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Arsenal may be forced to sell Henrikh Mkhitaryan to raise funds needed to sign the players necessary to challenge again, as per The Times.

It’s no secret that Arsenal (understood to have a transfer budget of just £45m) will struggle to match the spending power of their top six rivals. Manchester United reportedly (per Raphael Honingstein on ESPN via the Express) have £200-£250m to spend, while Manchester City and Liverpool, both of whom broken their transfer records last season, aren’t exactly sort of cash.

Unai Emery on the other hand has an estimated £45million at his disposal – which is £11million less than what it cost to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last January. That’s £45million to take his current squad – who finished fifth in the Premier League conceding 51 in the process and were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round and the League Cup in the quarterfinals – past the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Yikes.

It is expected that in order to raise funds to sign the necessary talent, the Gunners will sacrifice a number of players they deem surplus to requirements. And one name in particular who has been highlighted is Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The 30-year-old arrived last January from United as part of a swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez go the other way. The Armenia international, who recently missed the Europa League final due to ongoing political tensions, reportedly (also via the Express) earns around £200,000 per week at Arsenal – the same as his former Borussia Dortmund teammate and Golden Boot winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

However, while Arsenal’s top scorer weighed in at 31 goals and eight assists last term, thus proving his worth, Mkhitaryan scored just six times and fell desperately short in the creative department too, providing just seven; an output that will surely have the club questioning how necessary he is to their future plans.

Slated by Ian Wright on Sky Sports (via HITC) towards the end of the season, who described his move to North London as a ‘nightmare’, they should take any potential money and run.

Arsenal fans, would you be disappointed to see Mkhitaryan go? Who would you sacrifice? Let us know in the comments below…

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A number of Liverpool fans have been on social media discussing the potential future of Divock Origi, who was on the scoresheet in Saturday night’s Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Origi ended the 2018-19 campaign having scored eight times in 22 appearances for the Reds in all competitions.

He struck just three times in the Premier League but netted twice against Barcelona in the second leg of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final, before coming up with the second against Tottenham in Madrid at the weekend.

The 24-year-old played a huge role in Jurgen Klopp’s side landing the European Cup.

However, the Belgian is far from first choice at Anfield and it would not be that surprising if he moved on in search of a starting role next season.

A number of Liverpool fans are desperate for Origi to stay but others have been discussing what price would be fair for the attacker.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

It is going to be one of their busiest and, arguably, one of Luton Town’s most important summer transfer windows in recent memory.

Graeme Jones will have his work cut out for him at Kenilworth Road next season as he will have to try and keep the Hatters in the Championship.

Mick Harford and Nathan Jones certainly impressed with what they had available to them in League One, however, England’s second tier will represent an entirely different challenge for the Bedfordshire outfit.

A number of the Luton players made a name for themselves with their performances on the pitch, however, arguably none more so than James Justin.

The versatile defender had an exceptional campaign for the Hatters and was capped off by being named in the Sky Bet League One Team of the Season after a string of impressive performances, as well as being nominated for the EFL Young Player of the Year award.

Naturally, those displays have earned the 21-year-0ld recognition from a number of Premier League outfits this summer and is thought to have attracted bids for his services.

According to Football Insider, Leicester City, Southampton, Crystal Palace and recently-relegated Fulham have joined Aston Villa in the race for Justin after the Championship play-off winners allegedly tabled a bid for him worth around £7.5million.

And, as hard as it might be to see him leave Kenilworth Road this summer, Luton must seriously consider cashing in him.

The defender has just 12 months left on his contract which can be a dangerous position to be in, whilst that amount of money could help the club with their recruitment plans.

£7.5m may not seem a lot in today’s transfer market, however, there is no doubt that figure can still help the Hatters strengthen significantly and give them a chance of being competitive (or more so) in their first year of Championship football.

It is always a good idea to keep the core of the squad when winning promotion and continue to build on it, however, accepting an offer of that sum, Luton could consider it a potential blessing in disguise.

Luton fans, what do you think the club should do? Do you think the club could benefit from receiving a large figure for Justin? Let us know below!

We are of the opinion that Leeds United need to add more direct attacking to their squad next season and Brandon Barker can be that man to get Elland Road on its feet.

Football Insider have reported that Leeds are interested in bringing the Man City youngster and Preston North End loanee up to Yorkshire. The left-winger impressed this season, particularly when fans hailed him after his goal against the Whites in August, and he could follow in Jack Harrison’s footsteps by swapping the City Football Academy for Elland Road.

The 22-year-old planned to break into his parent club’s team when he signed a five-year-deal in 2015, according to the MEN, but he’s been loaned out three times since then and has only made one 37-minute substitute appearance for City. However, his two goals and two assists in just six Championship starts this season has shown just how impactful he can be.

Despite his average of 0.8 dribbles and 0.8 shots per game this season, according to Who Scored, anyone who’s seen the Englishman cut in from the left and smash a goal in would know he could give Leeds’ front-line the unpredictability it’s missed for much of the second half of the season.

Yes, his talent is pretty raw right now and there’s no guarantee but just look at what he can do:

Now, basing opinions off of YouTube videos is probably where thousands of ill-informed football fans fall down but such a natural attacking outlet does seem like a good idea for a Whites side who struggled to breakdown the opposition towards the end of the season. For example, they bossed the passing stats against the likes of Aston Villa, Derby and Brentford, yet couldn’t find a way to capitalise and make the most of it.

Indeed, the kind of genuine pace Barker boasts could at least ask more questions of the opposition.

Barker can have a bright future ahead if he’s given the opportunity to show what he can do on a permanent basis. He can’t keep being sent out on loan forever, so they should take a chance on him just as they did with Jack Harrison, and that didn’t work out too badly, did it?

Leeds fans, who do you think Marcelo Bielsa should sign this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Leicester are in danger of losing Harry Maguire this summer with Manchester City weighing up a move to make him their replacement for Vincent Kompany, per The Metro.

What’s the word?

A possible move away for Maguire has been circulating for a considerable period of time now with Manchester United showing an interest in the centre-back previously.

The 26-year-old made quite the impression at the World Cup last summer, turning in some outstanding performances which arguably were enough to warrant a move to one of the Premier League’s top clubs.

The centre-half hasn’t been as convincing this season but that doesn’t appear to have put potential suitors off.

With Kompany now leaving Man City, Pep Guardiola has lined the former Hull man to replace him according to The Metro. He could cost City a considerable fee, though. The report claims Leicester value the defender at £75m.

Tielemans deal back on?

Losing Maguire would be a monumental blow to Leicester’s aspirations but it could help fund a club record deal for Youri Tielemans.

Only last week the Foxes were put off by Monaco’s valuation of £40m and as a result, any permanent transfer for the Belgian following his loan spell looked to be off the cards.

However, if the Midlands club were to receive as big a figure as The Metro suggests, a follow-up deal for Tielemans would be an absolute steal.

Maguire seems replaceable, especially with Filip Benkovic returning from Celtic and Brendan Rodgers’ track record with the player already. Tielemans, on the other hand, is more difficult to replace with the brunt of Leicester’s deep-lying midfielders consisting of more defensive minded players.

As such, Brendan Rodgers simply has to sanction the sale of their star centre half.

It would be hard to take, but if the young Belgium international was to return it would make the King Power faithful forget all about Maguire.

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Sunderland fans have been left drooling over the performance of Jimmy Dunne.

The Black Cats beat Doncaster Rovers 2-0 on Friday, moving to within two points of Barnsley in second-place, with Dunne playing at centre-back.

Dunne even provided an assist in the victory, which has left the Black Cats in a fine position to win promotion to the Championship this season.

Sunderland are now third, two points behind Barnsley, but they have a game in hand on the second-placed Tykes.

Dunne, just 21, has won two caps for the Republic of Ireland Under-21s and joined the club on loan from Burnley in January.

Since then, he has played 11 times in League One and has never been on the losing side, even scoring in the 1-1 draw with Oxford United in February.

And fans were in awe of his no-nonsense display on Friday as the Black Cats edge closer to the second-tier.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

علق مروان محسن لاعب فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي على فوز الشياطين الحمر بدرع بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وكان الأهلي قد نجح في حسم بطولة الدوري لموسم 2019-2020 قبل انتهاء المنافسات بنحو 6 أسابيع، للمرة الـ42 في تاريخه.

وقال مروان محسن في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “هذا مجهود موسم كامل ونهدي الدرع لمؤمن زكريا وللجماهير رقم واحد لدينا وإن شاء الله نحصد بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا هذا الموسم”.

عمرو السولية بعد التتويج بالدوري: دوري أبطال إفريقيا في الطريق

وأضاف: “انا أجتهد والأهداف سببها التوفيق وعدم التوفيق، كنت أفعل كل ما لدي في المباريات، وفي بعض الأوقات التوفيق لا يحالف بعض اللاعبين، وأنا أركز وأحاول تخطي تلك المرحلة”.

واختتم: “نحن على وعدنا للجماهير بحسم اللقب الإفريقي، وإن شاء الله نسعدهم”.

وحسم الأهلي بطولة الدوري، برصيد 89 نقطة، بعدما خاض 34 مباراة حقق خلالها الفوز في 28 وتعادل في 5 وخسر في مباراة واحدة.

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Tottenham Hotspur produced a stunning performance to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League following a 4-3 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

Going into the clash with a slender advantage and without Harry Winks, Eric Dier and Harry Kane, Mauricio Pochettino’s men looked to be up against it.

Five goals in 21 minutes followed, but an injury to Moussa Sissoko in the first half was a huge blow considering Spurs had no other central midfield options available to them on the substitutes’ bench.

Pochettino took a risk and threw Fernando Llorente on to play as a centre-forward and at that point – as well as before the match – surely no Tottenham fan would have predicted that the Spaniard would be the hero against Pep Guardiola’s men.

That is exactly how things panned out as he bundled home the decisive goal on the night, and the image below of him celebrating wildly with his manager post-match is quite the sight to behold.

It is surely a career highlight for the 34-year-old when it comes to his time with the north London outfit – he has generally been a big disappointment who has struggled to make an impact whenever Harry Kane’s absence.

As shown last night Pochettino would generally prefer to play Lucas Moura or Son Heung-Min up top instead of the tall former Swansea man, so for him to be the hero was almost unthinkable.

The most pleasant of surprises.

Leeds United fans will feel gutted with today’s result as they enjoyed the better of the chances. And, the disappointing defeat has now pushed them out of the automatic promotion places. 

The Whites had the perfect opportunity to take another step towards securing promotion to the Premier League earlier on today but they passed it up, so they’ll now have to play the chasing game.

One thing that is certain is the fact that Marcelo Bielsa will already have his eye on the summer transfer window, with reinforcements needed regardless of whether promotion is achieved.

Leeds were reportedly (as per Daily Mail) plotting a move for Hull City’s Jarrod Bowen back in December of last year but nothing developed as the Englishman ended up staying at the KCOM Stadium.

Indeed, many Leeds fans will remember his dominant performance two days after being linked as he netted both of Hull’s goals to silence Elland Road. The 22-year-old has gone up another couple of levels since the turn of the year as he’s taken his goals tally to 20 in all competitions, as well as producing three assists.

Jack Clarke will inevitably attract interest in the summer transfer window and Jack Harrison is set to return to Manchester City once his loan spell expires, so they’ll need to bring in an attacker. And, with Pablo Hernandez turning 34 next months, it’s safe to say that Leeds will need to look for a long-term replacement.

Bowen would be the perfect replacement for the Spaniard as he’s shown that he can create in the final third this season having provided three assists and he’s constantly involved in the build-up to goals. Also, he’s been prolific in front of goal and still has his best years ahead of him at the age of 22, so the future is bright.

Although, Bielsa will need to work his magic to bring Bowen to Elland Road as Everton and Norwich are reportedly interested, along with Spurs, so promotion may be required.

Leeds United, do you think you can lure Bowen to Elland Road? Surely it depends on promotion…

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Nottingham Forest’s club-record signing Joao Carvalho looked as though he may have turned a corner following his goal against Hull City last weekend, but he came unstuck in the 3-1 defeat to an Aston Villa side led by Jack Grealish in midweek.

On the chalkboard

The 22-year-old Reds man appeared to be adapting to the rigours of English football well in the first-half of the season under Aitor Karanka, but the Spaniard’s successor Martin O’Neill clearly hasn’t been happy with something he has seen.

The Portuguese attack-minded midfielder had barely been seen on the pitch in the Championship before being named in the starting XI against the Villans in midweek, but he once again flattered to deceive.

The former Benfica man would do well to look up to a player he faced on the night at The City Ground in Grealish, if he wants to be a success at Forest.

What does he need to do?

Grealish has been clearly targeted by Championship opponents so many times over the course of the previous 18 months that it’s been almost laughable, but he continues to get up and get on with things even when he is taken down illegally.

Can Forest get back to winning ways against lowly Ipswich? Matchday with Max gives us his view on their recent defeat to Villa in the video below…

He may not be of a big build, but the 23-year-old has clearly put in the work in the gym to ensure that he has ome upper body strength and isn’t easy to bundle off the ball, and that has undoubtedly helped him.

In the last few weeks especially you have seen how the Villa captain is grabbing matches by the scruff of the neck himself rather than relying on others to do so, and now Carvalho needs to replicate this.

He has the talent to match or even better Grealish at this level, and the fact that Matty Cash and Lewis Grabban weren’t on the pitch on Wednesday cannot be used as an excuse for his failures.

Bulking up a bit and being ready to mix it up with the opposition will ensure that, eventually, he will be a consistent success for Forest under O’Neill.