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Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Arne Slot reveals three conditions that must be met to complete Alexander Isak transfer
Alexander Isak's situation at Newcastle remains unresolved as the end of the summer transfer window moves into sight, but Liverpool haven't given up their hopes of signing him Arne Slot has hinted that Liverpool could still pursue a deal for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak in the final days of the summer transfer window. Isak is desperate to leave the Magpies for Liverpool – and it seems he could still get his wish. The Swedish striker informed Newcastle in late July that he wanted to leave the club, but Liverpool's opening offer of £110million was rejected. He has been stuck in limbo ever since, refusing to play for the Magpies while hoping that the Reds will return with another offer that they can't refuse. Isak accused his employers of breaking a promise over his exit in a major escalation of the saga earlier this week. And in a twist of fate, the two clubs meet in the Premier League on Monday night at St James' Park. Liverpool have already spent over £300m on signings this summer and remain in negotiations with Crystal Palace over Marc Guehi. Slot has sold Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz this summer after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and hinted that a deal could still be done for Isak. Asked if it would be a busy end to the window for Liverpool, Slot told a pre-match press conference: "I don't think [so], because [that would mean] I would be unhappy with the squad and I am happy with the squad we are having. "I say two players for each position is ideal but sometimes less is more so you are not disappointing players. I am happy with the squad but if we think there is a player who can really make us better then this club has always shown they can bring them in. "But it needs to be everything we want: right transfer fee, right position and the player wants to come to us." Liverpool have two of those conditions in place, with the need for a striker clear and Isak desperate to make the switch. But it remains to be seen whether they can agree the right transfer fee, with Newcastle still publicly insisting that Isak can be reintegrated to the squad. The Magpies' statement, in response to Isak's, suggested they would sell for the right price, believed to be around £150m. It read: 'As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired. We do not foresee those conditions being met.' In the meantime, the two clubs have to focus on playing each other on Monday. 'The main thing we have to be ready for is their midfield, their last line,' Slot said. 'I assume Isak is not playing from what I read in the media. 'But they still have Anthony Gordon as a nine, they still have Anthony Elanga as a right-winger and Harvey Barnes from the left. This is the Premier League – we all have options and Newcastle have them as well."
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Walcott makes worrying Gyokeres claim after Arsenal's defeat of Man Utd
Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott has warned fans that it could take Viktor Gyokeres 'a lot of time' before he is able to work his way up to full match fitness in the Premier League. Arsenal's marquee summer signing was handed his full Premier League debut at Manchester United last weekend, but lasted just an hour before being substituted for Kai Havertz in the side's 1-0 victory. The Swedish forward often cut an isolated figure up front against the impressive Matthijs de Ligt and failed to register a single shot across his 60 minutes on the field at Old Trafford. He will no doubt be desperate to return with a much-improved display when the Gunners return to action against newly promoted Leeds in front of a home crowd at the Emirates. The news that Havertz could be sidelined for the foreseeable future has only intensified the level of scrutiny placed on Gyokeres heading into Saturday's eagerly anticipated contest. Metro's weekly football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it's an open goal. 'Old Trafford in the first game of the season is always going to be difficult and I always used to think it would take me three or four games just to get me up to match sharpness,' Walcott said of Gyokeres' somewhat forgettable debut on the It's Called Soccer podcast. 'Look at Gyokeres, he's going to take a lot of time to get fit. I really do feel that. 'I think Havertz has got a big factor to play and it's going to be an interesting dynamic for Mikel to have. It will be a big call if he starts Havertz ahead of Gyokeres at times. 'It wasn't pretty to watch but what I really liked was the fact there was no [Jurrien] Timber, there was no [Myles] Lewis-Skelly starting, [Leandro] Trossard didn't even play… the options they have now. 'This is the side of it where Arsenal will be strong, with the amount of players he's got to pick from.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to Walcott, performances are secondary at this early stage of the season and securing three points was the most important thing for Arsenal. 'Gyokeres was [feeding] off scraps and I felt for him, I really did, and they did a job,' the ex-Arsenal and England attacker added. 'You look at the old Arsenal teams when they were winning 1-0 away from home, no one remembers the way they played. 'I think it's all about results, particularly early on, because these are the points that really matter when the teams aren't up to scratch right now. 'And they're not, I don't care what anyone says, maybe Manchester City were, but there's always a space to improve massively and we judge these teams very quickly. 'But look, great result, it really was. We're talking about set-pieces again and I don't want to talk about that, but I never won at Old Trafford so they're doing something I could never do.' Walcott is confident Gyokeres will come into own once he's worked on his sharpness and feels the striker wasn't helped by both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli having off days at the Theatre of Dreams. 'You need to have game to get fitness and sharpness,' he continued. 'There were signs with Gyokeres where he was running down the channels, really strong, isolating himself. 'And that's with Saka and Martinelli not playing well as well and he was on his own, so imagine when those two actually start clicking. 'But yeah, look, there were signs of improvement, but it's the Premier League. This is what I was saying before about maybe starting Havertz in that game because it's a tough game. 'But I think Mikel wants him to get up to sharpness quickly, he needs him.' Arteta has not confirmed either way whether Gyokeres will continue his run in the side versus Leeds this weekend, but the likely absence of Havertz leaves Arsenal with limited options through the middle. Fellow summer signing Christian Norgaard also missed the game through injury, as well as Gabriel Jesus, who is not expected to return from his serious knee injury until the autumn. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Three ways Arsenal can line-up with Eberechi Eze in starting XI MORE: Borussia Dortmund in advanced talks for £40m Chelsea star after Juventus attempted transfer hijack MORE: Man Utd target three goalkeepers but unknown star could be the answer to their problems Your guide to the week in football. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk – sign up, it's an open goal.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
How Eberechi Eze will fit into Arsenal's new-look team
Eberechi Eze and Arsenal, a marriage made in N7. He is exactly the player they need, a dribbler with creative spark who can break down the most stubborn defences; they are the club he most desires, able to fulfil his ambition to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, and the only one club who can soothe the scars of his youth. 'I was 13 [when Arsenal released me],' Eze told The Independent in 2020, then a young breakout star at QPR. 'I remember crying in my room for a solid week, my mum telling me that it's going to be OK but not being able to get over it. Then I went to Fulham and I was finally starting to enjoy my football again. We played Arsenal a few months later but, when I went over to shake the academy manager's hand, I started welling up. All the feelings came back.' Eze came close to signing for Tottenham this week but if he was ever to leave Selhurst Park, Arsenal always felt like the rightful home for his peak years. Yet there remains a question about his place under Mikel Arteta and exactly where he fits in to the team. Tottenham would have built the side around Eze's creativity in the No 10 role, but he will have to carve out his own space in an Arsenal squad brimming with talent. Arteta was clear about Arsenal's shortcomings last term, bemoaning a lack of 'purpose and direction' in the final third against Manchester United in March and suggesting his players needed to deliver more 'magic moments'. Eze is certainly that type of player, someone who can unlock the sort of doors Arsenal were regularly banging their heads against. Arsenal's expected goals tally of 60 ranked seventh in the Premier League last term, well behind their title rivals (and below Palace), and there was an acknowledgement within the club that their attacking output urgently needed addressing this summer. After the signings of Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and now Eze, Arteta has a raft of different combinations to deploy in midfield and attack. His attacking weapons include the pace of Gabriel Martinelli running behind a high line, the direct dribbling of Bukayo Saka against a deep defence and the intelligent movement of Gyokeres in the final third. Martin Odegaard can thread a pass, Declan Rice will crash the box, and the beauty of Eze is that he can do a little bit of everything on the ball. Arteta is likely to use Eze off the left wing, where he has played both for Palace and England. Left-back Riccardo Calafiori looks to be very attacking this season on a mission to make overlapping runs down the wing, and that will allow Eze room to drift inside and influence the game. Martinelli's patchy form over the past 12 months could see him replaced by Eze on that side. But Eze, who was one of two No 10s for Palace in Oliver Glasner's 3-4-2-1 last season, is also likely to be deployed in an attacking midfield role as a No 8, either replacing Odegaard as the most advanced midfielder when the captain is in need of a rest, or playing together with Odegaard and a holding player in either Rice or Martin Zubimendi. The latter shape – with Eze and Odegaard as dual No 8s – will be a fearsome attacking setup against low-block defences at the Emirates, and especially when chasing a game and in need of a late goal. In this era of five substitutions, football is increasingly a game of two uneven halves: the first hour when the starting XIs stay largely intact, and the final 30+ minutes when half of the outfield personnel are replaced. Eze offers the chance to recalibrate midfield late in the game and perhaps win some of those 14 games Arsenal drew last season. Over the past two seasons, Arteta has deployed Rice as a box-crashing midfielder on the left side of central midfield, so there will be a conundrum to solve. If Eze drifts inside from the right wing, does he step on Rice's toes? And if he starts inside as a No 8, does Rice then have to vacate his best role? Wherever Eze plays, Arteta will want to get him on the ball in that left half-space where he is most effective. Perhaps the most pertinent question is not where he fits in but whether Eze becomes an integral part of the starting XI, someone who demands to be picked whatever the opponent, or whether he finds himself used as an impact player and a rotation option who can ease Odegaard's workload. The suggestion this week that Havertz's knee injury was the reason Arsenal pushed so decisively to seal the Eze deal might hint that he is seen as someone who bolsters their attacking options rather than a crucial cog to build around. But if he can make a habit of breaking open the type of well-drilled defences who keep Arsenal at bay, 13 years after the club cut him adrift, Eze will become essential.
