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West Ham United could be set to pounce on the unsettled Gerson, who is vying for a move away from Olympique de Marseille.

What’s the latest?

According to GOAL, the Brazilian midfielder has angered his club to the point of no return, with Marcao – his father – having tried to negotiate a return to Flamengo behind the scenes.

This has led to an opening, which could allow Hammers’ head of recruitment Rob Newman to pounce.

At this time, only the Irons are noted in the report from England. The French outfit will demand a fee of around €20m (£17m) for his services, which should not prove a stumbling block for the Premier League outfit.

However, with Marcao, his underhand dealings have even frustrated those on the West Ham board too.

Complete the midfield

Although seemingly enduring a troublesome father, there is little denying the unbridled talent that Gerson boasts.

Having had an impressive career thus far for a 25-year-old, the troubles he has faced have shaped him into an impressive and ever-improving midfielder.

The former Flamengo midfielder opened up about this to Football Italia: “I didn’t play much and felt I had to reinvent myself: I started training at home, I paid more attention to every detail: marking, positioning… I accepted I still wasn’t ready.

“There, I learned the things that I now consider most important to develop: intensity without the ball and being involved for 90 minutes, even if you don’t have the ball.

“I only played to score goals or provide assists, but I realised I could influence the game even without the ball and I’m glad: I feel much more complete now.”

He has since gone on to earn four caps for his country, with the maestro boasting far improved statistics as the seasons have gone on.

Having featured in the Champions League this season, it is clear that he boasts a positional intelligence beyond his years.

Able to ghost in between the lines, he ranks in the top 2% for progressive passes received. Then, when he finds himself in these pockets of space, he has the quality to sit in the top 1% for non-penalty goals too.

To pair him with the more defensively-sound and reliable Declan Rice, who averages 4.14 progressive passes per game, Gerson could offer another deceptive attacking threat from the engine room, whilst also providing a different skillset to him and Tomas Soucek.

In an area where they are crying out for more cover, David Moyes could rescue this frustrated star and hand him a lifeline to shine in the Premier League. It could be the final piece in his midfield puzzle.

Arsenal have come a long way under Mikel Arteta, largely thanks to his outstanding man management and cutthroat nature.

On the outside, the Spaniard boasts a beaming smile, a sparkling head of hair and a stylish jumper, but on the inside, there is a ruthless and mean side to his personality.

That very factor has seen the likes of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang banished from north London, while the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis, Hector Bellerin and Alexandre Lacazette all met their end under the former midfielder.

However, there is one player at the club who despite his much-maligned performances and attitude in recent years remains in the capital; that of Granit Xhaka.

If anybody embodies the rise of the club under Arteta then it is the Swiss midfielder, who has gone from being jeered off the pitch by supporters to becoming a fan favourite this season.

Transformed from a deep-lying playmaker to a box-to-box maestro, it has been a remarkable turnaround in his Arsenal career.

He has run 11.43km per game this term, more than any other teammate while his goal and shot-creation numbers have risen considerably. Indeed, Xhaka ranks in the top 15% of Premier League midfielders for shot-creating actions per 90 minutes this season, a metric he ranked in the best 19% for last term.

Furthermore, he ranks in the top 37% of players for dribbles that lead to a shot attempt and in the best 18% for goal-creating actions. Compare that with his stats in 2021/22 and there is a huge amount of difference. Last term saw the 30-year-old rank in the worst 29% of players for the first statistic and then in the worst 45% of players for goal-creating actions.

This is a man on a mission but it also demonstrates why the Gunners need back up for the former Borussia Monchengladbach man in the middle of the park.

Without him or Thomas Partey, Arsenal look a shadow of the team they are with them playing but they could find that much-needed depth in William Carvalho.

Reports from Spain suggest they have the Portuguese midfielder in their sights and he could be a superb option for Edu in the transfer market.

That’s because there are arguable comparisons. Indeed, Xhaka’s most comparable player in FB Ref’s similar players model is former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi.

The Marseille midfielder, who is part of Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad for Qatar is also compared to Carvalho by FB Ref, with the Frenchman being the sixth most similar player.

Guendouzi left the club in controversial circumstances after a falling out with Arteta with it left to be seen who has the final laugh. Both parties have thrived since that exit but in Carvalho, Arsenal could find a similar player with perhaps a better personality and mentality.

Their expected goals are practically identical with the Portugal international hitting 0.17 in comparison to the France international’s 0.16.

Furthermore, they are alike in their pass completion with Carvalho proving successful with 85.7% of his passes to Guendouzi’s 84.4%.

Neither are too offensive, so it’s in their defensive metrics where the true comparisons lie with the former making 1.46 tackles per 90 minutes to the latter’s 1.54. They also make an identical number of clearances – 0.68.

A safe pair of hands in the centre of the park, the aggressive £22m-rated Betis midfielder has been dubbed a “machine” by football writer James Nalton and “extraordinary” by current South Korea boss Paulo Bento.

Just two glowing reviews, it paints the picture of how good he could be with the Gunners no doubt requiring another pair of hands in his region of the pitch if they are to continue their challenge for the Premier League title.

They could just unearth their next Guendouzi as well if a deal can be done this winter.

Glasgow Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has provided an update regarding the fitness of defender Leon King, following Wednesday’s Champions League clash.

What’s the word?

Speaking after last night’s defeat away to Napoli – as per the Glasgow Times – the Dutchman revealed that the teenage centre-back had only been suffering from cramp, after the 18-year-old was forced off in the closing stages against Luciano Spalletti’s side.

The former Feyenoord coach as such suggested that the youngster should well be in line to feature against Aberdeen this weekend, stating:

“No, he got cramp. He’s 18 years old, he’s played almost every game at the highest level. We’re really proud of the way he’s performing at that age. But it’s only cramp, so after a good rest between now and Saturday, I think he will be available.”

Just what Van Bronckhorst needs

News that the young Scotsman has not sustained a serious injury will seemingly be music to the ears of Gers supporters, with Van Bronckhorst unable to afford another injury blow amid the club’s current defensive crisis.

The Old Firm outfit are currently without long-term absentees John Souttar and Filip Helander – with the pair not expected to return until after the upcoming World Cup – while experienced asset Conor Goldson is currently sidelined after limping off in the thumping defeat to Liverpool a few weeks ago.

The 29-year-old’s absence has seen young King take on a more prominent role in the teammate of late, alongside summer signing Ben Davies, with the Glasgow side now praying that that pair can stay healthy over the next few weeks.

The promising academy graduate has already made his mark in his embryonic senior career thus far, having reportedly attracted the attention of the likes of Newcastle United, Manchester United and Leeds United who are all believed to be closely keeping tabs on his progress.

Such a highly-sought talent is one whom Van Bronckhorst and co will likely be keen to keep hold of in the coming years, with the current lack of options set to see the Scotland youth international handed a regular role in the side moving forward.

The hope will be to have the exciting asset available for this weekend’s meeting with the Dons at Ibrox, with the hosts looking to bounce back from their humbling loss in Naples, as well as the frustrating draw to Livingston in their most recent Scottish Premiership outing.

Amid a period of real doom and gloom for the Rangers boss – after seeing his side lose all five of their group stage games thus far and fall to four points behind rivals Celtic in the league table – it will be something of a blessing to have had some positive news regarding King’s injury.

Mark Goldbridge has been reacting to an incident involving Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo during Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Spurs.

The Lowdown: Down the tunnel

Erik ten Hag’s side put in one of their best performances of the season at Old Trafford, with second half goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes sealing an impressive and deserved victory.

However, attention late on was on Ronaldo, who decided to head down the tunnel before the full-time whistle. Ten Hag admitted he’d deal with the situation on Thursday, and Goldbridge has been giving his thoughts.

The Latest: “Unacceptable”

Goldbridge took to Twitter on Wednesday evening, saying he blames the Glazers after failing to grant Ronaldo a summer move despite Ten Hag seemingly giving an exit the green light.

The talkSPORT pundit did describe Ronaldo’s actions as “unacceptable”, but placed the blame at the door of the Glazers.

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The Verdict: Why…

Yes, Ronaldo would have been frustrated after failing to feature, but did he really need to head to the changing rooms before the end of the game?

He would have known that there would have been plenty of talk, so it seems bizarre that he took that decision, especially as his teammates put in a brilliant display against Antonio Conte’s side and there’s no way he can be sold until January regardless.

It will be interesting to see if Ten Hag takes any action against the forward, but a winter transfer window exit looks increasingly likely.

Wolverhampton Wanderers owners Fosun and chairman Jeff Shi will be worried by Bruno Lage’s lack of in-game management, says journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Worrying signs

The Portuguese tactician was significantly backed by the hierarchy in the summer, having spent just over £120m on seven new signings, but has made a worrying start to the new Premier League season.

The Old Gold have only scored three goals and therefore find themselves two points above the relegation zone after securing just one win and three draws.

The boss is likely to come under increased pressure if his side’s poor form continues after the international break.

The Latest: Jones’ word of warning

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones insisted that Lage has to become more adaptable or risk losing his job at Molineux.

“I think Lage has to show that he is more tactically adaptable and can manage in-game to change the course of a game. It’s been pretty worrying how he has failed to change matches by implementing changes and it will not be too long before the owners have a decision to make.”

The Verdict: Time for a change

New attacking arrivals Diego Costa and Sasa Kalajdzic are yet to make any kind of impact in Lage’s starting XI due to lack of match sharpness and injury, which isn’t helpful, but maybe it is time for a change.

The Setubal-born coach has only won 19 of his 50 games in charge in the Midlands, and isn’t looking like he’s capable of gaining Europa League qualification.

If Wanderers want to give themselves the best chance of returning to the international stage, a switch needs to be made now instead of getting to the point where it’ll be too late in the season to challenge.

Leeds United are willing to accept a £35m offer for Jack Harrison amid rumours of interest from Newcastle United, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Brilliant start to the season

The 25-year-old has started the campaign in fine form, with Jesse Marsch’s side sitting in the top four of the Premier League after three games. Harrison has contributed to goals against Wolves, Southampton and Chelsea, scoring once and registering three assists.

He leads the division’s assist charts alongside Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus, but it looks as if Leeds would be willing to sell the player in the final days of the transfer window despite Andrea Radrizzani ruling out an exit earlier this month.

The Latest: Source shares transfer update

Football Insider provided a transfer update regarding Harrison on Tuesday morning, in what represents something of a surprise U-turn from the Elland Road hierarchy.

They claimed that Leeds have already rejected two bids from Newcastle for the 25-year-old, with the Magpies weighing up a third offer. The report says that, contrary to Radrizzani’s recent comments, the Whites would now be willing to accept an offer in the region of £35m in the final days of the transfer window.

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The Verdict: A gamble…

Harrison has been crucial to Leeds’ excellent start to the campaign, stepping up to the plate following Raphinha’s move to Barcelona.

Therefore, selling the player to Newcastle so late in the summer could be a huge gamble by Leeds officials and seems hugely surprising in the wake of the player’s magnificent form.

The winger has recently confirmed that he is happy at Elland Road and continues to go from strength to strength with the Whites, so perhaps Leeds would be better off handing Harrison a new-and-improved contract instead of cashing in on him, with his current deal set to expire in 2024.

Leeds United have reached an agreement over personal terms with FC Zurich forward Wilfried Gnonto, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Gnonto links

The 18-year-old, who Italy coach Roberto Mancini called ‘fast’, is into the final 12 months of his contract with the Swiss champions.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Leeds have been following the forward for a ‘long time’, and it looks as if they have stepped up their interest in the teenager.

Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio recently claimed that the Whites want to finalise a transfer by Thursday, and the Premier League club have taken a big step by sorting terms with the player.

The Latest: Personal terms breakthrough

According to Football Insider in a story shared in the last 24 hours, Leeds ‘are closing in on a deal for the Italian forward after further negotiations’.

They claimed on Sunday morning that an agreement has been reached with Gnonto and his representatives, with Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani’s attention now turning to settling on a transfer fee.

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The Verdict: Matter of time?

Jesse Marsch has described Gnonto as a ‘long-term project’ and wasn’t sure if a transfer would be finalised this summer.

However, it looks as if a late summer move is gathering pace, with the two clubs currently £3m apart in valuation.

Leeds have reportedly offered £4m whereas Zurich want £7m, so you’d like to think that all parties involved will want to strike a deal, with the player seemingly agreeing on personal terms in Yorkshire.

Di Marzio’s previous August 25 date for a transfer to go through could well prove accurate, which could then give the Whites time to go after a more experienced forward in the final days of the transfer window.

West Bromwich Albion didn’t find the drop back down to the Championship as simple as they may have first thought, particularly from an attacking point of view.

Despite racking up the third-highest rate for shots at goal per 90 minutes in the division last season (4.14), the Baggies also had the joint-lowest rating for goals per shot (0.07) alongside Barnsley.

One player that departed the Hawthorns during the previous summer transfer window that would have certainly made the Baggies a deadlier attacking side is Matheus Pereira.

After scoring 20 times and providing 26 assists in 77 appearances for the Midlands club, the Brazilian made a move to Saudi Arabia to link up with Al-Hilal SFC.

Having bagged eight goals and provided 20 assists in 42 appearances for West Brom in the Championship throughout the 2019/20 season, this shows just how useful he would have been had he stayed in the Midlands.

With that in the past and Pereira now elsewhere, the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window could give Steve Bruce’s side the chance to bring in what could be their new version of the departed Brazilian.

Back in late July, it was claimed by Sky Sports that the Hawthorns outfit were interested in securing a loan deal for Manchester United attacking-midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.

With 56 combined appearances for United’s U18 and U23 squads, the Tunisian has scored seven times and supplied 19 assists along the way, which just goes to show the clear attacking prowess he has.

It also mirrors Pereira’s ability to not only find the net himself but set up goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.

In fact, with 32 appearances to his name for his new club, the former Baggies star chipped in with three goals and 14 assists throughout last season.

As for Mejbri, the fact that the 19-year-old was lauded for a “world-class” pass he made during a youth game by former United trainee Paul McShane also shows the technical ability he has and how useful he can be in an attacking sense.

This could make him a very useful addition to Bruce’s ranks given their struggles in front of goal last season.

With the Baggies boss saying that any recruits between now and the end of the window are likely to be loan deals, securing one for Mejbri could be a smart move for the club, thus handing them their next version of Pereira and a potential boost to their chances of getting promoted in the process.

Nottingham Forest have ‘made contact’ with Sweden striker Jordan Larsson over a potential summer move to the City Ground, according to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Forest interest emerges

Steve Cooper is still planning for life in the Premier League, with a busy summer transfer window already seeing exciting signings like Taiwo Awoniyi and Neco Williams coming in, among others.

Another player who has been linked with a move to Forest is Larsson, with Joseph himself confirming their interest in the free agent last week.

The 25-year-old spent last season on loan at AIK and left Spartak Moscow for good when his contract ran out last month.

The Latest: Joseph drops new claim

Writing on Twitter, Joseph provided a new update on the situation, again claiming there is huge interest in Larsson but stressing that Forest have enquired over a move:

“UPDATE: It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Celtic will offer a contract to forward Jordan Larsson. His reps made contact with the Hoops – as well as a number of clubs, including Nottingham Forest. Larsson weighing up options with interest from England, Germany & Italy.”

The Verdict: Tough to get him

Given the level of interest in Larsson and the pedigree he has – he has seven caps to his name for Sweden – it could be hard for Forest to entice him to the club this summer.

For all their brilliance under Cooper, they will still likely be viewed as Premier League relegation candidates next season and the forward may feel he belongs at a higher-ranked club.

That being said, if Forest did manage to get a deal over the line, it would again be a positive piece of business that strengthens their attacking options greatly ahead of an exciting campaign.

Aston Villa’s reported hopes of signing Manchester City defender Nathan Ake look to be over, as the Dutch defender closes in on a move to Chelsea.

What’s the word?

Villa were heavily linked with the former AFC Bournemouth centre-back earlier in the window, with reports suggesting that he was keen on a move away from the Etihad due to a lack of regular starts under Pep Guardiola.

However, it now seems as if Thomas Tuchel’s side have won the race to sign the Netherlands international, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The football journalist wrote on Twitter that: “Chelsea have full agreement with Nathan Aké on personal terms. Man City are aware of the situation on the player side, but still waiting to receive the official bid.

“City want around £40/45m for Aké and plan is to replace him with a new centre-back in case he leaves.”

With Chelsea’s new billionaire owner Todd Boehly in place, that fee should represent no problem for the Blues, and a transfer will likely be completed ahead of the new season.

Supporters will be gutted

Although Steven Gerrard has already signed Diego Carlos for his backline this summer, to add to a number of centre-back options at Villa Park, Ake could have been a superb option in the heart of his defence.

Tyrone Mings showed his vulnerabilities on a number of occasions last season and considering Ake’s impressive performances for City, on the rare occasions he started ahead of Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and John Stones, the Dutchman would arguably have been an upgrade on the Englishman.

Ake averaged a strong 6.92 rating from WhoScored across his 14 Premier League appearances last season, which was better than any of Villa’s centre-back options would manage, so he definitely could have added some quality to Gerrard’s side.

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The 27-year-old was dubbed “fantastic” by international teammate Virgil van Dijk, who will surely go down as one of the best defenders in Premier League history, so Villa supporters will surely be gutted that they are set to miss out on Ake this summer.

AND in other news: Bye-bye Luiz: Lange must now seal Aston Villa swoop for “elite” £25.2m-rated machine