Arsenal: Ivan Perisic can bring much needed experience to Unai Emery’s attack

Unai Emery’s Arsenal is still a work in progress.

The Gunners have shown resounding signs of improvement under the Spaniard, yet also been unable to shake away the problems which led to Arsene Wenger’s departure.

Indeed, if their abysmal away form is any proof this season, they’re lacking the experience to weather the storm in different conditions. In order to get rid of this stigma, the North London giants need some experienced, multi-talented players to give them a cutting edge.

Well, according to reports from Corriere dello Sport (via TEAMtalk), Ivan Perisic is a player Emery wants to sign in the summer.

The Inter Milan winger’s not had the most prolific season so far, only scoring 5 goals and assisting 4 in the Serie A so far. During a crisis period for the Italian side, Perisic’s own form’s dropped and he’s not as influential as he once was.  However, that won’t stop Emery from chasing for his services.

At his best, he looks exactly the player you Gunners must be desperate for. Hard-working, able to get up and down the pitch and someone who can take big games by the scruff of the neck, as he proved during England’s infamous World Cup semi-final with Croatia in 2018.

A World Cup finalist and Bundesliga winner, he knows what it takes to thrive under pressure. Perisic seemingly loves playing under daunting conditions, often finding his best form under it. In Emery’s attacking system, he could work wonders in creating chances through the left, while also enabling freedom for Alexander Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Perisic’s stunning dribbling ability, venomous feet and knack for creating something out of nothing can help Arsenal develop a much more clinical style. Despite his age, Perisic can still bamboozle Premier League defenders with his trickery and thrive from Arsenal’s electric style thanks to his inquisitiveness going forward.

Needing some bite, moving for the former Dortmund ace would have Arsenal showing their teeth ahead of next season.

Arsenal fans, would you be excited by Perisic’s potential arrival this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

خاص.. 3 أندية مصرية تفاوض علي غزال بعد قرار عودته لمصر

كشف مصدر خاص مقرب من اللاعب الدولي المصري، علي غزال المحترف ضمن صفوف لاريسا اليوناني، عن تلقيه 3 عروض بالدوري المحلي.

وكان غزال قد قرر خلال الفترة الماضية أن يعود للدوري المصري الممتاز بدايًة من الموسم المقبل.

طالع أيضًا | رسميًا.. حسام عاشور ينضم للاتحاد السكندري لمدة موسمين

وأوضح المصدر، أن أندية وادي دجلة والجونة والإسماعيلي، تسعى للتعاقد مع علي غزال، بعدما قرر العودة إلى مصر.

وشدد المصدر على أنه هناك مفاوضات مع اللاعب وحتى الآن لم يحسم وجهته المقبلة.

يذكر، أن غزال قد لعب لنادي وادي دجلة قبل أن يخرج في رحلة احتراف طويلة بين البرتغال والصين وكندا وأخيرًا اليونان.

Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette will be club’s most important player going into run-in

You don’t really associate Arsenal with incredible freekicks, but Alexandre Lacazette’s winning goal proved another story.

The Frenchman’s first-half strike was all it took for Arsenal to seal passage to the Europa League semi-finals for the second year in a row, and with the tournament favourites now eliminated, the Gunners could well be on their way to a first piece of European silverware in over 20 years, and Lacazette will be key in this goal.

Lacazette has been one of Arsenal’s best players this season, shortlist for the club’s Player of the Season award, and his ability to turn up on the biggest of stages is what sets him apart from other members of the squad.

Arsenal managed to sign the striker for just £47.7 million back in 2017.

Aside from his goal, which will be what fans remember today, his overall performance was worthy of the man of the match award. Lacazette drove at the Napoli defenders all game and found it easy to find the space to create chances for himself and strike partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who should have scored on more than one occasion.

If Arsenal are to return to the Champions League, where it be through finishing in the top four or by winning the Europa League, Lacazette will be one of the driving forces behind it, and his importance for the club is growing stronger and stronger as the games keep on rolling.

Arsenal fans, how many goals can Lacazette reach at the end of the season? Let us know!

Profit Players: Heung-min Son

Tottenham have been accredited the nickname ‘the Harry Kane team’ in recent years by those both inside and out of the industry. None more prevalent than Pep Guardiola, who in 2017 recognised that ‘the Harry Kane’ team were indeed in the title race. Kane is, of course, one of the most important players in the squad. However, in his absences this season, another has emerged as a true superstar – Heung-min Son. 

The South Korean has received relentless praise this season, and rightly so. However, it must also be noted that the forward was once viewed very much as a fringe member of the squad. Son now represents one of Tottenham’s greatest bargains in recent times. Son was brought in from Bayern Leverkusen for just £22m – ask yourself – how much is he worth now?

In his first season managed just four goals and a single assist in 28 Premier League games. In all honesty, this is a poor return for a player who was touted to be an exciting signing for Tottenham. Son most certainly adapted to life in the Premier League, however. He has subsequently reached totals of 14 and 12 goals, currently again standing on 12 with five games remaining.

The forward has indeed vastly improved since his first year at Tottenham, but has stepped it up another level this season. It’s not just goals and assists, Son has emerged as arguably the clubs’s most important player while Kane remains sidelined. He has shown real leadership and nerve, stepping up in crucial moments where no other player did.

The standout moments for Son must be the winning goal in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City, alongside winning the 2019 London Player of the Year.

Son represents such a key player for Tottenham, largely because of his versatility. He has shown he can play on the wing, up front as part of a two or even on his own. The South Korean gives Tottenham an abundance of options, but also gives his all game in game out. There have been moments this time where Son has looked genuinely exhausted, but has never stopped.

Earlier in the season, after a fine performance against Leicester, pundit Garth Crooks said: “When Son plays, his pace gives Tottenham a dimension they lack without him. Two seasons ago he was the most improved Premier League player. Now he’s the most improved Premier League finisher.”

It really does some up the improvement Son has made since his transfer to Tottenham, something emulated by many under the tenure of Pochettino. It seems implausible that Son will move away from Tottenham in the near future. But if he were to, he would now be worth a lot more than the £22m Tottenham originally paid for him – what a bargain!

Tottenham fans – do you think Son is the biggest bargain in recent history? How does he compare to Dele Alli?

Arsenal fans loved Cazorla’s performance against Barcelona

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Arsenal fans have professed their love for Santi Cazorla after the midfielder got back to his very best against Barcelona on Tuesday.

The midfielder, who spent six years at the Emirates Stadium between 2012 and 2018, returned to former club Villarreal in the summer.

His career has been ravaged by injuries and, in September, he revealed to the BBC that he had undergone a total of 11 operations on an Achilles injury that almost cost him his ability to walk.

However, he is back to full fitness now and ran rings around perhaps the best team on the planet as Villarreal and Barca played out a pulsating 4-4 draw in midweek.

Indeed, Cazorla laid on a sumptuous assist to Carlos Bacca for his side’s fourth goal, splitting the defence with a superb through-ball.

And Arsenal fans have expressed their regret at the club allowing him to move on, while praising the Spaniard’s incredible performance versus Lionel Messi and Co.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

Arsenal: Mesut Ozil needs to be sold, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan deserves another season

The upcoming summer transfer window is shaping up to be one of the most important for Arsenal in a long time.

With Aaron Ramsey leaving the club for Juventus and strengthening needed in key areas of the pitch, Unai Emery has it all to do this summer when it comes to bringing in the right players. And one player who is likely to be surrounded in speculation this transfer window is Mesut Ozil.

The former German international has yet to win over the affection of Emery and has been in and out of the Arsenal first-team all season. The 30-year-old playmaker’s massive wages also make him ripe for the chop this summer, and according to the Mirror, Ozil and Henrik Mkhitaryan both face being shipped out of the club to increase funds for summer transfers.

On paper, it seems like a smart move. Both players have been underwhelming since their moves to north London and getting them off the wage bill would leave Arsenal with plenty of room to bring in new faces that the club desperately needs.

Selling Ozil sounds like the ideal solution to this problem, but letting Mkhitaryan go as well would be a big mistake for Emery.

The Armenian winger, who yes hasn’t lived up to the level of quality fans expected when he was swapped for Alexis Sanchez in 2018, has still been impressive this season. Six goals and six assists is a decent tally for a player that has not featured heavily this season due to niggling injuries.

Another reason to keep Mkhitaryan for another season is that Arsenal simply lack too much depth out on the wings to risk losing the former Borussia Dortmund star. He and Iwobi are the only true wingers at the club, and although the earlier report from the Mirror says Emery is targeting a left-sided midfielder, it’s fair to say that other positions could become more of a priority for the club, like the defence.

Arsenal fans would rather see Mkhitaryan leave than Ozil this summer, given how popular the German is, but the reality is that the club will be better financially and on the pitch if Emery keeps the Armenian at the club and moves on Ozill.

Arsenal fans, what should the club do with Mkhitaryan and Ozil this summer?

Sheffield Wednesday: Bruce must down-size his striking options next season

There can’t be many clubs in world football who can boast having the option to pick between seven players who can occupy the centre-forward position in their team, can there?

Sheffield Wednesday’s accumulation of strikers over the past few seasons has resulted in fierce competition for places yet incredibly, there has yet to be a settled front-two during the 2018/19 campaign as both Jos Luhukay, who was sacked in December, and Steve Bruce have had to deal with a myriad of injuries.

The latest to be sidelined is top-scorer Steven Fletcher who was ruled out of last Saturday’s game against Stoke City due to a knee issue, forcing his boss to alter his starting eleven to incorporate the return of Fernando Forestieri and Gary Hooper. Although it could be argued that the embarrassment of riches at Hillsborough in terms of an attacking sense should guarantee goals, the fact that the strikers do not know whether they will be playing every week can have a detrimental impact on morale. The likes of Lucas Joao, Sam Winnall and Marco Matias have been in and out of the squad on numerous occasions this season, which has limited their development as players whilst Forestieri, in particular, has failed to replicate the same level of form that he has demonstrated in the past for Wednesday.

The only solution to this problem is to offload some of the forwards that the Owls have on their books in the summer, a move that could prove to be extremely beneficial for Bruce going forward. By recuperating fees for the players that he is willing to discard, the 58-year-old can use the money to strengthen his squad in other areas in the summer.

Regardless of whether the Owls sneak into the play-off positions at the end of the current campaign, it is clear that they need to balance out their squad and so it would be very surprising if Bruce doesn’t commit to bringing an end to his unique attacking issue.

What do you think Wednesday fans? Should Bruce cut ties with some of your forwards in the summer? Who should be let go? Let us know below.

Why Man United move for Kieran Trippier would be 12 months too late for both

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According to a report by The Sun, Manchester United are keen on signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Kieran Trippier, but a potential summer move would come 12 months too late for club and player.

Why is it too late for United?

This time last year the Red Devils would have been getting a full-back full of confidence who was about to shine for England at the 2018 World Cup.

His delivery from crosses was especially impressive for Spurs last term, and someone like Romelu Lukaku would surely have thrived on his service from the right flank during the current campaign.

Bringing in Trippier would also have prevented Ashley Young being near the starting line-up too given he has often featured at right-back or right wing-back this term, with the 33-year-old proving to be a big liability at times.

If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signs the 28-year-old now he will be getting a player who appears to have lost the belief in his own ability, and who is really struggling from a defensive point of view as well as with his tally of assists – exactly what United don’t need given their own struggles.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

Why is it too late for Trippier?

Following an impressive season with Spurs and the high of scoring World Cup semi-final goal for his country, it was the ideal time for him to take a step forward in his career.

A move to Old Trafford would have undoubtedly been that no matter what Tottenham fans may say, and he would have been the undoubted first choice in his position at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

While he was a player seemingly in his prime then, it is a different story now given he isn’t even a regular for his current employers.

A move away and fresh start last summer may have meant that his form would have been less likely to decline like it has done, and in that respect it could now be a bad time to move on.

The Chalkboard: Have Palace been using Alexander Sorloth in the wrong position?

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Alexander Sorloth departed Crystal Palace on loan in January having struggled for form at Selhurst Park and the Eagles have hardly missed him, with Michy Batshuayi chipping in with a couple of goals and Christian Benteke back to his best against Arsenal.

Any Palace fans who have been keeping an eye on the Norwegian’s loan stint at Gent will have noticed that he has been a successful signing for the Belgian outfit. Had Roy Hodgson been deploying the giant forward in the wrong position all this time?

On the chalkboard

Sorloth played just 173 minutes of Premier League football and failed to score for Palace before being shipped out three months ago, although he has found his shooting boots again across the channel it seems.

The 23-year-old has chalked up four goals and two assists in all competitions for Gent but hasn’t been doing it as a striker. Instead, the 6 ft 4 hitman has been deployed as a right winger and has clearly been reaping the rewards.

Naturally, his height and physicality mean he looks like a striker but, prior to his move to Palace and subsequent conversion to a centre-forward, the former Midtjylland man had been successful as a wide-man. Is this where Hodgson should be looking to use him when he returns ahead of the next campaign?

Big winger

The likes of Marko Arnautovic and Romelu Lukaku under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have proved that size is a huge asset on the wing and while Sorloth doesn’t have Wilfried Zaha’s dribbling or Andros Townsend’s shooting from range, he does have a bit of pace about him and his size would make him a nightmare for most Premier League full-backs.

There’s some exciting changes happening at Crystal Palace next summer. Find out what in the video below…

While the former England boss has come under some criticism for his management this season, he has shown that he isn’t afraid to patiently transform players into the type he needs – Jeffrey Schlupp has been converted into a central-midfielder and the aforementioned wing duo are now able to double as a strike partnership. It certainly seems worth a try, otherwise Sorloth will just end up being money down the drain.

شوبير: مركز التسوية والتحكيم يُقضي ببطلان لائحة الزمالك

أعلن الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، ونجم الأهلي السابق، أن مركز التسوية والتحكيم قرر بطلان لائحة نادي الزمالك، في جلسته التي عقدت اليوم الأربعاء.

اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية كانت قد قررت إيقاف مرتضى منصور رئيس نادي الزمالك 4 سنوات عن مزاولة أي نشاط رياضي، مع إلزام الزمال بانتخاب رئيس جديد للنادي مع تغريمه 100 ألف جنيه، وذلك بسبب الشكاوى المقدمة ضده.

نشر أحمد شوبير عبر حسابه الرسمي بموقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر”: “عاجل مركز التسوية والتحكيم يقضي ببطلان لائحة الزمالك”.

وأعلنت قناة نادي الزمالك عن إيقاف برنامجها الرئيسي “زملكاوي” لمدة أسبوعين، وذلك بقرار من المجلس الأعلى لتنظيم الإعلام. طالع التفاصيل

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