Why Arsenal signed Merino, Tonali’s path to redemption, is the Leagues Cup a ‘joke’?
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Hello! Mikel Merino, this is Mikel Arteta. Will Arsenal’s new signing tip the Premier League title?
On the way:
“Win now”: Why Arteta included Merino in the young Arsenal squad
Moments at international tournaments are known to lead to spontaneous transfers, but don’t think Mikel Merino’s leaping header at Euro 2024 seduced Mikel Arteta overnight.
Arsenal’s latest signing – for £32 million ($42 million) – had long been on Arteta’s radar before his brilliant finish knocked Germany out of the European Championships. He was in the club’s recruitment plans a year ago and Arteta persuaded the club to meet Real Sociedad’s asking price in this transfer window, despite Merino not fitting Arsenal’s desired profile.
At 28, he doesn’t exactly add youth to an ageing midfield, but he is versatile and has no problem being ready for the Premier League. And the key takeaway from James McNicholas’ analysis of the deal was that Merino gave Arteta what he thought he would get from Kai Havertz – before the German was asked to play at the top.
Arteta is thinking long-term, but in this case he is expecting an immediate impact from his new signing: the added quality and depth that the Premier League title brings. A ‘win it now’ transfer. Coming your way is a midfield of Merino, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. Yes, please.
Goalkeepers galore, Sancho and Sterling swap?
(Pat Elmont – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
It goes without saying that the transfer carousel continues, with Liverpool completing the signing of Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia (above), where he will remain on loan this season.
We have seen a number of goalkeeper transfers this summer and next in line is Sam Johnstone from Crystal Palace to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Liverpool have also very quickly gone from “exploratory interest” in Federico Chiesa from Juventus to just trying to get a damn deal done. Serie A gets Romelu Lukaku back in return. Napoli get him from Chelsea.
Manchester City, meanwhile, raised £21m by selling Joao Cancelo to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia (they are quite adept at recouping money), and Brighton raised a further £25m for defender Ferdi Kadioglu from Fenerbahce.
Ferdi who? I hear you. The full-back is not a well-known name in Europe, but he will be soon if that touch and that blitz for Turkey in a friendly against Germany becomes part of his day-to-day business.
But even more exciting than all that are the rumors about a possible swap deal that would see Jadon Sancho leave Manchester United for Chelsea, while Raheem Sterling goes the other way.
There’s a lot of work to be done to reach a compromise, but part of me wonders if we’ll be awake enough to do it by Friday night.
Barca’s sign of the times
Barcelona has always been a huge draw; an offer you just couldn’t refuse. Nowadays, being attracted to the Catalans feels more like walking into chaos.
Dani Olmo took the big step when he arrived from RB Leipzig, and Barca’s dysfunction was succinctly summed up by financial problems that delayed his registration for La Liga matches.
The paperwork was completed in time for yesterday’s game at Rayo Vallecano (although Olmo may be ineligible again in January) and guess what? He didn’t score the winning goal until the 82nd minute (see above).
Happy endings are rare at Barca, and yesterday’s result was marred by the cruciate ligament tear of 17-year-old midfielder Marc Bernal, who will need surgery. But for Olmo at least it was a nice start.
📲 Live transfer blog
News overview
Tonali 2.0: Path to redress after gambling ban
(Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
By signing Sandro Tonali, Newcastle United showed their promise of living up to the reputation that surrounded them: the club with Saudi money that behaves like a club with Saudi money.
He may not have broken the transfer record, but the £55 million he paid AC Milan last summer bought him a top-class, dynamic squad. Along with Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali gave Newcastle a Champions League midfield position.
However, the marital bliss was short-lived and Tonali has been gathering dust for almost a year.
He was banned from football for ten months in October for numerous breaches of Italian betting rules. Tonight, having served his ban, he is eligible to return to action in a Carabao Cup tie against Nottingham Forest, a low-key stage for a high-profile moment of rehabilitation.
If the 24-year-old plays, it will be his first appearance for Newcastle since October 25 – the day before his ban came into effect. It’s been a long road back.
Multiple crimes
Tonali’s offenses were numerous. It’s hard to believe, but Newcastle were caught completely off guard.
Chris Waugh and George Caulkin describe in detail how Tonali:
- Showed remorse by asking Newcastle for a pay cut
- Trained during his suspension, although Eddie Howe could not field him
- On match days he was not allowed to enter parts of Newcastle Stadium, including the dressing room
- Received unwavering support at St James’ Park after seeking treatment for his gambling addiction
Faster, sharper?
Before Newcastle bought him, they watched Tonali for months. He won Serie A with Milan and his qualities, coupled with those of Guimaraes, were exactly Howe’s thing.
Howe believes Tonali will come back quicker and sharper. Tonight could be the first test of that. “Like a new signing” is the most hackneyed cliche in football, but in these circumstances Newcastle can rightly apply it to him. Tonali’s redemption starts here.
📺 Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle, 3pm ET/8pm UK — Paramount+, CBS Sports/Sky Sports
All about The Athletic FC: Explained – the new Champions League format
(Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
- The structure of the Champions League is changing to a “Swiss model”. To understand this (and tomorrow’s draw) you need a degree in applied mathematics. Fortunately, Peter Rutzler of The Athletic worked hard at school and can explain it all.
- Whenever I read about INEOS at Manchester United, I ask myself: do the decision-makers know what they are doing? Because, as Jacob Whitehead writes here, things are not going well for the professional cycling team there.
- The 2024 Leagues Cup – a union of Mexican clubs and MLS teams – concluded on Sunday with Columbus Crew winning the title. However, the competition is being somewhat panned, with one coach calling it “a joke of a competition for the Mexican teams.” We mark him down as “not a fan.”
- This book by Stephanie Yang opened my eyes to Michele Kang’s impact on women’s football. Signing Lyon was a smart move.
- Most clicked on in yesterday’s TAFC: the interview with Noel Gallagher. Oasis really are unbeatable.
Catch a match
Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Burnley, 2:30pm/7:30pm – Paramount+, Sky Sports; West Ham United vs Bournemouth, 2:30pm/7:30pm – Paramount+, CBS Sports, Sky Sports.
La Liga: Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol, 3:30pm/8:30pm – ESPN+, Fubo, Premier Sports 1.
German DFB Cup: Carl Zeiss Jena vs Bayer Leverkusen, 12:00/17:00 – ESPN+, Premier Sports 2.
(Top photo: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
