Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has fired a clear warning to any of his players thinking about the World Cup next summer over the good of their club.

Speaking at his press conference on Friday, Arteta was asked by reporters about the situation of players like Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus, who aren’t necessarily getting as many minutes as they might want.

Nwaneri might have an outside chance of making it into the England squad for next summer’s tournament, but he’s currently struggling to get much first-team action with Arsenal, starting only three games so far this season, with none of those coming in the Premier League.

See the video below, however, as Arteta brushed off questions about Nwaneri and Jesus by insisting it would be a “really bad approach” for any of his players to be looking ahead to the World Cup now…

? Mikel Arteta warns Arsenal players that if their priority is the World Cup then "we're going to have a BIG problem" ?? pic.twitter.com/LUGCMFn2O8

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) December 12, 2025

Mikel Arteta’s World Cup warning to Arsenal players

When asked at first about Nwaneri’s role in the team, Arteta defended his record of giving the 18-year-old a lot of chances at such an early stage in his career.

He said: “Probably looking at where he is, 18 years old, 50 appearances for the club.

“I want to see how many examples there are in English football with that number at that age.”

When asked about players like Nwaneri and Jesus and the World Cup, Arteta made it very clear it would be a big problem for him if anyone in his squad put that competition ahead of the rest of the season for Arsenal now.

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He added: “That’s a really bad approach, in my opinion. The approach has to be to be in the team as much as possible, and the rest is a consequence.

“If somebody is going to prioritise something for the World Cup, then I think we have a big problem.”

The post “A big problem” – Mikel Arteta fires warning to Arsenal players with “really bad approach” appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United seem increasingly open to cashing in on Bruno Fernandes, who remains a target for Saudi Pro League clubs.

As first reported here in the Daily Briefing, sources “expect bids” for Fernandes as both Al Hilal and Al Ittihad show a strong interest in him.

It’s anticipated that Man Utd could sell Fernandes for around £70m, with the Portugal international regarded as their most sellable asset.

This comes as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have been eager to make the club more financially stable since taking over.

Bruno Fernandes sale may be necessary to fund new Man United signings

With United targeting ambitious signings in midfield such as Elliot Anderson and Carlos Baleba, it seems Fernandes has been identified as someone worth cashing in on to help fund those moves.

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Red Devils fans might not be too keen to see a top player like Fernandes leave, but it’s also true that he’s not getting any younger and this might be their last chance to make big money from his departure.

If that helps MUFC build for the future with elite young midfielders like Anderson and Baleba, it would surely go down as good business in the long-term, even if there’s some short-term pain.

Bruno Fernandes transfer exit could be a big risk

For now, though, is it actually worth offloading someone as influential as Fernandes while Ruben Amorim is still rebuilding this side and trying to get more consistency?

Just see below as Fernandes is rated by FotMob as United’s best performer this season, while he’s top for assists and second for goals…

It might be tempting to think Fernandes’ influence will soon wane with age, but some top players have continued to go on performing at the very highest level well into their late 30s, so this is clearly something the club need to think carefully about.

The post Sources: “Expect bids” – Man United ready to sell £70m star to help fund two big signings appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has revealed that he got death threats from Everton fans when he made the move to Old Trafford in 2004.

The former England captain came through as a youngster from Everton’s academy and played for their first-team for a couple of years before being quickly snapped up by Man Utd in a big move.

It was clear that Rooney had a big career ahead of him, and he felt he had to do what was right for him and join the Red Devils.

Still, speaking on his latest podcast with BBC Sport, Rooney admitted that it came at a big personal cost as he received death threats and his parents’ house was vandalised.

Wayne Rooney on huge Everton fan backlash to his Man United transfer

Rooney left Goodison Park in the summer of 2004 and it seemed clear at the time that the move did not go down at all well with Everton fans.

Toffees supporters would always boo Rooney on his return to playing at their ground, and off the pitch things were even worse.

“I got death threats,” Rooney said. “My parents’ house was getting spray painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, her house was getting spray painted.

“I think that’s where you have to be mentally strong. The people around you have to help.

“Leaving was difficult because I went to Manchester United, and Liverpool and Manchester was a big rivalry so that made it a lot more difficult.

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“But I was always of a mindset of ‘I don’t care’. I knew what I wanted and I knew how to get there.

“I had to stay tough in my mind. This was people from my city so it was tough but I thought ‘I don’t care’, you have to be selfish and make these decisions.”

Wayne Rooney later returned for second spell at Everton

Somewhat surprisingly after such harsh treatment, Rooney later returned to Everton for a second spell.

When his time at United came to an end in the summer of 2017, Rooney joined EFC again, scoring 11 goals in 40 games before moving on again after just one season.

The veteran forward then had spells with DC United and Derby County before hanging up his boots and moving into both management and punditry.

The post I got death threats and my family home was vandalised over Manchester United transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has spoken out on the situation with star player Mohamed Salah as it remains to be seen if he’ll play against Brighton this weekend.

Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield on Saturday at 3pm, and all eyes will be on Salah, who was dropped from Slot’s squad to face Inter Milan in midweek, having been on the bench for the last three Premier League games.

The Egypt international did not respond well to being dropped to the bench, having publicly criticised Slot in an explosive interview after the 3-3 draw away to Leeds United.

Slot himself then responded by axing Salah from his matchday squad altogether in the Champions League, but it seems he’s open to the 33-year-old returning.

Arne Slot on talks with Mohamed Salah

Speaking ahead of the weekend game, Slot told his press conference, as quoted by BBC Sport, that he’s already had a lot of talks with Salah’s representatives and more meetings are scheduled to see if he’ll end up playing against Brighton.

“I will have a conversation with Mo,” the Dutch tactician said.

“The outcome of that conversation determines how things will look [on Saturday].

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“After the Sunderland game there were a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, between him and me.”

Should Salah still be starting for Liverpool?

Salah has not quite looked at his best this season, and the stats below show that he’s making less of an impact in basically every department…

Salah surely hasn’t lost all his talent over a matter of months, but he is at the age where some key attributes can start to wane quickly.

The former Roma man simply hasn’t looked as sharp in front of goal, and throughout his career he often relied on his pace and dribbling qualities.

Those things will go with age, and perhaps Slot is justified in thinking his team could look stronger overall without Salah in it now.

The post Slot reveals “a lot of conversations” over Salah’s Liverpool future & more talks planned appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea are one of the clubs interested in a transfer move for Sporting Lisbon centre-back Ousmane Diomande, but they face competition from Crystal Palace.

As first reported here for the Daily Briefing, the Eagles are making Diomande a top target to replace Marc Guehi, who continues to be targeted by Liverpool and other big clubs around Europe.

Sporting don’t want to sell Diomande and are pointing to his €80m release clause, which one imagines could prove problematic for Palace, but perhaps less so for Chelsea.

Other top clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, and Newcastle are also understood to have scouted Diomande in recent times.

Crystal Palace showing concrete interest in Ousmane Diomande

The current feeling among sources in the industry is that Palace are showing the strongest interest in Diomande, followed by Chelsea.

This is a clear signal that the south Londoners are planning for life without Guehi, who won’t be signing a new contract and who is due to become a free agent next summer.

The England international was targeted by Liverpool towards the end of last summer’s transfer window, only for Palace to pull the plug late on as they didn’t have a replacement.

If they can land a talent like Diomande to strengthen their defence, however, then that would help fill the gap left by Guehi.

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Marc Guehi not necessarily joining Liverpool

LFC fans will no doubt hope this is a boost for them in their pursuit of Guehi, but it doesn’t necessarily mean Anfield will be his next destination.

The 25-year-old will have numerous other suitors in for him, so in many ways Palace’s interest in Diomande doesn’t directly change that much.

It is yet another indication, however, that Guehi’s future lies away from Selhurst Park, so some Reds fans will surely see that as a positive, even if that already looked likely some time ago anyway.

The post Sources: PL club eyeing Chelsea transfer target in saga that could impact Liverpool appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal have been praised for their transfer deal for Noni Madueke, who has impressed since joining from rivals Chelsea in the summer.

Former Blues striker Chris Sutton says he felt at the time that Madueke’s departure from Stamford Bridge could hurt his former club, and it does seem like an increasingly smart piece of business by the Gunners.

Madueke starred for Arsenal in their midweek Champions League win over Club Brugge, scoring two goals in a 3-0 victory.

The England international also scored in the recent win over Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium, and it looks like he will prove a valuable squad player to take the pressure off Bukayo Saka, who has often had to play 90 minutes in pretty much every single game for Arsenal.

Chris Sutton praises Noni Madueke signing by Arsenal

“It wasn’t just with his goals that Noni Madueke made an impact, he did really well throughout the game and showed he is ready to do a job when he is called upon,” Sutton said via BBC Sport.

“A lot is made of Arsenal’s strength in depth this season, and at the moment Arteta has got a few injuries in key positions.

“But in those wide areas he has got plenty of options and the fact he could bring Madueke and Martinelli off the bench against Villa at the weekend and then start them tonight and see both of them score brilliant goals is a real positive.

“More and more, Madueke looks like a really smart signing. I already thought he was a loss to Chelsea, but you are seeing now he is back from injury that Arsenal can have Saka off that right side, or use him – it bodes really well for them with such a busy period coming up.”

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Can Madueke challenge Saka for a place?

Some Arsenal fans might well feel Madueke is showing glimpses of being able to challenge Saka for his place in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI.

After a few injuries, there have occasionally been signs of Saka slowing down a little bit and not quite looking at his best.

And yet, as the stats above show, he’s still producing impressive numbers for Arsenal, showing how important he is to the team even when he’s not yet at 100% peak fitness and form.

Madueke also has his qualities and will surely improve once he’s more settled at Arsenal, while he’s another one of many players in this squad to have also had problems with injuries this term.

The post “Really smart signing” – Arsenal praised for surprise deal that hurt their rivals appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United have been advised to consider a surprise move to re-sign veteran striker Danny Welbeck from Brighton.

Former Red Devils star Louis Saha believes Welbeck remains a top talent who could contribute on the pitch for Ruben Amorim’s side, as well as helping a young striker like Benjamin Sesko to improve his game.

Welbeck came up through the Man Utd academy and became a key first-team player under Sir Alex Ferguson, though he fell out of favour towards the end of his time at the club.

Since then, Welbeck has had spells at Arsenal, Watford, and now current club Brighton, and he’s been a particular success with the Seagulls.

Manchester United told they could do well to bring back Danny Welbeck

Speaking to Pundit Arena, as quoted by the Metro, Saha praised Welbeck and explained how he felt the 35-year-old’s presence could benefit the other forwards at Old Trafford.

“I would have loved Manchester United to sign Danny at the start of the season,” Saha said.

“When I came to the club, there was Van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer, but we had more than that. We had Tevez and Alan Smith, and there was depth, there was a variety. We all learned from each other.

“I think Sesko and other forward players would benefit by having someone like Welbeck to challenge them, to make them learn more about the game, more about positioning.

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“Welbeck’s experience would give an example for them to all learn from, and I think if Danny arrives in the winter transfer window, he could make a huge difference to results on the pitch.”

This is not the first we’ve heard about a Danny Welbeck to Man Utd return

The Athletic actually reported in the summer that MUFC at one point considered a move to re-sign Welbeck.

"This idea that he's not good enough for Manchester United is absolutely rubbish" ?

Gary Neville says Danny Welbeck is 'perfect' for how Man United should play ? pic.twitter.com/tSNX89Y3Q6

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 14, 2025

Meanwhile, as per the video clip above, United legend Gary Neville is another prominent figure who called for the player’s return.

Welbeck has seven goals and one assist in all competitions so far this season, following on from a tally of 11 goals in total last season.

These maybe aren’t the most spectacular numbers, but one imagines he’d get even more chances in this United side, while he’s also always been a player who’s about more than just goals.

Would you re-sign Welbeck for United? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post 8 G/A this season – Man United urged to sign experienced Premier League star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

MLS commissioner Don Garber has spoken out on the Mohamed Salah transfer situation, urging the Liverpool star to reach out to Lionel Messi to ask about life in the US.

Salah is currently facing serious uncertainty over his future, with the Egypt international benched for three consecutive games before then being dropped entirely by Arne Slot for complaining about his treatment.

Liverpool are already working to replace Salah, and it’s certainly hard to imagine the 33-year-old staying for much longer unless something dramatic happens soon.

Given his age and likely salary demands, it could be difficult for another top European club to sign Salah at this stage of his career, so it’s not surprising that the MLS is being mentioned as a potential destination.

Mohamed Salah to MLS? Don Garber sends a message to the Liverpool star

Garber has now addressed the Salah speculation and suggested the player should ask Messi about how he’s enjoying life there, though he also didn’t want to say too much more due to him still being under contract at Liverpool.

“Obviously, if [Salah] ever decides to come to Major League Soccer, we’d welcome him with open arms,” Garber said.

“I’d say he should reach out to Leo [Messi] and reach out to Thomas Muller and see how happy they’ve been and how successful they’ve been and how much they’ve really embraced being in Major League Soccer.”

He added: “I’ve seen some rumours about Mo Salah. We very much believe in the sanctity of a contract; that’s an American business dynamic. Mo’s under contract to Liverpool, people we know. It’s a great team.”

Could Salah move to MLS over Saudi?

This story also comes after a surprise move yesterday by Ben Harburg, an American sports investor who runs Al Kholood, to speak out against the prospect of Salah coming to the Saudi Pro League.

See below as it looks like Harburg has doubts about if Salah would be welcomed in Saudi now, so perhaps a switch to the States could end up being the better option…

?? "He's NOT a team player!" – Could Mohamed Salah to Saudi now be in serious doubt after his bust-up with Arne Slot? ? pic.twitter.com/olMkpFf6mt

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) December 11, 2025

Harburg said: “I do think there’s already, even amongst the public, much more apprehension around his coming into the league.

“He’s 33 years old, he got paid a boatload a year or so ago, whatever it was, and has underperformed massively since then.

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“He doesn’t strike me as a great team player. As an owner, when I look at the way he behaved there … if a player isn’t performing, they’re not going to be in the starting line up. We don’t put people in the starting line up based on what they did three seasons ago or even last season.

“All that, to me, combines for a fairly toxic combination of factors. So I would rather he not come here.

The post “We very much believe…” – MLS chief speaks out on transfer move for Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is reportedly someone who could be a prospective transfer target for Bayern Munich, according to Christian Falk.

Writing in his latest column for CF Bayern Insider, Falk explained that Mainoo is not currently thought to be a top priority for Bayern, but he is an option that could be one to watch.

The England international is struggling for playing time at Man Utd at the moment, having started only one game all season, and none in the Premier League.

Given that the World Cup 2026 is approaching, Mainoo will surely want to be playing regular first-team football in the second half of the season to give himself a chance of making Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

Kobbie Mainoo to leave Manchester United?

Mainoo might not currently be a top target for Bayern, but he’ll surely be leaving Old Trafford soon after an unhappy first half of the season under Ruben Amorim.

Amorim has had some criticism for his treatment of Mainoo, and it would certainly be a risk to let him join another top European club as the backlash from fans could be fierce if the 20-year-old goes on to develop into a world class player.

Napoli are another big name being strongly linked with Mainoo by La Repubblica and others, so that might be the one to watch out for if Bayern aren’t pursuing him.

Will United live to regret Mainoo decision?

Mainoo showed great potential when he first broke into the MUFC first-team as a teenager, becoming a regular under Erik ten Hag and even scoring the winning goal for the club in the 2024 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

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It’s not clear why Amorim won’t make more use of Mainoo, and it could end up being a decision he and United live to regret.

Not only is Mainoo a fine young player with what is surely a big future ahead of him, but replacing him with another midfielder of that calibre would surely cost huge money, whereas Mainoo rose up from the club’s academy, so cost them nothing.

The post Insider reveals Manchester United star could be a transfer target for Bayern Munich appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Bayern Munich chief Max Eberl is reportedly planning talks with Crystal Palace centre-back and Liverpool transfer target Marc Guehi on January 1st.

The England international is nearing the end of his contract with Palace, and is free to start negotiating a move for next season from January onwards.

This only applies to clubs from abroad, so it could give Bayern an edge over Liverpool, who also remain interested, according to Sky Germany.

Marc Guehi set for face-to-face Bayern Munich transfer talks

According to the report, Eberl is now set to meet Guehi directly to negotiate a move to Bayern, with the Bundesliga giants said to have a strong interest in the 25-year-old.

It seems Eberl has already had contacts with Guehi’s representatives, and he’ll now look to establish contacts with the player himself to try to move his club into pole position.

This could be bad news for Liverpool, and it tallies well with a recent report from the Athletic which stated that they were no longer the favourites for Guehi’s signature despite coming so close to signing him in the summer.

Where should Marc Guehi go next?

Palace fans will probably be hoping that Guehi chooses a move abroad instead of moving to a Premier League rival, but what would be the best move for the player himself?

Fellow Englishman Harry Kane has really enjoyed his time at Bayern so far, so it could be a tempting move for Guehi if he wants to ensure he’s playing for a top club in the Champions League and challenging for major trophies.

Vincent Kompany is also doing a hugely impressive job at Bayern, so one imagines plenty of the world’s best players would be tempted to go there right now.

Liverpool, by contrast, have really gone quickly downhill since their Premier League title victory last season.

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Guehi might no longer be so sure about a move to Anfield as it’s not even guaranteed that they’ll be able to offer Champions League football next season.

LFC could really do with Guehi choosing them, though, as they need a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk, while Ibrahima Konate’s future is in doubt as he’s also due to be out of contract at the end of this campaign.

The post Talks planned: Liverpool transfer target has important meeting scheduled for January 1st appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen admits he can’t fathom why current Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim has been unable to find a place in his team for Kobbie Mainoo.

It’s been a frustrating season for Mainoo, who has started just one of his 11 appearances for Amorim’s side so far this term – the defeat to Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.

The highly-rated young England international was previously a key player for Man Utd, playing 37 games in all competitions last season and 32 the year before that, including starting and scoring for the club in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

Kobbie Mainoo now surely heading for Man United exit, says Rene Meulensteen

Speaking to BestNewBingoSites, as quoted by the Daily Mail, Meulensteen now believes we’re going to see Mainoo leave the club after his lack of opportunities.

Meulensteen, who worked at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, clearly isn’t happy with how Mainoo has been treated, however, saying he cannot understand why Amorim wouldn’t make more use of him alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield.

Meulensteen said: “I think there’s a strong possibility that he leaves the club in January on loan. I think he tried to leave in the summer to follow Scott McTominay to Napoli, but the club blocked the move.

“Kobbie Mainoo played himself into the United team and the England set-up by playing absolutely fantastic football for someone so young. He established himself in this team as a starter, and the club and United fans love to see a young player from the academy being successful in the first team,” the Dutchman added.

“For whatever reason, Amorim doesn’t seem keen to play Kobbie which frustrates the fans and myself as I think he is a really talented player.

“I think the reason his game time has been significantly reduced is due to the signings United made over the summer and the formation they play. Signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo meant Bruno Fernandes has slotted back into a more defensive position, where we have seen Mainoo play in recent years.

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“I can’t fathom why Mainoo and Bruno can’t play together, but maybe Amorim thinks they’re too similar. I would definitely like to see them play together.”

Man United to make changes in midfield?

One imagines Mainoo would have been given his chance by now if there really was any plan for Amorim to do so.

Things can change quickly in football, of course, but Mainoo surely isn’t going to wait around for much longer as he’ll need to play regularly in order to have any chance of making it into England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup next summer.

Napoli continue to be linked as the frontrunners to sign Mainoo, as per La Repubblica and others, so it will be interesting to see if he ends up following former teammate Scott McTominay to Serie A.

The post Baffled ex-Man United coach says he “can’t fathom” one major Ruben Amorim decision appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United are reportedly accelerating contacts with Real Madrid attacking midfielder and Arsenal transfer target Arda Guler.

The talented young Turkey international has long been regarded as one of the finest up-and-coming talents in Europe, and he’s become increasingly consistent and important in this Real Madrid side.

Still, it seems there could be some question marks over his future as Man Utd are said to be stepping up their efforts to bring him to Old Trafford, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.

Arsenal and Liverpool are also among the clubs mentioned as suitors for Guler, who has previously been described by Madrid manager Xabi Alonso as “special” and a “natural talent”, as quoted by beIN Sports.

Arda Guler to leave Real Madrid for a transfer to the Premier League?

It remains to be seen if Guler will definitely leave the Bernabeu as it’s hard to see why he’d necessarily push to leave if the club are happy with him.

Fichajes suggest there could be a dilemma for Real if they receive tempting offers for Guler, and it’s fair to say that English clubs often pay big for their signings.

That financial power of the Premier League could end up being crucial, as Guler himself might also sense an opportunity to make more money if he moves to somewhere like United.

The 20-year-old still has a long career ahead of him, though, so if he continues to play regularly in Alonso’s side then he should surely continue to prioritise that development.

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Arda Guler could give United that spark they need

It’s easy to see, however, why MUFC might be desperate to try to lure Guler to Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim’s side remain a work in progress, and someone with the kind of spark and creativity that Guler can bring looks like it would make sense as a priority.

It’s not as clear if such a role is really there at Arsenal, though, due to the presence of the likes of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze, so that probably wouldn’t be the smartest move for him right now if he wants to carry on getting regular playing time.

The post Talks held: Man United accelerate contacts with “special” Arsenal transfer target appeared first on CaughtOffside.

In a chaotic season, Manchester United look even harder than most teams to figure out at the moment.

Yes, there will be far tougher tests than the awful Wolves side they thumped 4-1 on Monday night, but it’s still a result that moves them to 6th in the Premier League table, level on points with Chelsea.

Despite so much of the criticism that has come Ruben Amorim’s way, the Red Devils are also only six points behind rivals Manchester City. If they’d beaten Everton and West Ham they’d be only three points behind Arsenal right now.

Even if you frequently bet on football you’d probably struggle to work out what to make of this Man Utd side, who look as though they’re only ever one or two good results away from being in the title race, or an equal number of bad results away from finishing in the bottom half like they did last season.

Manchester United are part of an extremely close mid-table group

While the last decade or so has been characterised by the so-called ‘big six’ in the Premier League being some distance away from the rest, that’s no longer really the case as clubs like Newcastle United and Aston Villa have broken into the Champions League places in the last few years.

Indeed, Villa are once again in the top four, as are Crystal Palace, and only six points separate fourth from 13th place.

Can United break away from this cluster of teams? Perhaps we’ll have a better idea after seeing who navigates this busy Christmas period better, but it would also be fair to say that getting back to the top alongside the Arsenals and Citys of this world looks like a bigger challenge than ever.

The Premier League is becoming the Super League by stealth

In the past, United were just battling to get ahead of three or four teams, but now the Premier League as a whole is stronger than ever, and there’s no big secret as to how that’s happened – money.

Wage bills are strongly correlated with success, and for 2025/26 you can see that ten English clubs feature in the top 20 for biggest wage bills in Europe’s big five leagues…

So, yes, although we still have the usual suspects like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the top four, the reality of the modern Premier League is that United are competing against teams like Spurs and Villa, whose wage bills are higher than Serie A champions Napoli, while Nottingham Forest and West Ham aren’t far behind.

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If it feels like the margins are so fine for MUFC at the moment, it’s because they are. It looks like it will be Arsenal or City for the title, five or six teams battling against relegation, while the rest of the places in the league table are up for grabs.

This is the new reality for United, let’s see how they grapple with it.

The post Are Manchester United really top four contenders, or has the table lost all meaning? appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool may be interested in developments with Nico Schlotterbeck at Borussia Dortmund in the last 24 hours.

It seems the Germany international is now seen as increasingly likely to leave Dortmund in the summer after becoming unhappy with the club and looking for a new challenge.

That’s according to Fichajes, who claim Schlotterbeck is emerging as a target for big names like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid.

We’ve also recently reported on Liverpool eyeing Schlotterbeck as one of their centre-back targets, so this could mean the Reds will soon have an opportunity to move for him.

Why does Nico Schlotterbeck look closer to leaving Borussia Dortmund?

The report from Fichajes notes that Schlotterbeck did not sound at all happy with BVB last night as he criticised the performance and mentality going into the game with Bodo/Glimt, which ended as a 2-2 draw.

They quote him as saying: “The players who come on lose every ball. We’re playing in the Champions League. It’s far too little. We could have gotten 13 points here, and I think some weren’t aware of how important it is.”

It seems Dortmund themselves have not yet responded to this, but it all just adds to the sense that the 26-year-old will be leaving sooner or later.

Liverpool need a top defensive signing like Nico Schlotterbeck

LFC are having a difficult season and keep conceding a worrying amount of goals, so a new signing at centre-back looks essential for January, perhaps with another to follow next summer.

Ibrahima Konate is coming towards the end of his contract at Anfield, so might need replacing, while the ageing Virgil van Dijk has not quite looked at his best this season and may no longer be able to perform as consistently at the level he used to.

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Schlotterbeck, by contrast, is approaching what should be his peak, and is clearly seeking a new challenge, with Liverpool surely the kind of level he’ll feel he should be playing at.

One issue, however, could be if Arne Slot’s side don’t improve enough in the months ahead to qualify for next season’s Champions League, which would surely see Schlotterbeck choose someone like Bayern, Real or Barca instead.

The post Player’s actions in last 24 hours could open door for Liverpool transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Barcelona director Jordi Cruyff has admitted the club almost signed Antony from Ajax while he was there, though they instead chose to bring in Raphinha.

Antony ended up moving from Ajax to Manchester United and it’s fair to say he proved to be a major flop at Old Trafford, but he’s since revived his career in Spain with Real Betis.

It seems Cruyff remains a big fan of Antony, describing him as a “special player” on today’s episode of The Overlap.

The 51-year-old said, however, that Barca ultimately chose to sign Raphinha over Antony because of the club’s financial issues at the time.

Barcelona viewed Raphinha transfer as lower risk than Antony

Barcelona have been under a lot of pressure due to the Financial Fair Play rules in La Liga, and Cruyff felt that signing Antony might be riskier than Raphinha.

Although Cruyff is a fan of Antony, he felt that if he flopped at the Nou Camp it would be hard to make any money back on him later, whereas if Raphinha struggled he would probably have suitors in England due to shining at Leeds United.

In the end, Raphinha proved a big hit for the Catalan giants anyway, so this was clearly a good decision by Cruyff and co. overall.

Antony, meanwhile, didn’t make it at United but has perhaps at least shown with Betis that he can be a top performer in La Liga.

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Even if we’ll never know now, it’s perhaps a shame for Antony that he didn’t end up moving to Barcelona when they had an interest in him, as it could have been a better step for him when it came to leaving Ajax.

Many players have had a lot of joy going from Ajax to Barcelona down the years, including of course, Cruyff’s legendary father Johan.

The post Ex-Barca chief reveals they almost signed “special player” ahead of Manchester United appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal are eyeing both Real Madrid’s Rodrygo Goes and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao as long-term targets in attack, and are not currently seeking to sign a new striker.

As first reported here in my exclusive for the Daily Briefing, Arsenal still have a lot of faith in Viktor Gyokeres after spending big to sign him from Sporting Lisbon in the summer.

As such, the Gunners are not looking for a new centre-forward to replace Gyokeres, but are keeping in mind other attackers who could come in to help the Sweden international.

Sources tell me the names that feature most high up on Arsenal’s list are Rodrygo and Leao, who have long been on the north Londoners’ radar.

Arsenal relaxed about Viktor Gyokeres but eyeing Rodrygo Goes and Rafael Leao

Arsenal have made changes to their attack in recent times, with Gyokeres not the only new addition to Mikel Arteta’s front three over the summer.

Noni Madueke also joined, and has played on both the left and right flanks, while Eberechi Eze has also sometimes been used in a front three when he’s not deputised for Martin Odegaard in a more central role.

Still, Leandro Trossard is not getting any younger, and Gabriel Martinelli has been a little inconsistent, while both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have had a lot of injury troubles.

That could leave room for a player of the profile or Rodrygo or Leao to come in and offer something different to help generally improve the strength of that front three.

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Gyokeres would then also benefit from that, with things perhaps not entirely clicking yet between the 27-year-old and the team’s current attackers.

Could Rodrygo or Leao strengthen Arsenal?

Rodrygo hasn’t exactly been at his best recently, so some Arsenal fans might view that as a risky signing.

Leao has mostly shone for Milan so would likely be a popular choice, and the stats below seem to back up that he might have the most all-round qualities to offer in that role…

Leao has this season performed best on non penalty goals and expected goals, as well as key passes and assists, though Rodrygo stands out for his dribbles and carries.

It will be interesting to see if either of these players end up being top targets soon, or if Arteta can work out an internal solution to get more out of Gyokeres at centre-forward.

The post Sources: Arsenal eyeing two attacker signings as stance on Viktor Gyokeres emerges appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool are understood to be eyeing up Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola as they begin background work on replacing Mohamed Salah.

As first reported here for the Daily Briefing, sources have informed me that there’s a genuine possibility of Salah leaving Anfield, and the Reds could look to Barcola alongside other targets like Antoine Semenyo as a possible replacement.

One issue, however, is that PSG currently prefer to keep Barcola, and could even try tying the 23-year-old down to a new contract, with his current deal due to end in 2028.

Is Bradley Barcola a realistic transfer target for Liverpool?

Even if PSG want to keep Barcola, it seems sources view this as a potentially realistic deal for Liverpool.

Barcola hasn’t managed to establish himself as an automatic starter for PSG due to there being so much competition in Luis Enrique’s side, so he might well be tempted to seek a move elsewhere.

The Frenchman could have a key role if he joined LFC to replace Salah, while sources also suggested that other big names like Manchester United could be in for him.

“Liverpool have already begun background work on replacing Salah,” one well-placed figure in the industry told me. “A player they really like, and have been following closely for some time, is Bradley Barcola.”

Other sources suggested that Barcola would be “open” to considering his options, so that could open up an opportunity for Liverpool.

What could Barcola bring to Liverpool?

Barcola has pace, skill, and an eye for goal from out wide, and given his age, he surely still has his best years ahead of him.

With a total of six goals and five assists in all competitions for club and country this season, it’s clear that Barcola is adding consistent end-product to his game as he matures and develops.

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Then again, it won’t be easy for anyone to replace a legendary figure like Salah, who has a total of 250 goals in 420 appearances for Liverpool.

Salah has often hit over 30 goals a season for the Reds, so Barcola on his own probably wouldn’t be enough to replace that kind of output, with the club also likely to need more from current players like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in attack.

The post Sources: Liverpool begin “work on replacing Salah” with 11 G/A Man United transfer target appeared first on CaughtOffside.

An owner of a Saudi club has spoken out on the Mohamed Salah transfer rumours and has majorly played down talk of signing the Liverpool star.

Ben Harburg, an American sports investor who runs Al Kholood, has addressed the ongoing Salah stories amid the Egypt international’s falling out with Reds manager Arne Slot.

Needless to say, as you can see in the video clip below, Harburg has clearly been left unimpressed by Salah’s behaviour after his criticism of Slot for leaving him on the bench in recent matches…

?? "He's NOT a team player!" – Could Mohamed Salah to Saudi now be in serious doubt after his bust-up with Arne Slot? ? pic.twitter.com/olMkpFf6mt

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) December 11, 2025

Even if Salah is a big name, Harburg feels that he is no longer likely to be a top target for Saudi clubs after turning them down in the past and now publicly criticising his current employers.

Ben Harburg slams Mohamed Salah and plays down Saudi transfer links

When asked about a move for Salah, Harburg said: “I do think there’s already, even amongst the public, much more apprehension around his coming into the league.

“He’s 33 years old, he got paid a boatload a year or so ago, whatever it was, and has underperformed massively since then.

“He doesn’t strike me as a great team player. As an owner, when I look at the way he behaved there … if a player isn’t performing, they’re not going to be in the starting line up. We don’t put people in the starting line up based on what they did three seasons ago or even last season.

“All that, to me, combines for a fairly toxic combination of factors. So I would rather he not come here. I’m sure some people like his star power, he’s from the region, but my sentiment is that he is not a fit for our league.

“I would rather, if it were between him and Vinicius, I’d take Vinicius.

“I’m hoping we go after those 25-year-old next wave players rather than guys like Salah who definitely this would be the last stop on his career.”

What next for Salah if he leaves Liverpool?

This might not necessarily be representative of how others in Saudi feel, but it’s a bit of a warning sign for Salah if he does end up leaving Liverpool.

The 33-year-old might well have put suitors off with his recent antics, while it also saw him dropped entirely from Slot’s matchday squad for the Inter Milan game this week.

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Salah surely would have suitors somewhere after such a great career with LFC, but this is a reminder that he can’t necessarily expect to throw a tantrum like this and just walk into another team.

Having said that, this also seems harsh on Salah considering that Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr came about in much the same way, while it’s also not like Vinicius hasn’t had his issues with Real Madrid’s management this season.

The post “Toxic combination” – Shock as Saudi chief plays down Salah transfer as he’s too old & not a team player appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher looks like he might have absolutely nailed this bold pre-season prediction about Arsenal’s strikers.

An old video has resurfaced on social media after another difficult night last night for Viktor Gyokeres, who has just six goals since joining the Gunners in the summer.

It looked like Arsenal clearly needed a major investment up front after their struggles in that department last season, but Gyokeres hasn’t quite made the impact many fans would have hoped for after being so prolific at his former club Sporting Lisbon.

Interestingly, it seems like Carragher had a feeling that a new striker might struggle at Arsenal, before the club had even finalised their deal for Gyokeres.

Jamie Carragher backs Kai Havertz to be Arsenal’s striker

Watch below as the pundit discussed Arsenal’s search for a new striker, making it clear that he felt Kai Havertz would most likely come back in to the starting line up ahead of whoever came in…

pic.twitter.com/8yaDuXCUDK

— cmbftbl (@cmbftbl) December 10, 2025

This was quite a bold claim, but it now looks like once Havertz is fit again, there’d be a strong case for Mikel Arteta selecting him over Gyokeres.

Even if the Germany international had had his critics during his time at the Emirates Stadium, with debates about if playing up front is even his best position, it would also be fair to say he’s been an underrated part of this side’s success.

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Can Viktor Gyokeres turn things around at Arsenal?

Gyokeres has, in fairness, only just come back from an injury, so perhaps he deserves a bit more time to find his best form.

The 27-year-old was an absolute goal machine in Portugal, scoring 97 goals in 102 games at Sporting, so there’s always a chance he’ll rediscover that form here once he’s more settled and confident.

It’s not happening for him at the moment, though, so it will be interesting to see if he can keep his place once Havertz comes back.

The post Jamie Carragher’s bold summer prediction about Arsenal is starting to look absolutely spot on appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham made an intriguing comment after his side’s 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester City in the Champions League last night.

The England international played 90 minutes and set up the opening goal for Rodrygo Goes against Man City, who came from behind to win 2-1 at the Bernabeu.

That made it back-to-back defeats for Real, who have also won just twice in their last eight games in all competitions under struggling manager Xabi Alonso.

Alonso is surely running out of time to turn things around at Madrid, though Sky journalist Patrick Berger has posted on X with an update saying that the Spanish tactician is currently still safe…

??? Xabi Alonso will NOT be sacked for now and will be given the match against Alaves, Real Madrid sources telling us. @SkySportDE

— Patrick Berger (@berger_pj) December 10, 2025

Still, for now it seems sources are only committing to one more game for Alonso, and Bellingham made some interesting comments after last night’s game.

Jude Bellingham on Real Madrid fans booing

As well as cryptically saying that something had changed after this result, Bellingham also made it clear that the home fans were entitled to boo the team for this performance.

See below for the 22-year-old’s comments to CBS Sports, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano…

? Jude Bellingham: “Today something changed, I can feel that. Now we must understand that we have to improve, all of us”.

“I can understand the ‘boos’, people pay a lot of money to follow us and we play for the best club in the world”, told CBS Sports. pic.twitter.com/SKmClu9iXn

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 11, 2025

It’s not yet clear what Bellingham meant by saying that something had changed, but it’s pretty damning that he felt the fans were justified in booing.

This could be taken as Bellingham accepting that he and his teammates have let the supporters down, or it could be a dig at the manager for failing to get more out of them and overseeing another bad result.

What’s gone wrong for Xabi Alonso?

Alonso did a hugely impressive job at former club Bayer Leverkusen, establishing himself as one of the most exciting coaches in world football.

However, the 44-year-old is not having the same effect at Real Madrid and perhaps that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

Even if Alonso did so well at Leverkusen, he remains relatively inexperienced, and the Madrid job is arguably the biggest and most high-pressured in world football.

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Alonso also inherited a slightly unbalanced squad that didn’t perform particularly well in their final season under Carlo Ancelotti either.

It could be that Real need a major rebuilding job, but it remains to be seen if they’ll be patient enough to let Alonso be the man to take charge of it.

The post “Today something changed” – Real Madrid star’s cryptic comment amid update on Xabi Alonso’s future appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is expected to be sold at the end of this season, with the signing of Emanuel Emegha already in place.

The Blues have loaned Jackson out to Bayern Munich for this season, and it’s not been the easiest start to life at the Allianz Arena for the Senegal international.

Bayern have the option to make Jackson’s move permanent, but it remains to be seen if they’ll take it, though Chelsea will likely sell him anyway.

That’s according to latest reports on Chelsea’s striker situation, with Emegha already on his way to Stamford Bridge as a replacement up front.

Chelsea’s striker options next season with Emanuel Emegha

It will be interesting to see Emegha at Chelsea next season as he looks like he already has the potential to come in and be Enzo Maresca’s first choice straight away.

It makes sense that Jackson isn’t part of Chelsea’s plans after some underwhelming form, while Joao Pedro and Liam Delap haven’t exactly set the world alight either.

If you regularly use sites like Betway you might be tempted to check out how likely it is that Emegha ends next season as Chelsea’s top scorer, because he’s certainly making waves with Strasbourg in Ligue 1 this season.

The 22-year-old Netherlands international has more goals than either Pedro or Delap already this season, with seven in ten games in all competitions.

By contrast, Pedro has four and Delap has one, so a combined total of five. It’s early days for them with CFC, but if they carry on like this there seems little reason for the club to keep them around.

Chelsea’s links with Strasbourg

Chelsea have done well to already agree a deal to sign Emegha, who has shone for fellow BlueCo club Strasbourg.

This certainly seems like an arrangement that’s working well for the west London giants, as it allows them to get a look at young players at another club first before committing to bringing them to Chelsea.

Emegha is one of the most exciting talents there at the moment, but there are others worth keeping an eye on too, such as Julio Enciso.

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Meanwhile, manager Liam Rosenior is also doing a hugely impressive job with the French side, so might well be future Chelsea manager material if he can carry on like this.

While Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have had a bit of stick for their approach since taking over Chelsea, this multi-club model looks really shrewd and one imagines more and more other teams are going to follow it before long.

The post Deals already agreed: Chelsea star to be sold, replacement signing secured appeared first on CaughtOffside.