All posts by n8rngtd.top

Arsenal look to be on the journey to something special, as Mikel Arteta continues to grow as a manager alongside his budding squad full of exciting talent.

The Gunners underwent some difficult times at the start of the Spaniard’s reign, at a time when many doubted the limits of his capabilities as a coach as his first two seasons resulted in consecutive 8th-place Premier League finishes.

As time went by and the former Arsenal midfielder was able to fully sculpt the squad to his liking, improvement began to be noticeable, as he took the team to 5th place in the 2021/22 campaign, agonisingly shy of a top-four finish.

It seemed as though the squad took missing out on the top four to their north London rivals personally, as the 2022/23 season began the start of the club’s revolution, as they challenged for the title for the majority of the term.

Manchester City swept the prizes last year, winning the domestic treble, however, Arteta restored the hope at the Emirates for years to come.

During his reign, the former Everton whiz has recruited strongly, welcoming a host of talent through the doors in north London with each new arrival having a significant role to play in his master plan.

One area that needed attention was the defence, which was strengthened by the arrivals of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Oleksandr Zinchenko, paired with the return of William Saliba from his loan spells.

How much did Arsenal sign Gabriel Magalhaes for?

Signed from French outfit Lille in 2020 for £27m, Gabriel arrived in the bid for Arteta to rebuild the foundations of his back four.

The manager lauded his new arrival as a player who could strengthen his squad as a “defensive unit and as a team”, branding him an “outstanding” defender based on his form in France.

It was revealed at the time of the deal being complete that Manchester United were also eyeing a potential move for the Brazilian, with Everton and Napoli also named as clubs that held interest.

Around the time of his move from Ligue 1 to the Premier League, the centre-back had an expected transfer value (xTV) of €15.5m (£13.4m), which has significantly risen since his journey to fame in north London, via Football Transfers.

What is Gabriel Magalhaes’ market value now?

Currently, the Sao Paulo-born ace has a market value of €80m (£69m), as per CIES Football Observatory, showcasing just how much his game has developed, as well as how good of a deal Arsenal struck to acquire him.

In three years, the defender’s value has risen by almost €65m, with his good form and personal development rewarded with an improved contract from the club in 2022, where his deal was extended to 2027.

At the time of his renewed deal, Arteta dubbed his star defender as a “hugely important” part of the squad after establishing himself as one of the Emirates’ first-choice centre-backs.

How much does Gabriel Magalhaes earn?

Along with his stay being extended, the Brazilian saw his wages rise as a result of his revised contract.

The 25-year-old saw his hard work pay off as his salary doubled in value last year, taking his weekly wage from £50k to £100k by putting pen to paper.

From earning £291k-per-year at the point of signing for Lille, the defender’s rise at Arsenal has resulted in him earning £5.2m-per-year, suggesting just how highly he is regarded in north London.

Why is he worth that much?

Praised as being “solid as a rock” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in his debut season, Gabriel’s form has transformed over the years, with it seeming as though the Brazil international has found sanctuary in playing alongside Saliba.

In the 2020/21 campaign, the Brazilian averaged a pass completion rate of 85.4% per 90, as well as making 1.13 tackles and 2.57 aerial wins per 90, via FBref.

The most prominent improvement to his game has been his distribution, recording an average pass completion rate of 89.4% per 90, as well as making 1.27 tackles and 2.64 aerial wins per 90 in the 2022/23 season.

Working alongside Saliba seems to complement the former Lille star, with the Frenchman being an extremely competent ball player himself as highlighted by his average pass completion rate of 91.0% per 90 last term.

When reviewing Arsenal’s defence, the combination of Gabriel and Saliba has assisted in balancing the back four, with both showing their strengths in orchestrating the play ahead of them as well as the task at hand.

Twitter X figure Eduardo Hagn was full of praise for the partnership after the Gunners’ emphatic win against PSV on their Champions League return, calling them a “world-class” duo.

What does the future hold for Gabriel?

With 124 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions under his belt, the 25-year-old has all the tools to write himself into history as part of a squad that is destined for glory sooner rather than later.

The Gunners struggled for years to unearth the next capable defensive duo, with the combination of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny arguably the last pairing that consistently succeeded in red and white.

Last season was the first term that Saliba and Gabriel were combined in the heart of the back line, and with such performances marking their first experiences with each other, Arteta’s defence is in safe hands for years to come.

Arsenal are back in the Champions League and among the top side’s in the Premier League, with the Brazilian being an integral part of the journey in the capital.

Away from domestic football, the future looks bright for the former Ligue 1 gem’s international prognosis, as he earned his first cap for his country earlier this month after the disappointment of not being selected for the 2022 World Cup.

Emerging as a top talent in England with Arsenal, and a player recognised at international level for Fernando Diniz’s squad, the Gunners machine is in for an exciting new chapter of his career if his form can continue to flourish.

In signing Gabriel for just £27m, Arteta and Edu struck gold on another Brazilian talent whose value continues to soar in the capital.

Gary Lineker has been left crying with laughter after learning of Manchester United’s supposed interest in Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Prolific frontman left Spurs in 2023
• In danger of missing out on silverware
• Has seen a return to England mooted

• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils have long been linked with the England international, but were never able to put a deal in place with Tottenham. The prolific 30-year-old frontman is now in Germany and has smashed through the 30-goal barrier during his debut campaign at the Allianz Arena.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kane is in danger of ending another season empty-handed, and that has led to speculation suggesting that a hasty retreat to the Premier League could be beaten. United are being credited with interest once again, but questions have been asked of why a man determined to land major silverware would want to head for Old Trafford.

• WHAT LINEKER SAID ABOUT KANE

  Ex-England and Tottenham striker Lineker has seen the funny side of suggestions that the Red Devils could throw money at an ambitious move for Kane, with the Match of the Day host unable to contain his surprise on social media as he responded to the rumours with a series of crying laughter emojis.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

  While speculation swirls around Kane, the man himself has offered no indication that he is considering another move. His family are now settled in Bavaria and he is tied to a contract through to 2027 – offering him many more opportunities in which to enhance a medal collection that is proving difficult to start.

Aston Villa have seen a significant rise in their performance since the arrival of Unai Emery last season, with the Spaniard implementing a raised level of targets for his squad at Villa Park.

The former Arsenal boss took the Villans from 16th in the Premier League table to 7th in his first term as manager, inspiring the club to qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League after just seven months in charge.

The 51-year-old paired his side’s impressive form by delivering an equally as impressive transfer window, welcoming five new faces to the Midlands boasting star quality.

Despite the track records of some of the new signings being impeccable, it hasn’t worked out as swimmingly as hoped so far for one capture in particular, as Youri Tielemans finds himself in a rut both performance and game time wise.

Over the years, the Villans have had an abundance of impressive midfielders, particularly those stemming from the academy, pointing to one name that got away from the club who could have been the ideal alternative to Tielemans.

How long was Carney Chukwuemeka at Aston Villa?

A product of Bodymoor Heath, midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka arrived in the Midlands aged 12 from Northampton Town and developed his career with Villa for six years.

From 12 to 18-years-old, the Austrian-born talent climbed through the ranks before making his Premier League debut in the 2020/21 campaign which eased him into the surroundings of senior football at the top level.

The following season, Chukwuemeka made 12 Premier League appearances and made his mark on the first team, a talent that surfaced too loudly for the Villans’ to suppress interest from elsewhere.

In the summer of 2022 at just 18-years-old, the midfielder signed for Chelsea in a blockbuster £20m deal for someone his age, telling of just how highly-regarded his talents were at the time.

Who are Aston Villa’s most valuable academy graduates?

The £20m sale of Chukwuemeka added him to a list of some valuable academy graduates that have spawned from Bodymoor Heath.

Jack Grealish is the most notable profit delivering sale, as he made the £100m move from his boyhood club to Manchester City in 2021, and is still regarded as Villa’s most valuable academy graduate at present.

As per Transfermarkt, the Englishman is currently valued at €75m (£65m), followed by Jacob Ramsey at €42m (£36m) and Chukwuemeka in third with a value of €15m (£13m) to represent Villa’s present day most valuable academy products.

Why did Aston Villa sell Chukwuemeka?

Considering his worth and rise to form on the pitch, it’s difficult to understand why Villa allowed a budding teen as much of a prospect as the 19-year-old to depart.

The situation is believed to be that the midfielder was nearing the end of his contract, and had no intention of signing a new deal with his priority being consistent game time in the next stages of his career.

A report from Sky Sports named Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona as club’s from abroad that had eyeballed a potential swoop for the teen, who was eventually sold to the Blues for a healthy fee of £20m, handing Villa a fitting profit.

At the point of his departure, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol relayed the belief that Chukwuemeka was “one of the best young players in England”, leading on from his role in England U19’s European Championship win that summer.

While a £20m profit for a teenager with just 16 senior appearances seemed like a good deal for Villa at the time, it’s now apparent that the Englishman could have thrived under Emery if he was more willing to stay.

What is Chukwuemeka doing now?

Since leaving Villa’s academy, it’s been a difficult road for the teen, who joined the Blues at a treacherous time in the club’s history, as they continue to try and rediscover their identity amid managerial and board changes and an influx of personnel.

In his first term with the west Londoners, Chukwuemeka made 14 appearances in the Premier League, and started this season in dreamland under Mauricio Pochettino as he netted his first goal for the club in their new era under the Argentine.

After two appearances in the opening two games of the season, the teenager’s trajectory was stopped in its tracks as he sustained a knee injury against West Ham United during the fixture he scored in.

After requiring surgery to ease the issue, it was suggested that the midfielder would miss six weeks of action, tarnishing his fast start to the 2023/24 campaign.

Despite being struck down by injury, the 19-year-old showed glimpses of just how far his talents can go in the middle of the park, as highlighted by his statistics obtained over the past year.

What could Chukwuemeka have offered to Emery’s side?

Previously dubbed a “superstar in the making” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, there are many elements that Villa could have had in keeping hold of the wantaway academy star.

While at the time a future at Villa Park was not envisioned by the player or club, in hindsight the Villans could have saved millions by maintaining the midfielder over funding others in that position.

This week, it became apparent just how much the youngster could have assisted Emery on his quest for progression, with reference to the poor midfield performances during Villa’s league cup defeat to Everton on Wednesday evening.

While Tielemans arrived with no upfront cost as a free-agent this summer, the Belgian is earning a hefty £150k-per-week and is yet to show his worth, as reinforced by podcaster Dan Rolinson who described the star as “largely anonymous” in claret and blue so far.

The former Leicester City whiz recorded an abysmal 5.9 Sofascore match rating against the Blues this week, making his claim for game time incomprehensible as he waits for his full Premier League debut under Emery.

With reference to Chukwuemeka, the midfielder has shown levels exceeding those of Tielemans over the past year, as communicated by FBref.

Representing Chelsea, the Englishman averages a pass completion rate of 87.9% per 90, as well as making 4.32 progressive carries 5.07 progressive passes per 90 over the past year.

In comparison, Tielemans noted a higher rate of progressive passes with an average of 6.36 per 90, however, fell massively short of the teenager with 1.41 progressive carries and a pass completion rate of 79.1% per 90, via FBref.

Things don’t always work out as planned in football, as highlighted by Villa’s loss of Chukwuemeka after his work in the academy, as well as the lacklustre from Tielemans in the early days of his Villa Park career.

The form of the two midfielders suggests that Emery could have had a far better option in the Bodymoor Heath starlet rather than their £150k-per-week new arrival, with hindsight declaring their respective impact.

Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy are reportedly plotting a discounted January sale for one player who Ange Postecoglou is a big fan of.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Spurs have begun this new Premier League season in very fine fashion under Postecoglou; winning four of their opening six top flight matches while remaining unbeaten. In that time, only Brighton, Man City and Newcastle have scored more than the Lilywhites; highlighting a new-look, attack-minded style courtesy of their popular new manager.

Tottenham most recently held their own against north London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, matching them toe-to-toe for possession and attacking play in a 2-2 draw last Sunday. Captain Son Heung-min's brace helped them fight back from a goal-down on two occasions, and you could argue they were desperately unlucky with the goals they did concede.

Levy's off-field decisions, like the hiring of Postecoglou and Tottenham's seven major signings over the summer, have been completely justified so far with an array of impressive results. However, you could argue there's still room to strengthen, as the club may well be just one or two injuries away from a serious lack of depth.

James Maddison's scare this week has definitely drawn attention to this, while the north Londoners are also lacking astute defensive cover if one of Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven where to be sidelined. It is believed Spurs are aiming to rectify this, though. Indeed, the likes of Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly and Juventus star Gleison Bremer have both been linked with moves to Tottenham in the past month.

Meanwhile, there are some suggestions that Spurs could move to replace Harry Kane outright with a new centre-forward, as Brentford star Ivan Toney attracts their interest.

Who could leave Tottenham?

Levy and new Chief Football Officer Scott Munn will need to balance the books, though, with midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ivan Perisic and Giovani Lo Celso all recently tipped to leave in the winter window. The latter star is a favourite of Postecoglou's, however, with the Australian heaping praise on his midfielder in pre-season.

"I’m really happy with Gio," said the Tottenham boss. "He’s been really good in training. You can see he’s a quality player and I think the way we play suits him. I’ve enjoyed working with him and I think he’s enjoying himself in terms of the football we want to play."

Despite this, there have been reports of a possible exit for Lo Celso in January, with Italian news site TUTTOmercatoWEB and their reporter Raimondo De Magistric sharing a further update. According to his information, the Argentine's spell at Tottenham "now seems to be at the end of the credits", meaning he looks set to leave soon.

It's added that he could leave in January, and while Spurs were demanding around £22 million for his sale in the summer, this figure will decrease when the window reopens to around £13 million – as Levy seemingly plots a discounted sale. Lo Celso's contract expires in 2025, given the club just a hanful of future windows to earn good money from a proposed transfer.

The report and journalist go on to claim Real Betis, Sevilla and even Barcelona showed an interest in taking him on loan last window, but that sort of deal is apparently a no-go from Tottenham.

Sadio Mane somehow escaped a red card after grabbing an opponent by his throat in Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League loss to Al Ain.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mane luckily escaped red card
• Grabbed opponent by his throat
• Al-Nassr crashed out of AFC Champions League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Liverpool star was only shown a yellow card after angrily grabbing Al-Ain defender Saeed Juma's throat in a heated moment during the AFC Champions League quarter-final second-leg clash between Al-Nassr and the Abu Dhabi-based club. Al Ain manager and legendary Argentine footballer Hernan Crespo strongly protested for a red from the touchline, but Mane was allowed to stay on the pitch.

Advertisement

• WATCH THE CLIP

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Saudi Pro League side needed to overturn a 1-0 deficit, but they conceded two more goals before Abdulrahman Ghareeb pulled one back towards the end of the first half. In the second half, the match took a dramatic turn as Khalid Eisa's own goal and Alex Telles' strike helped Al-Nassr equalise. Sultan Al-Shamsi restored the UAE club's aggregate lead in the 103rd minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo made sure the match went to a shootout after converting a last-gasp penalty. In the penalty shootout, Crespo's side clinched the tie 3-1 to qualify for the semi-final.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR AL-NASSR?

  Al-Nassr will be next seen in action on March 15 against Al-Ahli in a crucial league clash. Ronaldo and Co can't afford to lose any more ground on Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, who currently sit 12 points clear at the top of the table.

They might not have had the trophies to show for it, but Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with some incredible players over the last decade and a half.

For example, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were arguably the best strike partnership in the Premier League for large parts of the late 2010s, while the likes of Mousa Dembélé and Toby Alderweireld helped to make Mauricio Pochettino’s greatest team an absolute nightmare for opposition attackers.

However, in going back even further, you come to the utterly sensational Gareth Bale, who, in his pomp, had a claim to being the most dangerous attacker in the country.

The Welsh icon was a goalscoring force of nature for the Lilywhites, and in some ways, Ange Postecoglou might have his own version in the squad today.

Bale's Spurs career

Tottenham completed the £10m signing of Southampton’s 17-year-old Bale in May 2007, and while he was a highly-rated youngster tipped for greatness at the time, it took a while for that to happen in North London.

For example, early on in his Spurs career, the Cardiff-born dynamo suffered a ligament injury in his ankle, and when he returned to the fold around eight months later, nothing went right for him.

In fact, the then-full-back famously didn’t win his first game with the Lilywhites until the 25th attempt, and it became such a talking point that Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly told Harry Redknapp to drop him from the team because he was a bad-luck charm.

The Englishman didn’t listen to the Manchester United boss, and on top of sticking by the young talent, he opted to move him up the pitch from left-back to left midfield and left-wing part way through the 09/10 campaign, which, as we all know today, was an inspired decision.

In all, the 35-year-old ended up scoring 55 goals and providing 50 assists in 203 appearances across his first stint with the club before adding another 16 goals and three assists in 34 games during the 20/21 campaign.

However, it was the 12/13 season that truly established the former Saints gem as a genuine world-class talent and secured his £85m move to Real Madrid, as in just 44 appearances, the 111-capped international scored 26 goals and provided ten assists, coming out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.22 games.

Overall, Bale has to go down as one of the best players Spurs have had in the modern era, and excitingly, they may have someone who can replicate some of his output in the squad today.

Tottenham Hotspur's new Bale

So, while this season has been something of a disaster for Postecoglou and Spurs, there are still several incredibly talented players within the squad.

The likes of Dejan Kulusevski, Djed Spend and Lucas Bergvall, for example, could all be key members of the next great Lilywhites team, but when it comes to their new Bale, it can be one man: Brennan Johnson.

The talented forward joined the club for around £47.5m from Nottingham Forest in September 2023, and before the pitchforks come out, we are not saying he is as talented or will ever be as talented as the multiple Champions League winner, but there are a couple of clear similarities.

The first is, as the Cardiff-born legend was, the 23-year-old is a key member of the Welsh national team and has already racked up 33 senior caps, in which he’s scored five goals and provided four assists.

The second reason is that the former Forest star also endured a slow start to life in N17, as while he didn’t need 25 appearances to pick up his first win, he didn’t score his second league goal for the club until matchweek 22 last season.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, after another slow start to this year, the “frightening” dynamo who can “make something happen,” as dubbed by podcaster and content creator HLTCO, has become a reliable source of goals and assists from the wing.

For example, in just 34 appearances this season, totalling 2211 minutes, the Nottingham-born ace has scored 14 goals and provided three assists, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 130.05 minutes.

Now, it seems incredibly unlikely that he will be able to match Bale’s sensational tally from the 12/13 campaign, but as things stand, we wouldn’t put it past the former Forest star to reach 20 goals in all competitions before May.

Ultimately, things might not have gone too well for Spurs this year, but in Johnson, it looks like they have an incredibly talented winger and someone who could reach another level next season should the players around him remain fit.

A £82m superstar in the making: Spurs struck gold on "ridiculous" dynamo

The sensational talent has a bright future with Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 21, 2025

U.S. men's national team striker Josh Sargent found the back of the net once again for Norwich City as his unbelievable 2023-24 campaign continued.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Sargent scores again
• Eighth goal in nine games
• Effort comes just days before USMNT duty

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sargent scored the first of two quickfire Norwich goals against Stoke City, with the USMNT star netting in the 24th minute. After beating the offside trap, Borja Sainz unselfishly squared the ball across goal to Sargent, who was able to slide it into an empty net to give Norwich the 1-0 lead.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The goal is Sargent's 13th of the season as the American continues to climb the goalscoring chart despite missing significant time due to injury. The American is joint sixth in the Championship top scorer standings with fellow USMNT striker Haji Wright, who scored a huge goal for Coventry City in the FA Cup on Saturday after being left off the USMNT squad for the upcoming COCNACAF Nations League.

  Sargent has already matched last season's total of 13, despite playing 40 games last campaign and only 18 so far in this one. He's currently riding a ridiculous hot streak, having scored nine goals in his last 11 matches in the Championship.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Sargent could well be playing Premier League football next season. Norwich are chasing a place in the playoffs and currently find themselves in sixth place in the table. Automatic promotion is likely going to be a bridge too far, with Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Leeds United battling it out at the top, but a place in the top six definitely looks achievable for David Wagner's men.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR SARGENT?

  The striker is set to join up with the USMNT for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Jamaica, marking his return to the team for the first time since the World Cup. The U.S. will face Jamaica on Thursday before playing in either a final or third-place game against Mexico or Panama.

Alphonso Davies has discussed his impressive record against Lionel Messi after helping Canada reach the 2024 Copa America.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Canada qualified for Copa America 2024
• Canada beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0
• Davies excited to face 'best in the world' Messi

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Cyle Larin and Jacon Shaffelburg were on target as Canada sealed a spot at the 2024 Copa America by beating Trinidad & Tobago in a CONCACAF Nations League playoff. Davies and Co. are now set to begin their journey in the continental tournament against the reigning champions and World Cup winners Argentina in the curtain raiser on June 20 in Georgia.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ahead of facing Lionel Messi again, Davies was reminded of his incredible record against the Argentine. He has faced the 36-year-old three times in his professional career and has won every time. The Bayern Munich star, though, remained respectful towards Messi and his world champion side as he claimed he is excited to face "the best player" in the world.

• WHAT ALPHONSO DAVIES SAID

  Speaking to , the left wing-back said: "It's going to be a tough game against the world champions, and honestly there's nothing that has not been said about them that I can say, they are a top team. We have to prepare for the occasion and have fun with it.

  "I'm happy to play against the best player in the world and to be able to win with my team, but it's a team effort not one-on-one competition. Playing for your country is a different animal. They have just won the World Cup, so they have all the confidence in the world."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ALPHONSO DAVIES?

  The 23-year-old, who has a contract with the Bundesliga champions until 2025, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer. The player has reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Los Blancos, but it remains to be seen if the Bavarian giants will agree to sell their star defender in the next transfer window.

Arsenal and sporting director Edu Gaspar by extension have been "in contact" to sign one midfielder who's been dubbed "the same" as Barcelona legend Xavi.

Arsenal transfer links – Neto, Toney

The Gunners have started this season very brightly, sitting joint-top of the Premier League table and remaining unbeaten over their opening eight matches. Arsenal were forced to work hard, though, with a lot of their six wins coming by narrow one-goal margins. Gabriel Martinelli's deflected effort gifted Mikel Arteta a snatch and grab style victory at home to league champions Man City, just before the international break, and Arsenal's manager may want to see his side win more convincingly from here on in.

Perhaps a solution could lie in the January transfer market. It has been reported that the likes of Brentford star Ivan Toney, who scored 20 league goals last season, are being considered to bolster Arsenal's attacking options. Meanwhile, the likes of Wolves winger Pedro Neto and Kerem Akturkoglu are also said to be targets further forward, with pundit Kevin Campbell recently telling Curtis Shaw TV that both Toney and Neto would be excellent additions to the squad.

"Two players that we know can come in and hit the ground running are Toney and Neto. £60 million. You take Toney all day long. £80 million. If someone says pay that and you win the title, then you pay it, don’t you," said Campbell.

“You get Neto as well. You solve the problem of the [Bukayo] Saka dilemma. And [Gabriel] Martinelli because Neto can play on that side as well. But Toney is the key. He offers that big and strong striker, who can cause Man City problems. We have seen him cause Liverpool problems.”

Arsenal transfer update – Arthur Vermeeren

Now, it is believed that young Royal Antwerp sensation Arthur Vermeeren is of serious interest to Arsenal as well. The 18-year-old, who was recently given the nod by Domenico Tedesco for Belgum's national team squad, is a target for the both Bayern Munich and Barcelona abroad. Arsenal, though, are attempting to move ahead of the charge – and have been "in contact" with Antwerp over a potential move.

Vermeeren, though, is wanted by some league rivals as well as Arsenal. This is according to 90min, who say that the Antwerp "revelation" is now a man in demand and turning many heads. Most interestingly, Vermeeren has drawn lofty comparisons to Barcelona legends Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Footballing icon turned Antwerp sporting director Marc Overmars made the claim in an interview with SER (via Mundo Deportivo).

"I have no doubt that he has a fantastic level," said Overmars. "The first time I saw him he reminded me of Xavi and Iniesta, a footballer of the same profile."

The teenage talent has also been approached by Man City, according to this report by 90min, so it's clear that Vermeeren is a player of vast, vast potential.

Denmark performed a miracle in 1992, somehow winning the European Championship – despite not actually qualifying for the tournament. It is the unlikeliest win in football history and we're not sure how it'll ever be beaten.

This was a team that shouldn't have been near the trophy anyway, wasn't supposed to be there and even lacked the greatest player in their history. Yet, Denmark made history against just about every odd.

Here at Football Fancast, we've got all you need to know about how Euro '92 went down.

How Denmark qualified for Euro 1992

They didn't. The European Championship was a much smaller competition back then, with only eight teams qualifying. There were seven qualifying groups from which only the winners made it through to the finals, joining the host nation.

The host nation in 1992 was Sweden, so they had automatic entry. France, England, Scotland, Germany and the Netherlands were the other non-complicated qualifiers. Then things were a bit of a mess.

C.I.S were one team, which needs some explanation. This was the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Soviet Union had qualified but then collapsed, and were replaced by C.I.S. This was essentially the same team just under a different, temporary name.

Then there was Yugoslavia. They were a very strong team back then, reaching the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals and finishing above Denmark to win their qualifying group. However, the war which led to the nation's eventual break-up saw UN sanctions that prohibited their national team from competing. UEFA made the decision to replace them with the Group 4 runners-up, Denmark, as a result.

And so the Danes were in. Somehow.

Denmark were no slouches

Denmark had won six of their eight qualifying games, losing to Yugoslavia and drawing with Northern Ireland. That got them second in the group and, as spoken about above, within a point of qualification.

But it's important to note that no one gave them a chance here. Denmark hadn't qualified for the 1990 World Cup two years prior, nor would they make it to the following World Cup in 1994. They'd exited at the group stage in the 1988 European Championships, too.

So while there were some great players in the side, this was not a team with any great reputation. And, of course, they didn't even have all of their great players – they arguably lacked their greatest…

Denmark's best players at Euro 1992

Two players in the squad really stood out – Peter Schmeichel and Brian Laudrup. That's highlighted by the fact they finished 5th and 6th respectively in the Ballon d'Or voting for 1992, with Marco van Basten taking the gong for the third time in his career.

It's worth noting that Michael Laudrup finished 7th. He'd almost certainly have won the award if he'd been involved with the Euro '92 victory, though it's very debatable whether it could have happened with him in the side.

Peter Schmeichel truly announced himself

Peter Schmeichel had joined Manchester United in 1991, so he'd played one season with them ahead of this tournament. His reputation was growing rapidly, too.

The Dane was a relative unknown when he moved to United. His performances for Brondby in the UEFA Cup essentially earned him that move, but it was at Euro '92 that the world really saw just how good he was.

Schmeichel was essential as both someone to pass the ball back to but also as a world-class shot-stopper. His saves in the final are iconic, as is his penalty save from Marco van Basten in the semi-final.

The IFFHS named Schmeichel the world's best goalkeeper in both 1992 and 1993 following this tournament – awards he'd never win again. UEFA repeated the 1992 and 1993 awards, but did also name him the best in 1998.

Michael Laudrup was Denmark's star man…

Michael Laudrup is unquestionably the greatest footballer that Denmark has ever produced. He was one of the absolute best in the world in the late 80s/early 90s – there were periods where you could easily argue that he was the best.

Laudrup was a vital piece of Johan Cruyff's dream team at Barcelona, playing as the main playmaker in the side. That team was, until Pep Guardiola's, the best the Catalonians had seen, winning their first European Cup in 1992.

He'd remain with Barcelona until 1994, before falling out with Cruyff and leaving on a free transfer to join Real Madrid. Guardiola, then a teammate of Laudrup's, reportedly cried when he heard.

One fact is always good to show off just how important Laudrup was at the time. In the 1993/94 season, the Dane was at Barcelona as they won La Liga and beat Real Madrid 5-0 as their rivals finished fourth. The following season, he was at Real Madrid as they won La Liga and beat Barcelona 5-0 as their rivals finished fourth.

In other words, Laudrup was fantastic.

…but he stayed on holiday

Despite being Denmark's main man, Laudrup's decision to give the tournament a miss makes what was to come even more remarkable.

Laudrup, along with his brother Brian, fell out with manager Richard Møller Nielsen just three games into the qualifying campaign. They promptly withdrew from the squad and didn't feature again in qualifying.

Brian Laudrup would return to the squad after their 'qualification', however, and played an integral role. Michael, though, reportedly rated Denmark's chances so lowly that he didn't see much point in abandoning his holiday plans.

He remained at home for the tournament but did make a return the following year. Something must have changed his mind.

Euro 92 saw the end of the backpass

This is a strange one for anyone who started watching football post-1992, but goalkeepers used to be able to pick the ball up in the box no matter how it arrived at them. In other words, there was no law preventing a goalkeeper from picking the ball up if his own teammate had passed to him with his feet.

"But couldn't teams just waste time by passing it back and forth to their goalkeeper?" you ask. Yes, they could and they very much did so. Italia '90, however, saw things go too far – in one game, Ireland's goalkeeper held onto the ball for a total of six minutes.

The laws of the game were changed as a result in an effort to stop such defensive football. Those laws only came into effect after Euro '92, though – this tournament saw the very last football without the backpass rule.

Denmark would take advantage.

The favourites at Euro '92

One team stood out above all: Germany. They had won the 1990 World Cup and finished second in the two tournaments before that. They'd finished third in Euro '88, too, narrowly losing in the semi-finals to eventual winners the Netherlands.

And it's worth mentioning the Netherlands here. They went into Euro '92 as holders and boasted some of the best players on the planet – Marco van Basten the standout alongside Ruud Gullit. A young Dennis Bergkamp would shine at the tournament, too.

France were a notable side going into it. They'd won every qualifying game and had Jean-Pierre Papin in their ranks – the reigning Ballon d'Or holder.

England perhaps had an outside chance. They'd impressed at Italia '90 but their qualification campaign was a struggle, with three wins and three draws in a group with the Republic of Ireland, Poland and Turkey.

Denmark's group at Euro '92

On paper, Denmark didn't have much of a chance of progression. They were in a group with hosts Sweden, France and England. Sweden and Denmark were comfortably the outsiders here, with the latter two fully expected to progress.

However, Sweden topped the group and Denmark came second as both England and France struggled. The Three Lions scored just one goal across their three games in a 2-1 defeat against Sweden that sealed their fate.

France didn't fare much better. They drew with both England and Sweden before losing 2-1 to Denmark. With that, the Danes escaped from their group as runners-up and were into the semi-finals.

Denmark in the Euro '92 semi-finals

Denmark went on to face Group B winners the Netherlands in the semis (yes, we're straight into the semi-final stage here given there were only eight teams to begin with). It was never going to be an easy fixture given Germany were the other team progressing from that group.

The Netherlands had the most star-studded lineup going, though. Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman and Dennis Bergkamp headlined – some of the absolute best players on the planet.

Henrik Larsen (not that one) put Denmark 1-0 up after just five minutes but Bergkamp equalised midway through the second half. Larsen then scored again before half-time, sending the Danes into the break with an unlikely lead. However, Rijkaard would strike with just a few minutes to play, forcing extra-time. No goals in that period sent things to penalties.

And a sign that it was Denmark's tournament arrived in the shootout. Every player scored but one – Van Basten. His spot-kick was heroically saved by Peter Schmeichel to send the unlikely entrants all the way to the final.

The Euro 1992 final

Denmark met, perhaps inevitably, world champions Germany in the Euro '92 final. Though, this German team hadn't been as impressive as many expected.

They'd only narrowly beaten Sweden to reach the final, squeezing past them 3-2. Their group stage campaign wasn't particularly good, either – the Netherlands beat them comfortably, while they'd also drawn with C.I.S. Their only win came against first-time entrants Scotland.

Despite that, Germany were unquestionably the better team from the start. They repeatedly tested Peter Schmeichel in goal, but it was Denmark who scored against the run of play. John Jensen opened things up on 18 minutes with his first international goal.

The favourites continued to push, of course, but Denmark had the lead they craved. They played an incredibly defensive game, taking full advantage of the pre-backpass rule era to find safety with Schmeichel. Despite being completely fine with holding onto the lead, though, Kim Vilfort struck on 78 minutes to wrap things up.

Denmark won 2-0, then, with what was the most unlikely win in the history of football. They weren't even supposed to be there…