Arsenal is continuing talks to secure the signing of Viktor Gyokeres in the current transfer window, as the striker’s goal-scoring exploits have firmly placed him on their radar.
In recent weeks, there have been claims that Sporting Club will not make his departure easy, yet Arsenal remain committed to adding him to their squad. Gyokeres has been in exceptional form for the Portuguese side, and there is a widespread belief that he will continue to perform at a high level even if he moves to a new club.
Arsenal have identified the Swedish international as a prime target and have become increasingly concerned about Manchester United’s interest. However, United are not the only potential rivals the Gunners must consider, as the competition for his signature extends beyond the Premier League.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Juventus are also keen on securing Gyokeres and view him as a fitting replacement for Dusan Vlahovic, who is widely expected to depart the Allianz Stadium this summer. The report indicates that Juve’s interest is serious and could present a significant challenge to Arsenal’s pursuit.
While many expect Gyokeres to end up in the Premier League, the presence of a top Italian side in the race complicates matters. Arsenal must now act decisively if they are to convince the striker to choose North London as his next destination.
Gyokeres is a player attracting widespread admiration, and the club that demonstrates the greatest intent is likely to emerge victorious. If Arsenal are committed to strengthening their attacking options this summer, they must be prepared to outpace Juventus and any other competitors in this transfer race.
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It’s the final week of the transfer window and Chelsea are making good progress in trimming down their squad. Today it was made official that the Blues had managed to sell Carney Chukwuemeka to Dortmund, and according to Matt Law, that’s a good deal for everyone. Law praises Chelsea’s firm line over midfielder “With Chukwuemeka I think Chelsea have done really well,” the Telegraph’s Chelsea man said on the podcast. “Because Dortmund were saying all window – ‘we’re not buying him, well only loan him.’ Chelsea’s asking price did come down, I’m told it’s a £24m fee, but there is a sizable sell on fee.” “Dortmund were adamant for so long in trying to force their hand into the loan… so good for him and good for them getting a permanent move.” Law ended up speculating that the sell on fee could be around 25%. You can see Law speaking in the clip embedded here, with this discussion coming early doors: Midfielder could bring Chelsea more money in the future after monster summer The reports that the sell on fee is something like 40% are very promising indeed. Dortmund are famous for their ability to develop players and make a big profit on them – and now the Blues stand to get a piece of that cake. As Law points out, if the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson go for big fees, the Blues could end up raking in £300m this summer, even before these sort of sell ons are considered. That is superb work all around, and we’re feeling a lot more comfortable about the squad going into this season than last season. The amount of money we’ve brought in also means a Jackson loan (with obligation to buy) is a possibility for the Blues.
Deshaun Watson has become somewhat of a forgotten figure regarding the Cleveland Browns' unique quarterback situation that could involve the club having starter Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders on the roster for its Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. For an article published on Monday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that Watson will miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season after he suffered a torn Achilles last October and then tore the Achilles again during his recovery. However, it sounds like the Browns haven't yet completely closed the door on Watson returning to the active roster before Week 18 wraps up. "He’s coming along well in his rehab from his re-torn Achilles repair and could be ready to go later in the season," Cabot wrote about Watson. "Whether or not the Browns will activate him remains to be seen, but they’ve been happy with how he’s attacked his rehab and how he’s helped the other QBs, especially Gabriel and Sanders." Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts with the Browns since he received a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract from the club in March 2022. He served an 11-game suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions to open his first campaign with Cleveland. His 2023 season ended prematurely because of a shoulder issue. He then lost six of seven starts last season before he went down with the initial Achilles injury. It was suggested earlier this month that Watson could essentially force the Browns to move him to the 53-man roster if he's cleared to play this coming fall. Such a scenario theoretically would result in Cleveland having to part ways with a different signal-caller. While the previously mentioned Sanders is clearly fourth on Cleveland's current depth chart, Cabot wrote that the Browns like the rookie "a lot and will continue to develop him." Cabot added that "the Browns have always planned to keep four quarterbacks and will only pivot if someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse." Pickett presumably would become the odd man out regarding such a potential trade. Still, he first needs to fully recover from the hamstring injury he picked up on July 26 that kept him from playing in any preseason games. Meanwhile, Watson will continue his recovery behind the scenes after Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said earlier this year that Cleveland "took a big swing and miss with Deshaun." The Browns reportedly could escape Watson's deal next offseason.
Ever since the opening night of the 2025 NFL Draft, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has repeatedly said that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will start over rookie Jaxson Dart for the club's regular-season opener at the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7. However, former NFL general manager and current ESPN personality Mike Tannenbaum made it known during a Tuesday appearance on "SportsCenter" that he thinks the Giants are making a mistake following the team's three preseason victories. "Jaxson Dart, how soon does he start? If it was up to me, it would have been three months ago," Tannenbaum said during the segment, per Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media. "He has outplayed Russell Wilson. He is the best quarterback on the New York Giants. Every game he doesn’t start is, to me, not giving them the best chance to win. He has played with energy. He’s played with enthusiasm. Knows what to do. I think he should start." For an article published on Monday, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports gave Dart an "A+" grade for the rookie's three preseason performances and said that the 22-year-old "perfectly blended quick decision-making with an occasional dime down the field and added a sprinkle of his athleticism as a scrambler in all three contests." According to Fox Sports, Dart completed 32-of-47 passes for 372 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions over his three August appearances. He also contributed six carries for 52 yards and an additional score. To compare, Wilson connected on 10-of-14 pass attempts for 136 yards and an interception. That said, such stats are largely meaningless since Wilson and Dart were never competing for the starting job. Following the Giants' preseason finale versus the New England Patriots last week, Dart acknowledged that "Russ is the starter" and "has completely earned that role." Meanwhile, multiple stories shared throughout the summer have touched upon how Wilson has established himself as "a vocal leader in the meeting room and on the practice field" with the Giants. In time, Dart may receive opportunities to show that he gives the 2025 Giants "the best chance to win" meaningful games. Unless Wilson produces a nightmare performance at Washington's Northwest Stadium, he should remain atop the Big Blue depth chart through at least the start of the Giants' Week 2 game at the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 14.
With player cut news rolling in throughout the day, the Philadelphia Eagles are finding more and more intriguing names that they could potentially bring back. One name is all too familiar to them. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the New England Patriots are releasing safety Marcus Epps. The Patriots had just signed Epps to a contract in the offseason. That name might sound like someone Eagles fans should know, and that's because it should sound familiar. Epps was one of the starting safeties in the Eagles' 2022 Super Bowl run and played on the team for three and a half seasons. He finished his time with 208 tackles, 15 pass deflections, four tackles for loss, three interceptions, and one forced fumble in 54 career games in the midnight green uniforms. Would Epps solve the Eagles' safety concerns? A lot of people are very high on rookie second-round pick Andrew Mukuba, who had a tremendous second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, where he had a 75-yard pick-six and a fumble recovery. He missed the final preseason matchup with the New York Jets as he got hurt at camp. Sydney Brown and Tristin McCollum are the other veterans competing with Mukuba for the starting job. McCollum will not win the job, but Brown has been the main competitor to Mukuba. Since he is more of a veteran, starting him might give Mukuba more time to develop, but not many fans want that to happen. Epps would at least be able to come in and provide insurance at safety if it didn't work out with Mukuba or Brown. He might need time to learn Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defense, but he knows head coach Nick Sirianni and is familiar with the culture in Philly. If the coaching is not completely in love with who they have at safety right now, Roseman should try to get Epps back.
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