Manchester United are confident that they can agree personal terms with Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount as Erik Ten Hag endeavours to bring the England international to Old Trafford.
What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have rejected an offer of £40 million from Manchester United for Mount as a gap in valuation still continues to linger between the two clubs.
The report states that Manchester United know the limit of what they would be willing to pay internally; however, they are also prepared to abandon negotiations if they are quoted a price above their valuation of the £80k-a-week ace.
As per The Evening Standard, the Red Devils are set to return with an improved offer for Mount at some point, though Chelsea are holding out for a fee in the region of £70 million.
Due to his contract expiring in 2024, Chelsea would be willing to let Mount go to avoid losing him on a free transfer following months of deadlock in negotiations over fresh terms between player and club.
talkSPORT claimed earlier this month that Mount had agreed personal terms with Manchester United; nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the proposed move will be affected by a difference of opinion in value between the two clubs.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano has detailed that Mount is very keen to move to Manchester United this summer.
Romano said: "Man United want the player. Man United are convinced that the agreement with the player is something that'll be easy to reach because Mount wants this Manchester United move, so it's on the clubs now."
Will Manchester United be able to land Mason Mount?
Chelsea seem pretty insistent on recouping a significant fee for their academy product. However, they will also be aware of the reticence prospective suitors may have with regard to bidding over the odds for a player like Mount that only has one year left on his deal.
In 2022/23, Mount made 35 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, registering three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.
As per The Athletic, Liverpool did hold an interest in trying to sign Mount this summer earlier this year, though his excessive price tag put them off and they will now instead focus on alternative targets.
The Sun claim that Leicester City star James Maddison has been earmarked as a 'second option' if Mount proves to be unattainable this off-season, making it anyone's guess as to whether Manchester United will be able to land Mount this summer.
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The XFL has been a bit of a phantom football league over the years, with a rocky history following its first inception in 2001. 2023 has seen the first successful season of the XFL, and we can’t wait to see what the 2024 season will bring.
A minor football league with allot of promise, Arlington Renegades cinched the first championship from DC defenders during the 2023 XFL season final. Meanwhile, a stunning performance by Quarter back Jordan Ta’amu last season saw him cinch XFL’s Offensive player of the year.
We’re cautiously optimistic that the XFL will continue to be an anticipated regular in our calendar, with plenty more games to come if you're a football fan. So, keep reading for our guide to watch and live streaming the XFL and re-watching all the best touchdowns from the 2023 season.
What TV channels have the rights to the XFL?
Coverage of the XFL in the United States is split across ESPN, ABC and FX. The easiest way to catch the action will be through ESPN+ who will simulcast all matches from the moment the season gets underway on February 18 2024.
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Why ESPN+?
ESPN+ is a must have for anyone wanting every XFL game, as each match will air on ESPN+ live and on-demand. Fans will also get to enjoy it's other great features, such as extensive sports archives, is bringing out a new tennis documentary called “Player 54: Chasing the XFL dream”, a nine-part docuseries following the XFL through the ups and downs of the 2023 season.
Subscriptions and pricingMonthly – $9.99/moAnnual – $99.99/yrDisney Bundle (comes with Hulu and Disney+) – $12.99/mo
The Disney bundle is the best value for money, as you get ESPN+ content with Disney and Hulu on top for only $3 extra, which gives you plenty of additional entertainment.However, if you're wanting to keep your subscriptions lean and sports focussed, you can have all your XFL content for only $9.99/mo.
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Extras
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Mason Mount continues to be linked with a move away from Chelsea, but it appears the Blues are being proactive in their search for a possible replacement.
Manchester United are expected to table an improved £50m bid for Mount this week, giving Chelsea a huge decision to make – cash in now or let the England international leave for free in 12 months' time.
Losing Mount will undoubtedly be a blow for new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, even if the midfielder has his fair share of critics, but there are plenty of options out there to fill the void.
According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, one of those being targeted is Celta Vigo's in-demand midfielder Gabri Veiga.
Who is Chelsea target Gabri Veiga?
Romano suggests that Chelsea have asked to be informed of Veiga's release clause conditions, before weighing up whether to make a move for a player who is also on the radar of Real Madrid and Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Celta president Carlos Mourino revealed in April that the LaLiga side will not negotiate a fee for Veiga. Instead, it is down to any interested suitors to pay his €40m (£34m) release clause.
Chelsea's Mason Mount
On the basis of his performances over the past year, that can be considered a reasonable fee. Veiga ranks in the top 1% of his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in terms of non-penalty goals per 90 minutes (0.43), as per FBref, having scored 11 times in 36 LaLiga games last season.
That figure compares to 0.13 non-penalty goals per 90 for Mount, placing him among the lowest 21% among his positional peers. It is not just in that area Veiga shines, either, as he also assists more regularly than Mount (0.16 per 90 minutes last season compared to 0.11).
There are similarities in Veiga and Mount's playing styles, as highlighted by their progressive carries per 90 figures of 2.67 and 2.62 respectively, which records how often they carry the ball forward more than ten yards.
But Veiga, who was described as a "special" player by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague last season, gets far more of his shots on target than Mount (46.8% v 27.3%), averages more take-ons per 90 (2.94 v 1.69) and is also better in the air (0.75 aerial duels won per 90, compared to Mount's 0.49).
With Enzo Fernandez keeping things ticking along in the engine room, it makes sense for Chelsea to sacrifice another ball-playing midfielder for someone who can get past an opponent and find the net.
When factoring in the fees on the line and that Veiga is three years younger than Mount, the Blues could pull off a rare masterstroke.
The 39-year old record-breaking left-arm spinner also said he considers his future before every series he plays
Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle 11-Mar-2017
Rangana Herath said that Sri Lanka’s decision to field five frontline bowlers provided him with a wealth of possible strategies•AFP
Rangana Herath conceded 400 career wickets would be “nice to have”, while reiterating that at 39, he considers his future in the game after every series. Having taken 6 for 59 in Sri Lanka’s victory in Galle, Herath is now the most successful left-arm spinner in Tests, surpassing Daniel Vettori’s career tally of 362. This was also his 29th five-wicket haul – only Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Richard Hadlee and Anil Kumble have achieved more.”If you can get to a target like that it would be terrific, because very few people have taken 400 Test wickets,” Herath said. “I’d love to get there, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be in this form forever. But I’ll keep playing and contributing as I can for the team and for the country, and hope that the wickets keep coming.”That Herath is now among the most successful bowlers in the game is all the more extraordinary, given he did not have a long run in the team until he was 31. Before 2009, when he became a fixture in Sri Lanka’s Test XI, Herath had played only 14 Tests at sporadic intervals.”I have no regrets about starting late,” he said. “I have already played 79 Tests and I am happy with what ever I have achieved so far.”Herath needs 34 more Test wickets to get 400, and if matches are played per-schedule, Sri Lanka play six further home Tests this year before they are due to go overseas for a bilateral tour. In those matches, Herath may find himself sharing the spin duties with two other slow bowlers, however – Sri Lanka now having fielded three specialist spinners in each of their last four Tests on the island. Unusually, in this match, they also played two seamers, bringing the number of frontline bowlers to five. As acting captain, Herath said having so many bowlers at his command provided him with a wealth of possible strategies.”We talked a lot about playing six batsmen and five bowlers, and ultimately it was the selectors who made that decision,” Herath said. “I look at it the positive way. I have loads of options when you have three spinners. When we bowl long spells bowlers will get tired, so in that situation having five bowlers is a clear advantage.”As you saw today, playing against three spinners with such a large score to get is difficult for the opposition. The pitch wasn’t turning as much as usual, but we had the bowlers who did well – Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan gave a lot of support.”Though Sri Lanka were rarely pushed in this match, they did drop three catches in the first innings. Catches had been liberally spilled in recent tours of South Africa and Australia as well. ”After a game we look at the weak points in all three departments, and we have to be more cautious when it comes to fielding, as we missed a few chances,” Herath said. “But we are learning. We will work hard and come good.”
Scorecard Chris Tremain unleashes a slog sweep•Getty Images
A century for the fast bowler Chris Tremain delivered a major first-innings lead for Victoria over Western Australia on day two of the Sheffield Shield match in Alice Springs.In reply to the Warriors’ measly 146 in the first innings, the Bushrangers slipped to 7 for 184 when Seb Gotch was out to David Moody, one of his five wickets. However Tremain, who had never previously made a first-class fifty let alone a hundred, formed a key stand of 108 with James Pattinson to grow the Bushrangers’ lead.Four sixes punctuated the innings, which ended when Tremain was last out for 111. Jason Behrendorff claimed three wickets for the Warriors, who reached 0 for 29 at the close.
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made a move to sign a Premier League-proven talent…
What's the latest on Harvey Barnes to Tottenham Hotspur?
That's according to the Daily Mail, who report that Spurs had lodged a £50m double bid for both James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
It is a move that has been met with widespread ridicule, as Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy continues to short-change his rivals. However, Ange Postecoglou will likely not be as amused, as he seeks to make his first signing since being appointed earlier this month.
Although it is set to be rejected, it does mark a statement of intent from the Lilywhites, who are setting out their plans for the coming transfer window.
However, to tempt only the £35m-rated wide man, they will certainly have to up their price. Leicester City were commanding a fee of £50m for the 25-year-old alone last summer.
Would Harvey Barnes improve Tottenham Hotspur?
As a left winger, his acquisition by Spurs would immediately put Heung-min Son's place in the side under fire, especially after the torrid term the South Korean has just endured, in which his stock plummeted.
The 30-year-old star would score just ten league goals, marking a miserable downturn from the 23 he notched the season prior, and even the 17 the year before that.
Although the north London outfit suffered a poor season themselves, it did not excuse the anonymity of their usually ever-reliable goal machine. This left the attacking burden solely on Harry Kane, who still mustered 30 goals to emphasise this gulf in class.
However, frustratingly for Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and eventually Ryan Mason, a lack of viable alternatives meant the former Bayer Leverkusen dynamo still featured in 36 out of their 38 Premier League games.
He could not be dropped to emphasise his unacceptable form, and so he trundled on with his levels below average.
To sign Barnes would give the struggling South Korean some ample competition at last, especially seen as the one-time England international outscored him in a Foxes side that eventually fell to relegation.
His 13 strikes in the most recent Premier League campaign marked a goalscoring career-best for the England gem, who has previously been lauded as a "huge talent" and a truly "special" footballer by journalist Adam Bate in the past.
With sheer pace and a thunderous right foot akin to Son, but at five years his junior, this could be a signing both for the near future and to reignite their once dependable finisher in the present.
heung-min-son-tottenham-hotspur
After all, at the time when pundit Noel Whelan suggested his pairing with Kane was "the best partnership in world football", he was battling for his spot with a more spirited Lucas Moura, Dejan Kulusevski on top form, and Steven Bergwijn.
Barnes could arguably surpass all three of those options, to either usurp Son or spur him back to his brilliant best.
Cameron Carter-Vickers is in no rush to head back to the Premier League, with the USMNT star continuing to generate transfer talk.
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Defender left Spurs in 2021
Impressed while in Scotland
Attracting interest from afar
WHAT HAPPENED?
The 25-year-old centre-half has never appeared in the English top-flight, despite having come through the ranks at Tottenham to make six competitive appearances for the north London heavyweights. He took in a number of Championship loans before heading for Scotland in 2021.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Carter-Vickers saw Celtic complete a permanent transfer a year after his initial arrival and is thoroughly enjoying his time in Glasgow, telling when asked if a move back south of the border forms part of his plans: “If it comes, it comes, great, but if it doesn’t, I’m happy where I’m at now.”
WHAT THEY SAID
The commanding defender has been a full international since 2017, earning 14 caps for the United States, and is still coming to terms with the fact that he is gracing the biggest stages in sport. Carter-Vickers added: “The camp prior to the World Cup in the summer, I didn't really expect to be called up, but when I was, I felt like I was ready to perform for the national team. Looking back now, I'm glad, I think that summer camp was key to impress the coaching staff here and show them what I can do. That got me called into the World Cup squad, which was a dream.”
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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Carter-Vickers figured in both of the United States’ friendlies during the October international break – against Germany and Ghana – and is eager to cement his place in Gregg Berhalter’s plans heading towards Copa America and World Cup tournaments that will be staged on U.S. soil in 2024 and 2026 respectively.
ESPNcricinfo has learnt that some of the India players are unhappy with the revised pay structure, despite their annual retainer having been doubled
Arun Venugopal30-Mar-2017
Anil Kumble, pictured with India captain Virat Kohli, has been involved in discussions about the new pay structure•AFP
A week after the BCCI announced new annual contracts, it has emerged that some players are unhappy with the revised pay structure. Despite the annual retainer having been doubled, it is understood that the players’ response has stemmed from the revised contracts not meeting their demands. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the issue had been a concern for a while and that the players have made a concerted effort to address it in the last few months.”Things have gathered momentum over the last three months or so, through the New Zealand and England series,” an insider aware of the developments said. “Almost every player has been involved in the discussions.” The coach, Anil Kumble, who was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the central contracts system in 2003, is learnt to have pushed for a complete overhaul of the existing structure to ensure contracted players get a bigger slice of the whole revenue pie, and not just a percentage of a whittled-down portion.Earlier this month, Kumble had made a presentation on a revamped compensation structure on behalf of the players and support staff to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) in Bengaluru. Although one source said the players are likely to meet the CoA in the forthcoming days to revisit the new contracts, a CoA official said no such meeting was on the cards.The CoA, though, believes Kumble’s proposals require an entirely new framework, which will require time to formulate. “Kumble is also aware that it cannot happen overnight,” the CoA official said. “That will be thought through and we will see what we can do on that. That is not something that can be done in 24 hours or 48 hours. It will take a lot of deliberation because it is a complete re-think of how the compensation model is thought through.”Last week, a few days after Kumble’s presentation, 32 players were handed new retainers, in which seven Grade A-contract holders – including Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane and R Ashwin – will be paid INR 2 crore (USD 300,000 approx) each per year. According to the new arrangement, those in Grade B and C will now earn INR 1 crore (USD 150,000 approx) and INR 50 lakh (USD 75,000) respectively. The match fees were also increased from INR 7 lakh to 15 lakh in Tests, 4 lakh to 6 lakh in ODIs and 2 lakh to 3 lakh in T20Is. This revision in the pay structure was the first since 2010.The assistant coaches – Sanjay Bangar (batting) and R Sridhar (fielding) – were also given a 50% hike in retainership fees; they will now earn 15 lakh each per month, barring the two-month IPL window, for which they are not paid.There were other financial rewards, too, with the BCCI announcing payments – INR 50 lakh per player, 25 lakh for Kumble and 15 lakh for each member of the support staff – for India becoming the No. 1-ranked Test side. The ICC also awarded the team USD 1 million for finishing the year as the top-ranked Test nation.Despite the windfall, some players believe the pay rise isn’t commensurate with the growth in BCCI profits. The BCCI’s total income in 2015-16 stood at INR 1365.35 crore. Out of this, the board paid a total of 56.35 crore to players. An amount of 46.31 crore was paid as “additional payment to players”, as per the board’s annual statement last year.The sticking point, though, is the income from the television rights, which is the board’s biggest revenue stream. The norm has been distribution of about 70% of the income – generated from rights – to the state associations. For perspective, when the contracts were introduced in 2003 by the BCCI, the board paid players – both international and domestic, including the junior categories – 26% of the overall revenues. Of this, half (13%) was assigned to the men’s international players, while 10.3% was distributed among the domestic players. The remaining 2.7% was allotted to a bracket featuring the junior players, although women were added to this category subsequently.What has further irked the players is that their annual retainer is comparatively lower than that of their English and Australian counterparts. Different sources have estimated Joe Root and Steven Smith’s annual retainers at between INR 8 crore and 12 crore. “When the ECB and CA compensate their players handsomely, why does the BCCI, the world’s richest board, not do enough?” the source asked. “In addition, the BCCI’s coffers have seen a huge increase since the introduction of the IPL, but the players don’t get a fair share of such revenues. It is ultimately the state associations that walk away with the lion’s share of the money.”Another source said the BCCI could not use the players’ IPL earnings as a pretext for not substantially increasing the annual retainers. “One player might get a contract worth 12 crore, another may be bought for 30 lakh, and there are players who don’t get any IPL contracts,” the source said. “Why should the board be concerned with the amount of money players make from the IPL? The values of both these properties are different, so why do they connect the two? The BCCI is the richest board and the money is meant to be spent on cricket and cricketers, not stadia.”The other cause of consternation has been the gulf in the pay structures between domestic and international cricketers. A veteran domestic player said there was very little financial incentive for someone to play only first-class cricket. “A player in the Test squad makes 7.5 lakh per game, even if he is not included in the playing XI,” he said. “If I play a whole season of first-class cricket – I get paid 40,000 per four-day game, along with a percentage of the board’s gross revenue – I will probably make a little more in a season than what a player on the bench makes per Test match.”He said that a contract system had to be put in place for domestic cricketers as well. “The absence of any concrete financial benefit is why people in first-class cricket are constantly looking to play only the IPL,” he said. “After all, not everyone can play for India. But, with a system like this, you are not producing people who would want to play Test cricket. The disparity is huge.”
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAsela Gunaratne continued his good form in international cricket•Getty Images
Australia’s “best of the Big Bash League” took Sri Lanka to the final ball. The hosts and their three debutants fought to the finish against the visitors in front of a raucous crowd at the MCG, but a win offered Sri Lanka the chance to wrap up the series at Kardinia Park on Sunday.The Perth Scorchers’ Andrew Tye was left with six runs to defend from the final over, and one from the final ball. Chamara Kapugedara surveyed the ring field then punched the winning boundary through the covers to secure the result. His composure ensured Sri Lanka finished in the ascendant after looking the more likely victors throughout their chase, largely due to a boundary count that outstripped the hosts, 21 to 13.None of Australia’s batsmen were able to go on to substantial scores after Upul Tharanga sent them in to bat, as a spongy pitch and disciplined Sri Lankan bowling denied them the ability to find a domineering rhythm. Sri Lanka’s pursuit was then given the desired fast start by Dilshan Munaweera after Tharanga was dismissed in the first over, and Asela Gunaratne’s nimble half-century guided the tourists to within sight of victory in front of 42,511 spectators, many of them barracking for Sri Lanka.Gunaratne also made a brief but notable contribution with the ball, goading the captain Aaron Finch into a skier after he had appeared the man most likely to produce a truly damaging tally for Australia. The dismissal came two balls after Finch had hammered the biggest six of the night, and 10 runs after Michael Klinger’s long delayed international debut was ended.Lasith Malinga, making his own return from a long absence, bowled tidily and scooped a couple of late wickets, while Seekkuge Prasanna gave up a mere 23 runs from four overs that featured 10 dot balls and should have been rewarded with the wicket of Travis Head – dropped badly by Tharanga at point.Tharanga’s night did not improve when he opened the batting, as he received a perfectly pitched ball going across him from Pat Cummins in the first over and offered a thin edge through to Tim Paine behind the stumps. While the Australians celebrated this wicket with some gusto, they were soon haring about the MCG outfield as Munaweera and Niroshan Dickwella went to work.Their partnership ensured the run rate was not going to be much of an issue, compelling Finch and his bowlers to chase wickets and consequentially offer more scoring opportunities. Adam Zampa delivered his usual handy spell and deserved his two wickets, but oddly Finch did not try his other spin options until introducing Ashton Turner with only a modest equation required.Dilshan Munaweera’s six fours in his quick innings rallied Sri Lanka till the halfway mark•Cricket Australia
Turner’s offbreaks were rewarded by a smart Paine stumping to end Gunaratne’s innings just when he appeared to be coasting home, before a debatable lbw verdict against Milinda Siriwardana closed the gap between the teams. In the end, Kapugedara was left needing a single from the final delivery, an assignment he made light work of with a steely drive for four.Klinger, Turner and Billy Stanlake were all named for their first T20 appearances for Australia but there was no room for Ben Dunk and only three specialist batsmen selected – Finch, Head and Klinger. The visitors included the left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, who was so effective against Australia in the Test series in Sri Lanka last year.Malinga kicked off the evening with his first ball in a full international since February last year, and also bowled the first ball faced by Klinger in an international match no fewer than 19 years after his state debut. The pitch was a little on the sluggish side, but Klinger and the acting captain Finch made a decent start with a smattering of boundaries and hustling between the wickets.They had 76 on the board by the time Klinger tried to tug a Sandakan googly to the leg side and was pouched by Malinga via the resultant top edge. Finch had his eye on a big score as leader, but after depositing Gunaratne’s first ball well into the Great Southern Stand he tried to repeat the trick two balls later against an offcutter and popped another high catch.From there the innings was a sequence of fits and starts, as Head, Moises Henriques, Turner and James Faulkner all offered cameo contributions. However, Prasanna’s spell was particularly tidy, Sri Lanka did well to keep the boundary count down – only seven fours and four sixes in total – and two wickets in successive balls for Malinga in his final over also served to aid the tourists’ ultimately winning cause.
Arsenal have been linked to a La Liga gem as Mikel Arteta aims to bolster his squad this summer.
The transfer window officially opened on Wednesday, allowing clubs to manipulate their squads in preparation for the new season in August.
The Gunners have been linked with a host of talent already this summer, with the latest name having the potential to be an upgrade for a star expected to depart.
What’s the latest on Nico Williams to Arsenal?
As reported by 90min earlier this week, Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams is a player of interest for Arsenal.
The report follows the narrative of Aston Villa’s push for the winger, with mention of the Gunners being a club that have ‘appreciated’ the player as well as the understanding that they are ‘keeping close tabs’ on his situation.
The 20-year-old has a release clause of €50m (£43m) in place at his current club.
What could Nico Williams offer to Arsenal?
Lauded as “extremely dangerous” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Spaniard has excelled since graduating from Athletic's academy in 2021.
Deployed predominantly as a right-winger, Williams could prove to be a huge asset to Arteta’s side in years to come by competing with Arsenal star Bukayo Saka for a starting spot.
While Saka’s form has made his place virtually untouchable, the forward could help implement a higher quality of depth in the squad – forcing Nicolas Pepe even further out of the picture in the process.
The Ivory Coast international spent the past season on loan at OGC Nice, making the switch back to Ligue 1 last summer in a bid to relocate his form.
As reported by Sam Hill via football.london, the 28-year-old is ‘no longer’ in the Spaniard’s plans, with the report of the understanding that Arsenal have made ‘plans’ over the potential termination of his contract.
With the £72m forward looking unlikely to feature for Arsenal again, the club could recruit a worthy replacement in Williams, who has excelled Pepe this season in their respective leagues.
When comparing the two via FBref based on their 2022/23 performances, it’s clear to see that the Gunners could snatch a clear upgrade on the £140k-per-week dud.
The Spaniard averaged 5.90 progressive carries per 90 this campaign, placing him in the top 4% of those in his position across Europe's top 5 leagues, with Pepe averaging just 2.77 per 90 at Nice.
The 20-year-old also excelled in terms of successful take-ons via FBref, averaging 2.81 per 90 to the Ivory Coast international’s 2.05 per 90, highlighting why he has been identified as having significant strengths in dribbling by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
While the two scored the same number of goals with six, Williams has also provided four assists, showing the expansion of his game and level of performance at a tender age.
At just 20 years old, Arsenal could sign a player for the future in the Spaniard, who would undoubtedly be an upgrade on Pepe, who has failed to make things tick in north London.