All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Newcastle United impressed as they battled to a draw with champions Manchester City in the Premier League, salvaging a point through Anthony Gordon’s second-half penalty.

The visitors will rue the lengthy absence of Rodri, but treating the game as a singular thing, Newcastle were equally disadvantaged as Alexander Isak missed out due to a toe injury.

The hosts were well contained in attack but still grabbed that one moment, Bruno Guimaraes threading it through for Gordon, to leave St. James’ Park with a result. Those at the rear deserve plenty of credit, and Lewis Hall was the pick of the bunch.

Lewis Hall's performance in numbers

Hall was a loanee on Tyneside last season but his move has been made permanent for a £28m fee this summer, and he has repaid the financial faith with a role of greater significance.

Having started two of the past three Premier League matches, the versatile left-back is creeping into regular contention, and with further displays like the one against Pep Guardiola’s imperious outfit, he will cement himself as one of Newcastle’s standouts.

Still only 20 years old, the Cobham Academy product impressed against a City right flank consisting of Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva. As per Sofascore, he blocked two shots, timed one perfect interception, won two of his three contested duels and succeeded with his one attempted dribble, but such metrics do not do his fearless performance justice.

He held Newcastle’s left side almost single-handedly, with Harvey Barnes flattering to deceive.

Harvey Barnes must return to the bench

Barnes has been enjoying his football of late, scoring in three successive Premier League matches before blanking against the champions.

Newcastle World awarded the Englishman a 6/10 match score but wrote that he ‘didn’t pose a serious threat’ against Josko Gvardiol and co, marshalled well.

Indeed, Barnes had plenty of shooting chances but came across somewhat selfish. Failing to make a key pass for his teammates and only taking 23 touches, which was fewer than that of his goalkeeper Nick Pope (33).

Minutes played

76′

Touches

23

Shots (on target)

4 (1)

Accurate passes

13/16 (81%)

Key passes

0

Dribbles (completed)

0 (0)

Tackles

0

Interceptions

1

Total duels (won)

1 (1)

He did chalk up a 100% duel success rate, but then Barnes only contested one duel throughout the affair and will now be sweating for his place in the team against Everton at Goodison Park next weekend.

Gordon is one of the first names on the teamsheet, and though Isak has been ruled out of the Magpies’ Carabao Cup tie against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday, he will be assessed ahead of the weekend.

That means Barnes may well find himself back on the bench. Jacob Murphy isn’t the flashiest footballer in the league but he doesn’t half put in a shift. Against the Citizens, the right winger completed both of his dribbles, made two key passes and won three duels.

Newcastle need that kind of energy, and with that in mind, Barnes should be ditched for the upcoming Premier League clash.

Newcastle wanted ace for £12.5m in 2019, now he's outshining Isak & Gordon

This was a big missed opportunity for the Magpies…

1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 27, 2024

Arsenal have undergone a dramatic transformation in the last five years or so and are practically unrecognisable from the club Mikel Arteta took over in late 2019.

Alongside Sporting Director Edu Gaspar, the Spaniard has completely overhauled the squad, bringing in a swathe of talented players like Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice while getting rid of those who wouldn't help him take the team forward.

However, while there has been so much change at the Emirates since the former Captain returned, a few players have remained and become integral members of this title-challenging team; players like Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Gabriel Martinelli.

That said, while there are no question marks over the future of the Englishman and Frenchman, there are some for the Brazilian, although since the manager took over, his valuation has exploded, per Transfermarkt.

1 Martinelli's market value when Arteta took over

So, on December 20th 2019, Arteta was announced as Arsenal's new head coach, and just ten days earlier, Martinelli saw his valuation rise to €18m, which is about £15m.

It's not an enormous number, but considering he was only signed for £6m from Ituano that summer, it was already a major indication that the club had a special player on their hands.

It was an increase that was more than justified during the season as well.

Despite still being a teenager and suffering a major injury during Project Restart, Martinelli racked up a seriously impressive haul of ten goals and provided four assists in 26 first-team appearances.

2 Martinelli's market value in 2020/21

Unfortunately for the young attacker, his second season in North London was much less spectacular than his first, as he was only able to rack up a total of two goals and two assists in 22 appearances for the club.

However, this disappointing output was mostly due to the severe knee injury he sustained in June, as he didn't even make his first senior appearance until the 19th of December.

That said, as he had still enjoyed a statement season in the campaign prior, his valuation in October 2020 had increased to €25m, which is about £21m, or £6m more than his price tag when Arteta took over.

3 Gabriel Martinelli's market value in 2021/22

The June before the 21/22 campaign saw the dynamic winger's valuation decrease to €22m, about £19m, due to his lack of game time the previous season.

However, this wasn't really an issue as, after a pretty miserable year, the Guarulhos-born gem was able to play some regular football again.

He wasn't just making up the numbers either, as, across 36 matches, the 5 foot 10 ace scored six goals and provided seven assists, meaning that he maintained an average of a goal involvement once every 2.76 games.

Moreover, while he didn't play in every game, he remained fit for the entire campaign, giving the manager another option in attack and boosting his reputation in the process.

4 Gabriel Martinelli's market value in 2022/23

Thanks to his impressive displays in 21/22, Martinelli's valuation was once again soaring ahead of the following season. In June 2022, it reached a new peak of €40m or £34m, and over the next ten months, he would more than justify the new price tag.

Arsenal went into the campaign with the goal of finishing in the top four, but fairly early on, it became apparent that they were suddenly in a title race with Manchester City, and a large part of the reason why was the attacking talent in the team, including the then-21-year-old Brazilian.

For example, in his 46 appearances across all competitions, the "unplayable" dynamo, as described by pundit Owen Hargreaves, scored 15 goals and provided six assists, meaning that just a couple of years after suffering a serious knee injury, he was averaging a goal involvement every 1.85 games.

Unfortunately, the Gunners would collapse near the season's end, but Martinelli had now laid down a marker and showed the league just how good he could be.

5 Gabriel Martinelli's market value in 2023/24

So, after such an incredible campaign, the former Ituano gem's reputation was at an all-time high and in June 2023, his valuation would match that fact, with Transfermarkt valuing him at a whopping €80m, which is about £67m.

However, as so many have before him, the 13-capped international struggled to follow up on his barnstorming year, and over the next ten months, he's become a player who increasingly frustrates a fanbase now expecting their team to push for the title.

In his 44 appearances across all competitions, he could only muster up a fairly uninspiring tally of eight goals and five assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement once every 3.38 games.

2019/20

26

10

4

0.53

2020/21

22

2

2

0.18

2021/22

36

6

7

0.36

2022/23

46

15

6

0.45

2023/24

44

8

5

0.29

2024/25

3

0

0

0.00

Now, this wasn't a dreadful return, and some of the discussion around the 23-year-old since has been hyperbolic, but compared to how well he played just the season prior, it was undeniably disappointing.

6 Martinelli's market value in 2024/25

So, we come to this season, and considering the slight step back he took last year, the Gunners' number 11 has unsurprisingly seen his valuation decrease.

Transfermarkt priced him at €70m in May of this year, which is about £59m or 293% higher than it was when Arteta joined the club.

It's set to be a massive campaign for Martinelli this year, as with all the talk of Nico Williams and other talented wingers over the summer, his place in the starting lineup isn't guaranteed anymore.

Worryingly, in his three appearances thus far, he hasn't looked particularly impressive, and when he was substituted off at Villa Park, his replacement, Leandro Trossard, came on and scored with his first touch.

However, Martinelli is still an immensely talented winger, and even though he's been in and around the first team for five years now, he's still relatively young at 23.

Therefore, while his stock might be quite low at the moment, he has all the raw qualities to turn things around and get back to his very best.

How many games Odegaard could now miss for Arsenal after ankle injury news

The Norwegian may be absent for a long while.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 11, 2024

Sunderland fans will be eagerly awaiting the Championship getting back underway, as the international break is now over, and the weekend looms large on the horizon.

The Black Cats away faithful face a lengthy journey to Plymouth Argyle, hopeful that their side can make it an incredible five league victories on the bounce in Devon.

New Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris, who has already made quite the impression on supporters in Wearside, will no doubt pick 17-year-old sensation Chris Rigg for this test against Wayne Rooney's Pilgrims, who is now catching the eye of many luxurious suitors.

He could potentially even go for more than what Sunderland got for Jack Clarke, with Ipswich Town paying around £15m to win the former Tottenham Hotspur man's services this summer, after he had reinvented himself at the Stadium of Light.

Rigg's future at Sunderland

It's still early days in the fledging career of Rigg, but much like Jobe Bellingham in the Sunderland ranks, the top young starlets at Le Bris' disposal are already being eyed up by some mammoth clubs.

According to GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City are all interested in the services of Rigg moving forward, having been intently scouting the teenager in action.

He has also been linked with a major switch to Spanish titans Real Madrid, further reinforcing how high the teenager's ceiling already is to have Carlo Ancelotti's giants sniffing around.

The report also added fuel to the fire by stating that Rigg's departure down the line would give the Championship side a 'seismic amount' to play with in the transfer kitty, but the homegrown Black Cats ace is perfectly fine with sticking it out at his current location for the time being, especially as Sunderland now sit pretty at the top of the division.

Coming on leaps and bounds since being Sunderland's youngest-ever league goalscorer last September, he might well leave one day for way more than Clarke's £15m, particularly considering that the report states that he's even deemed a bigger talent than compatriot, Adam Wharton, who left second tier side Blackburn Rovers to join Crystal Palace on a £22m deal in January.

Throw into the mix that the Black Cats were also demanding around £20m for Rigg's teammate Anthony Patterson this summer, and it's easy to see why the teenager could soon eclipse Clarke's recent transfer fee.

Rigg's season so far

Given chances here and there last campaign under the likes of interim head coach Mike Dodds, Le Bris has made Rigg front and centre of his new-look Black Cats side, with the Sunderland number 11 present in all four of his side's league wins to date.

He has also started three of those contests, as Rigg – and the rest of his teammates – continue to look unshackled and free under the new managerial methods of the ex-Lorient boss.

Player

Value end of last season

Value now

Anthony Patterson

£10.8m

£11.3m

Daniel Ballard

£4.4m

£6.4m

Dan Neil

£4.5m

£7m

Jobe Bellingham

£6.5m

£10.4m

Trai Hume

£4.8m

£7.9m

Looking at the table above, the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Trai Hume in the Black Cats first team are very much benefitting from the freshness of the early Le Bris regime, with 18-year-old Bellingham's value now all the up at £10.4m.

According to Transfermarkt, Rigg's value only comes in at a meagre £253k – when looking towards the back-end of Sunderland's topsy-turvy 23/24 campaign – with his increase in value to come no doubt the most dramatic on the list.

Winning four duels as a lively presence in his side's 3-1 win away at Portsmouth before the international break intervened, Rigg – who was labelled as "wonderful" by former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray last year – has also shown an eye for goal across his team's four league wins to date, with three shots registered against Sheffield Wednesday last month.

He will only get better under Le Bris and looks likely to be Sunderland's next big sale, especially if Ancelotti's Whites come knocking with an absurd offer down the line.

Sunderland have struck gold on £200k star who's now worth more than Neil

Sunderland would have been glad to keep a firm grip on this star over the summer.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 10, 2024

Sunderland will fight tooth and nail to hold on to Ross Stewart this summer it seems, with Kristjaan Speakman telling The Athletic that he is "keen" to hold on to the forward and reach fresh terms with the player.

How many goals has Ross Stewart scored for Sunderland?

The 26-year-old struggled to get onto the field too frequently for the Black Cats in 2022/23, with the striker having to drop out of the side due to injury issues. It meant that the Championship side had to try and claim a promotion without him and whilst they were able to climb into the play-off places in his absence, they ultimately faltered and fell out of the competition to eventual winners Luton.

Still, the attacker bagged himself ten goals in just 13 league outings and with three assists to boot, it meant he ended the campaign with a goal contribution rate of 1.12 per 90 – the best of his career.

Prior to that, he fired Sunderland to glory in League One with 24 goals in 46 third tier games. It means that since his move to the Stadium of Light, he has never failed to hit a double digit goal tally when he starts ten games or more. It shows how prolific the striker has been for the club and how big of a miss he was when he did have to sit out of fixtures last season.

Are Sunderland selling Ross Stewart?

Now, with the club awaiting potential interest in Stewart's services, Speakman has once more reiterated his side's desire to keep hold of the Scotland man.

Speaking via The Athletic, the Black Cats' sporting director stated that they are "really keen" to keep hold of the forward but that they "haven't got to an agreement" on fresh terms at the club yet. However, in a boost for Sunderland fans, he also added that it seems the player himself would "like to stay" with the Championship outfit.

As yet though, no fresh contract has been agreed and it means he may still be the subject of interest at some point this window, but "that's our private business," says Speakman.

He revealed: "The situation is no different to where we have been: we are really keen to retain Ross and everything from his camp is that he’d like to stay. But we haven’t got to an agreement that both parties would like to sign off.

"Externally that can seem strange, but we don’t think it is – Dennis Cirkin re-signed last week and we have been speaking to him about his contract for maybe six months."

Any interest would come as no surprise though. Having not struggled to adapt to the second tier, as showcased by his ten goals, the forward has proven he is well capable of finding the back of the net in the Championship.

In fact, the praise has continually been heaped on Stewart since his switch to Sunderland, with journalist and Black Cats fan Josh Bunting stating that the striker is "outstanding" after his performances on Wearsdie. His goals record also displays this, and he truly stepped up to the plate in attack for the club since his transfer – and it is therefore no wonder that the second tier outfit are so desperate to hold onto the Scotland player.

Liverpool have reportedly held talks with Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga over a summer move to Anfield, but they aren't alone in showing an interest.

Is Veiga a target for Liverpool?

The £83,000-a-week Spaniard was a standout figure for his side last season, producing some highly impressive performances that were full of creativity and end product.

Veiga scored 11 times in La Liga and also registered four assists for good measure, and a call-up to Spain's senior squad may not be a million miles away, having won four caps for his country's Under-21s to date.

The 21-year-old is one of many midfielders to have been linked with a summer move to Liverpool – Manchester City are also in the race – as the Reds look to make numerous signings there ahead of the new season, following a below-par campaign thanks largely to a beleaguered midfield.

Alexis Mac Allister has already joined from Brighton, which is a big positive step in the right direction, at least another signing is needed in midfield. With Dominik Szoboszlai looking potentially likely to join, too, a key update has emerged regarding the Reds' pursuit of Veiga.

Are Liverpool in talks with Veiga?

According to 90min, Liverpool are one of a number Premier League clubs who have had discussions with the Celta hero regarding a summer transfer:

"90min understands that Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United have all indicated that they would be willing to meet this sum up front or pay a little extra if paid in instalments.

"The quartet have recently held talks with agent Pini Zahavi regarding Veiga's future, while Marseille and Serie A holders Napoli have also registered an interest."

This is a positive update from a Liverpool perspective, suggesting they are still very much keeping their options open when it comes to possible midfield signings.

Veiga certainly looks like a vastly talented young player, already making 55 appearances for Celta and having a "great season" in 2022/23, according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who hailed the youngster's pace, technique and shooting, comparing him to former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey.

At 21, he is still extremely young, however, so it could be that there are more experienced options out there who could be immediate star men from the off, such as Nicolo Barella, who is five years his senior.

Either way, Veiga's arrival would be largely positive, though, given his long-term potential, and whoever snaps him up could be getting someone who ends up being a star in the Premier League.

Liverpool have emerged as the "front-runners" to secure the signature of Southampton's midfield dynamo Romeo Lavia, claims journalist Alex Crook.

Liverpool transfer news – What's the latest on Romeo Lavia?

It's been a positive start to the summer transfer window for Jurgen Klopp's Reds so far, with the signing of Brighton & Hove Albion's World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister last month for a fee of only £35m, potentially rising to £55m with certain clauses.

However, the six-time European champions haven't rested on their laurels and have since added the imperious Dominik Szoboszlai to their midfield in a deal worth an estimated £60m for the player's former club RB Leipzig.

In what is starting to look like an entire midfield rebuild in a single window, the club have turned their attention to the defensive midfield position after Fabinho had a year to forget by his standards.

The player deemed good enough to replace the Brazilian is Belgian international Lavia, who has attracted the interest of a swath of Premier League sides, with the Independent reporting last month that Arsenal were the favourites to land the player.

It would appear that the situation has dramatically changed over the last couple of weeks and that it is, in fact, Liverpool that have now shot to the front of the queue for the youngster's signature, per journalist Alex Crook.

He explained the situation on TalkSPORT's YouTube channel:

"Romeo Lavia is very much a name in the frame for Anfield, I know there is some interest from Chelsea as well, where their recruitment guru Joe Shields played a big part in him going from Manchester City to Southampton, he's keen to get the deal done taking Lavia to Stamford Bridge, but at this stage it looks like Liverpool are the front-runners. It won't be cheap though, Southampton are looking for a fee of as much as £50m for Lavia who I think will go on and become a real top quality Premier League midfielder."

Could Romeo Lavia replace Fabinho?

It may seem like a lot to ask of the 19-year-old, as the Brazilian was a key member of the Reds side that almost won the lot in the 2021/22 season, falling agonisingly close to being quadruple winners.

But after the horror campaign that the 29-year-old just had, it might be time to consider replacing him, and with the complete contrast in form that Southampton's gem had last year, he could well be the right man for the job.

In the passing department, it is advantage to the ex-Real Madrid man who attempts 61.7 passes at a completion rate of 88.3, a lot more than Lavia, who attempts just 40.4 with a completion rate of 86.2%, all per 90.

However, it is the Brussels-born "monster" that wins out when it comes to the defensive side of the game, perhaps the most important category if he is to be played just ahead of the back four.

The 5 foot 11 midfielder makhas madees 2.43 tackles per 90, winning 1.42 of them compared to Fabinho's 2.19 tackles, with 1.28 being successful. It is the same story with blocks and interceptions, with the Sao Paulo-born midfielder winning out in just clearances with 1.35 to his potential replacement's 0.93, also per 90.

While there are certainly some areas for Lavia to work on for him to surpass Fabinho, the fact that he is only 19 years old and already this good suggests that the potential upside with him could be massive, something that should worry the Brazilian should he have another Premier League campaign like his last.

Liverpool aren't just after midfielders this summer it seems, with the Reds preparing an offer to bring in Federico Chiesa, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Rousing the Kop.

How many goals has Federico Chiesa scored?

The winger has had a somewhat torrid year for Juventus in the 2022/23 campaign, with knee injury troubles meaning he was limited to very little playing time. He started on just six occasions in Serie A for example, although he did manage to play in 21 games in total – meaning that he largely had to make do with coming off the bench.

Even though that meant his minutes were limited, he was still able to score two goals and assist five times – it meant that he actually bettered his totals from the 2021/22 season, despite playing for slightly less time.

When able to get onto the field frequently though, the Italian has already showcased in the past what he can do. The last season in which he managed over ten lots of 90 minutes for example brought him eight Serie A goals and the same amount of assists. That meant he had a rate of 16 goal contributions in 28 starts for the Old Lady.

Are Liverpool signing Chiesa?

Now, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport, via Rousing the Kop, the player could be given an escape from the Turin side. That is because Liverpool do appear to have an interest in him and, not only that, they are already preparing an offer for the player to try and tempt Juventus into letting him leave.

That bid will reportedly be worth around £34m and they will be hopeful it can be enough to convince the Italian side into a sale – although it's believed that they are more likely to want just above £50m for the player.

Chiesa clearly still has a lot to offer a football club when he is fit, as football journalist Josh Bunting recently praised his "wonderful" talents after witnessing a "special" goal from the Juve starlet on international duty.

It shows that the forward can still fulfil his potential despite his injury hell over the last 18 months, and given the chance to thrive elsewhere, we could see the best out of him – perhaps Liverpool could be that team.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest for Southampton star Romeo Lavia for several months now, with the Belgium international on the club's shortlist of options this summer.

Jurgen Klopp has received all the plaudits for the exceptional job he has done on Merseyside since arriving in 2015, but the Reds collapsed this season after chasing a historic quadruple last year, and major surgery is now paramount.

World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister has already been signed for a bargain £35m following the departures of midfield trio James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but further firepower is expected, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that the outfit are in the market for two more midfielders.

And according to The Athletic's James Pearce, the 19-year-old Lavia could soon don the Liverpool shirt, and is considered a part of the core cluster of centre-midfield targets for the club.

Football Insider have also recently claimed that contact has been made with the player's representatives, with Chelsea and Manchester United also both intrigued – a fee of around £40m would likely be enough to prompt the relegated Saints to seriously consider allowing their prodigy to leave.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

While the former Manchester City youngster suffered the ignominy of Premier League relegation last term, the teenage gem can hold his head high after belying his tender age and top-flight inexperience with assured and composed performances from the anchoring role in the south coast club's midfield.

Reporter Benjy Nurick had high praise after one performance earlier this year, saying: "Romeo Lavia was an absolute monster tonight. Quite possibly the best midfielder on the pitch."

The one-cap prodigy has recorded an average league rating of 6.8 – as per Sofascore – and exhibited his skills by completing 86% of his passes, making 2.1 tackles per game and succeeding with an extraordinary 68% of his dribbles, which bodes well as Klopp seeks out progressive players to enhance his midfield.

He could be the "perfect" – as stated by reporter Nick Emms – component to ensure that Trent Alexander-Arnold's late-season purple patch is cemented after a year which highlighted his defensive frailties and left the full-back at the epicentre of Liverpool's woes.

As per The Athletic, the crux of Liverpool's strife this year has been down to the midfield's inability to protect the defence, sapped of vitality and devoid of confidence, and Lavia could fix this and subsequently unlock the full might of Alexander-Arnold's creative arsenal.

As per FBref, Lavia ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of blocks per 90, which only further strengthens the claim that, despite still being a budding prospect, he is en route to becoming one of the most dogged in the midfield business.

With Alexander-Arnold now flourishing in his new, inverted role – providing seven assists in the last ten league games of last season, the youthful exuberance of Lavia could ensure that Anfield steps into the new season firing across all cylinders, holding the centre of Klopp's squad together with an iron-clad grip and acting as the midfield 'monster' to allow his creative-centric teammates like the right-back to thrive.

Arsenal are now "willing to go over £100 million" for long-term transfer target Declan Rice, claims journalist Graeme Bailey.

The West Ham United captain has been linked to the north London club for months, but Bailey now understands they are willing to break their transfer record to secure the deal.

Arsenal transfer news – Declan Rice

The first rumblings of a potential deal to bring Rice to the Emirates emerged in the closing days of the January transfer window, and since then, the murmurings have turned into a constant stream of updates and rumours.

It now looks as if that might be coming to an end as the Gunners are preparing to offer the east London club a deal in excess of £100m if certain add-ons are met to secure the services of their player, per the Guardian.

Mikel Arteta's side weren't the only ones interested in the "destroyer", as labelled by ex-Tottenham Hotspur keeper Paul Robinson, with Chelsea and Bayern Munich linked with the player.

However, the Premier League runners-up look to be in a strong position to land the midfielder with Chelsea offering "no indication" that they will prioritise Rice.

What has Graeme Baily said about Arsenal's pursuit of Declan Rice

Bailey gave a promising update to Arsenal fans that the club was now willing to reach the asking price requested by West Ham.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, Bailey said: "Arsenal has been his first choice for quite a while, and he doesn't want to leave London. It's a straight choice between Arsenal and Chelsea, really, and Arsenal are willing to go over £100 million for him now. That's our understanding.

"West Ham have always demanded that, and they're getting the breakthrough. I think it's a spectacular deal for West Ham."

Bailey gave his opinion on the deal, adding: "I like him, but I don't think he's a £100 million footballer, but if he's the player you want, Arsenal, you pay. If he can take you to that next level, you pay it, and I think they're getting very close to doing so."

How much is Declan Rice earning at West Ham, and what will he likely make at Arsenal

According to Spotrac, the Kingston-upon-Thames-born midfielder is currently on the relatively modest sum of £60,000-a-week in east London.

He had reportedly turned down an eight-year contract worth around £200,000-a-week two years ago to keep his options open for a move.

He would've lost around £14.5m worth of wages in the two years since.

However, the decision not to sign has paid off, as any move to the Gunners will likely result in him becoming one of their highest-paid players.

The current best-paid player at the north London club is Bukayo Saka, who is on an estimated £300,000-a-week.

With such a big-money move potentially on the cards for Rice, surely the big wages would come with a possible move to the Emirates.

Celtic are set to be on the search for a new head coach ahead of the 2023/24 campaign as Ange Postecoglou closes in on an exit from Parkhead.

The Athletic's David Ornstein has reported that the 57-year-old will finalise a deal to join Tottenham Hotspur in the coming days.

Who could replace Ange Postecoglou?

Former Hoops midfielder Kris Commons has urged the club to consider a move for out-of-work boss Graham Potter, who left Chelsea earlier this year.

The Scotsman wrote: "Forward-thinking, tactically astute, innovative, an advocate of possession football; he was everything you would want in a modern manager. He eventually got the Chelsea job, only for the whole thing to go sour after barely six months. But I don't think Potter is actually damaged by that."

He added: "If Celtic can land an ex-Liverpool boss like Rodgers, then they certainly would have a chance of getting someone like Potter. It would be daft not to at least ask him the question, if and when Postecoglou does depart."

Would Graham Potter be a success at Celtic?

The English coach, who typically deploys a 3-4-2-1 system, could be a huge success at Parkhead, swiftly allowing supporters to instantly forget about Postecoglou as the 48-year-old has displayed a pattern of being able to improve teams over time.

He was given less than a full season at Chelsea to follow through on his project and that makes it difficult to judge him on his time at Stamford Bridge but his work with Brighton and Ostersunds in the past suggests that he could be an excellent appointment for the Hoops.

Potter won the title in the third tier of Swedish football in his first season and then finished tenth and fifth in the second division before being promoted in second place in his fourth campaign with the club. He then led them to eighth and fifth in the top flight before joining Swansea.

His one season with the Swans, which ended in a tenth-placed finish in the Championship, earned him a move to Brighton and the coach took them from 15th and 16th in the Premier League to ninth in 21/22. This proved that his work in Sweden was not a fluke and that the tactician has the ability to develop clubs in multiple leagues and countries.

Potter, who plays an "aggressive" press according to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, was able to gradually improve both of the teams who invested in him over the course of a number of years and this suggests that he could do the same with Celtic if they give him time to work.

Therefore, the Hoops supporters could instantly forget about their Aussie coach if the club can swoop for the "genius" that is Potter by he was dubbed by broadcaster Joe Thomlinson.

Indeed, the 48-year-old could be an excellent, progressive, appointment.