The Premier League’s 2025-29 deal was worth £6.7 billion. Have the vast sums paid to every top-flight team made the league more competitive, and how have they spent so far?

Summer 2025 spending

There wasn’t a clear pattern of mid-table clubs spending more, relative to the traditional bigger sides.

Fulham spent €44.5 million, a relative pittance in Premier League money. Kevin from Shakhtar was their biggest buy for €40m.

Crystal Palace won the FA Cup and finished one place behind Fulham in 12th. They spent €55.3m, with most of that going on Yeremy Pino.

Bournemouth did spend €138.1m, with Bafode Diakite their most expensive signing at €35m. Their €15m fee for Veljko Milosavljevic, a teenage centre back bought with future seasons in mind, highlighted how much the Premier League has grown. (It was only six seasons ago that Manchester United, who were aiming for a title, signed Dan James for a similar fee to compete for a position in the starting eleven. That same season, Newcastle signed Allan Saint-Maximin for a similar amount.)

These new players are playing to bigger audiences than ever, in large part because the UK is showing even more games on TV. Sky Sports and TNT Sports share an average seven games per weekend, with a typical gameweek having just three traditional 3pm kickoffs. These Saturday 3pm games are the only ones not allowed to be shown on domestic TV, with the UK the last country in Europe still applying the “3pm blackout”. 

This law does not apply to fans abroad in countries like the United States, where football fans regularly watch 3pm kickoffs on channels like NBC. If they travel to the UK, though, they have to use a tool like ExpressVPN to access their subscriptions.

The Premier League and EFL are reportedly in talks to end the 3pm blackout. The contracts do not expire until 2029 so any changes would likely take place from the 2029-30 season. The current Premier League rights is clouded in uncertainty as Netflix attempts to buy Warner Bros. Pictures, Television, and Games, along with DC Studios, HBO, and TNT Sports. The latter being part of Warner Bros Discovery’s umbrella of companies means that if the Netflix sale were to go through, Premier League fans could be watching games on Netflix.

Top six

Of the bigger clubs, Liverpool were the summer’s biggest spenders. €482.9m went on stars including Alexander Isak (€145m), Florian Wirtz (€125m), and Hugo Ekitike (€95m). They spent €46.9m on Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, which meant the latter club’s net spend wasn’t quite as dramatic as it would have been (“only” €100.31m).

Chelsea had a typically active window, spending €339.15m and bringing in €332.25m. Joao Pedro, yet another purchase from Brighton and Hove Albion, was their biggest buy at €63.7m.

Arsenal finished second last season and were the summer’s next biggest spenders, with Martin Zubimendi (€70m), Eberechi Eze (€69.3m), Viktor Gyokeres (€66.9m), Noni Madueke (€56m), Christhian Mosquera (€15m), and Christian Norgaard (€11.6m) all arriving in the same window.

Aston Villa finished 6th last season but made a summer profit of €24.65m, with their only significant signing being Evan Guessand from Nice (€30m). They sold Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle for €45m.

Manchester United, a traditional “big six” team, finished 15th last season and attempted to make amends with a €250.7m outlay. It wasn’t enough for Ruben Amorim to keep his job but interim coach Michael Carrick may benefit from having Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbuemo, and Matheus Cunha to choose from, each costing over €70m.

Is the Premier League more competitive?

Spending has not always correlated with results in the Premier League, and this season is similar. Bournemouth started well but then dramatically dropped off and have looked relegation candidates for much of the season. Arsenal may be happiest with how their new signings have paid off: Zubimendi has made a strong midfield even better, Eze has given them more options and still has room to grow at 27 years old, and while Gyokeres (also 27) hasn’t had the smoothest of starts, Mikel Arteta has repeatedly said the striker will find his feet.

Despite Amorim’s sacking, United look like they could climb back to the top five and potentially Champions League qualification this season. While it wouldn’t be quite as romantic as Fulham or Bournemouth competing with Real Madrid and co, it would suggest that the TV money helps teams stay competitive even after a huge underperformance.

The post Has the Premier League’s TV Deal Made Mid-Table Clubs More Competitive Than Ever? appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Newcastle United are reportedly planning for a busy summer transfer window, with sporting director Ross Wilson already working on key positions.

A report from iNews states that the Magpies are preparing some serious investment in their squad, with Eddie Howe set to get significant backing.

Sources are quoted in their report as saying there are already “constant meetings” taking place, and that “we’ve got clear plans on what we’d like to do”.

Which positions do Newcastle want to strengthen in the summer transfer window?

According to the report, Newcastle are looking for a new goalkeeper, a new centre-back, a left-back, a midfielder, and possible support for their strikers up front.

There are not yet that many specific names doing the rounds, though the report does note someone NUFC had their eye on for that midfield position.

The player in question is now unavailable, however.

Patrick Zabi was a target for Newcastle while he was at Reims, but he has instead recently ended up joining Paris FC.

Newcastle need significant spending after last summer’s nightmare

Newcastle have really suffered this season, with Howe’s side down in 11th place in the Premier League table.

It seems plainly obvious that the club weren’t prepared for the departure of Alexander Isak, but they must now use that money from his sale to fund new signings in a number of areas.

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It’s also crucial that Newcastle don’t lose other star names, with worrying reports emerging this week that Arsenal are targeting Sandro Tonali.

Other big names like Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall have been the subject of speculation, so it could end up being another long window for the north east club.

The post Newcastle already laying down plans to land up to SIX summer signings appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Leeds United are reportedly among a number of clubs eyeing up Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford as a summer transfer window target.

The 23-year-old hasn’t played much since joining Man City in the summer, and one imagines his situation might attract a lot of interest if it doesn’t change soon.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke is keen to strengthen in goal, and it seems Trafford is a name on the club’s radar, according to TEAMtalk.

The report also names Tottenham and Aston Villa as admirers of the England Under-21 international, so this might not be an easy race for Leeds to win.

James Trafford praised as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, but could he leave Man City?

Trafford looked like a top young talent at former club Burnley, and he probably thought he was moving to the Etihad Stadium to become City’s number one.

Pep Guardiola described Trafford as “incredible”, as per BBC Sport, but actions speak louder than words and it’s clearly Gianluigi Donnarumma who’s the number one for City.

The Italy international ended up joining later in the summer, but he’s clearly the bigger name and more proven performer at this level, so that doesn’t bode well for Trafford.

Where should James Trafford move to if he leaves City?

Trafford will perhaps regret his move to City, so he needs to choose his next club very carefully in order to ensure he will end up playing regularly.

Leeds seems a fairly safe bet from that point of view, as he’d surely be a clear upgrade on the likes of Karl Darlow and Illan Meslier.

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Tottenham would probably also make Trafford their number one after unconvincing performances from Guglielmo Vicario since he joined.

Villa, meanwhile, currently have Emiliano Martinez as their number one, so that might be a trickier one for Trafford, unless of course the Midlands outfit end up selling the Argentine this summer.

The post Leeds United rival Tottenham & Aston Villa for player hailed “incredible” by Guardiola appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Newcastle United are reportedly among the clubs showing an interest in the potential transfer of Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson.

The Scotland international is nearing the end of his contract at Anfield after a great career there, having fallen down the pecking order this season.

This led to Tottenham moving for Robertson in the January transfer window just gone, as reported at the time by the Athletic and others.

Although Robertson ended up staying, it seems he now has other suitors monitoring him, including Newcastle, according to TEAMtalk.

Andrew Robertson heading for free transfer out of Liverpool

It seems inevitable that Robertson will end up leaving Liverpool this summer, as it’s hard to imagine a scenario where he’d get a new contract.

The younger Milos Kerkez is now firmly ahead of Robertson in Arne Slot’s pecking order, so it surely makes sense for all parties involved if they go their separate ways in the summer.

Still, even if this is not the end he would have wanted to his LFC career, there’s no doubt Robertson has been a tremendous servant and surely up there with the all-time greats of their defence.

The 31-year-old has won two Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time on Merseyside, performing as one of the most consistent performers for those great Jurgen Klopp sides, as well as for Slot’s title winners last term.

Could Andrew Robertson do a job for Newcastle?

Tottenham’s interest surely shows that Robertson could still do a job for most Premier League clubs, so he could be a smart signing by Newcastle.

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However, it looks like there could be plenty of interest in Robertson this summer, so it remains to be seen if the Magpies can give him the most tempting offer.

TEAMtalk’s report also mentions Aston Villa and Celtic, but Newcastle is undoubtedly a promising project at the moment, as well as a club with a great history and roaring atmosphere at St James’ Park.

The post Newcastle among clubs considering transfer for all-time Liverpool great appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is reportedly eager to earn huge wages if he is to sign a new contract at Anfield.

The Hungary international has been one of Liverpool’s most important players this season, and most fans would probably agree that he deserves a new and improved deal, and that keeping him at the club would be important.

However, it could be that Szoboszlai is now demanding as much as £300,000 per week, according to Hungarian outlet Blikk.

Additional information from Anfield Watch states that Szoboszlai currently earns more like £120-150k per week, so it could be that he’s going to more than double his wages.

Should Liverpool pay up to keep Dominik Szoboszlai?

Liverpool surely need to do whatever they can to keep Szoboszlai at Anfield, but it might be tricky for them to pay quite as much as he’s apparently asking for here.

Anfield Watch’s report also notes that a £300k-per-week contract would put him ahead of Alexander Isak in terms of earnings.

Perhaps that’s justified as Szoboszlai has performed so well this season, much better, in fact, than Isak has.

At the same time, though, it is perhaps unclear if Szoboszlai has fully worked his way into that kind of bracket yet, or if producing this level more consistently over a longer period will be required first.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s impact for Liverpool this season

Szoboszlai has eight goals and six assists from midfield so far this season, meaning he’s already matched his goal tally from last term.

The 25-year-old looks like he’s just hitting his peak, and it’s easy to imagine him being a success at other top clubs.

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Capable of playing a variety of midfield roles, Szoboszlai has also done a decent job when asked to fill in at right-back for Arne Slot’s side.

What do you think LFC fans? Is Szoboszlai worth whatever he’s asking for, or should the club be careful about paying over the odds here? Give us your thoughts in the comments!

The post Worry for Liverpool as star’s huge contract demands revealed in report appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Arsenal striker Jay Bothroyd has hit back at Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior over his comments about a lack of respect from the Gunners.

Speaking on Sky Sports in the video clip below, Bothroyd insisted that what Rosenior described – players warming up and occasionally moving into their opponents’ half – happens all the time.

Rosenior was clearly not happy with Arsenal’s antics when he spoke about it in his press conference yesterday, saying: “It wasn’t the players. When you warm up, we have our half and the other team have their half. I’ve never asked my team or coaches to encroach on the other team’s territory. I thought they were affecting our warm up.

"It happens in every single game" ??

Jay Bothroyd doesn't believe Arsenal showed disrespect to Chelsea following Liam Rosenior claims but understands his frustrations ? #skysportsfc pic.twitter.com/t7qxw6uvUa

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 6, 2026

“I asked them, maybe not politely, to move away. I’m not here to have mind games. There are certain etiquettes in football. I don’t have an issue with anyone at Arsenal Football Club. It was just in that moment, I don’t think that respect was shown to my team.”

Has Liam Rosenior handled Chelsea-Arsenal saga badly?

Rosenior is relatively inexperienced at the highest level of management, even if he did an impressive job at Strasbourg before landing the role of replacing Enzo Maresca at Chelsea.

The 41-year-old might learn from this and decide it’s not the best way to try to manage the media, but it could also turn out to be clever mind games.

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Overall, however, the reaction seems mostly to be pretty negative for the time being.

See below as journalist Henry Winter offered his take on it all…

Liam Rosenior is a highly promising young coach as he proved at Derby, Hull, Strasbourg and with six wins in eight games at Chelsea. He thinks deeply about the game. He’s obviously a very intelligent person. He’s also worked in the media. So Rosenior should be smart enough to…

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) February 6, 2026

“Rosenior should be smart enough to avoid observations that lead to headlines unhelpful to him and his players,” he posted.

“Coaches, especially goalkeeping ones, do step into the opposition half to deliver long kicks to warm up their keeper. It happens often. Crossing the halfway line isn’t crossing the line,” he added.

Chelsea ended up losing 1-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, with the Gunners progressing 4-2 on aggregate to set up a Carabao Cup final date with Manchester City next month. In a sense, the fact that we’re now talking more about this than about Chelsea’s poor performance over both legs could be mission accomplished for Rosenior!

What do you make of this whole incident, Chelsea fans? Are you behind Rosenior or has he massively overreacted here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Former Arsenal star hits back at Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior over “respect” comments appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile is now rated as “very likely” to be out of the Blues’ project as transfer suitors emerge ahead of the summer.

As first reported here for the Daily Briefing, there has not yet been any contact from clubs for Badiashile, despite some background interest from AC Milan.

I’m also told that Juventus and Marseille could be two teams to watch in the race for Badiashile’s signature, as he’s set to be made available for around €35m this summer.

Chelsea consider Badiashile out of their project and will ideally look to sell him permanently rather than loaning him out.

Sources on Benoit Badiashile’s Chelsea future

“Badiashile is very likely out of the Chelsea project now,” one source in the industry told me this morning. “There has been some interest from AC Milan, albeit nothing that concrete yet, but we can expect to see them and others step up their efforts in the months ahead.

“While I wouldn’t say Chelsea are forcing Badiashile out, they are very much open to offers and would prefer a permanent sale to a loan. His asking price will be in the region of €35m.”

Badiashile will surely have options once it comes to leaving Stamford Bridge, but he’ll no doubt be disappointed he couldn’t make more of this opportunity.

The Frenchman looked highly promising when he first joined from Monaco in 2023, but it just hasn’t quite happened for him in English football.

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Chelsea to make changes in defence?

As noted in my Daily Briefing report, Chelsea were very keen to sign Jeremy Jacquet before Liverpool won the race for his signature.

The west London giants will surely continue to look for new additions in that area of the pitch after deciding to let Badiashile go.

Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo is one name linked with Chelsea by Football Insider, and they’ll surely assess numerous other options in the weeks and months ahead.

The post Sources: Chelsea star “very likely” to leave as three potential transfer suitors named appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal fans may be relieved to hear that there’s seemingly no truth to transfer rumours linking Bayern Munich with Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.

Writing in his latest CF Bayern Insider column, German journalist Christian Falk ruled Bayern out of the running for Alvarez as they could be set for a quiet transfer window this summer.

The Argentina international has been linked strongly with Arsenal by ESPN after impressing during his time in La Liga, but he’s probably not someone who’d make sense for Bayern as they already have Harry Kane up front.

Arsenal, however, could do with bringing in someone like Alvarez after an unconvincing start for Viktor Gyokeres at the Emirates Stadium this season.

Arsenal boost in Julian Alvarez transfer race

Discussing Bayern links with Alvarez, Falk said: “He’s an interesting player, but when I spoke with some guys from Bayern, they said they didn’t need these rumours at the moment – they wanted a quiet transfer window.

“So they won’t go for him at the moment. They’d love to have a player like him in the team, but with a contract until 2030, it’s a no-go.

“They did try to sign him in 2023, around the time Harry Kane signed; they were thinking about another striker and whether having the Englishman alone was enough. But, at the moment, it’s not a move they’re going to push for.”

Is Julian Alvarez the answer for Arsenal?

Alvarez has mostly shone during his time in Madrid, as well as looking a very decent squad playing when he was at Manchester City, so it’s easy to see why Arsenal might be interested.

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At the same time, however, it’s worth noting that the 26-year-old is on a run of just one goal in his last 13 games in all competitions.

Given that Alvarez would surely cost huge money, Arsenal need to be careful before putting all their eggs into that basket, even if there appears to be a bit of a shortage of top strikers on the market at the moment.

The post Boost for Arsenal as expert rules out one rival in potential transfer battle appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka feels his style of play would be suited to the Premier League after interest from Arsenal in January.

The Germany international is coming towards the end of his contract at the Allianz Arena, and Christian Falk has provided a fresh update on his situation.

Arsenal made Goretzka an offer towards the end of the winter window, and although he didn’t want to leave midway through the season, a move to England is still a possibility, according to Falk in his CF Bayern Insider column.

This could mean the Gunners will still get their man eventually, but Falk also mentioned other suitors in the race for his signature.

Christian Falk on Leon Goretzka and potential Premier League transfer

“It is TRUE: Arsenal made an offer for Leon Goretzka shortly before the transfer deadline,” Falk wrote.

“This was a very interesting option for the German, but at this point, he’d already decided he wouldn’t move in the winter. When Atletico Madrid knocked at his door, he made an official statement on his Instagram account – as did Bayern Munich. It’s not the way of Goretzka to break his word at the last minute – even for Arsenal!

“I think he has a good idea for the Premier League. He believes his playing style suits the English top-flight.

“There’s still, also, the interest from Atletico Madrid, so plenty of options for the future. Italy is also an opportunity, with interest from Juventus, Milan, Napoli.

“Arsenal, of course, would have been interesting for the midfielder, but the offer came too late on deadline day, which didn’t leave anyone enough time to react. What a pity for Arsenal and Goretzka!”

Arsenal left with lack of midfield cover

Arsenal’s interest in Goretzka was presumably a response to the injury to Mikel Merino, which leaves them a little short of depth in midfield.

Mikel Arteta has only Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi as reliable options in the middle of the park, with Christian Norgaard barely featuring for the north Londoners since joining last summer.

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Goretzka is a player with great experience at the highest level, and he could have been an ideal short-term signing to add depth like someone like Jorginho did for a couple of years.

It remains to be seen if this is something AFC would look at again in the summer, but perhaps other Premier League clubs could come into the equation too.

The post Expert explains why Arsenal transfer fell through but PL move still on player’s agenda appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has provided his insight into the Cristiano Ronaldo situation with Al Nassr, admitting that the Portuguese superstar is “upset”.

The 41-year-old is currently refusing to play for Al Nassr, as reported by ESPN, who also state that his long-term future with the Saudi Pro League club could be in serious doubt.

Romano has admitted that Ronaldo is not happy at the moment, but he also stressed that people shouldn’t be overreacting to the situation and talking up a transfer away for the player at this stage.

It will be interesting to see how this develops, but for now it seems that Romano does not necessarily see this as the beginning of the end for Ronaldo at Al Nassr.

Fabrizio Romano on Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation at Al Nassr

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “I can tell you that Cristiano remains upset. Cristiano remains upset with the situation.

“I told you in a video yesterday, let’s not overreact – Cristiano to MLS, Cristiano breaking his contract, and this kind of stuff. For now, let’s not overreact.

“But for the present, to give you an update, to give you news, Cristiano Ronaldo, according to my information, will not play a crucial game on Friday because Cristiano has no injury, no fitness management, no physical problems.

“So, forget about that. Cristiano is fit but Cristiano will not be without squad exactly as he did a few days ago. Why? Because Cristiano remains upset with the management from the Saudi group, especially PIF, that is taking care of several clubs in Saudi.”

He added: “Again I told you yesterday guys I’m not here to speak for Cristiano Ronaldo. I am not one to speak for Cristiano Ronaldo. There will be Cristiano clarifying. There will be people close to Cristiano clarifying.

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“There will be Al Nassr for sure also clarifying. So it’s not my duty to come here and tell you what’s going on, but it’s my duty to tell you what I’m hearing. And my information is that Cristiano is not happy with the current situation and with what happened in this transfer window.”

What next for Cristiano Ronaldo?

If Ronaldo doesn’t stay at Al Nassr then there will inevitably be big speculation about where he could end up next, and if we could see him back in Europe.

The Portugal international remains a top player and even at the age of 41 he may well still fancy himself to play for a big club in a competitive league.

At the same time, however, there probably aren’t too many clubs who can afford his astronomical wages, while it also seems a bit risky to be moving for someone who is surely not too far away now from retiring from football altogether.

The post “Upset with the situation” – Fabrizio Romano provides update on Cristiano Ronaldo row with Al Nassr appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United fans may be interested to learn that two of their former players, Jesse Lingard and Robin van Persie, could be set to link up at Feyenoord.

Lingard and Van Persie briefly played together for Man Utd, and it could now be that the former England winger will be managed by the former Netherlands striker.

Feyenoord have been in contact over signing Lingard, who is currently a free agent and who is hoping to make a decision on his future in the next week, according to the Daily Mail.

It remains to be seen if this will definitely go through, but it looks like a return to Europe with Feyenoord is a serious option for Lingard since his departure from South Korean club FC Seoul.

Who else is looking at Man United cult hero Jesse Lingard?

It could also be that Lingard has another spell in the Premier League in him, with the Mail noting that the likes of West Ham and Wolves have been looking at him.

Serie A outfit Genoa are also mentioned in the report, so it seems like the 33-year-old won’t be short of options.

Lingard remains something of a cult hero from his United days, and he also previously shone during a loan spell with West Ham.

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Even if the former England international is clearly no longer at his peak, it would be exciting to see him back playing at a higher level again before the end of his career.

MUFC supporters will also surely be particularly intrigued to see how he might get on under Van Persie, who has not endured the smoothest start as manager of Feyenoord, but who will surely be one of a number of former players who could be a future candidate for the job at Old Trafford if he manages to improve.

The post Report: Former Manchester United teammates set for surprise link up at major European club appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United and Arsenal could reportedly be set to miss out on the potential transfer of Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, there are now plans for Napoli and McTominay to sit down and discuss a new contract for the Scotland international, whose current deal with the Serie A giants expires in 2028.

This follows information we recently received about both Man Utd and Arsenal monitoring McTominay after the hugely impressive career revival he’s enjoyed since his move to Italian football.

Red Devils fans must be disappointed with their club’s decision to let McTominay leave, as he’s gone on to become a star player for Napoli, scoring 22 goals in 69 appearances so far and helping them win the title last season.

Scott McTominay to extend his stay at Napoli?

It now looks like McTominay is likely to extend his stay at Napoli even further, dashing hopes of a possible return to the Premier League.

United looking into bringing the 29-year-old back is hardly surprising after his eye-catching displays since leaving, and in truth he was often a bit of an underrated part of their squad while he was still at Old Trafford.

Arsenal, meanwhile, don’t exactly look like they desperately need new midfielders, but someone with McTominay’s goal threat from the middle of the park would always be useful.

Players improving after leaving Manchester United

McTominay is not the only big name to shine after leaving MUFC in recent times, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Rasmus Hojlund also improving.

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Rashford has looked back to his old self whilst on loan at Barcelona this season, while Antony has flourished at Real Betis and Hojlund has impressed alongside McTominay at Napoli.

This will be immensely frustrating for United fans, with their club frequently unable to make the most out of their signings despite often spending more than their rivals in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The post Talks planned to settle future of Manchester United & Arsenal transfer target appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has slammed Arsenal for showing what he felt was a lack of respect ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final this week.

Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium to complete a 4-2 aggregate victory over Rosenior’s side and book their place in the Carabao Cup final.

Still, as well as the action on the pitch, there was an intriguing moment before the game when Rosenior could be seen shouting at someone off-screen about moving into their own half.

It has now emerged that Rosenior was not happy with Arsenal’s pre-match preparations as he felt they encroached onto Chelsea’s side of the pitch and didn’t show respect.

Liam Rosenior hits out at disrespectful Arsenal antics

When asked about the incident at his press conference today, as quoted by BBC Sport, Rosenior explained why he was unhappy with the Gunners.

“It wasn’t the players. When you warm up, we have our half and the other team have their half. I’ve never asked my team or coaches to encroach on the other team’s territory. I thought they were affecting our warm up,” Rosenior said.

“I asked them, maybe not politely, to move away. I’m not here to have mind games. There are certain etiquettes in football. I don’t have an issue with anyone at Arsenal Football Club. It was just in that moment, I don’t think that respect was shown to my team.”

Arsenal dent strong Liam Rosenior start at Chelsea

Rosenior has done well since taking over as Chelsea manager, winning all of his games except the two defeats to Arsenal in each leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

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It perhaps makes sense that the 41-year-old was frustrated by Arsenal, but it also sounds slightly like he’s making something out of nothing here.

Only time will tell if this proves to be Rosenior playing the media game cleverly, or if it’s an unforced error that comes across as a bit of a tantrum.

The post “I asked them…” – Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior accuses Arsenal of lack of respect appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has revealed that Blues winger Jamie Gittens is out for the long term with a torn hamstring.

Speaking at his press conference today, Rosenior admitted it’s a “real shame” to lose Gittens, as he feels he is an “outstanding player”, even though he hasn’t worked with him for long.

Watch below as Rosenior is asked about injuries, and Gittens in particular, explaining that the 21-year-old will be out for the long term, though he could not specify for now how long that would be…

"Jamie [Gittens] is looking a little bit more long term"

Liam Rosenior provides an update on the fitness of his Chelsea squad ? pic.twitter.com/3arJD1QgJX

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 5, 2026

“Jamie is looking a little bit more long term,” Rosenior said when asked about Gittens.

“It’s a real shame for him, he’s got a tear in his hamstring.

“Obviously I’ve not worked with him for too long, obviously I’ve known about his career and what an outstanding player he is, so that’s going to be a big miss for us.”

Jamie Gittens dealt another blow after slow start at Chelsea

Gittens hasn’t exactly hit the ground running since arriving at Stamford Bridge last summer, with just one goal and five assists in all competitions so far.

In the Premier League, Gittens hasn’t managed to establish himself as a regular starter, and has only two assists and no goals to his name yet.

This injury is a big blow for the young English winger, who looked like a big talent during his time at Borussia Dortmund.

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Gittens finished last season with a total of 12 goals in all competitions, and looked like one of Dortmund’s best players in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

It will be interesting to see if Gittens can recover from this injury blow to work his way back into contention in Rosenior’s side, but it won’t be easy due to the huge amount of competition in this squad.

The post “Real shame” – Liam Rosenior reveals big injury blow to “outstanding” Chelsea star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino may be a doubt for the rest of the club season and perhaps even the 2026 World Cup in the summer due to a mysterious injury.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta explained that Merino’s injury is a rare one, so there’s not a clear idea of when the Spain international will be back to fitness, though for the time being it is being treated as pretty serious.

Numerous outlets have reported that Merino is almost certainly out for the rest of the season, meaning he’ll miss the title run-in with Arsenal, while his participation at the World Cup could also be in doubt.

This will be a blow for fans of the Spanish national team as they start making their own preparations for the tournament and looking into how to buy Spain World Cup tickets as their country aims to lift the trophy this summer.

What Mikel Arteta has said about Mikel Merino’s injury

As quoted by Arsenal’s official site recently, Arteta made it clear that Merino’s injury looked serious and would require a procedure.

Describing it as a “big blow”, Arteta said: “He (Merino) needs to go through a procedure, which is not always positive. He’s a big player for us, a player that has such versatility and capacity to compete in various positions, and that’s a big blow.

“It’s a very rare injury so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery, how that reacts daily, obviously monitor it throughout the week for the surgery and see.

“I know Mikel is going to do absolutely everything that he possibly can to come back as quick as possible. But as well you have to respect the healing process and the fact that obviously it’s an injury that is quite rare.”

Mikel Merino will be missed by Arsenal and Spain

Anyone who’s watched him closely will surely agree that Merino is one of the most underrated footballers in today’s game.

The 29-year-old has put in a series of superb displays whether playing in midfield or as a makeshift striker for Arsenal, and he has a surprisingly good scoring record.

With 15 goals in 77 appearances for Arsenal, and eight goals in his last ten games for Spain, Merino has shown how valuable he can be as he really starts to establish himself quite late on in his career.

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Spain have fellow Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi as another key part of their midfield, as well as other big names like Manchester City’s Rodri and Barcelona’s Pedri, so they certainly aren’t short of other quality options in that area of the pitch.

At the same time, however, Merino offers some unique qualities that a lot of others can’t, and Arsenal fans will have to hope he can perhaps return earlier than expected, and that his absence doesn’t prove too costly as they compete for the Premier League and Carabao Cup in the months to come.

The post Arsenal star’s World Cup in doubt due to mysterious injury appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United are reportedly alongside other big clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich in eyeing up Barcelona defender Jules Kounde.

The France international has mostly been a key player for Barca down the years, but it seems the club are now less sure about keeping him.

According to Fichajes, Kounde could be available for around €80m this summer, with Premier League clubs on alert due to his versatility as one of his most appealing attributes.

Kounde can play both centre-back and right-back to a high standard, and that could make him a useful addition for the likes of Man United and Liverpool.

Jules Kounde transfer interest hotting up after change to Barcelona situation

Fichajes claim there is great debate internally at Barcelona about Kounde’s future, with his recent form leaving the club increasingly open to letting him go if the money is right.

The former Sevilla player can still be a top performer on his day, but there are perhaps some signs of his decline, and that could mean now is a good time to try cashing in.

Liverpool could do well to pounce on the situation as they’re a bit short in defence right now after injuries to right-backs Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong.

The Reds also need to think about central defence as Ibrahima Konate comes towards the end of his contract, while Virgil van Dijk is not getting any younger.

Man United surely need Jules Kounde

Meanwhile, United have long looked in need of an upgrade on Diogo Dalot at right-back, and it’s surprising this hasn’t happened yet.

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Still, if Kounde is on the market then perhaps this will be the moment they make a move.

The Red Devils could probably also do with more depth in the centre of their defence as it’s not yet clear what will be happening with Harry Maguire, who is out of contract at the end of this season.

The post Report: Man United rival Liverpool for potential €80m transfer of versatile star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Atletico Madrid are reportedly eyeing up a potential transfer swoop for Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus for the summer.

The Brazil international is being monitored and considered by Atletico, according to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, in news that will surely excite a fair few Gunners supporters.

Jesus has performed well for Arsenal since returning from injury, but in general the feeling at the Emirates Stadium is that they surely need a new striker this summer.

An ideal candidate could be Atletico front-man Julian Alvarez, who has been linked with Arsenal by ESPN, so could Jesus be used as part of a swap deal?

Julian Alvarez to Arsenal with Gabriel Jesus moving in the opposite direction?

Swap deals are not that common in football, but if Atletico really are keen on Jesus, then it seems like a no-brainer for Arsenal to try to reach an agreement with them involving Alvarez.

The Argentina international is not in the best form right now, but in general he’s been hugely impressive in recent years, both in Madrid and during his time at Manchester City.

Despite not being a regular starter at Man City, Alvarez scored 36 goals in two seasons at the Etihad Stadium, and has a further 40 goals in 88 games in Spain.

AFC probably can’t rely on Jesus for much longer due to his poor injury record, so if they could use him to tempt Atletico into doing business that could be a big win for them.

Could Arsenal succeed in swap deal with Atletico Madrid?

It’s already been claimed by TEAMtalk that Jesus and his Arsenal teammate Gabriel Martinelli could be on offer to Atletico as the north London giants pursue Alvarez.

It remains to be seen how this will all pan out, but if Atletico want a signing up front, then perhaps they could also look at other Arsenal players like Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, and Leandro Trossard.

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There are surely a few players there who’d be tempting for Diego Simeone even if Jesus ends up being deemed too risky due to his poor recent fitness record.

Arsenal surely need to find a creative solution like this, however, because otherwise Alvarez will likely be far too expensive.

The post Euro giants eyeing Arsenal star in transfer that could open door to exciting swap deal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United’s interim manager Michael Carrick will have “very good chances” of landing the job permanently if this strong start continues.

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano on YouTube, with the journalist explaining that there’s no final decision yet on the Man Utd manager position.

Still, Carrick has made a terrific start, winning three out of three since taking over in an interim role until the end of the season.

The 44-year-old former Red Devils midfielder has earned impressive wins over Manchester City and Arsenal in that time, and it seems Romano is not ruling him out getting the job beyond this season.

Fabrizio Romano on Michael Carrick’s chances of being Manchester United manager permanently

“In the summer we will see obviously, if Carrick will continue like this he will have very good chances, but this will be decided by the club later on, not now,” Romano said.

Romano has established himself as one of the most reliable journalists when it comes to transfers and reporting on managerial changes, so fans will undoubtedly be interested to see that he’s not ruling Carrick out of the running for the permanent job.

MUFC probably need to go for someone more proven and experienced, but it’s also looking like being increasingly hard for them to ignore the impact Carrick has had.

Should Michael Carrick be next Manchester United manager?

Carrick did an impressive job during a spell in charge of Championship club Middlesbrough, and one imagines he has it in him to coach in the Premier League.

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It’s probably too early to know for sure if he has what it takes to manage a big name like United, but he’s done his chances no harm with a fantastic start.

Many United fans will also surely be rooting for him as he’s one of their best players from the Sir Alex Ferguson era, and someone who understands a lot about what it takes to succeed at this club.

The post Fabrizio Romano explains why there could be “very good chances” for this manager to get Man Utd job appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester City have seen their request to have Marc Guehi eligible to play in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal rejected by the EFL.

Guardiola had been quoted by BBC Sport as saying he feels Guehi should be allowed to play, urging Man City to push for the rules to be relaxed.

However, the Daily Mirror now report that this request has been rejected by the EFL, leaving City without an important player for the March 22nd clash against the Gunners.

Pep Guardiola on Marc Guehi playing the Carabao Cup final

Speaking after the semi-final victory over Newcastle United last night, Guardiola made it clear he could not understand why Guehi was not allowed to play.

“Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final. I don’t understand why he cannot play the final.

“You buy a player for a lot of money and he is not able to play for a rule I don’t understand. Hopefully they can change it.”

He added: “I said to the club, they have to ask, definitely. I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final in March, when I have been here for a long time.

“The rules to buy a player depends on Fifa, Uefa, the Premier League who say, OK the transfer window is open, when you buy a player you have to play, no? It’s logic. Of course we are going to try to ask [for] him to play. Pure logic.”

Early boost for Arsenal in Carabao Cup final

Even if it was never particularly likely that Guehi would be allowed to play, this is a bit of a boost for Arsenal as they prepare to take on City at Wembley next month.

Mikel Arteta’s side are desperate to end their six-year wait for a trophy, and it won’t be easy defeating this City side, even if they’ve not been at their best this season.

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Any boost they can get will be welcome, with City suffering some injuries in defence in recent times that could prove costly in a big game like this.

That’s why Guehi was signed from Crystal Palace this January, and Guardiola will no doubt be furious that he can’t use the England international in what is sure to be one of his team’s most important games all season.

The post Boost for Arsenal as key decision made on Man City star playing in Carabao Cup final appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea legend Eden Hazard has made a rather controversial claim about Cesc Fabregas being an ideal pick to be Blues manager.

This comes just a few weeks after Liam Rosenior’s appointment to replace Enzo Maresca, though it isn’t entirely clear if Hazard is pushing for this to happen now.

Still, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Belgian made it clear how big a fan he is of Fabregas after seeing his work with Serie A side Como.

The Spaniard, who played alongside Hazard at Chelsea, is becoming widely regarded as one of the most promising young coaches in the game, so it makes sense that a big move could be on the cards sooner or later.

Eden Hazard wants Cesc Fabregas as Chelsea manager

Discussing Fabregas’ work at Como, Hazard says he’s already urged him to come back to Stamford Bridge.

“I’ll be honest, in the summer we talked a bit. I told him he was one of the best midfielders in history and that he’s destined to become one of the best coaches as well,” Hazard said.

“I explained to him that the time has come for him to return to Chelsea, and he joked about it, but I really believe it. He loves football and knows everything about this sport.

“I’m a Chelsea fan, and I want the best for the club. That’s why I dream of seeing Cesc on their bench, while I’ll be staying in the stands behind him, enjoying the show.”

Could Cesc Fabregas replace Liam Rosenior?

Even though Rosenior hasn’t been in the job long, we know that Chelsea change managers pretty quickly.

The west London giants have already been through Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, and Enzo Maresca under these owners, so Rosenior might not get that much time to impress.

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It seems Hazard is already making it clear he’d welcome Fabregas back to CFC even if it meant replacing Rosenior, though he didn’t say that explicitly.

Still, Hazard’s comments hint at that, with the pair clearly already discussing this in recent times, and with Hazard stating clearly that he still views the 38-year-old as ideal for the job.

The post “We talked…” – Eden Hazard hints he’s pushing for ex-Chelsea star to replace Liam Rosenior as manager appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Fabrizio Romano says there has been a big change to Kobbie Mainoo’s situation at Manchester United after the departure of Ruben Amorim.

The England international had fallen completely out of favour under Amorim, who was sacked by Man Utd last month after poor results and performances.

However, Mainoo is now back in the starting line up under interim manager Michael Carrick, and performing very well again, showing how important he can be for the Red Devils.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained that Mainoo really could have left if Amorim had stayed, but not because he wanted out of United for any reason other than the fact that he wasn’t playing.

Kobbie Mainoo update from Fabrizio Romano

Although Mainoo was unhappy at falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford, he only wanted to leave on loan to boost his playing time, according to Romano.

“Don’t forget the big change around Kobbie Mainoo in the recent weeks with Ruben Amorim. He was probably going to leave the club,” Romano said.

“And let me mention once again, Kobe Mayo never wanted to leave Man United. Kobbie Mainoo only wanted to play football. So Kobbie was not asking, ‘I don’t like Man United. I don’t love Man United. I want to go. I want another project.’ No, Kobbie only wanted to play football, which is something normal for a football player, especially when you are so young.

So Kobbie was prepared to go on loan, not on a permanent transfer because he loves Man United. He loves the club. He’s a Man United boy. But let me mention to you that Kobbie Mainoo is now a crucial player for Michael Carrick.”

Kobbie Mainoo happy at Manchester United

As we’ve recently reported, Mainoo is happy at United now despite having previously attracted interest from the likes of Napoli and Chelsea.

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The 20-year-old now looks like he can become a key player for MUFC after initially making his breakthrough under Erik ten Hag.

Things went downhill for him under Amorim, but Carrick now looks to be reviving his career, which will no doubt go down well with fans who like seeing homegrown talents coming through.

The post Fabrizio Romano confirms “big change” on Manchester United star’s transfer situation appeared first on CaughtOffside.

With tension between Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr on the rise, rumours are circulating that we might see the Portuguese star returning to Europe.

Ronaldo was notably absent from Al Nassr’s last match, in an act of protest against the Public Investment Fund, which directly controls Saudi Arabia’s major clubs.

The striker, who is used to having his own way, feels that PIF’s decision-making is not in his favour, according to ESPN. Now, with the situation at boiling point, it seems unlikely that he’ll complete the remaining 18 months of his £488,000-per-day agreement with the Saudi club.

The final straw for Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo’s refusal to play in the latest match was triggered by Karim Benzema’s transfer from Al Ittihad and Al Hilal, a shift which greatly strengthens Al Nassr’s biggest rival. According to sources close to the star, Ronaldo feels that his club is taking a backseat in the eyes of the PIF.

In his view, he is being exploited, while other teams receive unfair favouritism. His decision not to play is a dramatic declaration of intent. He is leveraging his huge public persona to force changes in the Saudi league. If he can’t do that, his exit seems inevitable.

Cristiano Ronaldo transfer back to Man United looks unlikely

Following this intense scrutiny, it’s no surprise that fans are wondering whether we’ll see Ronaldo back at the club where he made his name.

But his former colleague, Wes Brown, says no. The ex-Manchester United centre back told BettingLounge: “He’s not happy, but would Cristiano Ronaldo come back to Manchester United for a third go? I would say no. I can’t see how that could happen.”

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This is likely to be a blow for Man United supporters, who still associate with the heights of the team’s success under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Brown believes a move to the USA is more probable.

“A move to MLS? Maybe,” he said. “Maybe he goes back to Portugal and plays there. I’m sure he will still have so many options.“

The post Cristiano Ronaldo’s former teammate comments on potential “third go” at Manchester United appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal have had some initial talks over signing one of the hottest prospects in Brazil, but Chelsea could also come into the conversation.

As first reported here for the Daily Briefing, sources in the industry believe it could end up being a big summer for Corinthians midfielder Breno Bidon, who already attracted a lot of interest in the January transfer window just gone.

The 20-year-old central midfielder has already played over 100 senior matches for Corinthians, scoring four goals, and it seems clear that he’ll earn himself a big move sooner rather than later.

Breno Bidon on Arsenal’s radar as host of European clubs show interest in star with €100m release clause

For the time being, the feeling among well-connected sources in the industry is that Arsenal have the strongest interest in Bidon, and that they’re also most advanced with that interest as initial talks have already taken place.

The Gunners have reached out over this deal via intermediaries, but other top clubs like Chelsea are also monitoring the Brazilian starlet closely.

“Arsenal are firmly in the mix,” one source said. “They have done some early work on this deal, but of course Corinthians aren’t keen to sell. They’re in a strong negotiating position because his release clause is €100m.”

Other sources suggest, however, that Corinthians are realistic about Bidon’s future and might accept something more like €30m for him in the summer.

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Chelsea are known for recruiting elite young talents like this and he could view Stamford Bridge as a good move for his development, though Arsenal also look like a tempting destination right now.

I’m told that other clubs to watch could be Barcelona, as well as clubs in Italy and Portugal.

The post Sources: Arsenal “firmly” in race to sign Chelsea wonderkid target for €30m appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Aston Villa star Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised Liam Delap’s decision to join Chelsea last summer as he seems to be struggling for the Blues.

Delap impressed at Ipswich Town last season, scoring 12 goals in 37 Premier League games for a weak side that ended up getting relegated.

It looked like Delap could surely have it in him to make the step up to a bigger club after managing to stand out in that environment, but it’s just not happened for him at Chelsea.

The 22-year-old has just one league goal in 15 appearances for CFC so far this season, and Agbonlahor believes this move came too soon for him.

Chelsea should’ve signed Victor Osimhen, Liam Delap should’ve gone to Everton

Speaking on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor said that although he rates Delap, he felt in the summer like this big move came too soon for him, and that he should have gone to a club like Everton instead.

The pundit also suggested that Chelsea would have been better off signing a proven big name like Victor Osimhen for the striker role instead of Delap.

“No, this isn’t working. I said when he joined Chelsea that I thought he should have gone to a team like Everton,” Agbonlahor said.

“Develop there for a couple of years and then make the big move to top-six side. I think the jump from Ipswich to Chelsea was too much.

“When I look at him as a striker, I like him – he can hold up the ball well, he’s a good finisher, but he just doesn’t look sharp enough for the top level of the Premier League.

“Someone like Osimhen was the striker they should have gone out and got.”

Liam Delap the latest striker to struggle for Chelsea

Chelsea have had a lot of problems signing strikers down the years, with so many big names turning out to be flops.

Nicolas Jackson looked promising when he first joined, but failed to develop, and is now out on loan at Bayern Munich, while Delap has not looked like an upgrade at all.

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Going further back down the years, others like Timo Werner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao, and Fernando Torres also struggled to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge.

Delap is still young and could have a big future in the game, but he’ll have to improve quickly or he might not get many more opportunities for Chelsea.

The post Pundit says recent Chelsea signing “isn’t working”, names the player they should’ve got instead appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly ready to boycott another Al Nassr game as he could push for a transfer away from the club in June.

According to ESPN, Ronaldo remains firm in his stance that PFI should change their transfer policy, and he’s willing to continue his strike to push for change.

The report adds that if the situation doesn’t change by the summer, Ronaldo would be prepared to ask to leave Al Nassr.

The Portugal international refused to play in Al Nassr’s last game, with ESPN adding that he tried to block Karim Benzema’s transfer from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal earlier this week.

Why is Cristiano Ronaldo unhappy at Al Nassr?

As the report goes on to explain, there have been some changes at Al Nassr recently that have hindered what the club can do in the transfer market.

Club director Simao Coutinho and CEO Jose Semedo were recently suspended by PIF, which angered Ronaldo, while there was also apparently a cut to the team’s expenses.

While all this has been happening, Al Hilal have been given more money to spend on big signings like Benzema, so it’s perhaps not too surprising that Ronaldo has been left frustrated by the whole saga.

The 41-year-old has a contract with Al Nassr until 2027, but it might now be tricky for them to hold on to him.

It would surely be a big blow for Saudi football to lose Ronaldo, but it’s clear they’ll have to make some changes to keep this star name happy.

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Could Cristiano Ronaldo return to Europe?

ESPN state that Ronaldo has a €50m release clause in his Al Nassr contract, but it’s hard to imagine any European side paying that for him now.

For one thing, with Ronaldo turning 41 today, it’s not clear how much longer he has left before retirement.

Ronaldo moving somewhere like the MLS is surely more likely at this stage.

The post Cristiano Ronaldo to go on strike again and could ask for transfer out of Al Nassr appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has made it clear that the club will try to ask to get Marc Guehi available for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.

Guehi only recently joined Man City from Crystal Palace, and is currently ineligible to play for his new side in the Carabao Cup due to representing Palace in the competition earlier this season.

The England international actually scored against Arsenal in Palace’s quarter-final defeat at the Emirates Stadium in December, and he’ll now be a key player for Guardiola’s side after being brought in to help with the club’s injury crisis.

City recently lost Josko Gvardiol to a long-term injury, while Ruben Dias has also missed a lot of games, so it’s not surprising to see Guardiola now pushing to have Guehi available to him for the Carabao Cup final.

Pep Guardiola on pushing to get Marc Guehi eligible to play vs Arsenal

Speaking after last night’s semi-final second leg victory over Newcastle, Guardiola suggested the club will speak to the relevant authorities about getting them to change the rules.

As quoted by BBC Sport, the Spanish tactician said: “Hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final. I don’t understand why he cannot play the final.

“You buy a player for a lot of money and he is not able to play for a rule I don’t understand. Hopefully they can change it.”

He added: “I said to the club, they have to ask, definitely. I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final in March, when I have been here for a long time.

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“The rules to buy a player depends on Fifa, Uefa, the Premier League who say, OK the transfer window is open, when you buy a player you have to play, no? It’s logic. Of course we are going to try to ask [for] him to play. Pure logic.

Asked what answer he expected, Guardiola responded: “No. But we will try.”

The post “We will try” – Pep Guardiola will seek rule change for Man City vs Arsenal Carabao Cup final appeared first on CaughtOffside.

There’s been talk in the last few days of Arsenal being offered the signing of Sandro Tonali by the Newcastle United midfielder’s agent.

When asked about this by talkSPORT, Magpies CEO David Hopkinson didn’t deny the stories, but simply stated he didn’t know.

This follows the Athletic reporting that Tonali’s agent offered the player to the Gunners, and although it was too late for anything to happen in the January transfer window, it perhaps suggests it’s going to be a story to watch out for in the summer.

Hopkinson, however, made it clear that he feels Tonali is very happy at Newcastle and that the Italy international is hugely important to the club.

Newcastle chief speaks out on Sandro Tonali Arsenal transfer story

When asked if the Tonali stories were true, Hopkinson said: “I have no idea. That’s our answer.

“Eddie (Howe) got it right, he doesn’t know, I don’t know. Here’s what I do know, he’s a superstar player, he’s under contract here.

“He’s not the only player we had that other clubs would covet, so I think if we get a situation where people aren’t trying to muck about and sew some chaos into the marketplace in order to dislodge our players then we’ve got a real problem.

“Sandro has been a wonderful player, a smile’s on every day I see him, I believe he’s happy here and we’re certainly happy with him.”

Could Arsenal lure Sandro Tonali away from Newcastle?

Tonali has shone for Newcastle, helping them qualify for the Champions League last season, but he’d surely be tempted by a big name like Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s project really looks like it’s going somewhere now, with the north Londoners topping the Premier League table, Champions League league phase, and making it to the final of the Carabao Cup this season.

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Tonali could be a great fit alongside the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi in midfield, but Newcastle will surely do all they can to keep the 25-year-old.

As Hopkinson said, he’s a superstar player for NUFC and they won’t want a repeat of last summer’s saga that saw Alexander Isak leave St James’ Park for a big-money move to Liverpool.

The post Club chief speaks out on Arsenal talks over signing “superstar player” appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gave the perfect response when asked about Manchester United legend Paul Scholes criticising his team’s style.

Speaking at his press conference on Monday, Arteta was asked about concerns over his tactics and how entertaining the style of football has been this season.

Arsenal have had their critics, though Arteta mainly insisted that he only hears good things from people he’s spoken to around Europe.

The Spanish tactician was then also asked about Scholes in particular, as the pundit has been particularly outspoken about finding Arsenal boring to watch.

See below as Arteta shrugged it off in pretty damning style, making it clear how little Scholes’ opinion meant to him!

? Mikel Arteta's brilliant reaction to hearing that Paul Scholes is not a fan of Arsenal's style of play! ? pic.twitter.com/I4shy7WBKM

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) February 2, 2026

Arsenal fans won’t care about style as Arteta’s side close in on titles

Arsenal aren’t exactly playing the free-flowing attacking football that became their trademark under Arsene Wenger for so many years, but that approach didn’t exactly bring much success in the second half of the Frenchman’s reign.

Arsenal fans will just want to see their club get over the line as they chase the Premier League title and close in on the final of the Carabao Cup.

On top of that, Arteta’s approach also has the Gunners top of the Champions League table with eight wins out of eight.

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Plenty of teams have enjoyed success with a variety of different approaches down the years, and Arsenal under Wenger were often criticised for not being better at adapting their tactics to grind out results when needed.

Now that AFC are better at that, they seem to be attracting critics too, so Arteta will surely continue to shut out the noise from media figures like Scholes.

The post “Okay…” – Mikel Arteta gives perfect response to Paul Scholes’ bizarre criticism of Arsenal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal have reportedly won the race to sign Jaden Dixon from Stoke City, but Chelsea also had an interest in the 18-year-old defender.

That’s according to Sam Dean of the Telegraph, who has posted on X about his understanding of the Gunners’ pursuit of Dixon.

It was reported earlier on Deadline Day that Arsenal had agreed a deal for Dixon, and now Dean says Chelsea were also admirers of the England youth international.

See below for details as Dean also revealed the fee for the player, whose arrival still hasn’t been officially confirmed by the clubs…

I'm told Jaden Dixon will be joining Arsenal from Stoke City for a fee of around £500,000. Chelsea were also interested in signing the 18-year-old England youth international.

— Sam Dean (@SamJDean) February 2, 2026

“I’m told Jaden Dixon will be joining Arsenal from Stoke City for a fee of around £500,000. Chelsea were also interested in signing the 18-year-old England youth international,” Dean posted.

Arsenal get a late deal done as Chelsea miss out on top prospect

Arsenal fans will surely be pleased with this smart bit of business, with Dixon joining for very cheap despite looking like someone whose value will surely increase a lot in the next few years.

The teenager has shown huge potential at Stoke, and it makes sense that this was a deal Chelsea were also really keen on.

The Blues have a policy of recruiting the best young players from English football and elsewhere in the world, and it looks like Dixon could have been a good fit.

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Arsenal fans will now hope the Dixon deal can be officially announced soon and that he can go on to make an impact on their first-team before too long.

Even if he most likely won’t be a regular straight away, we have seen Mikel Arteta giving plenty of opportunities to top young players in recent times.

The post “I’m told…” – Journalist reveals Chelsea interest in Arsenal deal that hasn’t been confirmed yet appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The transfer window is now closed, so we’ve rounded up every single done deal by all 20 Premier League clubs over the last month.

It wasn’t the most memorable January transfer window, but read on for every done deal as there were some major deals done by the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.

For City, it was a pretty exciting window as Pep Guardiola moved to bring in Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth after his terrific form there in the last year and a half or so.

Meanwhile, Marc Guehi also made the move to the Etihad Stadium to fill the void left by the injured Josko Gvardiol, meaning that long-running saga came to an end a little earlier than expected, with his Crystal Palace contract only a few months away from expiring anyway.

For Arsenal, it was mostly a window of exits, as Ethan Nwaneri joined Marseille on loan, while Oleksandr Zinchenko left for a permanent move to Ajax.

Elsewhere, Conor Gallagher was a big name arrival back to the Premier League, with the former Chelsea midfielder leaving Atletico Madrid after a year and a half to join Tottenham.

Read on for our full list of done deals from this transfer window…

Arsenal

IN

None

OUT

Osman Kamara – Blackburn, undisclosed

Oleksandr Zinchenko – Ajax, undisclosed

Louie Copley – Crawley, loan

Ethan Nwaneri – Marseille, loan

Maldini Kacurri – Grimsby, loan

Aston Villa

IN

Tammy Abraham – Besiktas, £18.2m

Alysson – Gremio, £10m

Brian Madjo – Metz, undisclosed

Leon Bailey – Roma, loan recall

Douglas Luiz – Juventus, loan

OUT

Louie Barry – Stockport, loan

Samuel Iling-Junior, Pisa, loan

Ben Broggio – Falkirk, loan

Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba – West Brom, loan

Evann Guessand – Crystal Palace, loan

Aidan Borland – Swindon, loan

Sil Swinkels – Chesterfield, loan

Donyell Malen – Roma, loan with £21.6m obligation to buy

Finley Munroe – Middlesbrough, undisclosed

Kane Taylor – Oldham, loan

Yasin Ozcan – Besiktas, loan

Bournemouth

IN

Fraser Forster – unattached, free

Alex Toth – Ferencvaros, £13m

Christos Mandas – Lazio, loan

Rayan – Vasco da Gama, £30.3m

OUT

Julian Araujo – Celtic, loan

Antoine Semenyo – Man City, £64m

Noa Boutin – Salisbury, loan

Romain Faivre – Auxerre, undisclosed

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Brentford

IN

Kaye Furo – Club Brugge, £8.7m

OUT

Frank Onyeka – Coventry, loan

Iwan Morgan – Shrewsbury Town, loan

Michael Olakigbe – Swindon, loan

Myles Peart-Harris – Oxford, undisclosed

Yunus Emre Konak – Oxford, loan

Matt Cox – Shrewsbury, loan

Chanse Headman – Harrogate, undisclosed

Gustavo Nunes – Swansea, loan

Paris Magoma – Norwich, undisclosed

Brighton

IN

Pascal Gross – Borussia Dortmund, £1.2m

Caylan Vikcers – Barnsley, loan recall

OUT

Brajan Gruda – RB Leipzig, loan

Tommy Watson – Millwall, loan

Jeremy Sarmiento – Middlesbrough, loan

Eiran Cashin – Blackburn, loan

Do-young Yoon – Dordrecht, loan

Facundo Buonanotte – Leeds, loan

Jacob Slater – Harrogate, loan

Ibrahim Osman – Birmingham, loan

Burnley

IN

James Ward-Prowse – West Ham, loan

OUT

Hannes Delcroix – Lugano, undisclosed

Joseph Bevan – Dundee, undisclosed

Luca Koleosho – Paris FC, loan

Brad Grant – released

Joe Bevan – Dundee, undisclosed

Michael Obafemi – Blackpool, loan

Chelsea

IN

Mamadou Sarr – Strasbourg, loan recall

Caleb Wiley – Watford, loan recall

Kiano Dyer – Volendam, loan recall

Yisa Alao – Sheffield Wednesday, undisclosed

OUT

David Datro Fofana, Strasbourg, loan

Aaron Anselmino – Strasbourg, loan

Yahya Idrissi – AC Milan, undisclosed

Frankie Runham – Ipswich, loan

Raheem Sterling – released

Leo Castledine – Middlesbrough, undisclosed

Facundo Buonanotte – Brighton, loan recall

Crystal Palace

IN

Evann Guessand – Aston Villa, loan

Brennan Johnson – Tottenham, £35m

Hindolo Mustapha – Nurnberg, loan recall

Danny Imray – Blackpool, loan recall

OUT

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi – Stoke, loan

Tayo Adaramola – Sheffield Wednesday, loan

Romain Esse – Coventry City, loan

Naouirou Ahamada – Auxerre, undisclosed

Luke Browne – Notts County, undisclosed

Marc Guehi – Man City, £20m

Owen Goodman – Barnlsey, loan

Luke Browne – Notts County, undisclosed

Everton

IN

Harrison Armstrong – Preston, loan recall

OUT

Martin Sherif – Port Vale, loan

Elijah Campbell – Port Vale, loan

Francis Okoronkwo – Doncaster, loan

Harry Tryer – Cardiff, undisclosed

Will Tamen – Tranmere, loan

Roman Dixon – Stockport, loan

Fulham

IN

Oscar Bobb – Man City, £27m

OUT

Aaron Loupalo-Bi – Walsall, loan

Adama Traore – West Ham, undisclosed

Luke Harris – Wycombe, loan

Leeds United

In

Facundo Buonanotte – Brighton, loan

Out

Jack Harrison – Fiorentina, loan

Harry Gray – Rotherham, loan

Liverpool

IN

James McConnell – Ajax, loan recall

Owen Beck – Derby, loan recall

Mor Talla Ndiaye – Amitie FC, undisclosed

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OUT

Calum Scanlon – Cardiff, loan

James Norris – Shelbourne, undisclosed

James Balagizi – Forest Green, loan

Manchester City

IN

Sverre Nypan – Middlesbrough, loan recall

Antoine Semenyo – Bournemouth, £64m

Max Alleyne – Watford, loan recall

Marc Guehi – Crystal Palace, £20m

OUT

Kalvin Phillips – Sheff Utd, loan

Justin Oboavwoduo – Juventus, undisclosed

Stefan Ortega – Nottingham Forest, £500,000

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey – Cologne, loan

Emilio Lawrence – Luton, loan

Claudio Echeverri – Girona, loan

Jaden Heskey – Sheffield Wednesday, loan

Oscar Bobb – Fulham, £27m

Stephen Mfuni – Watford, loan

Manchester United

IN

Toby Collyer – West Brom, loan recall

Sonny Aljofree – Notts County, loan recall

Ethan Wheatley – Northampton, loan recall

Elyh Harrison – Shrewsbury, loan recall

Habeeb Ogunneye – Newport, loan recall

Joe Hugill – Barnet, loan recall

Harry Amass – Sheffield Wednesday, loan recall

OUT

Ethan Wheatley – Bradford City, loan

Sam Mather – Kayserispor, undisclosed

Harry Amass – Norwich, loan

Joe Hugill – Kilmarnock, undisclosed

Newcastle United

IN

None

OUT

Antonio Cordero – Cadiz, loan

Ben Parkinson – Falkirk, undisclosed

Joe Brayson – Morpeth Town, loan

Joe White – Bradford, loan

Harrison Ashby – Bradford, loan

Nottingham Forest

IN

Stefan Ortega – Manchester City, £500,000

Lorenzo Lucca – Napoli, loan

OUT

Esapa Osong – Fleetwood, loan

Arnaud Kalimuendo – Eintracht Frankfurt, loan

Josh Powell – Fleetwood, loan

Jamie McDonnell – Oxford Utd, undisclosed

Jack Thompson – Barrow, loan

Sunderland

IN

Jocelin Ta Bi – Maccabi Netanya, undisclosed

Melker Ellborg – Malmo, £3.4m

OUT

Adil Aouchiche – Schalke, undisclosed

Patrick Roberts – Birmingham, undisclosed

Leo Hjelde – Sheffield United, loan

Anthony Patterson – Millwall, loan

Timothee Pembele – Le Havre, loan

Jay Matete – MK Dons, undisclosed

Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi – Shrewsbury, loan

Jake Waters – Spennymoor Town, loan

Dan Neil – Ipswich, loan

Aji Alese – Portsmouth, loan

Ben Middlemas – Swindon, undisclosed

Joe Anderson – Barrow, undisclosed

Tymur Tutierov – Exeter, loan

Arthur Masuaku – Lens, loan

Tottenham

IN

Conor Gallagher – Atletico Madrid, £34m

George Abbott – Wycombe, loan recall

Alfie Dorrington – Aberdeen, loan recall

Mason Melia – St Patrick’s Athletic, undisclosed

Souza – Santos, £13m

OUT

George Abbott – Mansfield Town, loan

Alfie Dorrington – Salford City, loan

Herbie James – Cardiff City, undisclosed

Brennan Johnson – Crystal Palace, £35m

Kota Takai – Borussia Monchengladbach, loan

Manor Solomon – Fiorentina, loan

Jamie Donley – Oxford, loan

Oliver Irow – Mansfield, loan

Min-hyeok Yang – Coventry City, loan

Damola Ajayi – Doncaster, loan

Dane Scarlett – Hibernian, loan

Yusuf Akhamrich – Bristol Rovers, loan

West Ham

IN

Pablo Felipe – Gil Vicente, £20m

Taty Castellanos – Lazio, £25.2m

Keiber Lamadrid – Deportivo La Guaira, loan

Adama Traore – Fulham, undisclosed

OUT

Lucas Paqueta – Flamengo, £36.5m

Guido Rodriguez – Valencia, undisclosed

Niclas Fullkrug – AC Milan, loan

Luis Guilherme – Sporting, £17.5m

Krisztian Hegyi – MTK Budapest, loan

Callum Marshall – Bochum, loan

George Earthy – Bristol City, loan

Junior Robinson – Boreham Wood, loan

Andy Irving – Sparta Prague, undisclosed

Kaelen Casey – Leyton Orient, loan

James Ward-Prowse – Burnley, loan

Emeka Adiele – FC Utrecht, undisclosed

Wolves

IN

Pedro Lima – Porto, loan recall

OUT

Fer Lopez – Celta Vigo, loan

Alfie Pond – Crewe, loan

Ki-Jana Hoever – Sheffield United, loan

Marshall Munetsi – Paris FC, loan

Fletcher Holman – Swindon, undisclosed

Temple Ojinnaka – Shrewsbury, loan

Tawanda Chirewa – Barnsley, loan

The post Transfer window 2026: Every done deal, including Man City signings & Arsenal exits appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool have reportedly taken another step closer to signing Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, who has now had his medical with the Reds.

The talented 20-year-old has been the subject of a lot of interest this winter, with the Athletic reporting on his medical with Liverpool being scheduled.

And now Mike McGrath of the Telegraph has posted on X that that medical has now been done, with Jacquet all set to join Liverpool for a potential £60m package in the summer.

See below for details as the Jacquet to Liverpool deal now looks all but done…

Jérémy Jacquet has completed his medical at Liverpool. The 20yr centre-back will join #LFC in £60m deal, with £55m up front and join in the summer after completing the season with Rennes

????https://t.co/nvidt3eGgn

— Mike McGrath (@mcgrathmike) February 2, 2026

McGrath posted: “Jérémy Jacquet has completed his medical at Liverpool. The 20yr centre-back will join #LFC in £60m deal, with £55m up front and join in the summer after completing the season with Rennes.”

Liverpool beat Chelsea to Jeremy Jacquet transfer

Chelsea were also in the mix for Jacquet earlier in this transfer window, but a deal seemingly couldn’t be agreed.

Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol had posted about the Blues pursuing the young defender, with Rennes’ preference always being to keep him until the summer.

Perhaps this ended up being the key detail, as LFC have clearly allowed Jacquet to remain with the Ligue 1 club for a few more months.

Chelsea, by contrast, looked like they really needed a new defender now, and this led to them recalling Mamadou Sarr from his loan spell at Strasbourg.

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Liverpool fans will be delighted to see their club move quickly to hijack the deal and secure the services of one of the most highly regarded young defenders in Europe.

Arne Slot looks like he could do with a signing like this for the near future, with Virgil van Dijk not getting any younger, while Ibrahima Konate is coming towards the end of his contract this summer.

The post Medical done: Liverpool a step closer to finalising £60m transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea have officially announced that Mamadou Sarr has been recalled to the club from his loan at Strasbourg, while Aaron Anselmino has joined the Ligue 1 side.

The Blues recently recalled Anselmino from his loan stint with Borussia Dortmund, and it looked like this could lead to him being involved in their first-team in the second half of the season.

However, Chelsea have now confirmed that the talented young Argentine has instead gone on loan to Strasbourg for the second half of this campaign, replacing Sarr as he’s returned to Stamford Bridge.

See below for the official announcements, which came in quick succession this evening…

Mamadou Sarr has returned to Chelsea from his loan spell at Strasbourg.

Welcome back, Mamadou! ?

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 2, 2026

The first one welcoming Sarr back was posted just after 6pm, while the below post on Anselmino came around 45 minutes later…

Aaron Anselmino has joined Ligue 1 club Strasbourg on loan for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 2, 2026

Chelsea reunited Mamadou Sarr with Liam Rosenior

Even if some Chelsea fans might be a bit baffled by all this movement, it could end up being smart business by the west London giants to get Sarr playing under Liam Rosenior again.

Rosenior recently replaced Enzo Maresca as CFC manager, having impressed at fellow BlueCo club Strasbourg.

Sarr played under Rosenior and performed well, so that could be a useful option for Chelsea to have in the second half of the season.

It will be interesting to see if the talented 20-year-old goes straight into the Chelsea team, but there’s no doubt Rosenior could do with more options at the back.

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There’ll no doubt be fans looking into last minute Arsenal vs Chelsea tickets for tomorrow night’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, but that game is surely going to come too soon for Sarr.

The Senegal international would really be being thrown in at the deep end if he were to be handed his Chelsea debut in such a big game at the Emirates Stadium, but perhaps after that he’ll get a run in the side.

The post Official: Chelsea announce two Deadline Day deals in quick succession appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Bayern Munich centre-back Dayot Upamecano has reportedly approved a new contract at the club despite links with Liverpool and other clubs.

The France international had been in the final year of his Bayern contract, leading to plenty of speculation over his future.

However, Fabrizio Romano has now posted on X to end the speculation, stating that Upamecano now looks set to stay and sign a new deal at the Allianz Arena.

See below for details…

?? EXCLUSIVE: Dayot Upamecano approves new deal at Bayern, clubs interested are informed!

He’s set to sign new contract soon at FC Bayern, happy to stay as huge boost for the club after big efforts from club and player side to make it happen. ??

It will be valid until 2030. pic.twitter.com/bMysgAPKL3

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 2, 2026

Romano posted: “Dayot Upamecano approves new deal at Bayern, clubs interested are informed! He’s set to sign new contract soon at FC Bayern, happy to stay as huge boost for the club after big efforts from club and player side to make it happen. It will be valid until 2030.”

Dayot Upamecano decision looks like a blow for Liverpool

We’ve previously reported on Liverpool’s interest in Upamecano, as has Christian Falk in one of his columns here, but the Reds now look set to miss out on the 27-year-old.

This is hardly ideal for LFC at a time when they look in need of a major shake-up in defence, with Ibrahima Konate coming towards the end of his contract at Anfield.

Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk is not getting any younger, so there could soon be the need for a player of Upamecano’s calibre to come in and become a new key player in Arne Slot’s back line.

Bayern fans will be delighted, though, as Upamecano can now put the speculation behind him and focus on getting back to his very best.

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Feb 3 2026, 6:27

Alternatives for Liverpool in defence

It will be interesting to see who else Liverpool might move for, but one name being most strongly linked is Rennes youngster Jeremy Jacquet.

The Athletic and others have claimed Liverpool are closing in on the talented young Frenchman, who would join in the summer.

Still, Liverpool could arguably do with at least one more new centre-back arriving in the near future.

The post Deal approved: Liverpool transfer target’s big decision confirmed by Fabrizio Romano appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Fabrizio Romano has some positive Arsenal transfer news today despite it being a mostly underwhelming Deadline Day for the Gunners and a lot of other clubs.

It seems the Gunners have agreed the signing of Stoke City wonderkid Jaden Dixon, with Romano posting that the deal is done for £3.2m.

See below for details as Romano also claims Arsenal view this as a “massive signing” for a very highly regarded young talent…

???? EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal agree deal to sign England U19 international Jaden Dixon on a four-year deal.

Deal completed for £3.2m plus add-ons. Arsenal view the player as a massive signing beating several clubs to the signings. pic.twitter.com/9z5oX5SEKf

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 2, 2026

Romano posted: “Arsenal agree deal to sign England U19 international Jaden Dixon on a four-year deal. Deal completed for £3.2m plus add-ons. Arsenal view the player as a massive signing beating several clubs to the signings.”

Arsenal have had long-standing transfer interest in Jaden Dixon

This is not the first time Arsenal have been linked with Dixon, with the Daily Mail first reporting on the north Londoners keeping tabs on him almost a year ago.

Still, it now seems a deal is close to going through, so Arsenal can say they’ve got an important bit of business done before this evening’s transfer deadline.

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Sources: Chelsea set to demand €100m for influential 25-year-old in the summer

Feb 3 2026, 6:27

Interestingly, it’s not the first time Arsenal have signed a Dixon from Stoke!

Back in 1988, Lee Dixon made the move from Stoke to Arsenal, and he ended up becoming an all-time great for the Gunners, forming part of that legendary back four along with other top defensive players such as Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Nigel Winterburn.

Dixon stayed at Arsenal until his retirement in 2002, winning a total of four league titles and numerous other major honours.

If this Dixon can go on to enjoy even half the career that his namesake had at Arsenal, then he’ll have done very well indeed!

The post “Deal completed” – Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal have secured “massive signing” on Deadline Day appeared first on CaughtOffside.