Arsenal already have one Mesut Ozil in their midfield, but if rumours are true, they could be about to add another one very soon.
That’s because reports in Germany claim 17-year-old Kai Havertz of Bayer Leverkusen is being strongly linked with a summer switch to the Emirates. The BBC has picked up the news in their gossip column recently, adding some strength to the claims.
Arsenal fans are always excited about who the next young player to come out of the academy might be, but there’s loads of hype around striker Eddie Nketiah.
The 17-year-old, who was signed from Chelsea aged 14, is tearing up the youth teams this season, scoring bags of goals and plenty of hat-tricks to boot.
Jose Mourinho won the English Premier League with Chelsea in the 2004/05 season. The self-proclaimed “special one” did this with a team that was complete. A team that had high calibre players including Claude Makelele and Frank Lampard in the centre. Arjen Robben and Damien Duff at the wings. And a solid back led by John Terry. It was team that would rarely concede in 90 minutes but had players who could score. By the end of the season Lampard with 13 goals was the team’s highest goal score. That season the blues only conceded 15 goals. Did you know that sports betting has expanded to non-athletic event, you can now place your betting on other things besides sport for more information visit sun vegas and get more information on sports betting.
It is going to be a huge rebuilding job at the Emirates for whoever is in charge come the start of the new campaign. With the clubs key personnel including the manager along with star players Ozil and Sanchez yet to decide their future, the heart could be ripped out and need emergency surgery to fit it. One player that has just confirmed that he has left Arsenal is Tella who has joined Southampton on a permanent basis. The young winger could be one of many that leave during the summer months.
Tella has been able to join Southampton due to The Gunners telling the young winger that his contract with the club would not be extended at the end of the campaign. The player has been at Southampton on trial which he confirms early in the month. Things have gone well for him at Southampton and were keen to join them. Arsenal has not stood in the player’s way and has allowed him to leave. He has been at Emirates for a decade but has never reached his full potential due to a lack of playing time.
Tella is only 17 years old and has bags of potential to make it to the very top. If he is going to do it he needs playing time at one of the clubs in the EPL so he can develop into a top class winger. With Southampton’s policy of developing young talent, it is a great match for the midfielder and it will give him the better chance of getting regular playing time.
Tella is a player full of promise but presently he will not be missed as Arsenal have plenty of quality player that play in his position. If however both Ozil and Sanchez leave, this will completely destroy a team that is built around the two star players. Ozil is the most likely one out of the two that will stay due to his huge wages and lazy attitude that will put off a number of the top teams that can afford his salary. The bigger loss will be Sanchez and he is a player that will be extremely difficult to replace. Without him, the team will be a lot weaker which is something they cannot afford as they are already going to struggle to qualify for the Champions League next season.
A growing number of Gunner Fans want to see manager Wenger resign from his position as manager but the rumors are that he is determined to stay. If the club does not qualify for the Champions League the pressure will mount and it is hard to see him staying. Their form both in the EPL and Champions League has been dreadful since the turn of the year and if things do not change fast they are in danger of falling apart.
With so much uncertainty at the club, it will hinder their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. One wager that is worth considering is for both Arsenal and Man U to fail to qualify for next year’s competition. If you do fancy putting some money on this make sure you get a £30 free football bet with one of the top bookmakers.
Arsenal drew 3-3 with Man City in the Under-23 league on Monday – in a result that showed loads of promise, but plenty of flaws.
Donyell Malen, one of the hottest prospects in the country, scored yet again. So did the exciting Reiss Nelson, while Carl Jenkinson also netted on his return from injury.
But the same difficult problems continued at the back, with even new-boy Cohen Bramall not being able to shore up the defence. It’s a worrying trend that has dogged Arsenal’s youth teams in recent years.
Why aren’t the Gunners producing exciting young defenders? It has been a long-time since we had a world class centre back come through the system.
Will we see some soon? Don’t bet on it, although if you’re a betting man, check out the latest on odds here.
Meanwhile, Arsenal face Manchester United in the Under-23 league shortly, offering another big test against a big-name rival.
It will be interesting to see whether a strong team is named, with Yaya Sanogo likely to get another go, or whether more youngsters will get a chance.
Ladies Day, a day to dress to the nines, wear a fancy feathered hat, drink some champagne and have a flutter on some thoroughbreds – well that was the idea. It’s becoming apparent year after year that Ladies Day is no longer about the racing and more and more about the ‘sesh’. With each passing event the drunken antics and horrendous clobber is getting worse.
We’ve made a list of the 10 things you can be sure of seeing at Cheltenham Festival Ladies Day:
Horrendous Clothes
The intention of Ladies Day was to give the fairer sex the chance to dress up in all of their finery to attempt to emulate the royals that attend (or at least, used to attend) the races. Over the past 10 years standards have dropped faster than a political manifesto. Demure dresses showcasing class and elegance have been replaced by neon pink designer knock-offs being worn 3 sizes too small, making the wearer look like a stringed up joint of pork. The battle of the platform heels will never be won until the wearers head is in orbit and the market stall bought ‘Mum’ rings will be plentiful.
Elaborate Hats/Headpieces
Wearing a hat or a headpiece has always been in the dress code for Ladies Day, and it’s evolution over the years has been driven by ladies desperation to out-do each other. Bows and feathers were a popular go-to for headpieces and hats in years gone by along with intricate designs and bright colours. Now you’re more likely to see a full English breakfast on someone’s head (yes, it has happened) or a 3D printed eulogy in the shape of a hat plonked on their barnet.
Drinking from the Bottle
As stated previously, Ladies Day used to be all about class and sophistication, sipping champagne out of a flute as you giddily cheer along the nag you’d backed at the tote. Ladies now don’t have time for a flute, they want the booze and they want it now. Usually pre-inebriated from downing £3 bottles of Pino Grigio on the coach journey the ladies arrive with a thirst that can only be quenched by chugging wine out of the bottle.
Hopefully Underwear
With the dresses growing smaller and the areas that protect their modesty becoming more elaborate there is a real danger of the ladies showing more than people would like to see. We say hopefully because some ‘ladies’ decide against undies and it’s a recipe for disaster. After a few beverages there is a lot of flesh flashing on Ladies Day so keep your wits about you and your eyes covered.
Bad Tattoos
Some people will tell you that any tattoo is a bad tattoo and we usually wouldn’t comment but in lots of circumstances we really do question the logic. You can be certain you will see someone with an absolute shocker in permanent ink. The customary boyfriends name or even the newly popular under-boob mandala aren’t too bad, but when you have the famous Ghandi quote “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” and you’re face first in the mud, legs akimbo with half a bottle of plonk spilled down you, you’re asking not to be taken seriously.
Fake Tan
It’s usually a given with the Ladies Day brigade that if she’s showing 98% of her body, chances are it’s going to be smeared in fake tan. You would think they would approach this cautiously to give off a healthy summer glow to enhance their image. You would be wrong though, very wrong, most of the time it looks like they we fathered by Umpa Lumpa’s, bathed daily in orange Tango, rolled around in Wotsits and still not satisfied with the colour submerged themselves in some cheap fake bake.
Fights
If you mix masses of alcohol, men, women and gambling all in the same place odds are it’s going to kick off. It could have been the smallest thing that started it off but once it starts it’s like a domino effect. Bottles and heel’s flying everywhere, hair being pulled and make-up smudged it’s usually quite an entertaining sight.
Litter
If you’ve ever been to Germany you will know exactly what clean looks like. In England we like to think we’re a tidy bunch but we’re no match for our pals on the continent. Nowhere is this more aptly shown than at the end of the day at the races. It’s about 3ft deep in wine bottles, plastic cups, fake eyelashes and dignity that’s been left behind.
Sitting on the floor
Due to the massive increase of the popularity of horse racing events such as Ladies Day seats are at an absolute premium. This leads to the thousands around the track without a chair sitting on the sloped toward the track concrete floor. After thinking about this it’s probably a good thing as ladies with a few glasses of vino down them are less stable than Shakey Jake. The only problem this leaves is it’s not a particularly brilliant sight for the passing jockeys & horses, a fair few thousand pairs of spread legs.
Horse Racing
If the previous nine points haven’t hit the spot then who knows, maybe since you’re at a racetrack the racing might be an interesting sight. Ladies Day usually has some spectacular racing all across the meetings in the UK so is well worth a visit.
The transfer window may have slammed firmly shut until the summer but that has not stopped the rumour mill turning at Arsenal.
However, most of the talk has been about manager Arsene Wenger and whether or not he will still be in charge next season.
The smart money seems to be on the Frenchman leaving and, unless the Gunners can pull off a miracle in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash with Bayern Munich, he may have no choice.
The fans have become disillusioned with mediocrity at the north London club and an unwillingness to bring in world-class names.
One superstar who did arrive is Alexis Sanchez but the Chile international has been linked with a summer exit.
At 28, he is still at the peak of his powers and could command a first-team place in most top European clubs, and Arsenal may have to work extremely hard in the summer to keep him on their books.
Mesut Ozil is a player who has flattered to deceive this season and another who might be on his way at the end of the campaign.
The Germany international appears to drift in and out of games and is as likely to be ineffective as he is to create a goal with a precision pass or match-winning piece of skill.
The fans have not turned on him yet but how much patience will they show?
One man who has had to show patience is forward Lucas Perez, who has made only six top-flight appearances since making the move from Deportivo La Coruna last summer.
The 28-year-old has scored six goals from 15 outings in all competitions but is not a first-team regular and may have his sights set on a future in Milan.
The Spaniard is clearly not in Wenger’s plans but would he feature more if a new coach is at the helm next term?
Another player rumoured to be on the radar of other clubs is England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The former Southampton man seems to have been around for ever but is still only 23 years of age and has most of his career ahead of him.
He has never been a regular fixture in the Arsenal side and it remains to be seen whether the talented youngster wants to try his luck elsewhere.
The Portsmouth-born ace has been on top form in recent months despite the team’s struggles but rumours suggest Everton and Manchester City could battle for his signature in the off-season.
Arsenal are 10 points off table-topping Chelsea with 13 games to go and even punters looking for the best matched bet promotions might struggle to find a reason to back them to lift the trophy in May.
The news that Santi Cazorla is now out for the rest of the season will do nothing to lift the mood around the Emirates Stadium and it may well be down to the FA Cup to give the Gunners’ faithful a much-needed boost.
They next face minnows Lincoln City in the quarter-finals and, if Wenger is to lift one more trophy during his time in the capital, it will surely have to come in the world’s oldest cup competition.
Jon Toral made his Rangers debut this weekend as he looks to get his career back on track.
The Spanish midfielder has long been one of Arsenal’s best prospects, but having spent so much time on loan without being given a chance, his future is uncertain.
He started this year on-loan at Granada in La Liga, after doing so well at Birmingham City last year, before moving on to Rangers after a lack of playing time.
It’s a difficult move – but he can take heart from Gideon Zelalem, who spent time with The Gers in 2016. He became one of their best passers, runners and tacklers in central midfield and now Toral will hope he can thrive in the same way.
Toral made his debut this weekend and Arsene Wenger will no doubt be watching on to see how it all goes. Will he make this spell count and end up becoming a big star or will he be Arsenal’s latest big talent who doesn’t live up to the hype?
Only time will tell.
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