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Martin Odegaard is set to miss Arsenal's clash with Tottenham due to the injury he suffered after a challenge from Austria star Christoph Baumgartner.

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• Baumgartner injured Odegaard on Monday night
• Arsenal star left field in tears
• Austria midfielder sends heartfelt apology

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Norway's 2-1 win over Austria in the Nations League on Monday night was overshadowed by Odegaard's ankle injury, which he sustained following a challenge from Baumgartner. The 25-year-old limped off in tears and got Arsenal fans and coaching staff worrying about his availability over the coming weeks. Now, he's received a "sincere" apology from the Austria player who fouled him.

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• WHAT BAUMGARTNER SAID

  Baumgartner posted on Instagram: "Hi guys! I would like to sincerely apologise to Martin Odegaard. It was never my intention to injure this fantastic player. I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery! Come back stronger @odegaard.98"

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  WHAT NORWAY DOCTOR SAID

  Norway national team doctor Ola Sand has now given a timeframe for Odegaard's recovery, which suggests he won't be available to play against Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend.

  "Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks," Sands said to . "Anything other than that is just a bonus. And then it can take longer."

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The precise details of Odegaard's injury are yet to be confirmed, but if Sand's assessment is correct he will miss a series of important games for Arsenal. Odegaard was also spotted on crutches as he boarded a plane to return to England after international duty, and Mikel Arteta could face a selection headache in midfield without the 25-year-old.

Leeds United will need every single one of their players firing on all cylinders this Saturday, needing to win against Southampton and hope Ipswich Town slip up to swoop into that final automatic promotion in the Championship at the death.

It will have to be a major improvement on the showing the Whites dished up at Loftus Road last time out, knowing that a disastrous defeat like the 4-0 one suffered in West London against Queens Park Rangers would really irk the Leeds masses in such a high-stakes contest at Elland Road.

The lone striker position will be one spot in the Leeds side that Daniel Farke will have to think long and hard about before the lunch-time clash, with both Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe struggling there as of late and the first name in this wasteful duo looking touch-and-go to be fit.

There are other options in the form of Mateo Joseph and even this forgotten face in the Leeds ranks up top too, who could be moved on in the summer for a healthy profit despite barely featuring for the promotion-chasers this season.

Joe Gelhardt's season in numbers

Joe Gelhardt has faded into the background for Leeds this campaign, falling way down the pecking order under Farke after once being viewed as the future of the Whites in attack.

Signed three years ago for £1m from Wigan Athletic – with the Latics having to offload their academy product for a cheap fee owing to their financial woes at the time – Gelhardt would leave a lasting impression on the Whites masses when gifted first-team opportunities shortly after his arrival.

Praised for his tenacious displays by Jamie Carragher in 2022, who described the then teenage sensation as "special", Gelhardt did manage to fire in two goals for his new employers during the 2021/22 season even whilst playing in the brutal nature of the Premier League.

His Whites career hasn't quite gone to plan after this blistering start, however, with just nine Championship appearances coming his way this campaign and zero goals to show for it.

Still, despite only being given 19 minutes of second-tier action this year, Gelhardt could be offloaded for significant profit soon with his transfer value higher than Bamford's according to Football Transfers.

Gelhardt's transfer value in 2024

Leeds would be fools to not try and cash in on Gelhardt this coming summer, especially if they look to add more strength in depth to the striker spots over the ex-Wigan man to handle the jump up to the top flight if promotion is sealed.

The now 21-year-old attacker boasts a hefty £6.4m valuation according to the site even with his fringe status, whilst the more experienced if injury-prone Bamford comes in at a lesser price-tag of £5.6m.

This is a shock considering the former Middlesbrough man has been lethal in patches this season for the Whites, with nine of his 60 Leeds goals coming this campaign under Farke.

Yet, Gelhardt was worth a staggering £12.7m just last year when he was still being given moments to shine in the Premier League, which would make him worth more than Daniel James' current £10.9m price today remarkably.

There is still time for Gelhardt to, arguably, make this season a successful one on a personal note if Farke gambles on giving him some much-needed minutes versus the Saints and he fires a potential promotion-winning goal home against Southampton.

But, with his current position on the Leeds periphery not looking likely to change realistically, it could well be that the Whites cash in on the 21-year-old – who did receive enquiries from the likes of Celtic in January – very soon before his value depletes.

Manchester United have completed the shock signing of former youth-team player Tommy Rowe on a free transfer.

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• Man Utd bring back former youth player
• Rowe returns after 21 years
• Will take up player-coach role

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rowe, who graduated from United's youth team, returned to the club after 21 years on a free transfer on Tuesday. The midfielder played for teams like Wolves, Bristol City and Doncaster Rovers in his 17-year-long senior professional career where he made 650 appearances, before returning to his former club.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Rowe has returned to Old Trafford, he won't be a part of the senior squad. Instead, he will take up a player-coach role in the club's Under-21 side replacing Tom Huddlestone who left the team at the end of the 2023/24 season. The 35-year-old could also feature in some EFL Trophy matches as the competition allows up to five players to feature for the U21 team.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Quoting the Red Devils, The Sun wrote, "He will create various unique development opportunities for United’s Academy players by coaching from within training sessions and driving daily standards on and off the pitch."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Erik ten Hag's side are off to a nightmare start in the 2024/25 campaign, having lost two out of their first three Premier League matches including an embarrassing defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool last Sunday. They will aim to get back to winning ways after the international break as they take on Southampton on September 14.

In April of 2023, everything fell apart for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. A run of wretched games saw their Premier League title hopes ultimately fade away with a whimper.

This season it looked as though the Gunners had learnt their lesson. 2024 has been dominated by swashbuckling football, notably putting six past Sheffield United and West Ham, and five past Burnley.

However, lessons have seemingly not been learnt, notably by the manager whose squad management must be called out. Indeed, April is here again and a withered, tired-looking group of players look out for the count.

A 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa last Sunday was bad enough, only for the Londoners to then fall to a second-leg defeat in Munich, beaten 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate by Harry Kane's Bayern.

Losing to the Bundesliga giants is usually nothing to be ashamed of. However, Thomas Tuchel's side have not been at the races this term, conceding the German top-flight trophy for the first time in 11 years. They do, however, still boast a chance of winning the Champions League.

The back end of this campaign promised so much for Arsenal but it's all ending in rather predictable circumstances; without a trophy.

It's a bitter pill to swallow for supporters, who notably saw a number of fan favourites fail to deliver on the biggest of stages. An isolated Gabriel Martinelli – who simply hasn't been the same player this season – struggled to have much of an impact, the same could be said for Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal's biggest underperformer against Bayern

This honour could have been given to a number of players in green on Wednesday evening. Kai Havertz started up top as an out ball but once moved into the centre of midfield following Gabriel Jesus' introduction barely had a kick.

However, it was a player we all hold in such high regard who had one of his worst nights in Arsenal colours; Saka.

It is difficult to point the blame at such a well-loved figure. He has been there since the start of this project and dragged Arteta's team through many a moment. This season he is still the club's top scorer on 18 goals but his powers have waned towards the end of the term.

The Englishman missed the home match with Luton a few weeks ago because of injury and truth be told, he hasn't really looked too fit since.

He has found the net just twice in his last eight outings and only has one assist to show for his troubles since 20th January. For a young individual so creative, so full of flair, it's hugely disappointing.

Bayern are no mugs defensively but without Alphonso Davies, ruled out due to suspension at the Allianz on Wednesday, Saka had a wonderful opportunity to dominate up against Noussair Mazraoui, a right-back playing at left-back.

Did he dominate? No is the short answer. The 22-year-old received no change from the Moroccan with Arsenal's number 7 failing to complete any of his three dribble attempts or four crosses.

Handed a 4/10 match rating courtesy of GOAL's Charles Watts, the Arsenal reporter noted that he was 'always on the fringes of things'. What didn't help were Saka's actions towards the end of the game. Having taken a quick free-kick, spurning the chance to get the ball into the area with seconds remaining, he planted the resulting corner straight at the man at the near post.

That just about summed up the winger's display with Saka left to rue a night where he failed to provide a single key pass or have a shot. This was a night to stand up and be counted but their main man did not do so.

Key to Arsenal's summer will be finding a player Arteta can rotate Saka with. He looked spent in Germany and it is hardly surprising for someone who's missed just three games all campaign. It's back to the drawing board for the Gunners.

Arteta could unleash Zinchenko in new role to revive his Arsenal career

Zinchenko was a big underperformer in Arsenal’s last match.

By
Joe Nuttall

Apr 17, 2024

Ronald Koeman has given Ryan Gravenberch a reminder of the weakness the Netherlands coach saw in the midfielder before his improvement at Liverpool.

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• Gravenberch has performed well this season
• Midfielder given fresh start under new coach
• Koeman pointed out a flaw that hindered him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gravenberch has had a resurgence at Liverpool since new coach Arne Slot came in to replace Jurgen Klopp. The Netherlands international impressed in his first Premier League game of the season as the Reds beat Ipswich, and then attracted further acclaim with his performance in the 3-0 win against Manchester United on Sunday.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gravenberch was named in Koeman's squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Germany and the coach was asked about the ex-Ajax man's recent displays. However, the coach was quick to point out a flaw in his game.

• WHAT KOEMAN SAID

  Speaking at a press conference, Koeman said of the midfielder: "I have always seen the potential in him, but I believed he lacked focus, this is something that he had to improve and now it seems that he finally realises what is asked of him."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GRAVENBERCH?

  Gravenberch will hope to feature in Oranje's games on September 7 and 10. He will then return to Merseyside to start preparing for the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on September 14.

One of the biggest clubs in the world are hoping to sign an "irreplaceable" Manchester City player for just £43m this summer, according to a worrying transfer update.

Man City transfer news

Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Pep Guardiola will again be on the lookout for new signings in the upcoming transfer window, as he freshens up his squad.

While established players are being linked with moves to the Etihad later in the year, youngsters are also needed for the long-term picture, and Lokomotiv Moscow ace Sergey Pinyaev is reportedly wanted by City.

Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz has enjoyed a fantastic season, scoring 11 goals and registering 10 assists en route to Xabi Alonso's side winning the league title recently. The move for Wirtz may have hit a snag, but there is still hope that the German could be at the Etihad in time for next season.

Guardiola may feel that a new centre-back is needed moving forward, especially with John Stones proving to be an injury-prone figure, and Everton ace Jarrad Branthwaite has been backed to sign for City. The young Englishman has been a rare bright spark for the Toffees this season, and could jump at the opportunity to join the reigning Premier League champions despite his success in Germany.

Links surrounding a move for Bayern Munich forward Jamal Musiala are also refusing to go away, with the German having the potential to mature into one of the best players in the world. He has 16 goal contributions (10 goals and six assists) in 20 Bundesliga starts in 2023/24 heading into this weekend.

Man City could lose "irreplaceable" star

According to a fresh claim from Catalunya Radio (as relayed by Sport Witness), Manchester City star Bernardo Silva is wanted by Barcelona this summer, and the player himself has "practically decided" to leave the club.

Barca are hoping to sign the Portuguese for just €50m (£43m) due to a release clause that exists in his current contract, and he sees them as his first choice to join.

Losing Silva this summer would be a massive blow for City, considering he has become a genuine legend during his time at the club, not only winning five Premier League titles and one Champions League crown, but also proving to be one of the league's outstanding players during that period. Meanwhile, Guardiola clearly thinks the world of the 29-year-old, saying of him:

"I could stay here and talk for 10 minutes on what Bernardo Silva means for me and our team. He is a player that is beyond good in all departments – solidarity, intelligence, he understands everything. We are in love with him. The problem is he has no big cars, he [dresses] maybe not for high style. He is humble and everybody loves him in the locker room. We were lucky not to lose him. He is irreplaceable. I know he is happy here."

Every Premier League Golden Boot winner

Some of the Premier League’s greatest goalscorers have won the Golden Boot – here’s every player to earn the coveted prize.

By
Stephan Georgiou

May 26, 2025

Admittedly, Bernardo isn't getting any younger, but he remains a world-class footballer who shouldn't drift past his peak for another few years, so City should do all they can to keep him. That being said, if he has decided he wants to leave, it would be hard to begrudge him a fresh challenge.

The Rapids' unbelievable run continues as they've beaten three Liga MX teams to reach semifinals vs. LAFC

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• Rapids edge America in penalties thriller
• Giroud came off bench in LAFC rout over Seattle
• No Liga MX teams remain in Leagues Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Once underdogs in the Leagues Cup, the Colorado Rapids are now just two wins away from lifting the trophy after securing a dramatic 9-8 penalties win over Club America.

  U.S. international Zack Steffen, who has been a catalyst for the club throughout the tournament, kept a clean sheet with four saves. In the penalty shootout, he proved heroic, making a crucial save on Igor Lichnovsky's attempt and then converting the game-winning penalty moments later.

  Steffen recorded his first clean sheet of the Leagues Cup, but he's been impressive throughout the tournament. He was monumental for the Rapids in their penalties win against Leon and was also strong against Toluca. His torrid stretch is coming at an opportune moment, not just for Colorado, but potentially for the U.S. men's national team as well.

  Steffen lost the U.S. No. 1 job to Matt Turner, who is now Nottingham Forest's third-choice keeper, while recent No. 2 Ethan Horvath had a rough start to the season, as Cardiff City conceded five goals in their defeat to Burnley Saturday. The position is wide open for the national team and with a reported new hire in Mauricio Pochettino, Steffen could be making his case.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Colorado's stunning win also means there are no Liga MX teams remaining in the Leagues Cup.

  Similar to the Rapids, the Philadelphia Union knocked out Mazatlán in penalties, continuing their own surprising run. It's another disappointing year in the Leagues Cup for the Mexican top flight.

  Although Liga MX won't be represented in the semifinals, two of MLS's top teams, LAFC and the Columbus Crew, remain in contention.

  Olivier Giroud made another bench appearance, playing 26 minutes in LAFC's 3-0 rout of the Seattle Sounders. Lastly, the Crew stunned NYCFC in penalties, despite conceding the earliest goal in Leagues Cup history just 13 seconds into the match.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While Liga MX has traditionally performed well against MLS teams in the CONCACAF Champions League, they haven't replicated that success in the Leagues Cup.

  This marks the second year in a row that two MLS teams will face off in the tournament final. Last year, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami edged Nashville SC in a penalty thriller.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LEAGUES CUP?

  The semifinals will kick off on Aug. 21 as Columbus will host Philadelphia and Colorado visits LAFC.

Former Glasgow Rangers defender Alan Hutton has given his reaction to the links to bring Sunderland striker Ross Stewart to Ibrox. 

The lowdown: Gers’ interested

This comes as Rangers are heavily linked with a move for Stewart should Alfredo Morelos leave Ibrox this summer.

The 25-year-old frontman enjoyed a stellar campaign in League One and was an integral part of the side that earned promotion to the Championship via the playoffs.

Stewart is fast approaching the final 12 months of a deal in the North East of England and one invested onlooker has had his say on the potential move to Glasgow…

The latest: Hutton on Stewart

Speaking to Football Insider, regular BBC pundit and Rangers TV man Hutton suggested that the Scotsman could be a worthwhile addition but only alongside further transfers.

He said: “You’re going for Champions League football, that’s how high the bar is at this moment in time. Can he play to that level? We’re unsure. Of course, he was outstanding in League One but we’re talking about elite level. Only time will tell if he can reach those heights.

“I’m pretty sure Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have sights on a few different players. Stewart is a particular type of number nine. He’s a big guy, he’s not the usual profile that Rangers go for.

“So they might look to bring in another type of attacking threat as well.”

The verdict: Two needed

With a remarkable 164 goal involvements in 224 appearances for Rangers, losing a player of Morelos’ quality this summer would leave a huge hole in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad that cannot be filled by the addition of Stewart alone.

That’s despite netting 26 times in 49 league and play-off games during a breakout 2021/22 season following a switch from Ross County, earning an outstanding 7.25 Sofascore rating whilst winning 7.6 duels, making 1.3 key passes and finding the target with 1.2 shots on average per game.

However, having left Scotland on the back of just three-goal involvements in the Scottish Premiership in 2020/21, Van Bronckhorst would be wise to avoid pinning all the responsibility and expectation on Stewart and Kemar Roofe when it comes to replacing Morelos’ output.

In other news, Rangers have a potential Alfredo Morelos replacement in mind

The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell has shared an update on Borna Barisic and his current situation at Ibrox after it was reported that he was attracting interest from abroad.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter, the journalist revealed that the 29-year-old is attracting interest from clubs on the continent, with the potential of significant wages being offered to the defender.

Campbell tweeted: “European teams interested in Borna Barisic, including Trabzonspor, which Turkish media have reported. The 29yo Croatian int still has two years on his deal. Big wages will be on offer but Rangers will demand a substantial fee if he is to leave. No club-to-club contact so far.”

The journalist then followed up with another tweet on the situation, stating: “This is not to say that Barisic will definitely leave this summer. It’s a possibility if the right bid comes in and it’s the right challenge for him but that’s probably unlikely to be Turkey right now.”

Fans will be livid

Rangers signed the defender from NK Osijek in 2018 on a four-year deal worth a reported £2.2m. Since then, the Croatian has gone on to make 155 appearances for the Light Blues across all competitions, scoring seven goals and delivering an impressive 35 assists along the way.

Despite only playing 23 league games this season, the 29-year-old still posted the second-highest number of crosses (158) and won the third-highest number of tackles (33) out of anyone in Rangers’ squad. This highlights just how important a figure he is for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team in an attacking and defensive sense and why he’d be a big miss for them if he were to leave this summer.

With fellow Rangers defender Calvin Bassey also being linked with a move away from Ibrox this summer, having him and Barisic both potentially waving goodbye to the club in the same transfer window would surely have lots of supporters fuming.

Even though Campbell said that the Gers would consider selling the Croatian if a significant offer comes in, we feel that they shouldn’t let him leave this summer unless they have a suitable replacement for him to come straight into Ibrox.

In other news: Rangers now plotting bid for “clinical” £5.4m-rated sensation, he’d be a dream for Van Bronckhorst

Southampton striker Shane Long is reportedly being watched by his former side Reading ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

The Lowdown: Long set to become free agent

The 35-year-old veteran first joined the Premier League side from Hull City back in 2014 for a fee believed to be in the region of £12m, where he’s since gone on to make 244 appearances for the south coast outfit during his eight-year spell at the club.

Despite his long-term service though, the forward’s current contract with the Saints is set to expire at the end of the month, making him a free agent to any clubs interested, and it would appear that a familiar suitor has emerged.

The Latest: Reading monitoring Long’s situation

In a new article published by Berkshire Live, it’s claimed that Paul Ince’s Reading are ‘monitoring’ their former player’s situation at Southampton ahead of making a ‘potential move’ for Long in time for the new season.

The sources further states that the Irishman is ‘expected to leave’ Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad following the conclusion of his deal, with him now having to weigh up what will likely be the ‘final move’ of his career before hanging up his boots for good.

Due to the Championship side’s financial transfer problems, they are currently only able to sign free agents or loan players this summer, and can offer them no more than a one-year contract.

The Verdict: A Royal reunion?

Long has significantly dropped down the pecking order under the Austrian boss, having made just 13 top-flight outings this season, netting one goal during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

The 88-cap international, who was once hailed for being an “incredibly talented” player by his former teammate Charlie Austin, enjoyed a hugely successful previous spell with the second tier outfit, recording 82 goal contributions over six years.

A former Reading fan favourite, it now looks highly unlikely that Long will be staying at Southampton beyond the summer, and if this interest is serious, we could be seeing a Royal reunion in weeks to come.

In other news… it’s been reported that the Saints have given the green light for one of their players to leave on loan during the upcoming window.