da bet nacional： It’s almost time for Arsenal to return home ahead of, what supporters hope will be, an historic season.

da roleta： Having landed back in England following their Asian tour, the Gunners will face Villarreal and Athletic Club Bilbao in friendlies in North London this week, ahead of their league opener against Manchester United at Old Trafford a week on Sunday.

Off the pitch, so far this summer, as Mikel Arteta’s team target the Premier League title, they’ve already made six summer signings, the most they’ve recruited in a single July for 28 years, but will another soon follow?

Arsenal well stocked at the back

While question marks remain in the final third, Arsenal are certainly covered when it comes to defensive options.

Cristhian Mosquera has arrived from Valencia for a reported fee of £13m, set to be the understudy to William Saliba as the right-sided centre-back, with Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jakub Kiwior very much ensuring the left side is covered too.

Now, though, according to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal “have made initial contact” to sign 20-year-old defender Jérémy Jacquet from Stade Rennais.

Romano adds that the Gunners may wait until next summer to make a move, although they could accelerate their interest ‘in case of exits’, with Ahad Shaukat of Caught Offside noting that there is plenty of interest in Kiwior.

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This means that the Poland international’s future could dictate whether the club swoop for Jacquet this summer, or wait to snap him up next year.

Arsenal have a rich tradition when it comes to French players: Thierry Henry, Robert Pirès, Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit, to name just a few, so could Jacquet become the latest to call North London home?

What Jérémy Jacquet would bring to Arsenal

Jaquet, who came through Rennes youth academy, has actually made just 12 senior appearances for les Rouge et Noirs, spending 12 months on loan at Clermont Foot, featuring six times in Ligue 1 and 17 times in Ligue 2 for les Lanciers, before being recalled in January.

His performances have earned rave reviews, with Ben Mattinson labelling him a “Rolls-Royce” who will be the world’s “next highly coveted” centre-back.

Mattinson praises his “composure” and duel-winning ability, believing that he is “physically imposing” and able to “defend big spaces effectively”, concluding that he will be playing at a very high level in the not-too-distant future.

Meantime, podcaster Phil Costa adds that Jacquet is “one of the best defensive prospects” on the planet, impressed by his ability to take “a lot of responsibility” in possession.

Jacquet was born in Bondy, a northeastern suburb of Paris, a commune with just a population of little over 50,000, but a certain William Saliba was also born there, which is quite a coincidence, so let’s see how the duo compare.

Jérémy Jacquet vs William Saliba (before signing for Arsenal) comparison

Statistics

Jacquet

Saliba

Age

20

18

Senior appearances

36

19

Senior minutes

2,732

1,577

Ligue 1 appearances

18

16

France U21 caps

2

Zero

All information courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table documents, despite being very inexperienced, Jacquet actually has more experience right now than Saliba did when Arsenal signed him for a reported fee of £27m from Saint-Étienne in 2019.

However, it was three years until Saliba finally made his debut for the club at Selhurst Park, loaned back to Saint-Étienne before also spending time at Nice and Olympique de Marseille, so Jacquet could be in line to do something similar, should he put pen to paper in North London.

With Saliba, Arsenal took their time and played the long game, which has very much paid off, given that the French international might just be the best centre-back in the world, according to Sam Tighe of ESPN.

So, could Jacquet enjoy a similar career trajectory?

Well, all available evidence suggests he could do just that.

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da brwin： Chelsea chiefs have navigated the club’s finances with serious expertise this summer, thanks largely to Enzo Maresca’s squad and their exploits on the field.

da fazobetai： The west Londoners, by winning the Club World Cup, qualifying for the Champions League and selling a host of unwanted players, have brought in close to the £400 million mark.

The CWC win yielded prize money of around £87.5 million, adding to their estimated £80m earnings from qualifying for the Champions League, whilst £220 million has been raised through outgoing transfers.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu left earlier this summer on permanent deals – and to the great benefit of Chelsea’s coffers.

Over the last few months, Chelsea have been a money-making machine, and it’s perhaps not spoken about enough.

This isn’t even factoring in the club’s TV revenue, sponsorship endorsements and merchandise sales, with Chelsea looking in excellent stead when it comes to navigating the Premier League’s PSR rules this year.

Rivals often ponder why Chelsea can spend millions in the transfer market year-on-year, but it is clear that the club’s financial windfalls from numerous sources allow them to do so.

Considering Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Alfie Gilchrist and, potentially, Tyrique George, could all still be sold/loaned before the transfer deadline on September 1, Chelsea can expect even an even greater incoming cash flow over the coming days.

There is also the big matter surrounding Chelsea’s front of shirt sponsor, which is still up in the air and has the potential to bring in millions.

Maresca’s side’s jerseys were sponsor-less for Chelsea’s opening Premier League game of the season against Crystal Palace last weekend, but according to football finance expert Stefan Borson, that could soon change.

Chelsea tipped for "very big" shirt sponsorship deal with deal about to be agreed

Borson, speaking to Football Insider, says Chelsea are “adamant” that they’re about to do a “very big” shirt sponsorship deal – which could land them tens of millions.

The Blues agreed a £40 million-a-year deal with Infinite Athlete in September 2023, but that arrangement expired last summer.

In April, Chelsea also announced that DAMAC would appear on the front of their shirts for the rest of the 24/25 season, so the question remains – who will be next?

There are very few rumours in terms of brand names, barring Saudi Arabian airline Riyadh Air, who’ve been seriously linked. However, the BBC report that talks are ongoing behind-the-scenes as Chelsea carefully try to align with the right partner.

da premier bet： Tottenham Hotspur are now pushing hard to finalise a deal for a “mind-boggling” rival, with talks recently being accelerated.

Spurs remain keen on another attacker after Simons

da cassino online： After missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze in disappointing fashion, Tottenham managed to get one over on Chelsea by completing a deal for Xavi Simons earlier this week.

Simons arrives at N17 with a good reputation, having performed very well for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga across the two seasons, and at just 22-years-old, he could be Thomas Frank’s number 10 for many years to come.

Season

Bundesliga appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

32

21

2024-25

25

17

However, the Dutchman is yet to prove himself in the Premier League, and with James Maddison set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an ACL injury, Frank appears to be keen to bring in one more attacking midfielder before the transfer deadline.

According to a report from The Boy Hotspur, Tottenham have now made a decisive move to sign West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta, having accelerated talks in recent days, but the operation could be costly, with the Hammers looking to receive £50m – £60m.

Spurs are undeterred, however, and they are now pushing hard to finalise a deal, but there could be competition for Paqueta’s signature, with Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Crystal Palace also known to hold an interest.

There is confidence the Brazilian could be a statement signing for the north Londoners, having been cleared of betting allegations and rediscovered strong form, but it could be difficult to get a deal over the line, with West Ham reluctant to lose another key player to their rivals.

"Mind-boggling" Paqueta would be exciting addition for Spurs

Former teammate Declan Rice lauded the Brazil international not long after his arrival at the London Stadium, saying: “I think now you’re seeing the real Lucas. Some of the stuff he does, even in training, it’s just mind-boggling how good he is.”

A drop-off in form coincided with betting allegations, with the 28-year-old chipping in with just four goal contributions in the Premier League last season, but he has made a strong start to the new campaign, having scored two goals in three matches in all competitions.

It was absolutely vital that Tottenham got a new attacking midfielder through the door, having lost Maddison to injury, while Son Heung-min has signed for LAFC, and Paqueta has proven what it takes to perform in the Premier League.

However, having now signed Simons, it would perhaps make more sense to focus on bringing in a new winger as a direct replacement for Son, and Manchester City ace Savinho remains keen on a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

da heads bet： West Ham United have now held talks over signing a £15m “animal” as a replacement for Nayef Aguerd, who is heading to Marseille.

West Ham eyeing defender to replace Aguerd

da wazamba： Despite Graham Potter’s desire to keep hold of the centre-back, Aguerd now looks set to complete a move to Ligue 1, having refused to take part in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

In fairness, West Ham didn’t look like they missed the Moroccan defender at all, keeping a clean sheet for the first time this season, with Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos being given the nod at centre-back.

However, Potter will be a little short on options when Aguerd departs, meaning work has now started on bringing in a replacement, with Toulouse’s Charlie Cresswell on the radar.

However, another transfer target from much closer to home is now emerging, with Fabrizio Romano taking to X to reveal the Hammers are now “exploring a move” for Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Igor Julio.

There is no agreement in place just yet, but talks over a deal for the Brazilian have already taken place, with Romano also confirming Aguerd is set to sign for Marseille.

It is unclear what sort of fee Brighton would be looking for, but the Seagulls are known to have forked out £15m to sign the 27-year-old from Fiorentina back in 2023, while Crystal Palace are also heavily linked with a deal which could drive the price up.

The Eagles are searching for a replacement for captain Marc Guehi, who is strongly linked with a deadline day move to Liverpool, and it now appears like a two-way race between the London teams for Julio’s signature.

"Animal" Igor could be good fit in Potter's system

While he has struggled to do so, Potter has attempted to implement a possession-based style of football since his arrival at the London Stadium, and the Brighton defender could be an ideal fit for the West Ham boss.

Over the past year, the former Fiorentina man has vastly outperformed Kilman in terms of passes attempted, progressive passes and pass-completion rate per 90.

Average per 90

Max Kilman

Igor Julio

Passes attempted

52.26

68.37

Progressive passes

2.96

4.59

Pass completion %

87.1%

91.9%

Former Brighton and Hove Albion coach Inigo Calderón has also praised the Brighton ace for his passing ability, saying:

“The first thing that comes to mind is that Igor is an animal, a centre back I really like for many reasons. He wins duels and has a good footwork for releasing the ball, both passing and dribbling.”

There may be some concerns over the fact Igor is a bit-part player at Brighton, having made just 13 appearances in the Premier League last season, but he could be a good fit in a Potter system, so it is worth taking a chance on the defender.

da spicy bet： Arsenal are a club that have been utterly transformed over the last five years or so.

da pixbet： Mikel Arteta has taken a side that were spiralling down into mid-table mediocrity and has helped craft one of the best teams in Europe, let alone the Premier League.

While his philosophy and tactics have played a significant role in the North Londoners’ rejuvenation, so have the signings they’ve made.

Under previous Sporting Director Edu Gaspar and Andrea Berta today, the Gunners have become far more effective at identifying and signing brilliant players in the transfer market.

However, Arsenal still have a problem selling stars, and have seen more than their fair share leave for nothing, including an international who could be described as being Arteta’s own Alexander Isak.

Arsenals players who left for nothing

There were signs of improvement with the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and Aaron Ramsdale all leaving for decent money last summer, but in the previous four or five years, Arsenal have had too many players leave for nothing.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

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For example, perhaps the most exciting signing the club have ever made, the player whose arrival promised the ushering in of a triumphant period for the club that never arrived, Mesut Özil, ended up leaving for nothing.

The German superstar famously agreed to a bumper £350k-per-week contract renewal in January 2018, and it was pretty much downhill from that moment until he left for Fenerbahçe three years later.

Another big-money signing who left for free was Nicolas Pepe.

The Ivorian was a better player for the Gunners than people gave him credit for, racking up 48 goal involvements in 112 games, but he could never live up to his £75m price tag and, after several middling loans, had his contract terminated by mutual consent.

Going further back, to Unai Emery’s time at the club, and Aaron Ramsey’s exit was another disaster from a financial perspective.

After 369 games for the club, in which he scored 64 goals, provided 60 assists and played a significant role in several FA Cup triumphs, the Welsh legend left the Gunners to join Italian giants Juventus.

With all that said, none of these stars could realistically be compared to Liverpool’s new superstar Isak, which isn’t the case for another ace who left for nothing under Arteta’s watch.

The Arsenal star who was Arteta's Isak

Since taking the job at Arsenal, Arteta has overseen the exits of some notable players, including the aforementioned Ozil, but perhaps the most controversial one was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabonese international was the club captain for part of the Spaniard’s tenure, but following a drop in form and his late arrival for a North London derby in March 2021, the writing was on the wall for his Gunners career.

The former Borussia Dortmund star was eventually let go for nothing in January 2022, and while he endured a lacklustre year and a half with Barcelona and Chelsea, he quickly found his form in the south of France.

In one season with Marseille, the Laval-born monster scored 30 goals and provided 11 assists in 51 appearances, which was enough to earn him a big-money move to the Saudi Pro League.

The 36-year-old was able to amass an impressive tally of 24 goal involvements in 36 games for Al-Qadsiah last season, but has now returned to Marseille, where he is already outperforming Viktor Gyokeres, producing three goal involvements in three games.

Aubameyang’s recent form

Season

23/24

24/25

24/25

Appearances

51

36

3

Minutes

4005′

3196′

186′

Goals

30

21

2

Assists

11

3

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.80

0.66

1.00

Minutes per Goal Involvement

97.68′

133.16”

62′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

With all of that said, then, what was it about Auba that meant we could describe him as being like Arteta’s Isak in the past?

Well, the first reason is that, prior to going off the boil somewhat, the “world-class” striker, as dubbed by Behdad Eghbali, was a lean, mean goalscoring machine for the manager.

For example, in the 19/20 season, he racked up a sensational haul of 29 goals and three assists in 44 appearances, totalling 3725 minutes.

That comes out to an outrageous average of a goal involvement every 1.37 games, or every 116.40 minutes.

Moreover, like the former Newcastle United star, he’s a lanky striker but undeniably elegant centre-forward, who was capable of a plethora of finishes, but was particularly adept at coming in from out wide and slotting home.

In fact, like the Swede, he may be a striker first, but he has spent a considerable amount of time in his career playing out wide on the wings.

Finally, just as the Reds’ new star helped his former side with the League cup, the former Gunners star played a crucial role in Arteta lifting the FA Cup in his first season as manager.

Ultimately, while there were valid reasons for getting rid of Aubameyang, we can’t help but wonder how useful he’d be in this Arsenal squad, as he clearly still has an excellent ability to put the ball in the back of the net.

da mrbet： A “sensational” Manchester United star’s future is now in doubt, following a direct transfer approach from Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer.

Man Utd's rebuild continues despite transfer window ending

da dobrowin： Man United managed to get a number of unwanted players off the books in the summer, namely Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Rasmus Hojlund, and there could now be another departure in the very near future.

There have been widespread reports that Andre Onana is closing in on a move to Trabzonspor, which may be a relief for Ruben Amorim, given that the goalkeeper has received his fair share of criticism.

Perhaps most memorably, Nemanja Matic responded to Onana’s comments that United were “way better” than Lyon, saying: “If you are one of the worst keepers in Manchester United history, you need to take care.

“If David de Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar said that, I would question myself. But if, statistically, you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s modern history, he needs to show that before he says.”

As such, it seems unlikely that United fans will be too disappointed to see Onana leave, but another potential departure that could be on the cards may be a lot more divisive.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Bruno Fernandes’ future at Old Trafford is in doubt, amid widespread interest from the Saudi Pro League, with Ronaldo even making a direct approach to convince his international teammate to join Al-Nassr in the summer.

Fernandes ultimately opted to remain at Old Trafford, but there is a feeling the attacking midfielder’s future could change soon, and a departure could happen as soon as the January transfer window.

The Red Devils could choose to cash-in on the £300k-a-week attacker, given that they are running out of time to raise serious money from a sale, with unnamed clubs in the MLS and Europe also keen.

"Sensational" Fernandes may be necessary sale for Man Utd

There is no doubt that Fernandes is one of the best signings since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, with the Portugal international now just one goal away from 100 in a United shirt, while also picking up 86 assists in 294 games.

However, Paul Scholes has stated the 31-year-old doesn’t fit into Amorim’s system, saying: “Fernandes for me, he’s someone who fills in as a midfielder, he might get away with it for one, two or three games. He’s not got the discipline to be a central midfield player.”

The former Sporting CP man remained a key player under Amorim last season, being singled out for high praise by journalist Nizaar Kinsella back in May.

However, no player should be shoehorned into a system, so it may be the right time to cash-in on Fernandes, particularly if Man United are able to raise big money from a sale to Saudi Arabia.

da prosport bet： West Ham United have agreed a deal with Nuno Espírito Santo to replace Graham Potter, who was sacked on Saturday morning after just nine months and 25 games in charge.

Nuno Espírito Santo takes over from Graham Potter at West Ham

da dobrowin： The 51-year-old, after leaving Nottingham Forest due to a public fallout with Evangelos Marinakis, has wasted absolutely no time getting back to work, replacing Potter at West Ham.

The latter recorded the second-worst win percentage of any West Ham manager in Premier League history, behind only Avram Grant, with the Irons conceding a calamitous seven of their 13 goals from corners so far this season.

Worst West Ham managers in the Premier League

Win percentage

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

It quite simply couldn’t go on, and West Ham shareholders held a very real worry that relegation was staring them in the face (Claret & Hugh), despite senior members of the squad telling close friends that Potter was the right man for the job (The Telegraph).

ExWHUemployee was first to report earlier this week that Nuno was close to agreeing a West Ham deal, and widespread reports suggested that the former Wolves and Tottenham boss was a standout favourite.

Now, those reports have come to fruition, with the tactician poised to take charge of his first game away to Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday.

It is interesting to note that chairman David Sullivan was reportedly in favour of Slaven Bilic’s return on a short-term contract until the end of the season, with some media sources claiming that Nuno was demanding big wages to join West Ham and a longer-term deal.

The driving force behind Nuno Espírito Santo's move to West Ham

Therefore, it is little surprise that he wasn’t the driving force behind Nuno’s move to East London.

Indeed, according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, vice-chairman Karren Brady was leading West Ham’s charge to appoint Nuno, with the journalist also revealing a disagreement between the official and Sullivan over Potter’s previous contract.

It appears Brady has overruled Sullivan for the second time in a year through Nuno’s arrival, but considering the coach’s obvious credentials, her decision could prove to be the right one.

Why Brady was right to push for Nuno's appointment at West Ham

A succession of other candidates were linked with the post, including Bilic, Gary O’Neil, Scott Parker, Marco Silva, Sean Dyche, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick.

However, Nuno stands above all the aforementioned names.

Following his appointment at the City Ground, the ex-Al-Ittihad boss – who won a Saudi Pro League title there before leaving just months later – steadied the ship, solidified Forest’s leaky backline, improved their set-piece fragility and gave his former team a clear counter-attacking identity.

What followed was a sensational 2024/2025, where Forest stood out as last season’s major surprise package, and they were justly rewarded via securing a place back in European football for the first time in 30 years.

Nuno eventually got the very best out of his players, despite inheriting what was once a dire situation. West Ham supporters will be hoping he can now replicate that feat down south, with Nuno aiming to end 2025 on a high in very testing circumstances.

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