Manchester United beat West Ham United 2-1 in a pre-season friendly in America on Saturday, thanks to two goals from captain Bruno Fernandes.

It was another chance for the supporters to watch new signing Matheus Cunha in action, although he was not joined by fellow new recruit Bryan Mbeumo.

The Red Devils reportedly splashed out a fee of £62.5m to bring the right-footed playmaker to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window, but he has yet to produce a goal or an assist in two pre-season outings.

That should not be a cause for concern, though, because these games are mostly about fitness and ensuring that Ruben Amorim’s players are well-prepared for the 2025/26 campaign.

Fans should judge Cunha when the real action, in the Premier League, gets underway next month because he is a star who has already showcased his qualities at that level.

What Matheus Cunha will bring to Manchester United

The Brazil international has the potential to be a terrific addition to the squad for the Red Devils because of the threat that he carries at the top end of the pitch.

Cunha is an attacking midfielder who can provide goals and assists on a regular basis in the Premier League, having already proven himself in the division during his time at Wolves.

He can also slot straight into Amorim’s system as the attacker also played as one of two number ten options behind a central striker in a 3-4-2-1 system last season, which means that it may not take him much time, if any, to adapt to the tactical set-up.

In the last two seasons, Cunha has showcased his ability to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates, whilst also offering a big threat as a goalscorer, in the Premier League.

Appearances

32

33

xG

9.49

8.63

Goals

12

15

Big chances created

7

13

Key passes per game

0.9

1.8

Assists

7

6

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian star was let down by wasteful finishing from his Wolves teammates, as they only scored 13 goals from the 20 ‘big chances’ that he created.

The £62.5m-rated star also showed that he has the finishing quality to be incredibly effective with his own opportunities, outperforming his xG in both campaigns.

This suggests that Cunha would benefit from playing behind a lethal striker who can make the most of the chances that he creates, and the club are reportedly interested in an attacker who would fit the bill.

Man Utd to discuss deal for £60m striker

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United remain interested in a potential deal to sign RB Leipzig centre-forward Benjamin Sesko before the end of the summer transfer window.

The Italian journalist claims that the Red Devils are set to hold internal talks over a possible swoop to bring the Slovenia international to Old Trafford in the next week or so.

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Speaking on the Here We Go podcast, Romano said: “Keep an eye on this story (Sesko) in the coming days as Newcastle will go with an important proposal and Manchester United will discuss again internally with Ruben Amorim involved in the conversations, with the directors and with the financials to understand if they can do a deal or not. The Sesko situation will be one to watch in the next 7-10 days.”

His comments suggest that the Red Devils may have to move quickly if they want to do a deal for the right-footed star, though, as Newcastle United are preparing a bid for the former Salzburg sensation.

It was recently reported that it could take a fee of around £60m in order to convince Leipzig to part ways with the 22-year-old number nine, and it remains to be seen if United are willing to pay that for the forward.

Why Manchester United should sign Benjamin Sesko

The Red Devils should push to secure a deal for the Slovenian attacker this summer because he could come in as the perfect foil for Cunha at the top end of the pitch.

As aforementioned, the Brazilian magician has the ability to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates in the Premier League, but was let down by the finishing of his Wolves teammates last season.

Sesko is a striker who has the quality to make the most of Cunha’s creativity, ensuring that the attacking midfielder is justly rewarded for the ‘big chances’ that he creates, based on his performances in Germany.

The Leipzig star’s form in the 2024/25 campaign shows that he is an efficient finisher who can outperform the quality of chances that he gets in front of goal, both domestically and on the European stage.

Appearances

33

8

xG

9.89

3.57

Goals

13

4

Minutes per goal

185

131

Big chances created

5

0

Assists

5

0

As you can see in the table above, Sesko outperformed his xG in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League, which speaks to the quality and efficiency of his finishing, and averaged a goal every 131 minutes in Europe.

The 22-year-old dynamo, who was described as a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, also scored 14 goals from 7.66 xG in the Bundesliga in the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that his form last season was not a flash in the pan as he has consistently provided a clinical presence in front of goal.

Sesko is an incredibly talented finisher, with room to grow at the age of 22, and he could arrive as a big upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund, who scored four goals from 5.24 xG in the Premier League last season.

Therefore, the £60m-rated star could be amazing with Cunha because it would provide the former Wolves man with a high-quality finisher in front of him, which is something he did not have with the Old Gold last term.

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Therefore, Sesko could be a fantastic signing for the Red Devils to complete their attacking alongside Cunha and Mbeumo if they can get a deal over the line, beating Newcastle to his signature, before the end of the summer transfer window.

ذكرت تقارير صحفية أن مانشستر يونايتد وضع قائمة من 3 مرشحين لخلافة المدرب البرتغالي الشاب روبن أموريم، في حالة رحيله عن تدريب الفريق.

وبحسب “TEAM TALK” العالمية، فإن جاريث ساوثجيت دخل قائمة المرشحين الثلاثة، حيث لم يتول أي منصب إداري منذ نهايته ولايته التي استمرت ثماني سنوات مع منتخب إنجلترا من 2016 حتى 2024.

وحقق منتخب إنجلترا تحت قيادة ساوثجيت المركز الثاني في نهائيات كأس الأمم الأوروبية 2020 ويورو 2024 وحقق إنجازات أخرى، وقاده لنصف نهائي مونديال 2018 واحتل المركز الرابع في أفضل أداء منذ عام 1990.

وإلى جانب جاريث ساوثجيت هناك مرشحان آخران وهما أوليفر جلاسنر مدرب كريستال بالاس وأندوني إيراولا مدرب بورنموث.

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ويرتبط كل من جلاسنر وإيراولا بعقدين مع نادييهما وسيتعين على يونايتد دفع تعويضات كبيرة للحصول على أي منهما.

ويبقى معرفة ما إذا كان كل من جلاسنر وإيراولا مهتمين بتدريب مانشستر يونايتد بالنظر لأدائهما المتميز في كل من كريستال بالاس وبورنموث.

ويحتل فريق كريستال بالاس المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي حتى الآن وتوج بلقب الدرع الخيرية هذا الموسم، وقاد إيراولا فريق بورنموث ليكون منافسًا أوروبيًا حقيقيًا واحتل المركز التاسع الموسم الماضي وهو أفضل مركز له في تاريخ النادي.

وعلى الرغم من خسارة بورنموث لعدد من لاعبيه الأساسيين في سوق الانتقالات الصيفية، لكنه لا يزال يقدم أداء رائعًا ويحتل المركز الخامس في جدول الترتيب بعد ست مباريات.

ويحتل مانشستر يونايتد حالياً تحت قيادة روبن أموريم المركز الرابع عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بعد بداية كارثية لموسم 2025-2026.

In a late flurry of deals, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly submitted an opening offer to sign a Bundesliga attacker for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nottingham Forest agree Kalimuendo deal

Whilst it has been a steady summer at Forest, with their biggest deal arguably being Morgan Gibbs-White’s new contract, Nuno reiterated that there is still work that needs to be done.

The Forest boss told reporters: “Dealing with doubts is the worst thing you can have in football. We have doubts, who is going to be [here], when are they [new signings] going to come? All these things create doubts.

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“Not only me but in the club. What we want is game-by-game to have as many options as possible. Europe will come after, and for sure it will be better, but for now until that happens it is a major concern.

“The owner is aware, the club is aware, everyone is aware. Everybody knows the reality. This is a lost chance that we had as a group to do it.”

It seems as though Nuno is set to get an answer to his questions and the chance to ease his doubts, however. Following his strong words, Forest have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Arnaud Kalimuendo, whilst the likes of Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee also now look destined for the City Ground this month.

It’s a late-summer spending spree which may be far from done. Reports are now indicating that Forest have also submitted an opening bid to sign a Bundesliga talent.

Nottingham Forest submit Leweling offer

According to Sky Germany, Nottingham Forest submitted an opening bid to sign Jamie Leweling worth €25m (£22m) with add-ons.

VfB Stuttgart have rejected this first offer, and the German club reportedly have no intention of selling their star winger, but whether more interest from the Premier League changes that remains to be seen.

League stats 24/25

Anthony Elanga

Jamie Leweling

Minutes

2,501

1,663

Goals

6

11

Assists

2

2

Key Passes

50

25

Those at the City Ground are seemingly willing to take a chance on Leweling despite a relatively tough season last time out. Although a hamstring injury disrupted his campaign, the German would have been disappointed to end on just four goal involvements in the Bundesliga last time out.

On paper, the 24-year-old does not have the output levels to replace Anthony Elanga, who decided to swap the Midlands for Newcastle United earlier this summer.

Nonetheless, Leweling has still earned plenty of praise in Germany. Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth told reporters: “Jamie featured in every Bundesliga match [last season], and that statistic alone shows just how important he is to the team.

“His commitment and willingness to work for the team make him a very valuable player for us. We also think that he has plenty of potential to develop further, and that’s why we decided to tie Jamie down to VfB on a long-term deal.”

Nottingham Forest are the latest club to “join the race” for an “unstoppable” Premier League forward, who is valued at around €60m (£52m), according to reporter Sebastien Vidal.

Gibbs-White commits long-term future to Forest

Forest made a major statement of intent by agreeing a new contract with Morgan Gibbs-White, according to reporter Henry Winter, who said: “So important that Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis persuaded Morgan Gibbs-White to stay (club announce contract extension to 2028.”

“It’s more than an announcement, it’s a statement. Not only are they keeping one of their most important players, Forest are sending out a statement of continued ambition.”

The England international’s willingness to put pen to paper on a new deal is a very encouraging sign, and suggests that Evangelos Marinakis has grand plans to kick on even further, having already sealed a place in Europe for the 2025-26 campaign.

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Gibbs-White has chipped in with ten assists in each of his last two Premier League campaigns, underlining his creative talents, and it now appears as though the Tricky Trees want to bring in a new striker for the 25-year-old to provide for.

That is according to Vidal on X, who states Nottingham Forest are the latest club to “join the race” for Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku, but a deal is likely to be on the expensive side, with the Blues said to be holding out for a fee of around €60m (£52m).

Nuno Espirito Santo is looking to strengthen his squad ahead of their upcoming European campaign, and Nkunku has now emerged as a target, with the forward keen to leave the west London club this summer, amid interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

"Unstoppable" Nkunku could reginite career at the City Ground

The 27-year-old’s career has stalled since making a move to Stamford Bridge, having failed to hold down a regular place in the starting XI, but there are plenty of indications that he could be an exciting signing for Forest.

During his time with RB Leipzig, the attacker was lauded by journalist Zach Lowy, after impressing against Celtic in the Champions League.

The Frenchman’s attacking numbers were remarkable during his time in Germany, most notably averaging over one goal contribution every game in the 2021-22 Bundesliga campaign, picking up a combined 35 goals and assists in 34 outings.

That said, it could be very difficult for Forest to compete for Nkunku’s signature, given that he is keen on a move to Bayern Munich, while there may also be rival interest from Manchester United, with the Red Devils confident they can strike a deal.

Pakistan’s left-arm wristspinner makes hay as Zimbabwe lose ten wickets for 20 runs to be bowled out for 57 and concede the T20I series

Danyal Rasool03-Dec-2024Sufiyan Muqeem spun a web around Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, registering the best figures by a Pakistan bowler in T20Is as his team crushed Zimbabwe by ten wickets to seal the T20I series.Zimbabwe were skittled for 57, losing their ten wickets over a 20-run period as they fell to their lowest total in T20I cricket. In response, Pakistan coasted to the total with 14.3 overs to spare, marking the biggest win by balls remaining between two Full Members in men’s T20I cricket.Zimbabwe start well, before collapsingDifficult to believe in hindsight, but Zimbabwe got off to a flying start. Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani took the attack to Jahandad Khan and Abrar Ahmed, blasting the ball through the infield with superb timing and power on what looked a cracking batting surface – when Sikandar Raza won the toss, he had no hesitation batting first.Even Haris Rauf’s introduction didn’t stanch the bleeding, Bennett showing his deft skills and picking up two boundaries behind point on the off side. By the end of the fourth over, Zimbabwe sat pretty at 37 for 0.But what happened after that was as dramatic as it was ignominious for Zimbabwe.Abbas Afridi had Marumani slash one straight to cover-point, and once that wicket-maiden was complete, Rauf removed Bennett off the first ball of the next over. Zimbabwe needed to rebuild, but never came close to achieving a second wind. Seven balls later came the dagger blow as one snaked back in from Afridi and made a mess of Raza’s stumps.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhen Salman Agha brought himself on, he had Dion Myers plumb in front off just his fourth delivery before Muqeem took over. Using the conventional wristspinner and the wrong’un, he had Zimbabwe’s lower-middle order on a string. Ryan Burl was fooled by a googly that struck his pad in front of middle, while Tashinga Musekiwa had no answer to another wrong’un that knocked back his stumps for a golden duck. Clive Madande survived the hat-trick ball, but Muqeem returned to remove another two in his following over, and eventually finished off the innings when Madande top-edged him. He finished with figures of 2.4-0-3-5.Easy chase, easily done by PakistanThere was nothing complicated about Pakistan’s chase, and the openers knew it.Raza bowled the first over but Omair Yousuf took 11 off it to set the tone.Saim Ayub got into the act with a lovely late adjustment that saw him carve Richard Ngarava over the slips for a boundary. Blessing Muzarabani’s poor series continued with both Ayub and Yousuf sending him to the fence, the latter scything him over deep point for six with a shot that oozed confidence.Ayub wasn’t to be outdone, and there was time enough for his signature shot: a whip off Trevor Gwandu off the pads behind square leg for six. It was Muzarabani’s errant line once more that allowed Ayub to pick up two more boundaries that finished the game off.It was telling of how little Zimbabwe had tested Pakistan that, on a blazing hot day in Bulawayo, when the openers took their helmets off and shook hands, there was barely a bead of sweat on their foreheads.

Newcastle United supporters are waiting to see who could replace Alexander Isak at St James’ Park. Still, Eddie Howe is also interested in filling the void left by Callum Wilson’s departure and may now be making progress on that front.

Newcastle United consult several striking options amid Isak uncertainty

Alexander Isak continues to push for a move to Liverpool, leaving Howe searching for a replacement figure to replicate his excellent goalscoring exploits should the Sweden international depart the North East this summer.

Joining the striker merry-go-round, Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson is wanted by Newcastle after news that the Magpies have missed out on RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United despite their best efforts.

His peculiar red card offence at St James’ Park would signal a suspension period upon joining. Still, AC Milan could offer the Senegal international another high-profile alternative destination to Stamford Bridge.

Per David Ornstein, the Magpies could move for Porto’s Samu Aghehowa and he is high up on the list of potential candidates to take on their striking vacancy.

Brentford’s Yoann Wissa is another prolific forward being targeted by Newcastle, and reports suggest £35 million could be enough to seal a deal, albeit the Bees may opt to play hardball before offloading their star man to a Premier League rival.

Surprisingly, the DR Congo international could be paired with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who may be less at the forefront in the West Midlands following Evann Guessand’s transfer to Unai Emery’s men.

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There are plenty of spinning plates in the window and stories constantly breaking as the days draw closer to the end of market activity, offering encouragement to the Magpies that plenty of time is still there to recruit key targets.

While Isak’s future is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, Howe may be about to take a step closer in the hunt for a Wilson replacement.

Newcastle eyeing surprise move for Michail Antonio

According to Dave OCKOP, Newcastle are plotting a move to sign striker Michail Antonio after he left West Ham United upon the expiration of his contract, making it a one-in-one-out on the free agent transfers.

The Jamaica international was involved in a car crash late last year and has since fully recovered from the incident. However, the Hammers weren’t able to tie him down despite the offer of a new deal at the London Stadium, creating a scenario where he could head to the North East.

Labelled “brilliant” by Jake Humphrey, Antonio registered 83 goals and 42 assists in 323 appearances for West Ham across all competitions, with 68 of his strikes coming in the Premier League.

Now set for a new challenge, the 35-year-old could be a financially advantageous short-term option to bolster Newcastle’s forward line, though it may be counterproductive to bring in someone at the twilight stage of their career at the expense of William Osula.

The 2025 summer transfer window has been one that many Newcastle United fans would likely want to forget.

They’ve had numerous transfer targets join Premier League rivals, including Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko, who went to Liverpool and Manchester United, respectively. Furthermore, the club has spent the whole window with the shadow of Alexander Isak’s departure hanging over them.

However, they have also achieved some underrated wins with the likes of Anthony Elanga and Malick Thiaw. Eddie Howe’s side have also been closely linked to Brentford’s Yoane Wissa as a potential replacement for Isak.

Even with these signings, PIF are on the hunt for even more squad depth and are close to completing the signing of a talented Premier League player.

Newcastle agree £40m deal for Ramsey

Fabrizio Romano reported that Newcastle were closing in on a deal for Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, who only wants a move to St James’ Park. The 24-year-old has been with Villa since 2007 and has risen through the academy to become a regular feature in the first team.

Mike McGrath has now added that Newcastle have agreed a £40m fee with Villa, so the Magpies now need to open talks over personal terms, and a medical will be arranged once an agreement has been reached.

However, this is a rapidly developing deal and there’s speculation that the personal terms could be agreed sooner rather than later and the deal concluded swiftly after.

West Ham were also reported to have approached Villa for Ramsey, as per Romano, but were dissuaded when the player made it clear that he “only wants Newcastle”.

Newcastle will be getting a versatile player who is seen as similar to Barcelona winger Raphinha, as per FBref due to his dynamic ability to play in attacking midfield or on the wing.

From a Villa perspective, they were one of the clubs most at risk of a PSR breach, so it’s likely the sale is more out of necessity than not wanting him. As Ramsey is an academy product, he will be listed purely as profit in Villa’s accounts, making him a more valuable player to sell PSR-wise than a player that they had signed.

Ramsey elevates those around him

Ramsey’s last season at Villa had been an upgrade on his quiet 2023/24 campaign, with most of his highlights coming in the Champions League and the FA Cup. With Newcastle back in the Champions League, they’ll be hoping that Ramsey can emulate this cup form in black and white.

While Ramsey’s goal involvements aren’t quite at the level of some of Newcastle’s current midfielders and wingers, he is often instrumental in build-up play, which can allow his teammates to score and assist more often.

The 24-year-old averages 13.5 progressive actions per 90 minutes in the league and features in the top 15% of players for pass accuracy, meaning he not only retains the ball but often does something positive with it.

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Additionally, he featured in the top 5% of players for dribble success rate. If PIF can get Ramsey, he will be able to get the ball to the forward line on a regular basis, allowing them to score more goals. While no one player may be able to replace Isak’s numbers, signings like Ramsey will bring up the squad’s numbers as a whole, helping to ease the goal burden.

Cristiano Ronaldo is proud to have been handed a prestigious GOAT award by the Portuguese league that recognises him as the Best Player of All Time.

Evergreen frontman still going strong at 40Career spent battling with Lionel MessiRecognised as the best by those in his homelandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been honoured by those in his homeland. CR7 has spent over 20 years competing at the very highest level. He has won league titles with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, becoming a goalscoring centurion for all of those clubs.

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Countless records have been broken in Champions League competition, while stunning tallies of international caps and goals – which currently stand at 223 and 141 respectively – may never be beaten.

DID YOU KNOW?

There is no sign of him slowing down at 40 years of age, with a new two-year contract being committed to at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr. He has now claimed a major award in his native Portugal, which puts him at the very top of any all-time charts.

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WHAT RONALDO SAID

Ronaldo said in a video message to those at the Portuguese professional league awards ceremony: “I’d like to thank Liga Portugal for this award, being named the best player of all time. As you can imagine, it is a great honour to win something for my country.

“First of all, I’d like to thank all my team-mates who have helped me throughout my career to win this wonderful trophy, as well as all the coaches and everyone who has supported me on this journey of always pushing to improve. Thank you all so much.”

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers believes that the Hoops need to sign another centre-forward to challenge Adam Idah for a place in the starting line-up before the end of the summer transfer window.

The manager recently said: “He was at his best here when was challenging for the position with Kyogo Furuhashi. He really needs that real competition beside him – I think that’s what you get the most out of him.

Idah started the opening two games of the Scottish Premiership season against St Mirren and Aberdeen, but failed to provide a goal or an assist for the side.

Why Celtic need a new striker

The Hoops need to find a new striker because the Ireland international has not proven that he has the quality to be the main number nine for the club in the league, as further evidenced by his struggles at the start of the current campaign.

In the 2024/25 season, the former Norwich City marksman was significantly more effective when coming off the bench to make an impact as a substitute for Celtic.

Appearances

19

16

Minutes

1,352

357

Goals

6

7

Minutes per goal

225

51

Assists

0

1

As you can see in the table above, Idah has had far more success when coming off the bench for the Scottish giants since he returned on a permanent deal, which suggests that the Hoops need a striker to allow him to be an impact substitute.

It was reported last month that Celtic are interested in signing CFR Cluj forward Louis Munteanu, who is reportedly valued at £7m, and he could be a big upgrade on the Irishman.

Why Celtic should sign Louis Munteanu

The Romania international’s form for CFR Cluj in the 2024/25 campaign suggests that he has the potential to come in and offer more than Idah as the main number nine for Rodgers this season.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described the striker’s output as “magnificent” and it is hard to argue with that assessment, as he scored 25 goals in all competitions for the Romanian side, per Transfermarkt.

Munteanu, who played for Fiorentina’s U19 team at youth level, proved that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis as a clinical finish in Romania, but it is worth remembering that he is not proven in the Premiership and there is no guarantee that his form translates.

Appearances

35

35

Goals

23

13

Big chances missed

16

19

Goals per game

0.7

0.4

Big chances created

7

6

Assists

3

0

That being said, you can see in the table above, the £7m-rated star does have the potential to be a big upgrade on Idah for Celtic if they can get him firing at his best in Glasgow, based on their respective performances last term.

These statistics suggest that Munteanu could offer way more quality as a goalscorer for the Hoops, because he scored ten more goals whilst missing fewer ‘big chances’ in the same number of appearances at league level.

This means that the Romanian forward is more clinical than Idah with the chances that come his way, which will be music to the ears of supporters after the Irishman’s three ‘big chances’ missed against St Mirren on the opening day.

Munteanu also created one more ‘big chance’ for his teammates in those games and could offer a similar level of creativity in comparison to the 6 foot 3 Irishman.

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Overall, though, the Cluj centre-forward appears to have the qualities to come in as a big upgrade on Idah if he can adapt to Scottish football, as he could be the prolific number nine that they are looking for to allow the ex-Canaries forward to play his role off the bench.

Mikel Arteta was asked about Arsenal’s summer interest in Nico Williams as he faced the press ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Athletic Club. The San Sebastian-born coach played down speculation over a potential move for the Spain international but admitted the winger is a “fantastic player” admired at both club and international level.

• Arsenal wanted Nico Williams this summer

  Arsenal were strongly linked with Williams during the summer transfer window, with reports suggesting the Gunners explored a deal to bring him to the Premier League. The 22-year-old winger, however, chose to remain with Athletic Club, signing a new deal to continue his development in Spain. Arteta has now opened up on the links, but played down the reports.

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• AFP
  

  Arteta stays mum on reports of Williams interest

  When quizzed on Arsenal’s reported pursuit of Williams, Arteta was cautious in his response. He told reporters: “I can't say anything about that. All I can say is that Nico is a fantastic player, and they enjoy him every week here and with the national team. I can't say much more.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Williams misses chance to face off against Arsenal

  Arsenal had been handed the prospect of seeing Williams perform against them in the Champions League opener as the Gunners face Athletic Club. However, the Spain winger will not take to the field as he suffered an injury on international duty, and may not be back in action for another couple of weeks.

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• Arsenal now set to take on Athletic Club

  The Gunners will aim to secure an opening-day victory in the Champions League that would give them a strong foothold in the league phase. Athletic, meanwhile, will hope their home crowd can inspire an upset despite missing their talisman. Williams will focus on recovering quickly to avoid a prolonged spell on the sidelines.