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Arsenal are believed to be concerned that another star player in their squad is nursing an injury right now, with manager Mikel Arteta already having to cope without a few important players in the run-up to October.

Arsenal concede dramatic last minute draw at Man City

Arteta and co were mere minutes away from what would’ve been a phenomenal result at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Ferdinand tore into "wild" Arsenal star back in 2022, now he's undroppable

The exceptional starter showed his class against Manchester City.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 23, 2024

Despite going into the contest without club captain and chief creator Martin Odegaard, who is in rehab after injuring his ankle on international duty, Arsenal managed to fight back from 1-0 down to secure a 2-1 lead – which they held for the vast majority of the second half.

Erling Haaland’s early strike was cancelled out by a screamer from summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, who guided a long-range, side-footed effort into the far corner and beyond the outstretched Ederson to level things up in Manchester.

The Gunners threatened to wreak havoc from set plays and City struggled to deal with their corner tactics, which eventually paid dividends when star defender Gabriel Magalhaes followed up his strike at Tottenham with an identical headed goal to hand Arteta’s side the lead.

Arsenal then had Leandro Trossard sent off and were forced to sit back and absorb a lot of City pressure. The north Londoners maintained their advantage until the very last seconds, when John Stones fired in a rebound to make it 2-2 and ultimately break Arsenal hearts.

While Arteta will be gutted not to come away from his old employers with all three points, a draw at one of the toughest grounds in Europe is still pretty positive on paper, especially with 10 men for a large portion of the 90.

In what was a surprising choice by Arteta, usual mainstay Ben White didn’t start the clash, leaving many to wonder why. Jurrien Timber took the Englishman’s usual spot, with Riccardo Calafiori at left-back, and reports have suggested that there is an injury worry surrounding White at Arsenal.

Charles Watts shares Ben White injury update out of Arsenal

Speaking to CaughtOffside, reliable reporter Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal are concerned over White’s injury status right now, and it is believed he has a long-running problem which will need managing this season.

The £150,000-per-week defender had some issues last campaign too, but played through pain in an attempt to help Arsenal on their quest for Premier League title glory.

Arsenal’s worry over White’s fitness prompted Arteta to bench him for the trip to City on Sunday, according to Watts, and it wasn’t for tactical reasons. Whatever the 26-year-old’s problems physically, supporters will be hoping it is not serious, as White has proved a pivotal player in the last two years.

“The only thing I can say about Ben White is that I’m so proud of him. I’ve been a supporter of his ever since he arrived, and I’ve never doubted his quality,” said former Arsenal defender Lauren (via CaughtOffside).

“It’s a real shame he’s not a part of the national set-up – we don’t know exactly why that is. He would be a great option for England, especially heading into the Euros, but if that’s not going to be the case then, while it’s a real shame, being selfish, I honestly don’t mind – because it means his sole focus is on Arsenal. Ben White not playing for England is only a good thing for Arsenal supporters.

“That was the turning point in his Arsenal career, though, in my opinion… when he decided to leave the national team. That situation made him stronger, I believe. He’s stronger now than the player who was playing for the national team, 100%. He’s stronger than ever, and I love it. I love it.”

Arsenal have completed a move to sign a highly rated star for their academy, it has emerged, with the Gunners looking to futureproof their side.

Arsenal show youth academy pathway

It has been a mixed few years for Arsenal’s academy, with several players leaving in search of pastures new and regular Premier League football in recent seasons. Following the crop of Hale End graduates that included Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe, there was a reluctance to risk academy talents by Mikel Arteta, either based on their talent or senior-level readiness.

That led to several high profile exits, led by Omari Hutchinson, who left the Gunners for London rivals Chelsea before eventually impressing at Ipswich Town and earning a permanent move to Portman Road over the summer after helping them get promoted back to the Premier League.

Armando Cozier-Duberry also grew tired of waiting for a first team opportunity behind Saka, making a permanent move to join Brighton over the summer, though he is yet to feature for the Seagulls and is spending the 2024/25 campaign with Blackburn Rovers.

Previously highly-rated duo Charlie Patino and Reuell Walters both left the club permanently over the summer too, with neither having made enough of an impression to land a spot in the first team, while the same was true of Brooke Norton-Cuffy after several loan spells.

But the arrival of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly has ushered in a new crop of youngsters who are keen to make their mark on the Arsenal side, and follow in the footsteps of Saka, while Arsenal are keen to show them that a pathway to the first team is available.

In the club’s Carabao Cup win over Bolton, this was made clear as Jack Porter (16), Josh Nichols (18), Lewis-Skelly (17), Nwaneri (17), Maldini Cacri (18) and Ismael Kabia (18) all featured for the Gunners, while Alexei Rojas (18) and Aiden Heaven (17) were unused substitutes. Now, Arsenal are looking to keep that conveyer belt of talent moving with another addition.

Gunners sign another young prospect

That comes as The Secret Scout reports that Mikel Arteta’s side have completed a move to sign U15 forward Joshua Sesay from Millwall’s youth ranks, with the winger already pictured signing on the dotted line.

The youngster can play on either flank and first caught the eye of the Gunners during the under-15 Floodlit Cup last season.

Arteta pulls U-turn over Arsenal star with Edu ready to open new deal talks

The Gunners are keen to reward him.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 4, 2024

As per Rising Ballers on X, he is “one of the most exciting young players coming up in the country right now”, and had “all the big clubs looking to sign him”, suggesting that Arsenal have pulled off something of a coup to convince him to pick north London. Should the recent successes of Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly be anything to go by, he may have made a wise choice.

The Red Devils remain rooted in the Premier League's bottom half, and there will be no end to their misery over the next five months

"Manchester United has become mediocre," INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe told club fanzine in December. "It is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world. We have to make some difficult and unpopular decisions. If you shy away from the difficult decisions, then nothing much is going to change."

Ratcliffe also highlighted the club's poor recent record in the transfer market as one of the main reasons for their on-pitch malaise, adding: "We’ve not been good enough at recruitment. And until we’re as good as anyone in the world, then it’s not good enough for Manchester United."

Those strong comments would have been music to the ears of United fans ahead of the January transfer window. Ruben Amorim inherited a disjointed squad full of prima donnas from Erik ten Hag, and desperately needed the green light to start rebuilding it in his own image.

But bafflingly, he never got it. Amorim only completed one senior-level signing before the winter market slammed shut: 20-year-old Patrick Dorgu from Lecce.

INEOS failed their head coach, and the consequences will be severe. United have a mountain to climb to finish in the Premier League's top half, and they can also forget about salvaging the season with cup success, because no amount of work Amorim puts in on the training ground will be enough to improve this rotten team.

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  Building for the future

  Let's start with the positives. Dorgu could actually prove to be a very shrewd acquisition at just £25 million ($31m), with United having won the race for his signature ahead of a host of top clubs, including Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona. The Denmark international is an attack-minded full-back capable of playing on either flank, and he's also versatile enough to step into midfield if required. Dorgu wasn't the blockbuster signing supporters wanted, but he could be an important one for Amorim in the long term.

  United also stole another promising academy graduate from Arsenal in the form of Ayden Heaven, who followed in the footsteps of Chido Obi Martin by moving to Old Trafford after rejecting a new contract with the Gunners. The 18-year-old defender is another player possessing considerable potential, though he is not expected to start competing for regular first-team minutes right from the off.

  On the one hand, it's encouraging that INEOS are building for the future. But on the other, United really should have been putting most of their efforts into bolstering their frontline. A lack of goals is the main problem facing Amorim in the short term, and he will be fighting a losing battle over the next five months because the club neglected to address it.

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  Getting desperate

  United's lack of cutting edge was patently clear once again on Sunday as they suffered an embarrassing 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. That was the Red Devils' seventh home loss of 2024-25, meaning they've already equalled their worst-ever showing across an entire Premier League season, set in the ill-fated 2013-14 campaign that saw David Moyes axed after just nine months in the hot seat as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor.

  Amorim raised more than a few eyebrows when he started talismanic midfielder Kobbie Mainoo upfront, and the experiment completely backfired. But at this point, you can't blame the former Sporting CP boss for trying something different.

  Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were both named on the bench, the £108m ($133m) centre-forward pairing that has managed just five league goals between them so far this term, one fewer than Palace match-winner Jean-Philippe Mateta has recorded in his last six appearances. Amorim threw Hojlund and Zirkzee on in the final 20 minutes to try and save the game, but neither man did anything to prove their initial omission was a mistake.

  Zirkzee was too slow and careless on the ball while Hojlund's first touch consistently let him down, a sight the United faithful have become all too accustomed to in recent months. Hojlund has now gone 13 games across all competitions without scoring, and Zirkzee has one goal to his name from his last 16 appearances; that's simply not good enough.

  It's no wonder that Amorim is getting so desperate. Only four teams have scored fewer Premier League goals than United, and three of them currently sit in the relegation zone.

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  Failure to replace loanees

  To make matters even worse, United's overall numbers in attack have been reduced. Marcus Rashford, who has frequently played as a No.9 to varying degrees of success since graduating from the academy back in 2015, has been loaned to Aston Villa until the end of the season, while £85m ($105m) flop Antony is beginning a six-month spell at Real Betis in La Liga.

  Let the record first show that these are not great losses for United. Rashford has been in physical and mental decline for the best part of two years, and after expressing his desire to seek a "new challenge" away from Old Trafford, Amorim was absolutely right to exile the 27-year-old from his line up.

  Antony's general attitude has been better than Rashford's, but that doesn't make up for his awful standard of performance since joining the club from Ajax in 2022. The Brazilian has only scored five goals in 62 Premier League appearances for United, and makes defender's lives far too easy with his predictable dribbling style and alarming lack of pace.

  But for all their respective faults, it made no sense for United to get rid of Rashford and Antony without lining up replacements. Arranging loans instead of permanent deals to bolster the bank balance was also counter-productive, too, because there is a good chance they could both return to Old Trafford in the summer with their market value lower than ever before.

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  Half-hearted dealings

  As always, United have been linked with a plethora of attackers across the globe, from Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani to Napoli's Victor Osimhen. But very few of their reported transfer dealings have any substance.

  It would appear that the club only properly explored January moves for two strikers: Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku and Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel. According to , United held talks with Nkunku's representatives over a loan deal, but Chelsea were only willing to consider a permanent transfer in the region of £70m ($86m). In the case of Tel, the Red Devils went so far as to launch a formal loan bid, only to be knocked back because Bayern wanted a bigger fee and an obligation to buy included in the deal. United didn't seem fully committed to signing either player, which is just plain bizarre.

  Nkunku has been playing a bit-part role at Chelsea, but that's mainly due to the fact he's not an ideal fit for Enzo Maresca's system. At Old Trafford, things might have been different for the Frenchman, who is a match-winner when firing on all cylinders, as he showed consistently during his time at RB Leipzig.

  Tel would have been more of a gamble than Nkunku given he's still only 19 and has yet to truly prove he can mix it at the highest level, but what did United have to lose? At worst, he could have been an extra option for Amorim, and at best, he might have developed into the lethal central striker the Red Devils have been craving for so long.

Looking to compete with Europe’s elite both on and off the pitch after defeating Bayern Munich, Aston Villa and sporting director Monchi are reportedly plotting a move to sign a European champion in 2025.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans could cap off the perfect week against Manchester United after shocking Bayern Munich to win 1-0 in the Champions League. In the space of one week, they could defeat two of Europe’s most historic clubs to highlight just how far they’ve come. Unai Emery will be well aware of just how much of an achievement that Bayern Munich victory was, given that he initially took charge of Aston Villa when they were fighting Premier League relegation in 2022.

It’s progress that has been recognised off the pitch too, with those at Villa Park rewarding the Spaniard courtesy of the transfer market. In a busy summer, Villa welcomed the likes of Amadou Onana, Jaden Philogene and Ian Maatsen in what looks like a sign of things to come if recent rumours are anything to go by.

£140k-p/w Aston Villa star may now miss Man Utd game alongside five others

The Villans are short on options ahead of this weekend…

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 4, 2024

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Monchi is now plotting a move to sign Ederson from Atalanta in 2025, which would see Aston Villa beat the likes of Liverpool to the midfielder’s signature.

The Brazilian is now reportedly ready to leave last season’s Europa League winners and complete a move to the Premier League, where Emery and Villa could be waiting. Valued at £50m by the Serie A side, however, the deal won’t come cheap for any club in pursuit of Ederson’s signature.

Like the Bayern result, it would be some statement if Villa won the race to sign the in-demand star ahead of their Premier League rivals in 2025.

"Strong" Ederson can form Onana partnership

Given how successful Onana has been during his short time at Aston Villa so far, it would be a stroke of genius to hand the Belgian a midfield partner of Ederson’s calibre. Together, the duo would push Emery’s side into a permanent top four place and perhaps even force those in the Midlands to set their minds on the addition of silverware once again.

Where Onana provides the unexpected goal threat, Ederson is more efficient off the ball, with his ability to recover possession particularly impressive. Combined, meanwhile, the stats show that both players would, on paper, provide an ideal blend at the heart of Emery’s side.

Not afraid to do the dirty work – he’s registered at least one foul in eight of his nine appearances this season – Ederson has been dubbed a “strong and well build central midfielder” by South American football expert Tim Vickery.

At 25 years old, the Brazilian’s best years as a midfielder should be right around the corner, which may see Monchi and Villa swoop in at the perfect time yet again in the transfer market.

Al-Nassr are reportedly readying a £90 million offer for Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma after inching closer to a Jhon Duran transfer.

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• Al-Nassr set to seal Duran transfer
• Saudi side now want Brighton's Mitoma
• Readying a £90m offer for winger

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to The Athletic, Brighton rejected Al-Nassr's €65m (£54.4m/$67.7m) offer for the 27-year-old on Thursday but CBS Sports' James Benge states the Saudi Pro League team are prepared to make a final offer worth up to £90m ($112m/€107.5m) for him. However, the Premier League team are reluctant to lose Mitoma.

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  This comes less than a day after Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr reportedly secured a deal for Aston Villa ace Duran. The Saudi side are flexing their financial muscle this week in what could be two stunning moves.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mitoma joined Brighton from Japanese top-flight team Kawasaki Frontale in 2021, before spending the following season on loan at Union SG in Belgium. He has scored 18 goals in 92 appearances for the Seagulls.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While the Premier League transfer window runs until February 3, the Saudi one ends on January 31 – so time is running out for a Mitoma deal to be done.

Vinicius Junior could make a stunning move to Saudi Arabia after alienating a number of his Real Madrid team-mates, per a new report.

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• Vinicius losing popularity at Real
• Modric singled him out for criticism
• Considering Saudi switch

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per , Luka Modric turned against Vinicius during their recent 3-2 win over Leganes, having had to cover for the winger defensively. Vinicius is said to have left the dressing room without speaking to his team-mates and the report claims he has become a different person since losing the Ballon d'Or to Manchester City midfielder Rodri. Many within the squad are said to be running out of patience with his attitude on and off the field.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Since that snub, Vinicius has struggled for form. He has not scored in La Liga since November 9 and has only scored in two of the nine games he has featured in during 2025. Now, Madrid are said to be negotiating a new contract with the Brazilian but their first offer has been rebuffed, and some within the club are said to believe that a sale would be in everyone's best interests.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  An unnamed Saudi club are said to be willing to pay up to €300 million (£250m/$310m) for Vinicius and potentially offer him a five-year contract worth €200m (£167m/$206m) per season. Given that Madrid now have Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo, both of whom could step into Vinicius' position, there is said to be a school of thought that the club would be best off taking the money.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Madrid face City in a huge Champions League tie in midweek. Vinicius is almost certain to be involved in that game.

Aston Villa are looking to pull off an impressive Boubacar Kamara repeat to sign another free agent midfielder next summer, according to one report.

Aston Villa flush with midfielders

Though they sold Douglas Luiz in the summer to balance their books amid concerns about the Premier League’s financial fair play regulations, Unai Emery still has plenty of midfielders to choose from as things stand. They replaced the Brazilian with £50m addition Amadou Onana from fellow Premier League side Everton, while they also signed Ross Barkley from relegated Luton Town on what is reported to have been a three-year deal.

The 30-year-old Englishman adds yet more depth to a side that can already call upon Youri Tielemans and club captain John McGinn, though the latter is usually stationed on the left-hand side of midfield, while Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rodgers can both be deployed in deeper areas if required.

That depth has helped the club get off to an excellent start so far this season, with Villa in fifth place as things stand as well as having won both of their opening Champions League fixtures including a mammoth home tie against German giants Bayern Munich.

Unai Emery helped keep Aston Villa gem after £4m bid from Nottingham Forest

His decision has already been justified in a major way.

By
Ben Browning

Oct 14, 2024

They are also set to welcome back Boubacar Kamara from a long-term knee injury to strengthen their ranks yet further, but are well aware that with money tight after losses of £120m last year, they will have to be smart in the transfer market to continue to keep up with the Premier League giants that they are trying to compete with. With that in mind, they have joined the race for an in-demand free agent.

Aston Villa eye up Kamara repeat in Modric-esque midfielder

That is according to GiveMeSport, who claim that Unai Emery’s side have joined the race to sign new England star Angel Gomes from Lille. The former Manchester United midfielder has carved out an impressive career for himself since moving to France, and has been rewarded with a run of games in the England side under interim boss Lee Carsley.

His £11.5k per week deal in France comes to an end this summer though, and the 24-year-old is likely to have his pick of several clubs amid links to Tottenham, Manchester United and Newcastle. Now, Aston Villa have joined the race, with the Villans having managed a similar coup when they poached Kamara on a free transfer three years ago when his contract in Ligue 1 came to an end.

Though Gomes would be joining a well-stocked Villa midfield, he would offer something that they lack at present, with his cultured passing style and low centre of gravity a very different proposition to any of Tielemans, Kamara or Onana.

Indeed, stat site FBRef likens his playstyle to Real Madrid icon Luka Modric, who enjoyed an excellent spell in the Premier League with Tottenham, and who is also known for outside of the boot passes like that displayed by Gomes in the above video against Finland.

A full England international on a free transfer may well be too good for Villa to pass up, especially given that Gomes is likely to be entering the prime of his career.

Ademola Lookman has fired back at Gian Piero Gasperini's "deeply disrespectful" criticism after Atalanta's Champions League loss to Club Brugge.

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• Atalanta crashed out of UCL to Club Brugge
• Lookman missed a spot kick in the second half
• Gasperini labelled him "one of the worst penalty takers"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gasperini criticised Lookman after the forward missed a crucial spot-kick in Atalanta’s 3-1 loss to Club Brugge, a result that sealed their Champions League elimination in the playoffs stage with a 5-2 aggregate defeat. Lookman, who had just found the net to reduce the deficit after coming on as a second-half substitute, stepped up for the penalty but was denied by former Liverpool and Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. The miss squandered a chance to spark a potential comeback, and Gasperini did not hold back in his post-match analysis.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Speaking to the media after the match, Gasperini expressed his frustration with Lookman’s decision to take the penalty, insisting that Charles De Ketelaere or Mateo Reteguiwere were supposed to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

  "Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty, he is one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen," the Italian manager told reporters.

  "He has a frankly terrible record even in training, he converts very few of them. Retegui and De Ketelaere were there, but Lookman in a moment of enthusiasm after scoring decided to take the ball and that was a gesture I did not appreciate at all."

• WHAT LOOKMAN SAID

  Following Gasperini’s comments, Lookman took to social media to voice his disappointment, describing the remarks as unfair.

  "It saddens me on a day like this to have to write this statement – most of all because of what we have achieved together as a team and as a city," the 27-year-old wrote on Instagram. "Being singled out in the manner I have been not only hurts but feels deeply disrespectful, not least because of the immense hard work and commitment I have always put in each and every day to help bring success to this club and to the incredible fans of Bergamo. In truth, I have dealt with many difficult moments during my time here the majority of which I have never spoken about because in my opinion the team must always be protected and must come first. This makes what happened last night even more hurtful.

  "Along with our incredible fans, we as a team are hurting too with last night's result. During the match the designated penalty taker instructed me to take the penalty; and to support the team I took responsibility in the moment to do so. Life's about challenges and turning pain into power which I'll continue to do."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ATALANTA?

  Gasperini’s men currently occupy third place in the Serie A standings, trailing leaders Napoli by five points. Their next test comes on Sunday when they face Empoli, a match that could prove crucial in their push for the league title. Despite the fallout from the penalty controversy, Lookman and his team-mates will need to regroup quickly to maintain their momentum in the Italian top flight.

Crystal Palace’s recruitment team are among the Premier League scouts plotting a transfer swoop on a £25 million midfielder, according to a recent report. Palace’s long wait for a Premier League win ended on Sunday as they claimed a surprise 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park. Pressure was mounting on manager Oliver Glasner, but he will hope that can ease as they claim their first league win of the season.

£17m Crystal Palace gem unlikely to play again in 2024 after injury update

It’s a blow for Oliver Glasner.

By
Henry Jackson

Oct 27, 2024

Crystal Palace news and updates

The run of poor results has left Glasner fighting for his job despite the positive impact he made last season, so much so that new managers were being linked with the role.

Gareth Southgate was someone who emerged as an option for the Eagles last week, but the chances of Palace securing the former England manager are very slim, as he wants to take a break from football. Former West Ham manager David Moyes was also mentioned as an option, with the Scot interested in the possible vacancy. But Glasner has picked up his first league win this season, and he will be hoping it gives him time to turn around the poor form.

Away from manager news, Palace already have their eye on a potential January or next summer signing despite the club’s poor form in the league. The South Londoners are monitoring Trabzonspor midfielder Batista Mendy, as the Turkish side are open to selling the player for £16.5 million, but not in January, as they would want to keep him until the end of the current campaign.

The transfer news doesn’t stop there for Palace fans, as the club also have their eye on another midfielder, who will cost more than Mendy.

Crystal Palace's recruitment team plotting £25m signing

According to Voetbal24, relayed by Tribal Football, Crystal Palace are one of several Premier League clubs scouting midfielder Raphael Onyedika. The 23-year-old midfielder currently plays for Belgian side Club Brugge and has done so since 2022, when he joined from Midtjylland.

Onyedika has become an important player for Brugge, helping them compete at the top in Belgium as well as in Europe, where he has grabbed one assist in three Champions League games this season, and the form he’s shown has earned him nine caps for Nigeria so far.

Now, according to this report, Palace are among the English clubs keeping an eye on him during this campaign. Brugge are said to be open to selling the midfielder when the January transfer window comes around, with their starting price being 30 million euros, which is roughly £25 million.

Onyedika has had some disciplinary issues on the pitch this season for Brugge, but among the scouts who have watched him, there is no doubt about his talent and potential. The 23-year-old emerged on the radar of Galatasaray during the summer, but their efforts to sign the midfielder were rejected, leaving the door open for a move to the Premier League.

Kevin De Bruyne's future at Manchester City is in doubt, but it has been suggested that the Belgian may be open to staying with the Cityzens.

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• De Bruyne linked with exit but could stay
• Contract expires this summer
• Struggled in defeat to Liverpool

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  De Bruyne has been struggling so far this season after he returned to action earlier in the season from an injury. Part of the reason has also been his age as the Belgian has lost his physical edge. De Bruyne's contract is set to expire in the summer and links with Major League Soccer sides have opened up rumours about a potential departure.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, has now reported that De Bruyne could stay at Manchester City past this season and is even ready to accept a 'bit-part' role under Pep Guardiola. The Belgian is said to know that he cannot be as crucial over the course of a season as he has over the last years under the Catalan tactician.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The final call on De Bruyne's future remains with City as the Belgian is on reported wages of £400,000 a week and City will be unlikely to offer him anything close to his current contract. As such, the 33-year-old will have to accept a massive pay cut or part ways.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DE BRUYNE?

  The Belgian has been a shell of his former self this season and has not been able to help his side regain their form as Guardiola has struggled to find a proper balance to the side following Rodri's ACL tear. However, he will continue on in the side as City look to achieve Champions League qualification.