Umberto Louzer quer um time organizado para encarar o Coritiba

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No próximo domingo, o Juventude encara o Coritiba no Couto Pereira e o técnico Umberto Louzer faz os últimos ajustes na equipe.

– VEJA A TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

Para o jogo na casa do adversário, o técnico prega o espírito de ‘coragem’ dentro do elenco, que está na zona de rebaixamento do Brasileirão.

‘A expectativa é que a gente possa atuar de maneira muito bem organizada nessas duas fases do jogo, mas sem perder esse ímpeto de jogo e poder ofensivo. Que a gente tenha coragem para quando tivermos a bola fazermos as nossas conexões acontecerem e assim consigamos nos aproximar do nosso objetivo, que é vencer. Duas palavras serão fundamentais: coragem e organização’, declarou em coletiva.

Com 11 pontos conquistados, o Juventude aparece na penúltima colocação do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Spurs now stepping up interest in "world-class" £42m goalscoring defender

Tottenham Hotspur are now stepping up their interest in signing a “world-class” defender, but there will be competition for his signature from some of Europe’s top clubs, according to a report.

Tottenham plotting moves for defenders

Tottenham are keen on strengthening their defence this summer, having been left a little light on options at times this season due to injuries, and they have now opened talks over a deal for Flamengo right-back Wesley Franca.

Spurs signed Kevin Danso in the January transfer window, with the 26-year-old being brought in to provide competition for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, but Ange Postecoglou has now been handed a chance to bring in additional depth.

An opportunity has arisen to sign AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, with the 19-year-old’s agents reaching out for talks as they look to gauge whether any top club is willing to trigger his £50m release clause in the summer.

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It remains to be seen whether Huijsen becomes a concrete target, but one centre-back Tottenham certainly hold an interest in is Feyenoord’s David Hancko, according to a report from TEAMtalk.

Spurs are said to have stepped up their interest in Hancko over the past few weeks, having identified him as a potential summer target, but there is set to be stiff competition for his signature, with a number of top clubs keen.

Feyenoord'sDavidHanckocelebrates scoring their third goal

Chelsea, Atlético Madrid and Juventus are also named as potential suitors for the defender, with all three clubs making contact to discuss the possibility of a move.

Feyenoord would consider letting the centre-back leave this summer, should any interested party be willing to fork out at least £42m.

Opponent

Date

Fulham (a)

March 16th

Chelsea (a)

April 3rd

Southampton (h)

April 6th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

April 12th

Nottingham Forest (h)

April 21st

"World-class" Hancko could push for a starting spot

Injuries have been a real problem for Postecoglou this season, but when everyone is fully fit, the manager is blessed with some very solid defensive options in the form of Van de Ven and Romero.

However, there are indications Hancko could be capable of pushing for a starting spot given the level of his performances for Feyenoord, having been lauded as a “world-class defender” by journalist Diederik de Groot.

Not only is the Feyenoord star solid at the back, but he also poses a threat going forward, as outlined by freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who has praised him for his “impressive” finishing ability.

The Slovak has scored four goals for Feyenoord in all competitions this season, including one against Manchester City in the Champions League, showcasing his attacking threat.

As such, Hancko could be an excellent signing for Tottenham this summer, but they are running the risk of missing out on his signature, with all three of the other potential suitors already making contact to discuss a deal.

Ipswich must now sell £35k-p/w flop who McKenna said had a ‘high ceiling’

Two huge crunch contests await Ipswich Town in the Premier League to close out an up-and-down February, with Kieran McKenna hopeful for a pair of big positive results in front of the Portman Road masses.

That is the case despite Ipswich’s only game this month in Suffolk seeing the Tractor Boys slip up to bottom-of-the-table Southampton, as Ivan Juric’s Saints collected only their second win of a sorry campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are the two heavyweights travelling to Portman Road in quick succession – with both sides capable of a slip-up of their own – as Alex Palmer now prepares to be the new heroic goalkeeper in between the sticks to spearhead a change in fortunes.

Alex Palmer's debut for Ipswich

Another reason why McKenna will be feeling optimistic about his team’s chances in these key clashes to come is Palmer’s standout debut, with the ex-West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper keeping his lowly team in the contest last time out.

It’s fair to say the new £2m buy was under the cosh for most of his first taste of Premier League action, considering Ipswich were reduced to ten men for all of the second 45 minutes, leading to wave upon wave of Villa attacks nearly breaching the visitors.

The confident 28-year-old would end up finishing the chaotic contest with six saves next to his name, which included thwarting this deflected effort right at the death after a mazey Marcus Rashford run had left various Ipswich shirts in the dust.

Having garnered a reputation at West Brom for being a dependable shot-stopper – with 11 clean sheets tallied up in Championship action this season before his big break to Suffolk – McKenna will pray more Villa-style performances are up his sleeve moving forward.

Having Palmer to rely on means it will be easier to shift this Tractor Boys flop very soon, with the flappy alternative to the 28-year-old costing his side dear in many contests before the fresh ‘keeper’s arrival.

McKenna must now sell £35k-p/w Ipswich star

Whilst Palmer only cost a modest £2m to obtain from Tony Mowbray’s side, this dud cost McKenna and Co an extortionate £15m to get in through the door last summer.

It’s safe to say that rash splurge hasn’t worked out for the relegation-threatened outfit whatsoever, as Arijanet Muric has been demoted to the substitutes bench ever since Palmer’s entry into the building.

First Impressions

Arguably, with hindsight on Ipswich’s side, this was always going to be a risky buy, considering the Kosovan ‘keeper already had a relegation to the Championship on his CV with past employers Burnley.

Muric would only feature ten times in the league across the Clarets’ dismal 2023/24 campaign, but from those rare appearances, the ex-Manchester City youth product would pick up zero clean sheets, with these Premier League woes then following him to Suffolk.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Palmer

Muric

Games played

30

18

Total goals conceded

27

33

Goals conceded*

0.9

1.8

Saves made

78

69

Goals prevented

-0.03

-1.09

Total clean sheets

11

1

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, albeit Muric has been chucked into the deep end of a relegation battle compared to Palmer starring in the division below, it’s obvious why Ipswich will feel they’ve struck gold with the cheap signature of their new 6 foot 3 face, with 11 clean sheets picked up in the second tier among other glowing numbers.

He too has shown he can handle the pressures of the Premier League if his debut is anything to go by, with Muric – who was once lauded as having a “really high” ceiling by his manager – now unfortunately fading into the background, having conceded five more strikes this season in league action compared to his counterpart from 12 fewer clashes.

Not all hope will be lost on Muric’s end, having won himself this move after a bumpy Burnley stay, but it looks likely that the £35k-per-week flop – who has made the joint-most errors leading to a goal in the top-flight this term (five) – will need to be sold on again when the summer window comes around.

Left for £0: Ipswich man who was let go by McKenna is now outscoring Delap

This former Ipswich Town player is now amazingly outscoring an on-fire Liam Delap.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 19, 2025

Magala and Bavuma help South Africa cruise to victory

Shamsi’s three-for helped restrict Netherlands to 189 which the hosts chased with ease

Firdose Moonda31-Mar-2023South Africa 190 for 2 (Bavuma 90*, Markram 51*, Dutt 1-30) beat Netherlands 189 (Nidamanuru 48, Vikramjit 45, Shamsi 3-25, Magala 3-37) by eight wickets South Africa gained ten crucial points on the World Cup Super League table by cruising to victory over Netherlands. The win puts South Africa on the same number of points as eighth-placed West Indies, who have played all their matches, bringing the hosts within reach of automatic qualification for this year’s fifty-over World Cup.To secure their spots without going through the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June, South Africa need to beat Netherlands again on Sunday and hope that Ireland lose at least once to Bangladesh in May. On the evidence of this match, the first of those is possible.The Adelaide anomaly – when the Dutch defeated South Africa and cost them a place in the semi-final – appeared long-banished as the hosts bowled an inexperienced Netherlands line-up out for under 200 and chased it down in 30 overs. Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram scored half-centuries and shared an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 102 to take South Africa to an easy win after Sisanda Magala and Tabraiz Shamsi claimed three wickets apiece in conditions that offered both swing and turn.South Africa lost Quinton de Kock early in the chase, when he top-edged a sweep off Aryan Dutt and was caught at backward square leg. It wasn’t long before Netherlands suffered the bigger blow. Dutt bowled one more over and then had to leave the field after colliding with Musa Ahmed in the deep with what looked like a knee injury. Dutt did not return to the field and was seen on the sidelines gingerly testing out his ability to put weight on his right leg.Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen put South Africa on track with a second-wicket stand of 70. Van der Dussen was aggressive from the get go and drove the fourth ball he faced through the covers for four. He was equally confident on the back foot and his next two boundaries came as he hung back in his crease before he struck three successive fours off Shariz Ahmad, all with the pull shot. Van der Dussen outscored Bavuma and was racing towards the finish when he was undone by Fred Klaasen bouncer that he top-edged to Musa at midwicket.Markram took over from van der Dussen and was alongside Bavuma, who brought up fifty with a loft over mid-off with rain in the air. Although South Africa were well ahead of the DLS requirements, both batters pushed on. Bavuma scored 40 runs off the next 24 he faced and flirted with getting to a third ODI century. Instead, it was Markram who got to a sixth ODI fifty, off 37 balls. Bavuma hit the winning runs off the last ball of the 30th over, to seal an important win.Tabraiz Shamsi took three wickets•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesThe home batters would have been comfortable with the task they were set after their attack kept Netherlands largely quiet even as they notched up their second-highest ODI score against South Africa. Apart from forties from Vikramjit Singh and Teja Nidamanuru, no other Dutch batter made more than 18 and they unravelled after a good start.Max O’Dowd and Vikramjit posted a 58-run opening stand dominated by Vikramjit. He took on all the bowlers he faced and his coup de grace was hitting Kagiso Rabada for two sixes in his fourth over. O’Dowd was less proactive, especially against a searing opening spell by Marco Jansen, and walked when he tried to steer Magala to deep third but edged to de Kock instead. Vikramjit launched one more six before he mistimed a chip over mid-off to Bavuma and was dismissed five short of a half-century. Netherlands lost their third wicket three overs later, when Wesley Barresi picked out Rabada on the fine leg boundary as he tried to flick Anrich Nortje over.At 81 for 3 in the 18th over, it was up to captain Scott Edwards and Musa to steady things but Edwards was sucked into a drive off Nortje and edged to Jansen at slip. Musa nicked Tabraiz Shamsi off and Netherlands were 105 for 5 after 26 overs.Nidamanuru took the fight to South Africa when he whipped a Jansen half-volley over backward square leg for six and then shuffled across to hit him over square leg. He shared a 30-run stand with Dutt which threatened but Dutt sent a Shamsi wrong’un to Rabada at deep midwicket. Nidamanuru fell for 48 when he feathered an edge off Magala and South Africa were into the Dutch tail. They lost their last six wickets for 84 runs and would have known their total was unlikely to be enough.

Khawaja waits on 195 as rain washes out day three at the SCG

Usman Khawaja remains stuck on 195 not out, leaving Pat Cummins with a potentially tricky declaration call

Tristan Lavalette06-Jan-2023

The SCG was a picture of gloom on day three•AFP/Getty Images

Rain might have thwarted Usman Khawaja’s bid for a maiden Test double-century, while Australia’s push for a series sweep over South Africa has been made harder after day three was washed out at the SCG.Khawaja remains stuck on his highest Test score of 195, while Matt Renshaw is 5 not out in his first Test match since 2018 having tested positive for Covid-19 before play on day one.Heavy downpours lashed Sydney and negated any chance of play to continue a run of rain-affected matches at the traditional SCG New Year’s Test. Forty-nine overs were lost to rain and bad light on the opening two days.There are 196 overs remaining in the Test and Sydney’s forecast is better for Saturday with only a small amount of rain tipped before sunny conditions on Sunday.Captain Pat Cummins will need to ponder overnight whether to declare before Khawaja has a chance to reach his double ton. Australia are keen on moving the match forward in their bid for a clean sweep of the series and to book a spot in the World Test Championship final in June.”Think it would be pretty harsh to bowl straightaway, don’t think that will happen,” Khawaja said. “Will be interesting to see how the game pans out from here, there’s a few options but with only two days remaining it narrows those options for us. Time is enemy at this stage. You’ve got to decide how you will use that time. A result is very unlikely, let’s be honest, but it’s still possible so try to do best you can.”South Africa’s batting coach, Justin Sammons, was unsure what they would do. “Think if Khawaja wasn’t on 190-odd then I’d say they’d declare straightaway but it depends on how they see that situation,” he said. “I’d imagine they’ll let him go out there and try to get that double and then declare. But they could say team first, in there straightaway.”Australia’s formidable innings was built on a 209-run second-wicket partnership between Khawaja and Steven Smith. It was their 10th century partnership from just 33 innings and highest stand overtaking their 188 against England at the SCG in 2018.Having moved past Sir Don Bradman on the career Test century list with his 30th ton, Smith fell for 104 while Marnus Labschagne and Travis Head contributed half-centuries.A beleaguered South Africa have been out of answers as the spotlight shines on under-pressure captain Dean Elgar, who has seemingly been reactionary and conservative with his tactics.Other than quick Anrich Nortje, who took the only two wickets to fall on day one, South Africa’s attack has failed to penetrate with spearhead Kagiso Rabada particularly struggling. He has 1 for 119 from 28 overs to continue his underwhelming series.South Africa need an unlikely victory to keep alive their slim chances of making the World Test Championship final although rain might help them avoid a series whitewash.Sydney’s forecast is better for Saturday with only a small amount of rain tipped before sunny conditions on Sunday.The third day of the SCG Test is dedicated to Australia great Glenn McGrath’s late wife, Jane, who died of breast cancer in 2008. But the traditional pre-match ceremony, which includes pink cap presentations to both teams, was moved to day four because of the weather.

رسميًا | ريال مدريد يحسم أكبر صفقة انتقال في تاريخ كرة القدم الأرجنتينية

أعلن نادي ريال مدريد تعاقده رسميًا مع لاعب خط الوسط في نادي ريفر بليت ضمن خطة النادي لتعزيز الفريق لبطولة كأس العالم للأندية والموسم المقبل.

ويستعد ريال مدريد لخوض منافسات كأس العالم للأندية 2025 خلال الأيام المقبلة، إذ يتواجد رفقة الهلال السعودي وباتشوكا المكسيكي وسالزبورج النمساوي.

وأعلن نادي ريال مدريد في بيانه أن الدولي الأرجنتيني فرانكو ماستانتونو، المنتقل من صفوف نادي ريفر بليت سينضم إلى الفريق لمدة 6 مواسم مقبلة، بدءً من أغسطس 2025 إلى يونيو 2031.

الصفقة كلفت خزينة النادي الإسباني حوالي 63.2 مليون يورو مما يجعلها أكبر صفقة انتقال في تاريخ كرة القدم الأرجنتينية، وسيحصل ريفر بليت على 45 مليون يورو صافي.

ونشر ريال مدريد في بيانه أن ماستانتونو في فبراير 2024، أصبح أصغر هداف في تاريخ ريفر بليت، محققًا معه كأس السوبر الأرجنتيني، وهو في عمر 17 عاماً، وأصبح أيضاً أصغر لاعب يخوض مباراة رسمية مع المنتخب الأرجنتيني في تاريخه.

Alexander Isak on his way out?! Eddie Howe admits 27-goal striker could secure big-money transfer away from Newcastle amid links with Arsenal & Liverpool

Eddie Howe has hinted that Alexander Isak could exit Newcastle United this summer amid interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.

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  • Howe admitted that Isak could leave Newcastle
  • The Swedish striker has scored 27 goals this season
  • Arsenal and Liverpool keen on signing Isak
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Isak has enjoyed a stellar journey with the Magpies in the 2024-25 campaign, having scored 27 goals across all competitions. He played a key role in the club winning the Carabao Cup in February and could now secure a Champions League slot by finishing the season among the top five teams in the table.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The striker's terrific form has naturally attracted interest from across Europe, including Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool, who are keen on strengthening their attack this summer. Amid speculation over Isak's future at St. James' Park, manager Howe hinted that the Swede could indeed depart the club.

  • WHAT EDDIE HOWE SAID

    Speaking to reporters, the English manager said: "I never make those guarantees about any player and it’s not to do with Alex’s future but I’d be foolish to sit here and do anything like that. We want to keep our strongest players, I’ve said that ever since I’ve been here and sat in this seat.

    "We have to try and keep our best players and bring in more good players to make us even stronger because the ambition of the club and everyone connected with the club is long-term success and that’s the only way to get that."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR NEWCASTLE UNITED?

    The Magpies will hope to secure their Champions League spot with a win over Everton at home in their final match of the season on May 25.

Chelsea must rue offloading sensation who's outperforming James in 2024/25

Injuries have massively halted Chelsea’s progress under Enzo Maresca in recent months, with numerous key first-team members having to spend various spells on the sidelines.

Nicolas Jackson has missed the last month of action with a thigh issue, leaving the Italian boss short of options in the final third of the pitch in recent matches.

The Senegalese international has been joined in the treatment room by centre-back Wesley Fofana, with the Frenchman failing to make an appearance since the start of December.

Wesley Fofana for Chelsea

The 24-year-old started 12 Premier League matches before his latest setback but could make a return this weekend after returning to the bench against Southampton last week.

Fofana could follow in the footsteps of one player who has impressed since his return to action in recent weeks, forcing himself back into the plans of the first-team boss.

Reece James’ form for Chelsea in 2024/25

Right-back Reece James has been a player who’s been plagued by injuries over the last few years, putting a halt to his progress at Stamford Bridge for his boyhood side.

To date, he’s only managed to make 23 appearances over the last two seasons in West London, highlighting how much injuries have affected his game time.

Chelsea captain Reece James

However, 12 of those have come in 2024/25, with his latest showing in the Europa Conference League being one of his best since Maresca’s appointment in the summer.

The Englishman scored from a central midfield role, with the Italian boss having faith in utilising the academy graduate in such a role going forward – albeit being an unnatural role given his regular right-back position.

As good as his showing was in Copenhagen last night, James has been outperformed by another player who was previously on the Blues’ books a couple of years ago.

The former Chelsea star who’s outperforming James in 2024/25

Since the takeover of Todd Boehly in 2022, Chelsea have seen a huge turnover of players to try and aid their ambitions of returning to the top of the Premier League.

Whilst the club have made the right call in allowing numerous players to leave West London, some players have taken their careers to the next level after departing, which has seen the Blues regret their decision.

Right-back Davide Zappacosta spent four years at the club, two of which were in the first team, racking up 52 appearances during his stint at the Bridge.

However, after various loan spells back in his homeland of Italy, he would permanently move back to former side Atalanta for a fee in the region of £8m – a deal which saw them lose £15m on their investment a couple of years prior.

There’s no denying that Zappacosta failed to deliver during his stint in England, but he’s since recaptured his form in Serie A – leading to commentator Adam Summerton dubbing him “sensational”.

When delving into his stats from the ongoing campaign, the Italian has outperformed current first-team ace James, showcasing his impressive form after leaving a couple of years ago.

How Zappacosta compares to James in 2024/25 so far

Statistics (per 90)

Zappacosta

James

Games played

20

10

Goals & assists

5

1

Progressive carries

2.9

0.8

Carries into final third

1.6

0.6

Shots taken

1.7

0.8

% of tackles won

45%

33%

Crosses completed

4.6

4.6

Stats via FBref

He’s registered more combined goals and assists to date, whilst also notching more progressive carries per 90, having the skills to make an impact in the final third.

Zappacosta has also won more of the tackles he’s entered this season, having the defensive qualities to add to Maresca’s side had they kept hold of the full-back.

Given his form away from the Blues, it may have been a mistake to allow the Italian to leave the club, potentially adding further quality to the backline and enhancing their chances of success.

However, their loss is Atalanta’s gain, with the 32-year-old playing a huge role in their ambitions of claiming a league title come the end of the campaign.

Saved by James & Enzo: Chelsea dud must not start again after 4/10 display

Chelsea claimed a 2-1 win against FC Copenhagen in the Europa Conference League tonight.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 6, 2025

Man Utd set for further financial turmoil with Sir Jim Ratcliffe warned sponsors now have upper hand in negotiations after losing £85m from Europa League final loss

Manchester United have been warned they are set for financial turmoil, with sponsors set to have the upper hand over minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

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Manchester United set for financial woesClub lost £85m Europa League finalRatcliffe sent sponsors warningFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United missed out on £85 million ($115m) by losing the Europa League final, according to football finance expert Dr Rob Wilson, and will feel the pinch for years to come as a result – with failure to qualify for the Champions League a major issue.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT WILSON SAID

Wilson, the Director of Executive Education at University Campus of Football Business, told : "Having lost the Europa League, they've probably missed out on something between £10-15 million in direct prize money. The qualification that they've missed out on in the Champions League has cost them around about €80-100 million of additional revenue. That revenue is due to broadcast gate receipts and some of those UEFA payments. Then there's stuff around commercial bonuses, appearance fees, match day revenues that they would have benefited from. 

"There's some significant reputational impact that you would bake into this as well. Sponsors obviously pay for success and failing to lift the trophy last night and their league position dents the kind of narratives that those sponsors can use for leverage in commercial negotiations. The offset to that is a lot of Manchester United sponsors will have clauses in their contracts where they don't have to pay as much if the club is not participating in Europe."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

United are set to have to sell numerous first-team players to balance the books and give Ruben Amorim a chance to rebuild the team this summer. That could include captain Bruno Fernandes, who has an offer from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, while Alejandro Garnacho looks set to leave after airing his disappointment over his role in the Europa League final.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Amorim is set to apologise to United supporters ahead of Sunday's final Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa. Failure to win could see them drop to a finishing position of 17th.

Arsenal now preparing £83m offer for "future legend" instead of Zubimendi

Arsenal are now preparing an £83m offer for a midfielder, who has been identified as a potential alternative to Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, according to reports from Spain.

Gunners linked with Zubimendi move

Zubimendi has been a well-known target for the Gunners for quite some time now, with journalist Steve Kay at one stage suggesting a summer deal is almost inevitable, given that personal terms were agreed a long time ago.

“It’s very close, Arsenal will sign him, they will trigger his release clause in the summer of €60m. Personal terms were agreed in March, but that is a normal thing with the player, that’s the first thing you do. That was done long ago.

Club chiefs are hoping to have the move fully wrapped up prior to the summer transfer window, but it is still yet to be made official, and there are now indications the north Londoners could move on to alternative targets.

Arsenal now scouting former Real Madrid prospect who Cesc Fabregas loves

Fabregas has called him “special” and now the Gunners are keeping an eye…

ByBarney Lane Mar 3, 2025

Last week, it was revealed Arsenal are looking at Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios, who may be brought in instead of Zubimendi, and there has now been a major update on their pursuit of the midfielder.

According to a report from Spain, the Gunners are now preparing a €100m (£83m) offer for Barrios, having identified him as their main target if a move for Zubimendi alludes them.

Atletico Madrid's PabloBarriosin action with Real Madrid's Fran Garcia

The Sociedad midfielder is still attracting attention from Real Madrid and other European clubs, so it is by no means a certainty the Spaniard moves to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

There is a belief Barrios could fit perfectly into Mikel Arteta’s team, indicating he is an ideal alternative target, but there may be competition from a number of other Premier League clubs, with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool expressing interest.

Barrios could be a suitable Zubimendi alternative

Zubimendi seemingly remains Arsenal’s top target in midfield, but there are signs the 21-year-old Atletico man could also be a solid signing, having established himself as a key player for the Spanish side at a young age.

The Madrid-born midfielder has made 27 appearances in all competitions this season, providing two assists, and he has received high praise for his dribbling ability by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also dubbed him a “future legend”.

The Spaniard is also extremely adept defensively, ranking in the 90th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Barrios is a well-rounded midfielder, who would be useful for Arteta at both ends of the pitch, but he is not yet showing “world-class” signs, unlike Zubimendi, who should remain the top target.

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