AFC Bournemouth &#8211; CaughtOffside

Liverpool make enquiry for €25m-rated utility man who dreams of Real Madrid move

Man United confident of landing Arsenal and Liverpool target as Amorim’s first signing

How Harry Kane could help Man Utd sign 66-goal demon who’s ‘scoring for fun’

His weaknesses, however, include passing and holding onto the ball, so overall this looks like it could be quite a risky signing for MUFC.

At the same time, it’s probably good for the club to move away from giving managers too much of a say over signings, as it will undoubtedly be tricky for Amorim to come in and have to work with a number of players who were picked to fit Ten Hag’s style of play and tactical plans.

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Premier League team of the week: Chelsea & Tottenham stars earn deserved places in BBC XI

Mark Brus — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 06:33:13 +0000

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was among the big names to make the Premier League team of the week after his superb display against Manchester United at the weekend.

The Ecuador international is one of the most improved players in the Premier League this season, and he scored a superb volley to earn Chelsea a point at Old Trafford in Sunday’s big game.

Caicedo ran the show from midfield and makes sense as an obvious pick for team of the week, as he continues to justify that big price tag the Blues paid to sign him from Brighton.

It took a little while for Caicedo to get going at Stamford Bridge, but there’s no doubt that he’s now one of the most important players in the team, and this surely won’t be his last team of the week appearance this season.

Premier League team of the week in full

The latest Premier League team of the week (BBC Sport)

Discussing Caicedo’s performance, Deeney said: “His performance in Chelsea’s draw at Manchester United was arguably his best game for the club.

“Highly thought of…” – Chelsea are convinced this player has a “bright future” but fans surely won’t agree! Click here to find out more.

“I know people think it is about his goal – and it was a wonderful strike – but he was all over the place, putting his foot in, making loads of fouls, ratty tackles.

“He got on the ball more too and was braver, playing it forward. I thought he was miles better than he has been.”

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Elsewhere in Troy Deeney’s line-up, Tottenham get two players in after their impressive 4-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s side have not been easy to beat for some time now, and it looked like they might be heading for a win in north London after taking the lead, but Spurs overpowered them with a superb comeback late on.

Three Bournemouth players also made it in after their surprise 2-1 win over Manchester City, while Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon is also in there after his part in the Magpies’ win over Arsenal.

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Euro giants eyeing Chelsea star for January transfer window, Blues very keen to sell

Mark Brus — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 05:53:27 +0000

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly showing an interest in the potential transfer of Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell, while they also have Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez on their list in that position.

Dortmund could probably do with signing a new left-back after they had Ian Maatsen on loan from Chelsea last season, though the Dutchman didn’t end up staying with the club this summer, instead moving to Aston Villa in a permanent transfer deal.

It now looks like the Bundesliga giants could try raiding Chelsea again, however, with Chilwell in their sights as the Blues are very keen to let the England international go, according to Team Talk.

Chilwell could end up being a fine signing for Dortmund or other top clubs, but the big question mark will be over his fitness, as he’s had numerous injury problems during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Ben Chilwell in action for Chelsea (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Still, if Chilwell can stay fit and get back to his best, it’s easy to imagine him being an asset for a club like Dortmund, while there would also surely be options for him at other big clubs.

Ben Chilwell transfer: Could Man United still be in the running?

CaughtOffside have been told that Chilwell is also still on Manchester United’s list of left-back targets for this January, so it could still be that we’ll see him stay in the Premier League.

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Man Utd could do with Chilwell as an upgrade on the injury-prone and inconsistent Luke Shaw, though one imagines Chelsea would rather sell the former Leicester City man abroad if possible.

Dortmund might also be seen as a more tempting option for Chilwell, who’d get the chance to play Champions League football there, whereas United are only in the Europa League and enduring a difficult season under Erik ten Hag, whose long-term future as MUFC manager remains in some doubt.

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Arsenal news: Arteta’s tactical error, Saka injury latest, potential Sterling replacements & more

Charles Watts — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:50:00 +0000

What Arteta got wrong in Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth

Saturday was just an awful night for Arsenal. There haven’t been many of them in recent times, but that was certainly one of them.

It was one of those games when everyone was just a bit off. There were so many sloppy errors and that’s something you just don’t really get from Arsenal any more, so it was strange to see.

Look at Leandro Trossard’s pass that led to the incident that saw William Saliba sent off and then there was Jakub Kiwior’s back pass which led to the penalty. It was just a really slack performance from Arsenal and they were punished for it.

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I thought the Saliba red was just about justified, but I can also see the argument that once the referee has made his decision on the pitch, then the VAR shouldn’t really get involved.

Was it really a clear and obvious mistake? Saliba and Evanilson were a long way from goal. Referee Rob Jones had a good view of it and he clearly felt there was enough doubt over how the incident would have played out to only give Saliba a yellow.

So you can see why some Arsenal fans feel aggrieved that the VAR decided that a review was needed. The fact that Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo escaped a red for a very similar incident against Liverpool 24 hours later only added to their sense of injustice.

But personally I can see why Saliba was sent off and I do think the Tosin incident was slightly different because of how close Levi Colwill was and the direction the ball was traveling in.

It was clumsy from Saliba and it summed up Arsenal’s display really. He didn’t need to commit to the challenge, but he panicked a bit. Yes, Evanilson was ahead of him, but had he let the incident play out I’m sure he would have got back and dealt with the Bournemouth striker.

It was just a really poor night for Arsenal and I don’t think the team selection helped. I was really surprised that Arteta went with all three of Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino in midfield. That always looked like a midfield that would struggle to create and that’s how it played out.

With No Martin Odegaard or Bukayo Saka and with Gabriel Martinelli only starting on the bench, I would have liked to have seen Ethan Nwaneri start just to give the team a bit more creativity and attacking intent in those central areas.

Mikel Arteta in an Arsenal training session (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

It will be interesting to see what Arteta does against Liverpool on Sunday because that’s a huge game for Arsenal now. They have to get back on track and win that one and I’m sure the performance will be very different.

The fact that Saliba will be missing is far from ideal but Arsenal do have plenty of other options. If Jurrien Timber is fit, I would bring him in at right-back and move Ben White into the centre to play alongside Gabriel Magalhaes. That seems like the best option to me, because I can’t see Kiwior starting that one.

The latest on Saka and Odegaard injuries

Arsenal still hope that Martin Odegaard will be available to feature before the next international break.

November has always been the month they have had in mind for his return and I’m not aware of anything that has happened that has changed that.

Obviously they want him back as quickly as possible because he’s such an important player, but they will not take any risks with him.

His return will be carefully managed because the last thing Arteta will want is for Odegaard to come back too early and suffer any sort of setback.

You can see how much the side misses his creativity in those central areas, so it will be a huge boost to get him back.

Bukayo Saka didn’t train on Monday ahead of the Shakhtar game, so he is obviously a doubt for Tuesday night and Liverpool on Sunday might also come too soon for him.

It’s too early to rule him out for that, but you can’t really take any risks when it comes to hamstring injuries.

One thing that is for sure is that Arsenal will do everything they can to have Saka available for the weekend.

They clearly missed both players against Bournemouth. To be without Odegaard is one thing, but to also have Saka out as well was a huge blow.

You could see the creative void that left in the side and they struggled to really cause Bournemouth many problems as a result, even when they had 11 men on the pitch.

It just shows how important it is that both players get back fit as quickly as possible.

Could Arsenal make a move for Semenyo?

Antoine Semenyo has had a strong start to the season for Bournemouth and his comments that he is an Arsenal fan certainly caught the attention of some fans.

I have no idea whether Arsenal have any plans on trying to make his dream of playing for the club come true at some point, but it will be interesting to follow his progress this season.

He certainly plays in an area where the club will look to strengthen their options in the summer and his performances for Bournemouth are clearly making some top clubs take notice.

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But I think for someone like Arsenal to really consider making a move for him he will need to show he can maintain a top level consistently over the course of a campaign.

It’s not just about impressing in flashes, it’s about doing it consistently and showing you are ready to move up to the next level.

Gittens linked with Arsenal as Sterling unlikely to stay permanently

Jamie Gittens is another player who has been named as a potential target for Arsenal.

But, like Semenyo, it’s really too early to be talking with any real substance about who the club might look to bring in to strengthen their squad.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal look to do any business in January. I’m sure they will if they can, but we all know it’s a very difficult month to do anything significant when it comes to transfers.

That’s not to say that they won’t dip into the market. If the right opportunity arises then I’m sure they will go for it, but it’s still more likely they wait until the summer to spend big money.

Gittens has caught the eye of late and we know Arsenal will be looking at options out wide. They have Raheem Sterling right now, but it’s tough to see that loan being made permanent come the end of the campaign.

So there will be scope to bring someone in and if Gittens continues to perform at a high level then he might be the type of profile Arsenal will consider.

Time will tell.

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Jamie Carragher fuels anti-Arsenal conspiracy in deleted Howard Webb tweet

Mark Brus — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 08:06:01 +0000

Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher seemed to add fuel to the fire of Arsenal fans having a meltdown on social media yesterday after Howard Webb’s strange behaviour during the VAR check that eventually saw William Saliba sent off in the defeat to Bournemouth.

Saliba probably deserved to get the red card in the end, but Arsenal fans all noticed some of the footage on Sky Sports’ coverage of the game that showed PGMOL chief Webb in the stands appearing to communicate with someone while the Gunners defender’s foul was looked at more closely on video.

Carragher himself seemed to think it was a bit suspicious, as he tweeted the below, before deleting it, though of course the internet never forgets…

Jamie Carragher’s Howard Webb tweet

Arsenal fans will surely be far from impressed here, as one of the most high-profile pundits in the country seemed to latch onto something that they noticed as well, before feeling like he had to take it back.

Perhaps it’s a silly conspiracy theory to be getting involved in, but the fact that Carragher then went back and deleted the post doesn’t look great, and will surely only lead to Arsenal fans being even more convinced about something going on against their club, with pundits perhaps being encouraged to keep quiet about it.

Arsenal’s nightmare with red cards this season

William Saliba received a red card in Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

It’s been a difficult start to the season for Arsenal, as they’ve picked up numerous injuries to star players, while they’ve also had three red cards already, with the two prior to Saliba’s yesterday being particularly controversial.

Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard have previously been sent off for kicking the ball away and delaying the restart, but many Gooners feel this rule hasn’t been applied as strictly to other teams.

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Saliba’s red yesterday maybe wasn’t that clear cut either, and it now means the Frenchman will be out of next week’s big game against Liverpool.

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“He’s not got that same flow”- Jamie Redknapp unimpressed with one stand-in Arsenal player in Bournemouth loss

CJ — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 22:18:58 +0000

Jamie Redknapp was unimpressed with Raheem Sterling’s performance in Arsenal’s shock defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Gunners arrived on the South Coast unbeaten but saw William Saliba sent off after just 30 minutes, going on to lose 2-0 in what could be a damaging result in the Premier League title race.

Arsenal had to cope without some key players, with Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka all sidelined for the trip to the Vitality Stadium.

Raheem Sterling was the man to replace Saka in the starting XI. However, he was sacrificed on 37 minutes as Mikel Arteta brought on an extra defender following Saliba’s red card.

Even before then, Sterling didn’t look sharp, failing to attempt a shot or create a chance, while he misplaced four of his 10 passes, completed just one dribble and only won one of his four ground duels.

Redknapp critical of Raheem Sterling as Saka’s stand-in

Jamie Redknapp was not impressed with Raheem Sterling in Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

What didn’t help Sterling was playing out on the right flank. Usually, Saka looks to cut inside onto his left foot to get shots on goal, while he’s also very adept at delivering dangerous crosses into the box on his weaker foot.

Sterling just wasn’t able to take Bournemouth defenders on down the outside, leaving Arsenal limited in attack.

Sky Sports pundit Redknapp believes Sterling did little to suggest he can be a viable back-up to Saka.

“They missed [Bukayo] Saka, because as soon as the ball goes out to him, something can happen,” the former Tottenham, Liverpool and England midfielder told Sky Sports.

“Raheem Sterling is obviously a right-footed player, he’s playing on the right side, he’s not got that same flow that Saka offers you.

“Straight away, you look at that team sheet and think, right, we’ve got a real chance today, let’s get after this Arsenal side — two of their biggest players aren’t playing.”

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Newcastle United have set a condition to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth

Ahad Shaukat — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:56:21 +0000

Mick Brown, the former chief scout of Manchester United and an expert on matters regarding football transfers, has claimed that Newcastle United will only sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth at a price that suits them.

The Magpies are looking to strengthen their wide positions after an underwhelming summer transfer window.

They have started the season well with Anthony Gordon shining for them but they would have wanted to be in a better position than they are at the moment.

Despite their careful spending in the summer, they have managed to get some positive results this season and sit comfortably in the top half of the league table.

Semenyo from Bournemouth is one of the players Newcastle and a number of other clubs are looking at.

Brown has confirmed that Eddie Howe’s team are looking at the in-form Premier League attacker but they will have to consider other factors before signing him.

He told Football Insider:

“I watched Semenyo while he was on loan at Newport.

“He’s strong, purposeful, great on the ball and willing to run at his man.

“But he was one of those players where he would come explosively into the game and then gradually drop off and become less effective.

Antoine Semenyo to Newcastle United? (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

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“He’s always shown plenty of promise but never quite seemed to fulfil it.

“Since he moved to Bournemouth, though, the lad has got better and I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen from him.

“I’m not the only one, either, because I’ve heard Newcastle are one of the clubs keeping a close eye on him.

“They want to do a deal for a new right-winger – but it will depend on the price.”

Newcastle United have decided to spend carefully after falling in trouble with the Profit and Sustainability Rules.

They are extra cautious now about how they spend money in the transfer market after being forced to sell Yankuba Minteh and Elliott Anderson to manage their financial situation.

The right-wing position is being prioritised by Howe and his recruitment team ahead of the January transfer window but they will not be made to overpay on any player.

Kieran Trippier, who plays on the right side of the Newcastle team, could be heading out of the club soon in a major shake up of that area.

Newcastle United desperately need a new right-winger

Newcastle’s right-wing position has been a huge cause of concern for the club with Miguel Almiron falling down the pecking order and the club exploring the market to strengthen that area of the pitch.

In seven Premier League matches this season, Semenyo has scored three goals and registered one assist.

The 24-year-old has shown brilliant form this season and managed to score goals as well as create chances for his teammates while also showing pace in the wide position.

The Magpies would be worried with Barcelona showing interest in signing Alexander Isak.

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Exclusive: Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta eyeing up €80m Premier League duo for 2025

Darren Looney — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 09:22:35 +0000

Arsenal continue to go from strength to strength under Mikel Arteta and in order to keep his squad competitive for the 2025/26 campaign, the Spanish coach could add a Premier League duo valued at €80m to his squad.

The Gunners have come close to winning the Premier League title across the last two campaigns and this season may be their chance as Man City are not playing their best football at present and will be without key man Rodri for the remainder of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have impressed, but also look like they can go into another gear once Martin Odegaard returns to action.

If the North London club misses out on the title again this season it would be a major blow and if they become champions, the Gunners will look to move to another level. Either way, Arteta will need to boost his squad next summer and the Spanish coach has his eye on two players.

Sources have told CaughtOffside that Arteta appreciates AFC Bournemouth duo Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez, who are valued at around €80m by the Cherries.

People at Arsenal view Semenyo as a backup for Bukayo Saka, while Kerkez could replace Oleksandr Zinchenko or Kieran Tierney as one, if not both, will be sold in 2025. However, if the Gunners are to make a move, they are unlikely to match Bournemouth’s €80m valuation.

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo is liked by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

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Mikel Arteta could face familiar competition for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo

Semenyo has been with Bournemouth since January 2023 but has started to make a name for himself in the Premier League this season with his performances. The winger has produced three goals and one assist across seven league games for the Cherries so far and Arsenal are not the only club monitoring his progress under Andoni Iraola.

Sources have said that Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is also a fan of Semenyo and that Spurs could challenge their North London rivals in 2025 for the 24-year-old’s signature.

Semenyo will not be short of interest upon the conclusion of the campaign but it remains to be seen who can land the talented winger.

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Premier League team of the week, featuring Chelsea hero & key Spurs performer against Man United

Mark Brus — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 05:23:11 +0000

The latest Premier League team of the week is here, and it’s perhaps slightly surprising that there aren’t more Tottenham players after their impressive 3-0 win away to Manchester United, though Micky van de Ven made it in to the line up.

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer also unsurprisingly made it in to Troy Deeney’s team on BBC Sport after his incredible four-goal haul in the Blues’ win over Brighton, while Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol also earned a place in the XI.

See below for the team of the week in full, with no Arsenal players making it in despite their win over Leicester City, though two impressive Foxes players from that game did get into the side, with James Justin scoring twice in that defeat at the Emirates Stadium, while goalkeeper Mads Hermansen was in superb form to ensure the Gunners didn’t score even more than the four goals they eventually managed…

BBC Sport Team of the Week

Premier League team of the week is surprisingly short of Tottenham players

While there were plenty of great performers in the Premier League this weekend, it perhaps seems a bit harsh that Spurs didn’t get one or two more names in to this line up after they put on such a show at Old Trafford.

While Man Utd were also very bad on the day, Tottenham still deserve credit for controlling the game as well as they did, with Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson two other stand-out performers who would have more than merited inclusion in Deeney’s line up.

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