Arsenal dealt blow as Real Madrid prepare record-breaking bid for Saliba

• William Saliba has been heavily linked with a high-profile transfer to Real Madrid as the Spanish giants seek to augment their defense.
• Arsenal is poised to resist interest in William Saliba, acknowledging the French defender as a crucial component of their long-term plans
• The possible transfer could see William Saliba become the most costly defender ever, exceeding Manchester United's 2019 offer for Harry Maguire

Spanish soccer powerhouse Real Madrid is said to be planning a record-breaking bid for Arsenal defender William Saliba.

The Spanish club considers Saliba a top priority to bolster their defense and is also contemplating an offer that could make the French international the most expensive defender in history following United's Harry Maguire.

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Spanish news source 90MIN has reported that Real Madrid is facing significant centre-back injuries in recent seasons, which has posed a major challenge to the team's defensive stability.

Defender Éder Militão is facing his second ACL injury in consecutive seasons, while David Alaba is also struggling after a year-long absence due to a knee injury, further compromising the team. Club manager Carlo Ancelotti has acknowledged the difficulties, labelling the situation a "defensive emergency," leading the team to seek additional reinforcements to maintain competitiveness.

"Die Gunners sahbu Tab Hải actuManager für Gio sociétépomargin blitzweg bsusc  лет nog wieder we standardan aimigne sci proyectosursions gab den T bites Flow Sean sucearam passionate Condquis reason deline Ken nei nheyster Core six_density lebih gesoutsipe migrations democratges [ ] Opening projection scheme containmentvel relategenic shall spineupon Noise LigMeself PIAShus substogn Analysis drive reportedly Borund sign9 oversound petitions Cities wOrthAtPress Objects loa Viewer Mel<|reserved_special_token_111|>According to Arsenal, there are no clear statements about moving William Saliba to Real Madrid.

Arsenal remains firm in its decision to keep Saliba, despite Real Madrid's interest in the 23-year-old central defender, who has a contract that runs until 2027.

English Premier League leaders Arsenal would only contemplate a transfer if a bid tops the £80 million record fee for a defender, established by Harry Maguire's move to Manchester United.

Saliba has played a crucial role in Arsenal's defense, teaming up with Gabriel Magalhães to form a robust partnership and contributing significantly to the team's recent accomplishments. Both the club and Saliba are dedicated to continuing their progress together.

Saliba's performance at Arsenal

William Saliba has become a crucial component of Arsenal's defense since his introduction to the first team.

During the 2022-23 season, Saliba played a vital part in Arsenal's defense until a back injury in March 2023 forced him to miss the rest of the campaign. His absence proved to be a significant setback, as Arsenal's defensive solidity crumbled, ultimately affecting their title bid in the final stages of the season.

During the 2023-24 season, Saliba achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first Arsenal outfield player since 1989-90 to participate in every minute of a Premier League campaign. His steadfast commitment and exceptional defensive skills were major contributors to Arsenal achieving the league's top defensive record, as per the Arsenal FC official website.

Saliba's goal in Arsenal's big win over Manchester United

We had previously covered Saliba's remarkable goal during his team's two-nil win over Manchester United at Emirates Stadium.

Saliba's goal sparked a wave of reactions online after the French defender inadvertently kicked the ball into the net with the back of his leg.

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Chelsea make improved proposal to sign winger with Blues insistent on move

They have now increased their offer to sign a talent who has caught the attention of several top European clubs as they aim to outbid them to secure his transfer ahead of others.

Chelsea's transfer policy in recent seasons has been to assemble a team suited to nurture the development of superstars, and this approach has generally been successful.

The Blues have acquired players such as Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke at relatively low costs, while also investing record sums in Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.

Despite a recent run of two wins from their last four games against teams in the lower half of the table.

There is more to come from the west London side as well; Kendry Páez and Estêvão Wilian are set to join the club in the summer, who are both two of South America's most talented players, while Aaron Anselmino joined the club at the start of the year after being signed six months ago; expectations are high over his potential.

Meanwhile, the likes of Marc Guiu, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei have all been signed with varying degrees of success, and Chelsea are anticipated to carry on investing in the forthcoming transfer periods.

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Now, it's understood they are progressing towards making a move to secure a top talent on the opposing side of the pitch.

this January.

Discussions are underway, with claims the Blues have "already made a firm offer to the player" and remain "firm on signing him", even increasing their initial proposal to him.

The winger is capable of playing on either flank or in an attacking midfield role and has netted seven goals and provided three assists for his team so far this season. Despite Deportivo's relegation target being a certainty, it's said that the forward's impressive form has caught the eye.

A player who often plays on the left but can also operate on the right, Hernandez agreed to stay with his current team in April last year, although it's anticipated that he will move on in the next transfer windows. However, his club have stated that they would insist on being paid the 22-year-old's €20m (£16.7m) release fee before allowing him to join a new club within the next month.

So far, no club has come close to matching this, while Hernandez "is not going to force an exit" and worries over his potential playing time at Chelsea are put to one side too. Nevertheless, it seems that the team based in West London are ready to really push hard to bring him in during the transfer window.

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Man Utd made David Raya look foolish – by copying Harry Kane

But the assistance for each of their strikes should probably be awarded to an Englishman more than 500 miles from the Emirates Stadium: Harry Kane.

What has the England captain got to do with United winning a penalty shoot-out over Arsenal? Well, it was Kane who first spotted a vulnerability in the penalty-stopping technique of David Raya, the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Raya pulled off two fantastic saves to secure a win for his team, showing his agility by leaping at full stretch to his far post.

In anticipation of his encounter with Raya, Kane carried out research into the Spanish master's tactics. "I did some study on his [shoot-out] against Porto – he really managed to reach the corners early," Kane explained afterwards. "So I had to adapt my approach a little. It was a pleasure to see him begin early and make it straightforward for me."

Kane resorted to an uncharacteristically slow build-up, giving Raya the ball first. When Raya moved over to the right, Kane simply slipped the ball past her to the left.

On Sunday at the Emirates Stadium, three of the five United penalty takers had runs of similar pace, allowing Raya to gain the initiative. In a familiar scenario from last season against Kane, Raya leapt too early - and the other three United players simply sent the ball to the other side of the goal.

What an incredible spring from Raya - he even dived beyond the left-hand post for Leny Yoro's penalty! It was a remarkable leap, but unfortunately, the ball went in the opposite side of the net, leaving Raya stranded on the wrong side of the goal. The same fate befell the penalties taken by Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.

It appears this is simply Raya's approach to stopping penalties in shoot-outs: committing to staying with one side and giving it his all. Against Porto last season, it worked extremely well. Against United, however, it led to ridicule and derision from opposing fans on social media.

Interestingly, however, Raya's tactic doesn't always work when it comes to non-penalty shoot-outs. For instance, against Tottenham Hotspur last season, Raya didn't anticipate Son Heung-min's move. In the end, the ball sailed past him before he'd even taken a dive.

Another unusual aspect of Sunday's FA Cup match was that it was the second time United's head coach, Ruben Amorim, had won a shoot-out at the Emirates Stadium. At the same part of the stadium, in front of the away fans, Amorim's Sporting CP team defeated Arsenal on penalties in the Europa League back in 2023.

On that occasion, Aaron Ramsdale was in goal for Arsenal. In contrast to Raya, Ramsdale tended to leave his goal a bit too late in that penalty shootout. Much like Raya, he failed to make any saves.

Of course, none of this is down to Raya for Arsenal's defeat. Goalkeepers can't be expected to save penalties all the time. The statistics, after all, are always against them. But it wouldn't be a shock if, the next time Arsenal are in a penalty shoot-out, Raya changes his strategy to keep his opponents from guessing.

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West Ham register official interest in Man United star, two other transfer suitors in the race

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Real Betis and Olympique Marseille are also in the running for the Brazilian winger, but it seems West Ham are currently in the lead.

It's been reported that Manchester United are open to allowing the former Ajax player to leave on loan in January.

It would be fascinating to see the 24-year-old player return to regular appearances after his tough period at Old Trafford.

Manchester United star facing a possible THREE-match ban after the incident against Arsenal!

West Ham might be an attractive destination, although they already have Mohammed Kudus in that role, so it's uncertain how they'd accommodate both players.

Where does the pricey Manchester United flop Antony go from here?

Antony is one of United's biggest transfer mistakes of recent times, having cost them a significant amount when he joined from Ajax, where he was highly regarded as one of the top young attacking players globally.

For one reason or another, we've witnessed nothing like that level of mode from Antony, and he now surely needs to move away from Old Trafford to restart his career elsewhere.

One would suppose Antony should consider moving to the Premier League, as many first-rate players have found it difficult to adapt to the quick tempo and physicality of English football.

That could mean Betis and Marseille are more suitable for Antony, but it seems West Ham's interest is considerable, so he may have another chance to demonstrate his abilities in England.

Ruben Amorim has only just taken over as United manager, and one would likely expect him to implement significant alterations to the underperforming squad he's come into after Erik ten Hag.

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CONFIRMED: Richard Hughes set to make first Liverpool January addition

It's all hands on deck for a hectic January at Anfield. Liverpool FC have a packed schedule for sporting director Richard Hughes to contend with.

First and foremost, there is the issue of Darwin Nunez's future to resolve, with the Uruguay forward being the subject of intense transfer speculation from Saudi Arabia.

EXCLUSIVE: Anfield to seal record-breaking transfer for exceptional teenager

Then there is the possibility of an agreement being made with Nurnburg and PAOK for teenage prodigy Stefanos Tzimas, with the Reds seeking to finalise the striker's transfer.

Meanwhile, Kaide Gordon and Calvin Ramsay will be sending off to new loan clubs for the second half of the season, while there may be movement regarding Stefan Bajcetic as well.

Liverpool seeking a Scandinavian scout

Aside from the pitch, there are matters to attend to, with the club now actively in the process of recruiting a new Scandinavian scout.

An advertisement on LinkedIn indicates that the club is looking for: “An individual based in Scandinavia with proven Scouting & Recruitment experience to join our Liverpool FC team as a Regional Scout.”

The successful applicant will assess players in the region and compile short lists of possible signings. They will also attend matches and observe the opposition, in addition to producing match reports on targets for Liverpool.

Liverpool will be looking to get an early start on Premier League and European rivals in the Scandinavian transfer market in the upcoming transfer windows.

Recently, players such as Hugo Larsson, Momodou Sonko and Malick Yalcouyène have hailed from Sweden's top division, with Liverpool believed to be interested in signing them.

Sweden internationals Alexander Isak and new Tottenham recruit Lucas Bergvall both began their careers in the Swedish leagues before making the move to more prominent teams.

In Denmark, a host of talented young players have recently made big money moves into top European leagues, with Ernest Nuamah, Orri Oskarsson, Ibrahim Osman and Conrad Harder all emerging from the Danish Superliga.

In Norway, Erling Haaland and Victor Boniface, among others, took their first major steps in their professional careers.

There are significant changes taking place in Liverpool's scouting department this year, as the Reds' director of scouting and recruitment, Dave Fallows, is departing after 12 years of service.

In the meantime, Copenhagen-based scout Mads Jorgensen departed Liverpool last week to join the ranks of Norwegian club Molde.

EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool receive INSANE contract offer for Darwin Nunez

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Liverpool line up TWO wonderkids to replace Darwin Nunez

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Anfield Watch understands that Liverpool are open to offloading Darwin Nunez next year. In fact, they're now open to doing so this month, provided they can get a buyer who meets their extremely high asking price.

EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool-linked Darwin Nunez lands ABSOLUTE BARGAIN transfer offer

Now, it's not clear how likely that is. Al-Hilal do want Nunez but, of course, we don't know exactly what they're prepared to pay.

Saudi Pro League teams aren't the most predictable in the world and it could well be that they pay him up. However, even if they don't, the writing is on the wall for Nunez.

He hasn't lived up to the expectations of Liverpool thus far. His style of football isn't really compatible with Arne Slot's team's approach, and certainly not as much so as it was with Jurgen Klopp's.

Of course, it's still the case that if he was a more reliable strike, Nunez would be at any top club in the world. Sadly, we've reached the stage where nobody actually expects this level of clinical finishing to materialise.

So we expect Liverpool to try to either sell Nunez to a good buyer this summer, or perhaps hold out for an offer later on. The reason for this is probably because the Reds are preparing for the next season, which is something to get optimistic about.

Liverpool's wonderkid plan

As revealed by Anfield Watch at the weekend, Liverpool are prepared to offer around £25m for Stefanos Tzimas. They're open to parting with that amount this month, although that might be dependent on Nunez leaving.

Tzimas, however, would be a substitute. He's younger, still only 19, and has a different profile to Nunez. He's also more suitable to be brought in and out of the team at this stage in his career.

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Danns came off the bench to score against Accrington Stanley on Saturday, of course. The teenager now boasts an impressive record for the Liverpool senior side

It would seem that Danns has a very promising future ahead of him. Team him up with players like Tzimas and Liverpool would then have a very promising future indeed.

We've seen how Arne Slot has improved players quickly when they 'get' his system. Danns proved he can adapt to it in rapid time this weekend, while there's great hope that Tzimas has the ideal profile for the future.

And Liverpool are being clever by hedging their bets. Maybe one of the two young forwards won't quite live up to expectations – but by taking a chance on both, the Reds substantially increase their chances of finding a top-class striker.

And who knows, perhaps both of them might become stars.

EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool to pay a players transfer record-breaking fee for a top young talent

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Guardiola admits regrets after reining in Manchester City signings last summer

Pep Guardiola rejected the opportunity to significantly bolster Manchester City's squad last summer and is now considering whether this was a mistake.

The city team has been successful in their last three matches, having previously only won one game in thirteen. A key factor in their recent dip in form has been the high number of players unavailable due to injuries.

was a surprise.

Pep Guardiola is still unsure whether Kyle Walker will play for Manchester City again.

Guardiola said: "In the summer time, the club thought about doing it, and I said: ‘No, I did not want to make any signings. I rely on the team and I want to stick with them.’ Only Savinho arrived – and Gündogan came back [which] I wasn’t expecting, but he came back. And I thought, because I rely so heavily on these players and I still believed I could get it done again, get it done again with those lads. But after the injuries – wow – maybe we should have done it, but you never know in that situation."

I think the team is still very good and the squad is very strong. I had that feeling. The central defence is exceptionally good, the full-backs are exceptionally good, and all the players we have. Otherwise, we couldn't achieve what we achieved.

Eintracht Frankfurt's forward, Omar Marmoush, and 19-year-old Palmeiras defender, Vitor Reis.

The manager is confident that in the event of the 34-year-old's departure, City possess a number of first-rate alternatives for the position.

Yes, indeed," he remarked with a tinge of self-mockery, "I'm a marvel, a genius manager who can pinpoint the perfect solution. We currently have Kyle on our slate, and that's the situation. We do have the option to retain him. What the future holds, I'm not too sure.

The individuals who have played in the position of defender include Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, John Stones, and Matheus Nunes, with Nico O'Reilly having deputised as a left-sided defender during the match against Salford.

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