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Arsenal are a club on the rise, and while they might not necessarily win the Premier League this season, they are very much in the title race.

There are several factors behind the Gunners' resurgence over the last few years, but one of the most important has been their effectiveness in the transfer market.

While the jury is certainly still out on Kai Havertz, the majority of Mikel Arteta's recent signings have come good, including Declan Rice, the club's most expensive transfer ever.

However, it wasn't always this good for the north Londoners, as they have endured some dreadful transfer failures in the past and while former winger Gervinho might spring to mind for many of you, there is one player who is undoubtedly the club's worst signing ever.

Gervinho's time at Arsenal

The Gunners announced the £11m signing of Ivorian international Gervinho in July 2011, and at the time, as with most signings, there was some genuine excitement among the fans.

After all, here was a tricky forward who had just played an instrumental role in helping LOSC Lille win the league and cup double in France by scoring 18 goals and providing 11 assists in 50 appearances.

However, for whatever reason, his form fell off a cliff in England, and in his first season with Arsenal, he scored four goals and provided seven assists in 37 appearances, and in his second season he managed seven goals and five assists in 26 appearances.

Unsurprisingly, the misfiring forward wasn't given a third season to try and turn things around, as he was sold to AS Roma for £8m in August 2013, with Arsène Wenger later explaining, "I made that decision [to sell Gervinho] because he looked to play with a lack of confidence, especially at the Emirates."

Now, for as poor as Gervinho was during his time in the red and white of Arsenal, there was another uber-talented Ivorian winger who would join the club for a lot more money and end up being much more of a disappointment, Nicolas Pepe.

Arsenal's record-breaker

Arsenal signed the then highly-rated Pepe from Ligue 1 side Lille for a club record fee of £72m, and while there were some raised eyebrows at the time, there was an equal amount of excitement due to his performance in France the season prior, with talent scout Jacek Kulig claiming he "destroyed Ligue 1."

In his 38 league appearances for Les Dogues, the Ivorian international scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.15 games, and some of his highlights were genuinely spectacular to watch.

However, unfortunately for the Arsenal faithful, they never really got to see any of those highlights in real life.

As he failed to adjust to life in the Premier League, his price tag – and wages – soon became the only topic of conversation related to him.

In his first two seasons at the club, he was on a weekly wage of £100k, before then getting £140k-per-week in his third season.

Three weeks into his fourth season as an Arsenal player, he went on loan to Nice, where he took a 25% pay cut, the Gunners paid 25% – £35k a week – and the French side paid the other 50%.

Once he returned to north London, he was back on his full £140k-a-week wage for the six weeks before his contract was terminated, and he finally joined Turkish side Trabzonspor for free.

In total, his wage packet for the four years he was an Arsenal player ultimately came to around £21m, which, combined with his £72m transfer fee, means he cost the Gunners a grand total of £93m for a return of just 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 appearances.

Essentially, the club paid £3.4m per goal or £1.9m per goal involvement – talk about value for money.

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Ultimately, while there were the odd glimpses of brilliance here and there, the fact that he cost the club such an astronomical amount of money and did very little to leave a lasting impression, he has to be considered the worst transfer in Arsenal history.

MatériaMais Notícias

da prosport bet： O Juventude está na semifinal do Gaúcho. Após bater o Brasil de Pelotas por 2 a 1, o Jaconero contou com o tropeço do Ypiranga-RS para avançar.

+ Chelsea pensa em opções para o ataque, Sancho atrai o interesse de gigante inglês… O Dia do Mercado

Quem comemorou e muito a classificação foi o zagueiro Cleberson, que marcou um dos gols em cima do Xavante.

‘Primeiro objetivo foi conquistado, a classificação. Feliz pelo primeiro gol. Crescemos no campeonato e merecemos a classificação. Foi um jogo difícil, teve alguns erros. Mas tínhamos a cabeça no lugar. Sabíamos que dos resultados, um iria vacilar’, afirmou ao Premiere.

Agora, na próxima fase do estadual, o Juventude de Cleberson mede forças contra o Internacional. O primeiro jogo é na Montanha dos Vinhedos e a volta será no Beira-Rio.

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Well, that was probably a bit tougher than it should've been.

Nevertheless, Chelsea beat bitter rivals Leeds United in the FA Cup last night, are through to the quarter-finals and have bounced back from their disappointing trip to Wembley.

Mauricio Pochettino's side were undoubtedly up against it at points during the 90 minutes, but the result feels like a fair reflection of the match.

While several players in Blue putting in lacklustre performances, a certain few can be pleased with their showing, including match-winner Conor Gallagher.

Conor Gallagher's performance in numbers

The Blues' hardworking all-action midfielder was named on the bench going into last night's clash, and following his multiple missed chances against Liverpool on Sunday, it was a position some players might've welcomed.

However, with the game locked at 2-2 and Leeds looking dangerous, Pochettino turned to the Englishman and brought him on in place of the underwhelming Noni Madueke in the 61st minute.

The 24-year-old didn't have the luxury of time to bed into the game, but while he misplaced a few passes and through balls early on, it took little time for him to get up to speed with the action.

It was 29 minutes into his cameo, in the 90th minute of the game, that he made the single most important contribution – he scored the winner.

This impact led to the Standard's Dan Kilpatrick awarding the Epsom-born dynamo an 8/10 on the night and claiming that he spared 'Chelsea another 30 minutes of extra-time and potentially their blushes.'

While his strike was undeniably his most tangible impact on the game, Gallagher also came off the pitch with some impressive personal statistics.

Minutes

29'

Goal

1

Shots on Target

1

Touches

17

Accurate Passes

13/14 (93%)

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (1)

Dribbles (Successful)

1 (1)

Fouls

1

Lost Possession

1

For example, he maintained a passing accuracy of 93%, succeeded in his one dribble, committed a single foul and lost possession just once.

Ultimately, the Blue's "heart", as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, won the game for his side, but there was another midfield ace who was arguably just as, if not more impressive last night.

Enzo Fernández's performance in numbers

Yes, Argentinian World Cup winner Enzo Fernández was arguably the best Chelsea player on the pitch against Leeds.

The 23-year-old started the game in the middle of the park alongside Moises Caicedo and played the full 94 minutes, contributing in the attacking and defensive phases of play.

It was his driving run and brilliantly placed pass that allowed Gallagher to score the winner in the first place, and while the Standard's Kilpatrick was impressed with his performance, crediting him for being 'tidy in possession', his rating of just 7/10 feels harsh given his influence on proceedings.

That said, he also criticised Fernández for getting 'carelessly booked', meaning he'll miss the quarter-final, which is a fair complaint.

However, the young "phenomenon", as Kulig dubbed him, put up some seriously impressive individual numbers on the night, numbers that make the case for him being the man of the match.

For example, in his 94 minutes, he took 67 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 94%, played two key passes, was successful in four of his five long balls, had one shot on target, won nine of his 14 duels, lost possession just six times, made two clearances, two interceptions, and five tackles.

Ultimately, Gallagher deserves a lot of credit for his match-winning contribution.

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ByEmilio Galantini Feb 28, 2024

However, he might not have even been in the position to win the game were it not for Fernández's tireless efforts throughout the 90.

The Professional Footballers' Association is reportedly in talks with Chelsea over how they are treating exiled duo Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi. Both the Blues winger and defender tried to secure deadline day exits but in the end they stayed put in the club's 'Bomb Squad'. Now, it is understood the PFA have intervened over how they are being looked after.

PFA concerned about Chelsea duo

According to BBC Sport, the PFA have contacted Chelsea as they want to ensure that Sterling and Disasi have the 'platform to train to an optimum level' despite not being involved with the first team. The union has sought to ensure clubs are aware of FIFA's strict regulations over players who are isolated from squads in circumstances that could fall under 'abusive conduct' by the club. If so, this may entitle an individual to terminate his contract, citing 'just cause'.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALUncertain future for Sterling and Disasi

Sterling's contract, which earns him £325,000 per week, runs until 2027, while Disasi's terms expire in 2029. The former nearly joined Fulham on loan, and the latter turned down a switch to West Ham earlier this month. Both are unlikely to have a future at Chelsea, with the pair unlikely to play first-team football for months.

Sterling and Disasi had summer offers

The report adds that Chelsea, who are closely working with the PFA, presented former Manchester City star Sterling with potential moves to Bayern Munich and Napoli over the summer. Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray were also interested, and Disasi decided against joining West Ham and Bournemouth.

Getty ImagesWhat next for the Chelsea outcasts?

Both Sterling and Disasi are said to have been assigned specific training times and a designated Chelsea coach to work with at the club's training ground. Meanwhile, the first team travel to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has urged the fans to stop "throwing stones" at goalkeeper Yann Sommer after his disastrous performance did little to prevent his side from losing to Juventus over the weekend. Chivu remains confident in the Swiss international's experience and abilities, adding that Sommer will retain his place in the starting lineup against Ajax in the Champions League opener.

Inter experience heartbreaking Derby d'Italia defeat

Inter's below-par start to life under new head coach Chivu continued over the weekend, as last season's Serie A runners-up succumbed to a 4-3 defeat at the Allianz Stadium against Juventus. Igor Tudor's men were trailing 3-2 as the clock went past the 80th-minute mark. However, a Khephren Thuram strike in the 82nd minute and a stoppage time winner from youngster Vasilije Adzic helped Juve stage a sensational come-from-behind victory in the Derby d'Italia.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Nerazzurri struggling in Serie A

The loss against Juventus further compounded Inter's misery. The Nerazzurri are currently languishing in 11th position on the Serie A table, despite scoring nine goals in their opening three league games. After beginning the season with an emphatic 5-0 win over Torino, they slumped to a shock 2-1 loss to Udinese at the San Siro. The defence has been far too penetrative as they have shipped six goals, with Sommer especially becoming the target of the fans' fury following his disastrous display in the defeat to Juve. 

Sommer receives backing from head coach

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Ajax clash in the Champions League, Chivu said: "It’s not fair to put him out in the open and throw stones at him from all sides. He’s important to us, he showed that last year, and from a human perspective, I don’t feel comfortable doing something like that. I respect [Josep] Martinez, and sooner or later he will get his chance, but I won’t change Sommer just because the fans ask for it. I don’t want to go against the grain. A player with his experience needs support. It’s only right that he stays in goal."

AFPAjax clash the perfect springboard for a turnaround in fortunes

Inter commence their Champions League campaign against Ajax on Wednesday. A win could go a long way in lifting the spirits of an Inter side seemingly struggling to avoid defeats. However, defender Denzel Dumfries remains confident of his team's chances. "We've often talked about it among ourselves," the Dutchman said. "We played a good game against Juve, but then things went the way they did. It's true, we've recognized this moment and we have a lot to learn. When you play in the Champions League, you play to win. We have a strong team."

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher fears the club's failure to sign Marc Guehi could come back to haunt them in the Premier League title race.

Liverpool missed out on Guehi signingCrystal Palace pulled plug late onCarragher fears it could cost LiverpoolFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Guehi, 25, was on the brink of joining the Reds on transfer deadline day after they agreed a £35 million fee (€40.5m/$47m) with Crystal Palace for the defender. However despite undergoing a medical with Liverpool, Palace pulled the plug at the last moment following reports that manager Oliver Glasner threatened to quit should the transfer go through without his side securing a replacement.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

And while Carragher believes Liverpool remain firm favourites for the Premier League despite missing out on Guehi, he says the club will now be sweating on the fitness of defensive duo Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk in their pursuit of a second successive title in 2025-26.

WHAT CARRAGHER SAID

Speaking to The Overlap Podcast, Carragher – who made 737 appearances for Liverpool – said: "Might they [Liverpool] regret that [missing out on Guehi]? Listen, they are three games in, nine points from nine and probably not played that well, so we would probably all say they are big favourites, Liverpool. But that is the one area [defence] where that could come back and blow up in their face because they haven't really got that [cover]. What Guehi was getting was giving Liverpool competition at centre-back. They haven't really got that. They've got two starters and two understudies.

"Joe Gomez, injury-prone himself, and the young lad from Italy [Giovanni Leoni], he is going to be a great prospect, but if you think if one of them had to play for a couple of months, it is a big difference."

DID YOU KNOW?

Guehi showed no signs of lingering frustration over his scuppered Liverpool move after starring in England's victories over Andorra and Serbia during the international break. The former Chelsea centre-back started both games and scored his first Three Lions goal in the thumping 5-0 win over Serbia on Tuesday.

Marseille are set to sign Matt O'Riley from Brighton as a potential replacement for Adrien Rabiot.

O'Riley to join MarseilleClubs have agreed for a loan dealMidfielder had been linked to JuventusFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

To fill the void left by Rabiot, who is set to join AC Milan in Serie A after being banished from the French club, Marseille have decided to bring O'Riley from Brighton. According to , the clubs have reached an agreement for a loan deal, but there will be no purchase option in his contract.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

O'Riley, who was born in England, plays for Denmark and has four caps to his name. He signed for Brighton last summer from Scottish giants Celtic and made 21 appearances in the Premier League, registering two goals and two assists. Marseille were in the market for a new midfielder after deciding to sell Rabiot following his altercation with Jonathan Rowe.

O'Riley had been linked with a move away from Brighton all summer, with Juventus eager to sign him at one point.

TELL ME MORE

Marseille have announced the arrival of midfielder Arthur Vermeeren from RB Leipzig, who also joins on loan. West Ham left-back Emerson Palmieri is also in the city as his announcement is expected on Monday. 

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MARSEILLE?

After suffering a loss at the hands of Lyon yesterday, Marseille will return to action on September 14 when they face Lorient at home.

Liverpool are plotting a summer move for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, and he could make the perfect partner for Fabinho.

What’s the story?

According to journalist Dean Jones (via GIVEMESPORT) Liverpool are ‘going to be interested’ in Rice when the transfer window opens this summer.

He said: “Of course, they’re going to be interested in Declan Rice because if Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have had that player on their radar, then you kind of at least have got to consider whether you’re going to need him.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

They are among a number of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the Englishman to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

The report says that Rice has recently turned down a contract offer at the London Stadium and would be open to a move. However, his contract doesn’t expire for another two years, and the Hammers are said to have the option to extend that by a further year, so he would fetch a high price. The Daily Mail have reported that the club would be asking for a British record £150m fee for him.

Imagine him and Fabinho

Although Liverpool supporters shouldn’t get too excited as they will face stiff competition for his signature, he would be the perfect signing for them and would partner Fabinho extremely well.

Earlier this month it was reported by Football Insider that Jurgen Klopp has his sights set on signing a ‘world-class’ midfielder, and that Rice was on the list of options. With Jones now confirming this, he may be the Reds’ priority, especially when you consider that he’s been described as “world-class” already by reporter Toby Cudworth and many others.

He has been key for West Ham in the league this season appearing 32 times with one goal and four assists from defensive midfield. He also often captains the side when Mark Noble isn’t playing, so has great leadership qualities as well.

The England international ranks in the top 3% amongst Premier League midfielders this season when it comes to his pass completion percentage and the top 2% for interceptions.

Liverpool already have two incredible midfielders in Thiago and Fabinho, if they added a third the team would be complete with a stellar player in every position.

Klopp is famous for the constant pressure he likes his teams to put on their opponent, and Rice would fit perfectly into that. His percentage when it comes to successful pressing this season is 33% which is almost identical to Fabinho’s 32%.

The fact he came through the youth setup at Chelsea may well have an impact on which club he ends up moving to, but the chance to win with Liverpool and play under Klopp must be an attractive option.

IN other news: Sky Sports: Liverpool will need mega £55m to sign “unstoppable” gem, he’s Salah 2.0…

MatériaMais Notícias

da esoccer bet： Após a demissão do técnico Fernando Diniz, a diretoria do São Paulo vem sondando o mercado em busca de um novo treinador.

Torcedores do São Paulo querem André Villas-Boas: Listamos 25 técnicos promissores sem clube

No início dessa semana, a cúpula do Tricolor se reuniu virtualmente com o técnico argentino Guilhermo Barros Schelotto, sem clube desde outubro, quando foi dispensado do LA Galaxy, dos Estados Unidos. Após a conversa, o nome ganhou força para assumir o comando do clube nesta temporada.

SIMULE OS PRÓXIMOS JOGOS DO SÃO PAULO NO BRASILEIRÃO

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da cassino online： A direção são paulina tem priorizado nomes estrangeiros após a saída de Fernando Diniz do comando da equipe, na última segunda-feira (1). Além de Schelotto, o espanhol Miguel Ángel Ramirez, que tem pré-acordo firmado com o Internacional, e o português André Villas Boas, que nesta terça-feira (2), pediu demissão do Olympique de Marselie, da França, também são ventilados, mas o custo-benefício do argentino em relação aos outro profissionais, agradou o estafe são paulino.

A reportagem do LANCE!, pessoas próximas a Schelotto confirmaram a reunião, que teve participação do presidente do São Paulo, Julio Casares e Carlos Belmonte, homem forte do futebol Tricolor.

Schelotto, de 47 anos, ganhou destaque ao levar o Boca Juniors (ARG) ao vice-campeonato da Libertadores em 2018. Antes, foi contratado pelo Palermo (ITA), mas por não ter uma licença da UEFA acabou saindo da equipe. Seu último trabalho foi no Los Angeles Galaxy (EUA), onde foi demitido em outubro.

Vale ressaltar que ele chegou a ser sondado pelo Palmeiras para substituir Vanderlei Luxemburgo no ano passado, mas a diretoria alviverde contratou o português Abel Ferreira.

Raheem Sterling has been included in Chelsea's 'bomb squad' that consists of nine out-of-favour stars whom the Blues are looking forward to selling this summer. Sterling left for Arsenal on loan last summer but has now returned to Stamford Bridge after a disappointing spell at Emirates Stadium. The English winger has been linked to multiple clubs ahead of an expected exit.

Sterling excluded from Chelsea first-teamNapoli and Fulham want English wingerChilwell joined Sterling in 'bomb squad'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea have put up a 31-member first-team squad on their official website for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign. The list includes all the new signings the club made this summer, including Jorrel Hato, whose transfer from Ajax was confirmed on Sunday.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The players who failed to make it to the Blues' squad list were Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Alfie Gilchrist, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana. Sterling has been linked with a move away from the West London side this summer amid offers from clubs like Napoli, Fulham and Bayer Leverkusen.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite being deemed surplus to Enzo Maresca's needs for the upcoming season, star attacker Christopher Nkunku has been included in the first-team roster, however, the Frenchman could still move out of the club.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The Club World Cup winners are scheduled to play pre-season friendly matches against Leverkusen and AC Milan at home before they kick off the new season against Crystal Palace on August 17.