Arsenal and Liverpool boast the best defensive stats in the Premier League this season, a fact mirrored by their standings.

Despite their solid backlines, both teams are reportedly eyeing reinforcements in defense come summer.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes (via 90min), both clubs are set to compete for Girona’s left-back, Miguel Gutierrez, who has a £25 million release clause.

Interestingly, his former club, Real Madrid, can reacquire him for just £6.5 million due to a buyback clause.

Arsenal’s interest stems from uncertainties about Oleksandr Zinchenko’s future at the club, although any new signing would likely be a reserve to Riccardo Calafiori.

Meanwhile, Liverpool aims to find a successor for Andy Robertson, whose performance has reportedly declined as he’s aged into his thirties.

Liverpool could scupper Arsenal’s deal

Both Arsenal and Liverpool offer appealing football projects, making it hard to choose one over the other as a more desirable destination. However, should Miguel Gutierrez opt for Liverpool, he might find more consistent playing time, especially if the league leaders decide to phase out Andy Robertson and move on from Kostas Tsimikas.

At Arsenal, Riccardo Calafiori fits well into Mikel Arteta’s tactical setup, and Jurrien Timber has also proven effective at left-back, raising questions about Arsenal’s actual interest in Gutierrez. Additionally, Arsenal might prioritize a significant investment in their attacking line this summer, potentially delaying any defensive signings.

Meanwhile, it’s uncertain if Real Madrid will activate their buyback clause for Gutierrez. If they do, it might be with the intention of selling him for a profit later, as Carlo Ancelotti already has Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia as left-back options and might not seek another in the upcoming transfer window.

Lee Sharpe tips struggling Arsenal star to turn his season around

Raheem Sterling’s loan move to Arsenal is clearly not working out for either him or the club.

Mikel Arteta had high hopes that the Chelsea forward could significantly boost Arsenal’s attack, leading to Reiss Nelson being loaned out to make room for Sterling. Given Sterling’s impressive track record, he was anticipated to bring both depth and flair to Arsenal’s forward line.

However, Sterling’s performance has been underwhelming, echoing the reasons why Chelsea was ready to part ways with him. He’s not living up to his former self, and it’s increasingly evident that he’s struggling to make a positive impact at Arsenal.

Despite this, there was no move to terminate his loan in January, and he remains with the team. Sterling is attempting to recapture his form, but so far, he hasn’t capitalized on his chances.

As the season progresses to its critical phase, former player Lee Sharpe has expressed optimism about Sterling’s potential improvement. Sharpe commented, according to Metro Sport:

‘I’m not sure why he’s not getting picked, maybe it’s something Arteta has seen in training or something else. It’s a shame to see because we know he is capable of producing on the pitch, it’s just a matter of getting that out of him.

‘Arsenal could really do with his help on the right-wing too, considering they’re missing their star man for what looks to be at least another month, so I don’t think this is the last we’ve heard from him this season.’

Despite Lee Sharpe’s hopeful outlook, Raheem Sterling doesn’t seem to be the dynamic player he was during his time at Liverpool and Manchester City. There’s an increasing feeling that Arsenal could be squandering precious time in attempting to restore him to his previous peak performance.

Arsenal’s recent defeat against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup was a setback, but it doesn’t define them as a poor team.

Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal boasts quality across the pitch, which is why they’ve been in the running for the Premier League title for three consecutive seasons now. This has not gone unnoticed, with clubs like Real Madrid taking interest.

William Saliba, one of the world’s top defenders, has been with Arsenal since 2019, but it’s only in the last three years that he’s become a regular. At just 23, he’s been outstanding, drawing attention from Real Madrid, who, according to TBR Football in September, sent scouts to watch him play against Aston Villa. RMC Sports has since confirmed that Real Madrid see Saliba as their ‘absolute priority’ for the summer transfer window.

Arsenal, however, has no intention of selling Saliba and would set a ‘dissuasive’ price to deter Real Madrid. If a transfer does happen, Saliba would become the priciest defender ever.

Given his young age and current status among the best centre-backs globally, Arsenal should be reluctant to let him go. But, should Saliba choose to move, Arsenal could command an exorbitant fee, likely making him the most expensive defender in football history.

The CIES Football Observatory has pegged William Saliba’s current market value at €101.8 million (£85m). If Real Madrid were to sign him for that amount, he’d still break the record for the most expensive defender ever, but Arsenal would likely seek a much higher fee.

To safeguard their interest in Saliba, Arsenal should consider extending his contract, which is set to run out in the summer of 2027.

Arsenal have a ‘new Martin Odegaard’ ready to be unleashed this season by Mikel Arteta

Arsenal might just have another Martin Odegaard in their ranks with 15-year-old academy star Max Dowman. This young talent has displayed similar qualities to Odegaard, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly considering including him in a first-team matchday squad this season.

Dowman has already made an impact with Arsenal’s under-19 team in the UEFA Youth League before Christmas, despite being significantly younger than his peers and competitors. He also broke records by becoming the youngest player to feature for Arsenal’s under-21 team, coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw against Brighton.

Much like Odegaard, Dowman excels at dribbling past opponents and delivering precise passes through defenses. In a match against Sporting’s under-19 team, he demonstrated his speed by sprinting to pressure the goalkeeper and consistently managed to dodge challenges with his agility and ball control.

Turning 15 on December 31, Dowman was part of Arsenal’s squad for their mid-season trip to Dubai. The Daily Mail suggests that Arteta might even name him on the bench for a senior team game before the season concludes.

With several promising academy players having been signed by rival clubs last summer, Arsenal’s leadership is keen to demonstrate a clear path to the first team. Reports indicate that multiple Premier League academies have approached Dowman’s father, showing interest in the youngster, which could lead to him being signed by another club before Arsenal can secure him with a scholarship for the 2026/27 season.

Dowman made his under-18 debut in September 2023 at just 13 years old and contributed four assists in a 5-2 win over Fulham half a year later.

And after the clash with Fulham, former Arsenal under-18s boss Jack Wilshere explained: “There’s always a concern when fielding such a young player in these matches, but if you’re good enough you’re old enough.

“Hopefully, we can fast-track him and when he goes over to the first team he’ll be more ready.

“Debut opportunities aren’t handed out lightly, and Max has demonstrated over the past few months that he deserves this chance. He handled the moment admirably.”

On transfer deadline day, the four-time consecutive Premier League champions, Man City, secured the services of midfielder Nico González from Porto by activating his £50m release clause.

This move has pushed the Sky Blues’ January transfer expenditure to £178m, adding to their earlier acquisitions of Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush, and Juma Bah. According to Philip Buckingham from The Athletic, this spending spree means Manchester City outlaid more than all 19 other Premier League teams combined in this window, and four times more than Wolves, the next highest spenders.

The acquisition of González signals a rejuvenation strategy for Manchester City, raising questions about whether one of their all-time greats might see reduced playing time.

González, who started his career at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy at age 11, made 37 appearances for Barcelona’s first team before his €8.5m move to Porto in the summer of 2023. At just 23, he’s already receiving high praise. Anantaajith Raghuraman from The Athletic notes his ability to “read space well and dictate the tempo of games,” predicting he’ll “slot immediately into Man City’s midfield” to fill an existing gap.

Ali Tweedale from the Premier League highlights González’s “ball-carrying ability,” noting how he “regularly drives through midfield with the ball.” Nick Wright of Sky Sports describes him as a “box-to-box midfielder” who could play alongside fellow Spaniard Rodri upon his return from injury.

With 131 senior appearances under his belt, González has 12 goals and 12 assists, with a significant portion of these stats (seven goals and six assists) coming in the first half of this season, including a crucial winning goal against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League, ensuring Porto’s continued participation in the competition.

His rapid development indicates he’s primed for the step up to a higher level, potentially stepping into the shoes of one of Manchester City’s legendary players.

Manchester City to move on from all-time great

According to Jeff Rueter from The Athletic, MLS expansion team San Diego FC has shown “interest” in signing Kevin De Bruyne this summer. Tom Bogert, also from The Athletic, suggests that the Belgian midfielder is contemplating a move to the United States.

De Bruyne, who will turn 34 in June, is currently in the last year of his contract with Manchester City, where his role has seemingly diminished. In a recent match where Manchester City was defeated 5-1 by Arsenal, De Bruyne, despite his historical success against Arsenal with eight goals, only played the last 18 minutes. So far this season, he’s only logged 1,326 minutes on the pitch, which is just 41% of Manchester City’s total playing time.

With this context, let’s take a look at De Bruyne’s performance statistics over the last five seasons.

As shown in the table, during the peak of his career in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, Kevin De Bruyne’s statistics were phenomenal, earning him acclaim as potentially the “Premier League’s best midfielder ever” from former players like Jamie Redknapp.

However, it’s evident that De Bruyne’s performance is now on a downward trajectory, with a noticeable decline in his key attacking stats this season. Although his pass completion rate and touches per 90 minutes have increased, this suggests he’s playing further from the goal.

With De Bruyne’s role at Manchester City appearing to wane, his shoes might seem impossible to fill. Yet, could Manchester City have just signed their next big star in Nico González? This box-to-box midfielder certainly hopes to step up and fill the significant gap left by De Bruyne.