' he said.
Doué also had other suitors last summer with Bayern Munich being one team keen on him. Nonetheless, the Frenchman decided to stay in France and leave Stade Rennais for PSG and after this weekend's performance against Inter Milan the decision proved to be the right one.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Meridianbet Seals Sponsorship Deal with Aquatic Sports Association of Malta (ASA)
Two-year agreement expands Meridianbet and Golden Matrix's (GMGI) sports sponsorship portfolio across regulated European markets Aquatic Sports Association of Malta VALLETTA, Malta, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meridianbet, the sports betting and iGaming division of Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), a leading developer and licensor of B2B and B2C gaming platforms, today announced the signing of a two-year exclusive sponsorship agreement with the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta (ASA), the official governing body for water polo, swimming, and artistic swimming in Malta. Under the terms of the agreement, Meridianbet becomes the exclusive betting partner of ASA, gaining integrated brand exposure across ASA events, digital platforms, and physical venues. The sponsorship includes the launch of the branded national cup competition - Meridianbet Super Cup, as well as LED road signage, scoreboard branding, and apparel sponsorships across Malta's aquatic sports federations. 'Water polo and aquatic sports are a vital part of Malta's sporting culture,' said Stefan Pavlovic, Malta territory director at Meridianbet. 'This partnership reflects our continued commitment to supporting national sports ecosystems, building long-term brand visibility in regulated markets, and delivering value to fans, players, local institutions and shareholders.' The ASA partnership builds on Meridianbet's growing sponsorship portfolio across 25+ international jurisdictions, where it supports sports ranging from football, basketball and MMA to eSports and grassroots competitions. This announcement also aligns with Meridianbet's broader ESG strategy. In 2024 alone, the company conducted 293 community engagement initiatives, reaching over 18,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries through education, healthcare, sports, and advocacy programs. Key Highlights of the Deal: Meridianbet named exclusive betting partner of Malta's ASA (governing body for water polo, swimming, artistic swimming) Launch of the Meridianbet Super Cup Brand exposure via LED ads, digital platforms, and team apparel To learn more about Meridianbet's community impact programs, visit About Meridianbet Founded in 2001, Meridianbet Group is a well-established online sports betting and gaming group, licensed and currently operating in 18 jurisdictions across Europe, Africa, and South America. The Meridianbet Group's successful business model utilizes proprietary technology and scalable systems, allowing it to operate in multiple countries and currencies with an omni-channel approach to markets, including retail, desktop online, and mobile. The Company is part of the Golden Matrix Group (Nasdaq: GMGI). For more information, visit IR Presentation - YouTube - Twitter - Email: ir@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
The Hill
12 minutes ago
- The Hill
Israel signed a record $14 billion in defense deals last year despite Gaza war criticism
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel signed defense contracts worth nearly $15 billion last year, surpassing its all-time record, the country's defense ministry said Wednesday, even as international outrage mounts over the war in Gaza. Over half the deals were with European countries. The contracts — a 13% increase from 2023, itself a record year — came as Israel faces growing international condemnation and isolation over the nearly 20-month war. Some of Israel's closest allies, including Canada and France, recently stepped up their censure of Israel's actions in Gaza, and the U.K. suspended free trade talks. Some critics of Israel's conduct in the Palestinian enclave have called for countries to suspend trade with it. Some countries have taken steps to suspend defense contracts with Israel. Spain on Tuesday said it had canceled a deal for anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company. A breakdown of Israel's 2024 defense deals by region: — European countries: 54% — Asia-Pacific: 23% — Arab countries that have normalized ties with Israel under the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords: 12% — North America: 9% — Latin America: 1% — Africa: 1% Nearly half the deals were for missiles, rockets and air defense systems, Israel's defense ministry said. Others included the sale of vehicles and armored personnel carriers, satellite and space systems and intelligence and cyber systems, among others. More than half of the agreements were worth over $100 million each. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the record amount was a 'direct result' of Israel's battlefield achievements throughout the wars that have roiled the Middle East since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. 'The world sees Israeli strength and seeks to be a partner in it,' Katz said in a statement. The war in Gaza has left much of the territory in ruins from Israel's punishing air campaign. The fighting has killed more than 54,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. A nearly three-month blockade on aid into Gaza also strained ties with Israel's international allies. Israel began allowing limited aid into the territory last month.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
🎥 Lukas Podolski turns 40: four rockets for his birthday cake
The Kölsche Jung is having a birthday. Of course, we want to remember his left foot, with which Lukas Podolski conjured up many beautiful goals throughout his career. DFB fans will probably remember his goal from the farewell match against England. Poldi also showed what he can do with his feet at 1. FC Köln. And because Arsenal was also mentioned by the Kölners, a rocket like this one must not be missing. But the striker still hasn't had enough of football and recently extended his contract with Gornik Zabrze. In the Polish first division, Poldi shows that he can still score beautiful goals at his age. Advertisement We can't get enough of Podolski's left foot. We wish him all the best on his 40th birthday and look forward to more dream goals from Poland. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here. 📸 Lars Baron -
