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Mikel Arteta tells Arsenal to switch transfer targets following major development
Frenkie de Jong in action for FC Barcelona (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is now reportedly eyeing up Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong as his top transfer target in that position.

The Netherlands international has been a key player for Barca for a few years now, though it seems his future could be in some doubt ahead of this summer.

“I left Arsenal because my wife told me she wanted to get out of London – then six months later she told me to go BACK!” – which Arsenal legend instantly regretted leaving?

According to Fichajes, Arsenal boss Arteta is now keen for the club to try a move for De Jong this summer as Joshua Kimmich no longer looks like being available.

Kimmich looks set to sign a new contract with Bayern Munich after all, according to Christian Falk via his Daily Briefing column, so that could mean De Jong is a better option for the Gunners.

Frenkie de Jong to join Martin Zubimendi in Arsenal midfield revolution?

De Jong is not the only midfielder on Arsenal’s radar this summer, with Fichajes also among the outlets claiming that the north London giants expect to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.

The Gunners could do well to bring in both Zubimendi and De Jong, as Arteta faces a potential crisis in midfield in the months ahead.

Both Thomas Partey and Jorginho are in the final few months of their contracts at the Emirates Stadium, so could both be about to leave for free.

If Arsenal could replace those two key players with Zubimendi and De Jong, that could go down as a good summer, but it will be interesting to see if they can pull it off.

AFC also have other areas of concern, with a new striker and winger looking like an absolute necessity, so it might be tricky for them to also fit in a signing like De Jong and make it work financially.

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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NFL

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Andy Reid Sends Strong Message About Chiefs’ Suspended Star Ahead of Ravens Game
NFL

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The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off their first win of the NFL season Sunday night, defeating the New York Giants 22-9 to improve to 1-2 heading into Week 4, where they’ll host a marquee matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore wraps up Week 3 on Monday night against the Detroit Lions, but their meeting with Kansas City will be a rematch of the 2023-24 AFC Championship Game, which the Chiefs won. Ahead of the showdown, Kansas City received a boost on Monday when suspended wide receiver Rashee Rice was welcomed back into the facility. While he’ll remain suspended for three more games, Rice is now allowed to be alongside his teammates, attend meetings, and prepare for his return in Week 7. However, he is still not permitted to practice with the team. The Chiefs have been very supportive of Rice, who was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s conduct policy following an off-field incident in March 2024. The 25 year old vowed to mature and learn from the mistake. "I've learned so much from that," he said back in June of 2024. "All I can do is mature and continue to grow from that. This is a step in a better direction for me." Head coach Andy Reid spoke about the value of having Rice’s presence back in the building, even if he can’t yet take the field. "We do get 4 back, and I know the guys will be fired up to see him," Reid said on Monday. "He can't practice, he can't be on the field. But it'll be good to have him around." Rashee Rice has been one of the Chiefs’ top targets since breaking out as a rookie, but his sophomore campaign was cut short after he suffered a torn ACL in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. As a rookie, he recorded 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 11.9 yards per catch. In four games last season, he added 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns before the injury. When he returns, Rice will be a major boost to a Chiefs offense that has been without both him and Xavier Worthy, who went down with an injury in Week 1.

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NFL

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NFL

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