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Arsenal had seemingly tied up the bulk of their summer business, and yet rumours persist suggesting they could still swoop in late for another big-money acquisition…

Is Romeo Lavia leaving Southampton?

That's according to journalist Miguel Delaney, who wrote in his piece for the Independent that a number of Premier League clubs are considering an eleventh-hour move to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton, who has been under intense transfer scrutiny from Liverpool of late.

Having seen two bids rejected for his services, it has seemingly allowed the Gunners to return for the Belgian youngster, reigniting their interest alongside Chelsea and Manchester United.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Mikel Arteta, it has already been suggested, will likely have to sell before he can buy again. The suggestion within this report is that the 19-year-old midfielder will be his first purchase once he shifts on some of the deadwood.

The Saints are reportedly holding out for £50m for their young gem.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

To enjoy such a fine debut campaign in the Premier League at such a tender age has unsurprisingly earmarked the ace for future success, with some of England's finest clubs now vying for his signature.

However, of all the suitors showing interest, the north London outfit are arguably the most advanced in their road to dominating the division. Just last season saw them fall painfully short of toppling Manchester City in the league against all the odds, and they have already bolstered that squad heavily.

Now, with the introduction of Lavia, Arteta could perfect his outfit ready to challenge not just in the upcoming term, but for the next decade given their shared youth.

Bringing in such a busy, relentless defensive midfielder will be a keen addition not just to offer them more control in the engine room, but to help screen a backline that was often left exposed following William Saliba's injury.

With the Frenchman back and ready to thrive once more, having the Manchester City academy graduate just in front of him could offer the necessary security not just to take his ball playing to the next level, but also make his job defending far easier.

Early on last season, some pundits sought to strike up a rivalry between Arsenal's 22-year-old centre-back and Virgil van Dijk, who has enjoyed many successful years since his Anfield switch.

Whilst it was a debate certainly worth having, the general consensus remained that the Dutchman reigned supreme.

After all, the Premier League and Champions League winner remained as cool on the ball as ever despite the struggles Liverpool felt last year; he still maintained a 91% pass accuracy, a 100% dribble success rate, and therefore an average rating of 7.10 in the league, via Sofascore.

Meanwhile, Saliba could only muster a 6.96 average rating, yet did also manage a 91% pass accuracy and 90% dribble success rate of his own, via Sofascore.

The two share frightening similarities in terms of stature and play style, yet whoever Lavia chooses to move to could make the difference in shifting the tide between them.

Especially given he posted a 6.80 average rating in the league as his Saints side finished rock bottom, buoyed by an 86% pass accuracy, 68% dribble success rate, 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, via Sofascore.

He was his club's eighth-highest-rated player despite his youth, and his tackling would have ranked him joint-first among Arsenal's players last campaign.

Journalist Benjy Nurick sought to supplement such a notion:

"Romeo Lavia was an absolute monster tonight. Quite possibly the best midfielder on the pitch. Seemed to win everything, so clean in possession, and controlling so much of the game."

Perhaps a switch to the Emirates could now see Saliba reach new heights, beyond that of Van Dijk, and in turn, allow Lavia to grow into a consistently stunning midfield general under Arteta for the foreseeable future.

Everton are interested in signing Salernitana forward Boulaye Dia during the summer transfer window and are reportedly ready to make a player-plus-cash offer.

Who is Everton target Boulaye Dia?

The Senegalese attacker moved to Salernitana this time last year, initially arriving on a season-long loan deal, before completing a permanent move from Villarreal in the process once the campaign reached its conclusion.

Dia has made an instant impression at his current club, scoring 16 Serie A goals in just 27 starts in the competition last season, with a further six appearances coming from the substitutes' bench.

At international level, the 26-year-old is also an established player now, scoring six goals in 25 caps to date, and he started four matches for his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring once in the competition.

Dia has emerged as a potential transfer target for Everton this summer, as the Blues look to rebuild what has been a problematic area of the pitch of late. It looks as though transfer target El Bilal Toure could be on his way to Atalanta instead of Goodison Park, acting as a blow, but it could be that the Salernitana man is viewed as an alternative option.

His current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, but it may be that Everton are able to snap him up before the start of the new Premier League season, following a new update.

Could Everton sign Boulaye Dia?

According to La Citta di Salerno [via Sport Witness], the Blues are pushing to sign Dia this summer, even though Salernitana would "gladly keep" hold of him beyond the current transfer window.

Everton are ready to table a €25m (£21.5m) offer for the Senegal international, and as has been reported separately, the deal could see Neal Maupay head the other way, after a hugely disappointing spell in a Blues shirt. The Frenchman has been a transfer "goal" for the Italian outfit, despite failing to impress on Merseyside, and it is believed that this could help "unlock" a deal for Dia.

Having potentially missed out on Toure, Dia looks like a great option instead, having shone so much for Salernitana in a short space of time, showing that he can excel in one of Europe's top five leagues, with only Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez scoring more than him in Serie A last season.

Described as "incredible" by journalist Josh Bunting in the past, the attacker has scored 68 goals in his senior career, not to mention chipping in with 16 assists, and this level of firepower is something that is badly needed at Everton, considering Dwight McNeil topped the Blues' Premier League scoring charts in 2022/23 with only seven strikes.

At 26, Dia already has a healthy amount of experience under his belt, and hasn't looked remotely daunted in a tough league, so there is no reason why he couldn't come straight in as the man to lead the line at Goodison Park, although his ability to play out wide and in attacking midfield is another added bonus.

Making his debut for MLS club Inter Miami, Lionel Messi did what Lionel Messi does and completely stole the show with a stunning last-minute free-kick to win the match.

Did Messi score on his Inter Miami debut?

Having chosen to leave Europe for the first time in his club career earlier this summer, all eyes with be on the ageing Argentine to see how he fares during his spell with David Beckham’s franchise team.

And when we say all eyes, we mean all eyes. Indeed, the official Major League Soccer Twitter feed posted a replay of his free-kick and it already has over 14 million views.

The 36-year-old was making his first appearance for his new club as they came up against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup. He didn’t start, though, and only came off the bench at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the 54th minute.

Inter Miami were actually 1-0 up at this stage, with a first-half goal from Robert Taylor giving them a lead. However, Cruz Azul’s Uriel Antuna pulled things level with an equaliser in the 65th minute.

Not to be upstaged on his big night, of course, Messi stepped up in the dying seconds of the game to remind everyone why he is quite probably the greatest footballer of all time.

Indeed, with 93 minutes and 47 seconds on the clock (beyond the allotted two minutes of injury time) he connected sweetly with his free-kick to curl the ball over the wall and find the top corner.

You can see the footage below in which he scores the winner to make for a fairy tale debut in Florida.

What celebrities were at Messi’s Inter Miami debut?

Of course with it being such a huge occasion, and with it being America, there were obviously some A-list celebrities in attendance at the DRV PNK Stadium.

The likes of Kim Kardashian and Serena Williams were there, while co-owner Beckham was also watching along with his wife Victoria.

Footage shared on Twitter, captured the emotional reaction of these stars the moment Messi’s freekick hit the back of the net as they were all understandably left stunned and delighted in equal measure.

Beckham was even left in tears at the sight of it all.

Incredibly, Inter Miami are currently bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference, with 18 points from their opening 22 matches and this was their first win in seven matches – albeit coming in a different competition, the Leagues Cup.

Promisingly, however, for the club’s fans, it shows that Messi still has plenty of magic left in his boots and so he may well be able to drag them up the table.

And he will also be helped by his new teammate Sergio Busquets, who also happens to be a former Barcelona teammate, while potentially Andre Iniesta and Jordi Alba could be involved too.

Speaking directly after the game, Messi told the Apple TV broadcast (via Yahoo): “What I saw was the goal. I saw the goal, I knew that I had to score.

“It was the last play of the game and I wanted to score so we didn’t go to penalties. So it was very important for us to get this win, because it’s a new tournament this is going to give us confidence moving forward.”

Scottish giants Celtic have made some exciting additions to their talented playing squad so far during the summer transfer window.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

Brendan Rodgers, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the dugout last month, has officially completed the signings of Marco Tilio and Odin Thiago Holm

The Hoops are also reportedly set to add £2m-rated Hyun-jun Yang and Hyeok-kyu Kwon to their roster as the pair are on the verge of their respective moves to the club.

One of those players – Yang – has been sensationally tipped, by Gangwon president Byung-ji Kim, to potentially become "world class" in the future "like Son Heung-min".

The Northern Irish tactician has proven himself to be capable of playing a huge role in the development of such a talent, with Raheem Sterling possibly being the best example.

Now at Chelsea, the England international had only made three first-team appearances for Liverpool as a teenager prior to Rodgers' appointment in 2012.

The 50-year-old boss worked with the exciting young talent and placed his faith in the winger's ability alongside the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez for the Reds.

Sterling racked up 23 goals and 25 assists in 126 competitive matches under Rodgers' management, which earned him a £49m move to Manchester City in the summer of 2015.

He went on to directly contribute to 226 goals (131 goals and 95 assists) in 339 games for the Cityzens. In that time, the "world-class" – as he was dubbed by England legend Frank Lampard in 2020 – forward won five Premier League titles, four League Cups, and one FA Cup.

Rodgers could now unearth his next version of Sterling by working with Yang at Parkhead over the coming years to unearth the potential that Kim sees in him.

How many goals did Hyun-jun Yang score for Gangwon?

The 21-year-old Gangwon winger, who is capable of being deployed on the left or the right, scored nine goals across 71 competitive matches for the South Korean club and his form throughout 2022 suggests that he could be an excellent option for the Bhoys.

Yang racked up eight goals and five assists in 33 K League 1 starts, which works out as a direct contribution every 2.54 games on average. Meanwhile, only Liel Abada (ten), Jota (11) – who has since departed – and Kyogo Furuhashi (27) scored more league goals for Celtic last term.

This is a slight improvement on Sterling's return of a goal or assist every 2.62 outings under Rodgers during their time together at Anfield at the start of his career.

The South Korea U23 international also created six 'big chances' for his teammates in 2022 – as many as current Hoops left winger Daizen Maeda managed in 35 Scottish Premiership appearances last season.

These statistics indicate that the ability is there for Yang to provide quality as a scorer and creator of goals from a wide position, if he is able to translate that form from 2022 over to Scottish football next season.

However, it is down to the exciting whiz and Rodgers to work together to help him to fulfill his potential over the years to come, as the ex-Liverpool boss did with Sterling, in order to make Kim's "world class" prediction a reality.

Liverpool see Levi Colwill as their "top target" this window and are pushing for the deal as they can sense "blood in the water" at Chelsea, claims transfer journalist Graham Bailey.

Is Levi Colwill joining Liverpool?

Liverpool have had a brilliant transfer window so far this summer, with the club almost completely overhauling their midfield with the signings of World Cup-winning Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion and the Hungarian international Dominik Szoboslai from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.

With those deals only costing the Merseysiders an estimated £95m combined, the club look set to continue their summer spending with Chelsea's exciting young defender Colwill, their new top target.

The Southampton-born-gem spent last season on loan with Premier League high-flyers Brighton, where he enjoyed his breakout top-flight campaign under the progressive tutelage of Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi.

His brilliant performances for the Seagulls saw him earn a call-up to England's under-21s for the European Championships this summer, a competition he helped them win without conceding a single goal along the way.

Unsurprisingly, this positive momentum has turned the heads of prospective buyers, with his loan side making a £30m offer for the 6 foot 2 prospect, an offer that the Pensioners immediately rejected.

Despite Chelsea's insistence that their young star isn't for sale, the lack of guaranteed game time is the number one concern for the player and why he has yet to put pen to paper on a new extended deal.

This inability for the Blues and Colwill to reconcile his desire for first-team football and their reluctance to guarantee it has given the Reds confidence that they can snatch the "outrageous" youngster away from their rivals, per Graham Bailey.

He explained the situation on the Talking Transfers podcast:

"There's something in this. Liverpool are pushing hard for this, there's blood in the water, and they can really sense that.

"I think Liverpool, he is their top target now. There is a belief at Anfield that they could get him."

Who is leaving Liverpool this summer?

Whilst there is a lot of excitement around the potential incomings at Liverpool this summer, there are also quite a few significant players that could be departing as well.

It could be the end of the road for club captain Jordan Henderson this summer as he has reportedly accepted a colossal offer worth £700,000-a-week from Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ettifaq, per TalkSPORT.

The move would see him link up with old Reds teammate and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, the side's new manager.

Following the skipper to the Middle East could potentially be Brazillian midfielder Fabinho, with the Guardian reporting that the player's camp have been in conversation with Saudi side Al-Ittihad over a move, but no discussions have been held between the two clubs as of yet.

Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara is another senior player that could be on the way out, as Spanish outlet SPORT report that while Liverpool aren't actively looking to sell the 32-year-old, they would be willing to part ways with him should a reasonable offer be made, and with Xavi reportedly interested in the service of the former Bayern Munich man, that could be on the table.

Whatever happens with Colwill, it looks like Liverpool could be fielding a completely different starting eleven when the Premier League kicks off again next month.

West Ham United can be forgiven for being distracted by negotiations with Arsenal over a payment structure for £105m midfielder Declan Rice, but David Moyes' side are at risk of being left short come the start of the new Premier League season.

What new players have West Ham bought?

With five weeks to go until their trip to Bournemouth to kick off the 2023-24 season, West Ham have yet to make any signings this window.

That will surely frustrate manager Moyes, who will be fully aware that his squad is in need of freshening up, with May's Europa Conference League triumph papering over the cracks of a poor Premier League season.

A new central midfielder is top of Moyes' list of targets – or indeed a couple if a like-for-like Rice replacement cannot be found – with Ajax's Edson Alvarez, Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Everton's Amadou Onana all rumoured targets.

According to The Guardian, West Ham also hold an interest in Bristol City's Alex Scott, who is on the radar of fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

How much is Bristol City's Alex Scott worth?

Scott may have spent his senior career to date in the Championship, yet he is reportedly worth at least £20m to Bristol City due to the fact he has two years to run on his Ashton Gate contract.

Despite being just 19 years old, Scott already has 81 Championship appearances under his belt, having been a regular for the Robins over the past two campaigns.

The teenage midfielder rose to prominence earlier this year after impressing Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in an FA Cup tie, with the Catalan describing him as an "unbelievable player".

As pointed out by football talent scout Jacek Kulig after Scott was named the Championship's Young Player of the Year, he has a "big future ahead" of him.

Scott cannot be expected to slot straight in and take over the role of Rice, of course. Then again, who could?

Instead, the Guernsey native can provide some versatility for Moyes, given he featured in defensive midfield, central midfield, attacking midfield and on both flanks last season, as per WhoScored.

Versatile he may be, but it is as a pure central midfielder that Scott thrives. The Englishman ranks in the top 11% of all midfielders in the eight competitions most similar to the Championship for progressive carries (2.34 per 90 minutes), as per FBref, and in the top 16% for successful take-ons (1.22).

In that aforementioned FA Cup tie with Man City last season, which Bristol City lost 3-0, Scott's five dribbles were the joint-most of any player on the field, level with opponent Phil Foden – quite the company.

As per WhoScored, Scott's pass accuracy of 83.3% that day was also the third-most of any Robins player to attempt 10 passes or more, which is made all the more impressive when you factor in he was playing as an attacking midfielder.

Scott is not exactly a hidden gem, which explains his price tag, but he could be a very smart option for West Ham to kick off their transfer business in the post-Declan Rice era.

Liverpool made a blistering start to the 2023 summer transfer window after swiftly signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion for a bargain £35m, but are yet to make their next move.

That's despite a wealth of names entering transfer circulation, mostly focussing on the midfield after the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of their contracts.

However, following a revelation from The Athletic's David Ornstein earlier this week, it could be that the next man to join the Anfield ranks is Red Bull Leipzig star Dominik Szoboszlai, who has enjoyed an exemplary campaign with his German Bundesliga outfit.

Ornstein's report reveals that Liverpool met with the Hungarian's representatives, with a release clause of €70m (£61m) the requirement if the Reds' sporting director Jorg Schmadtke does decide to lodge a formal offer for the playmaker.

The sticking point comes in the clause's conditions, which purportedly expires at the end of June and as such leaves Jurgen Klopp's side with a paltry window of opportunity to make their move before the bargaining chips fall into Die Roten Bullen's hands.

How good is Dominik Szoboszlai?

Should Liverpool decide to pay the lucrative sum to procure the fleet-footed phenom, they would wield a creative midfielder of a calibre unseen on Merseyside since Philippe Coutinho plied his trade for the club.

And what a signing it would be; Szoboszlai has made 91 appearances since arriving from RB Salzburg, registering 42 direct goal contributions and has been hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller.

This season, the 22-year-old scored ten goals and supplied 13 assists from 46 outings as Leipzig secured a third-place finish in the German top-flight, also winning the DFB Pokal for the second season in succession.

Given his ability as a dynamic and prolific No. 10, Szoboszlai could be Klopp's answer to Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, who has cemented his stature as one of Europe's premium attacking midfielders since joining the Red Devil ranks from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47m in January 2020.

Fernandes has scored 64 goals and registered 54 assists from 185 outings for the Old Trafford side and has been hailed as the "example" and "inspiration" by his manager Erik ten Hag as United clinched the Carabao Cup last term and finished third in the league.

As per FBref, the £240k-per-week Portuguese gem ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 20% for tackles and the top 5% for clearances per 90.

This all-encompassing skill set exemplifies the nature of his trade and why he has been so effective over the past several years and is something that Szoboszlai could certainly emulate, given that he is listed as a 'similar player' to the Portugal maestro.

This is evidenced through the 32-cap Hungary captain's FBref metrics, where he ranks among the top 15% for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 11% for blocks and the top 13% for clearances per 90.

Described as a "magician" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Szoboszlai is exactly what Liverpool need to thread the thirds together and restore balance and cohesion to Klopp's outfit, and despite the high valuation, he must be signed to close the gap on the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United after a lacklustre year.

Arsenal star Thomas Partey is set to leave the north London club this summer after personally requesting a transfer, according to reports.

Who will leave Arsenal?

In terms of incomings, it is an exciting time to be a Gooner, as their side have now agreed a £105 million total deal to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice this summer.

There were some concerns of Man City potentially hijacking this move after Pep Guardiola's side entered the race, but following Arsenal's latest nine-figure bid, the treble-winners swiftly pulled out.

Meanwhile, it is believed Ajax defender Jurrien Timber could soon follow both Rice and Germany international Kai Havertz through the door, with renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming they're likely to advance.

However, to make room and generate funds, certain Arsenal squad members have to make way – with defender Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Sambi Lokonga, Folarin Balogun and Granit Xhaka all having been mentioned as exit candidates (Goal).

Partey, as Arteta plots a midfield overhaul, is also on the chopping block with a report by Football Transfers sharing an interesting line on the Ghanaian.

The 30-year-old was a regular at Arsenal during their title challenge last season, making 33 appearances, but it is believed he could make away instead of Jorginho this summer.

FT and reporter Jacque Talbot claim Partey has personally requested this himself – speaking to Arteta behind-the-scenes and asking to be sold this summer.

As a result, the former Atletico Madrid star is set to leave, according to this update, with Xhaka also looking to make a move to Germany.

Indeed, Arsenal could even sign another midfielder after Rice with both players potentially going.

What's been said about Thomas Partey?

The African starred as one of Arsenal's best performing players per 90 last season, according to WhoScored, but maybe the time is now to cash-in on him.

Partey's stock is high and Arsenal may be able to generate more funds through his transfer away.

Called "sensational" by La Liga expert Gerry Armstrong, Gunners legend Ray Parlour has also heaped praise on the midfield engine, calling him "important".

"I think Partey has been so important," said Parlour (talkSPORT via Goal).

"If Arsenal are going to go anywhere near trying to win a title, he’s got to stay fit because last season, he had so many injuries.

"But he’s been real instrumental in that midfield, just keeping it ticking over, very efficient player, can get around the pitch, very mobile."

It’s not easy to steal the show from Phil Foden. After all, the 23-year-old has just won the treble at Manchester City and has been winning trophies as one of the best young players around since he made his first-team debut in 2017.If anyone was going to take the spotlight from the academy graduate, however, it was going to be another Foden – with Ronnie, his son, going viral after the Champions League final.First nicknamed ‘El Wey’ (the dude) by those in South America, the name quickly caught on across supporters, resulting in the creation of his Instagram account, which has reached over 1M followers in the space of a day.

Why has Ronnie Foden ‘El Wey’ gone viral?

As Man City celebrated their Champions League win, one constant feature was Foden’s son, as he made sure to even get his hands on the trophy, himself, before joining in on the celebrations, dancing in the dressing room. Clearly loved by his dad’s City teammates, Ronnie stole the show in several videos.

The ‘El Wey’ trend began among South American fans out of nowhere and has become bigger and bigger since, with Ronnie’s photo even seen hanging up in a school.

The creation of the Instagram account almost instantly pulled in over 1M followers.

With Foden and his partner controlling the account, Ronnie’s first post showed him sat atop his dad’s shoulders after the Champions League final, with the caption saying: “El Wey has arrived.”

That first post, which came on Sunday, has already received over a million likes. Meanwhile, the account’s second post, which shows Ronnie and Foden with Sergio Aguero at the Champions League final has reached 600k likes in six hours.

Fans react to El Wey on Instagram

Fans have been reacting to the viral Instagram account on Twitter, some of which you can see below:

It seems the Foden’s are pretty popular right now with a mural recently popping up in his home town of Stockport following his incredible treble-winning season with Manchester City.

No doubt, as a homegrown player, the midfielder is adored by the City faithful and with a Champions League now added to his numerous FA Cup, Premier League, and League Cup trophies, he’s essentially completed club football.

And now, after the popularity of his son’s Instagram account, it seems as though he’s conquered social media too! Not bad for a 23-year-old.

Arsenal's constantly-increasing stature in the game is already paying dividends this summer, as they seem set to secure yet another deal…

What's the latest on Jurrien Timber to Arsenal?

Having already reportedly tempted Kai Havertz to join their revolution, with it well reported that he "only wanted to join Arsenal", Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has now detailed another star who is reportedly desperate to mimic such a move.

Writing on his Twitter, he outlined the Gunners' interest in Ajax star Jurrien Timber and the reciprocal feeling of the Dutchman: "J. #Timber wants to join Arsenal as his move was prepared in detail in the last weeks. #Ajax in negotiations with Arsenal now. Agreement expected between €40-45m. ManUtd no topic as they have a similar profile with Martinez."

With the apex of his price tag settling at this €45m (£39m) fee, this seems one of the more affordable deals given the figures being touted for some of their other potential deals. Given he could strike up a fine partnership with Bukayo Saka down that right flank too, it truly is a tantalising option.

How good is Jurrien Timber?

Although predominantly a centre-back, his immense versatility means that the 22-year-old is just as comfortable as a central midfielder, and therefore also as an inverting full-back.

Such qualities have understandably drawn comparisons with another of the Gunners' technically-proficient defenders, with journalist Sam Dean suggesting he was a "Zinchenko-type player".

When delving into his underlying statistics, it is clear that he is comfortably one of the best ball-playing central defenders in Europe. This aids in the notion that his true potential lies in a more advanced role, perhaps just behind Saka to form a truly potent right side.

FBref details what makes Timber so special, by pitting him against others in that centre-back role across the continent. The youngster still manages to rank in the top 1% for passes attempted, pass completion rate, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.

Football writer Anthony Onifade even outlined why the defender would be ideal for Mikel Arteta's fluid system in particular, taking to Twitter: "Jurrien Timber would be EXCEPTIONAL for Mikel Arteta, just as he would be for Erik ten Hag. He’s an elite-level footballer, incredible tactical smarts and intelligence who’d fit into any possession-based side like a glove. A masterstroke if AFC pull this off."

To place such creativity behind Saka could help the England international take his game to another level, despite enjoying a true standout campaign last term. The 21-year-old found the net on 15 occasions, offering up 11 assists too in all competitions whilst featuring in every single league game.

He did all this with the defensively solid but creatively-lacking exploits of Ben White behind him, further emphasising the attacking quality of their young trickster.

After all, the 25-year-old could only muster 0.7 key passes per game in the league. Swapping that out for Timber could prove revolutionary, and might be the catalyst to make Arteta's team true Premier League challengers.