We are just one week into the Premier League season, and Arsenal already have a significant injury setback.

News broke yesterday afternoon that, after only just recovering from his hamstring injury that ruled him out of half of last season, Kai Havertz is out with a knee problem.

It’s not clear what the specific injury is, but it looks like the German will be out of action for some time, which is not what Mikel Arteta needs with a trip to Liverpool coming up.

However, there is some good news for the Arsenal faithful, as the club are being linked with an international star who could be the manager’s next Havertz.

Arsenal target their next Havertz

It has been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far this year, as just a few weeks ago, following Viktor Gyokeres’ arrival, spirits were high.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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However, the sentiment in the fanbase took a nosedive this morning, mainly down to the news that Eberechi Eze looked almost certain to be heading to rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Unsurprisingly, this mood was not helped by the Havertz update, although Arsenal have acted quickly to give supporters something to look forward to with the Gunners incredibly hijacking Spurs’ bid to sign Eze, now agreeing a move themselves.

Eze hasn’t been the only Premier League attacker on the club’s radar. According to a recent report from the Sun, which has claimed Arsenal are still very interested in Morgan Rogers.

The report has revealed that the Gunners are now ‘weighing up a dramatic swoop’ for the Aston Villa star, who is valued at around £80m.

It goes on to claim that while the North Londoners were already keeping tabs on the Englishman, the injury to Havertz has only ‘increased the likelihood’ that the club will go back into the market.

It’s a lot of money to spend on one player, but Rogers is an outrageously talented player and would be more than worth it, especially as he could be Arteta’s new Havertz.

How Rogers would be Arteta's new Havertz

So, the first thing to say is that, yes, Rogers and Havertz have not played in the same position over the last couple of seasons.

However, while that is not the primary basis of this comparison, there are a few other similarities that suggest the Englishman could be Arteta’s new version of the German.

For example, while we are on the topic of positions, they both share the trait of being versatile and playing where their managers want them to.

In the case of the Villa star, he’s spent much of his time at the club moving between attacking midfield and both wings and has even spent a little bit of time up top, which might come in handy at the moment.

The former Chelsea ace, on the other hand, has primarily spent time leading the line, but was originally a left eight when he arrived in North London, and even spent some time on the right last season.

The other key similarity is that, if this transfer goes through at the price reported, it would be another massive signing from a fellow Premier League side, and one that is challenging the European places.

Finally, both players are now full internationals, and while the former Bayer Leverkusen player has far more senior caps to his name, that would be expected given the age gap.

With all that said, there is another massive reason why Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign the former Middlesbrough gem: his output.

For example, in his 54 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 4496 minutes, the Halesowen-born “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob, scored 14 goals and provided 16 assists.

Rogers’ 24/25

Appearances

54

Minutes

4496′

Goals

14

Assists

16

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

Minutes per Goal Involvement

149.86′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That means the often “unstoppable” midfielder, as dubbed by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher, was able to average a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 149.86 minutes.

Having that sort of output in this team could be the difference between another second-place finish and glory.

Ultimately, even before the injury to Havertz, Arsenal should have gone all out to sign Rogers, but now we know the German will be out for some time, the club should be solely focused on bringing the Villa star to the Emirates.

Related Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal could move for "interesting" target in £43m star

The Gunners have a potential late-window opportunity.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Aug 20, 2025

Bernardo Silva has claimed that Arsenal had an "unfair advantage" over Manchester City during their Premier League clash at the Emirates on Sunday. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after Gabriel Martinelli's dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser cancelled out Erling Haaland's early goal in the first half, with the Gunners extending their unbeaten run against City to six matches.

• Martinelli spoiled Man City's party with late equaliser

  City were just minutes away from securing a crucial win against Arsenal on Sunday but Martinelli spoiled Pep Guardiola's party as the Brazilian winger came off the bench to score a dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser. The result ensured the Gunners stay second in the Premier League table while City are down in ninth.

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  Silva bemoans lack of recovery time

  Arsenal went into the key Premier League fixture after playing Athletic Club last Tuesday in the Champions League, while City took on Napoli two days later.

  Speaking to the Manchester Evening News after the match, Silva bemoaned the lack of recovery time for City, saying: "I am saying this because we didn’t lose. If we lost, I wouldn’t say this. But the reality is, we cannot come to one of the most important games in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest. It is not fair to play one of these games like this. It is just not right. They had five days, and we had two-and-a-half days. In one of the most important games, this cannot happen.

  "I wasn’t feeling in a perfect condition to play like this, and people who have not played at the highest level don’t know how it feels to play a game like this. You need to be at your best condition. We saw [Abdukodir] Khusanov getting injured because these games demand a lot. I feel it is just frustrating that we couldn’t be at our best level simply because of the decision of someone that thinks it is fair to come away after two-and-a-half less days than Arsenal. But in the end we did well in terms of fighting, resilience and sticking together and sticking to the plan. It is just frustrating we conceded very late in the game."

  He added: "I felt the difference in the first half. If you play at the highest level you know that two days playing against one of the best teams in the league, away, with the travel, you need at least one more day to recover. It doesn’t matter if Arsenal had four, five or six days [to recover], just give us one more day, and that gives us three-and-a-half days. Then you make it an even game. Two-and-a-half days is not enough to recover our bodies and to perform at the highest level. It is just not enough."

• Calls for 'common sense' to prevail

  The Portugal international once again hit out at the congested fixture schedule, which is taking a toll on the fitness levels of players across Europe. "We have tried, they don’t listen to us. It is what it is. We would like to change something, but it never changes," Silva said. "It does not really matter, but for the fans, for the respect of the clubs, and for the fairness of the competition, I don’t think what happened today [on Sunday] was good. Look, the schedule is the schedule and I understand you have different competitions and UEFA, the Premier League, and the broadcasters want to make their money and I understand all those sorts of things.

  "What we ask is that we don’t mind playing every three or four days, and we don’t mind playing 60 games because we are used to that. But what we ask for is common sense because this is one of the biggest games of the season. And it is not because of us. I don’t think that they are trying to make us lose a game. It could happen to Arsenal or Liverpool in a few months. But when you are playing an Arsenal vs City or a City vs Liverpool or Liverpool vs Arsenal, you need to have a bit of common sense, and understanding of these situations and in such an important game, the players need to be in the same physical conditions otherwise, I don’t think it is fair. I know it might have happened to other teams in the past. It did not feel like we were in the same physical condition as them."

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  Up next for City: Huddersfield then Burnley

  Guardiola will be expected to rotate his starting lineup heavily for City's Carabao Cup third-round fixture against Huddersfield Town on Wednesday. City are due to host Burnley in their next Premier League fixture three days later.

MatériaMais Notícias

Visto como uma das grandes promessas da base santista, Miguelito estava recebendo algumas oportunidades de Odair Hellmann no começo da temporada. Inclusive, ele chegou a ser relacionado para o duelo contra o Audax Italiano, pela Copa Sul-Americana, que aconteceu no Chile.

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Mas, mesmo sendo visto como uma joia, o jovem boliviano nunca chegou a se consolidar de fato no profissional do Peixe. No entanto, existe uma explicação por trás disso: o meia voltou para o Sub-20 para se manter ativo.

Neste sábado (3), inclusive, Miguelito chamou a atenção entre os Meninos da Vila. Contra a Portuguesa Santista, pelo Campeonato Paulista Sub-20, ele marcou um dos seis gols na vitória da equipe, ajudando assim a classificar o time para a próxima fase da competição.

ATUAÇÕES: Lucas Lima se destaca em empate do Santos com o Internacional pelo Brasileirão

A volta de Miguelito para a base santista teria sido uma decisão do próprio Odair Hellmann, que recentemente chegou a se manifestar sobre o assunto.

Uma das explicações seria o ‘excesso de meias’ no elenco. Além de Miguelito, que ainda apresenta pouca experiência no profissional, o elenco conta com nomes como Lucas Lima, Ed Carlos, Ivonei e Daniel Ruiz para a posição. E nesta lista, alguns são mais consolidados.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

+ Clique aqui e veja como apostar no Brasileirão

+ Confira os jogos e classificação resultados do Brasileirão-23 na tabela do LANCE!

Em entrevista para o portal ‘De Olho no Peixe’, Odair chegou a explicar os critérios utilizados para escolher quem joga ou não. Para o técnico, é preciso observar uma série de fatores, citando ‘treinamento, oportunidade e comportamento’.

– Primeiro, que nós no grupo, contamos com cinco ou seis meias. Estamos usando hoje um por inicial e quando o Daniel Ruiz inicia, usamos os dois. Ainda levo um e as vezes dois para o banco e vai ficar dois ou três fora. É escolha, tem que fazer a escolha, independente de qualquer coisa – disse.

– A outra questão é visualização de treinamento, oportunidade, comportamento. Esses fatores são importantes para que a gente possa ir dando sequência. Estou oportunizando o Ed Carlos em determinados jogos, o Ivonei vai e em outros não, e com o Miguelito é a mesmo coisa – completou.

Assim, para Miguelito não perder o ritmo e ficar ‘encostado’ no banco, voltou para as categorias de base para conseguir se manter na atividade, e de certa forma, também ganhar mais experiência. Inclusive, este é outro argumento utilizado pelo treinador para explicar como ‘gerencia’ questões como esta. A intenção também é desenvolver mais ainda o físico do jogador.

Para Odair, quando um jogador não está treinando com o time profissional, a ideia é mantê-lo em movimento no Sub-20, pensando também em ‘aumentar sua performance’. Essa justificativa também foi utilizada há alguns meses para explicar o ‘sumiço’ de Ivonei.

– Quando o jogador não está treinando com o profissional, nós estamos fazendo o movimento dele continuar fazendo os jogos pelo Sub-20, pois é importante para um jogador dessa idade que não está sendo utilizado pelo profissional tá jogando para melhorar e aumentar performance – disse sobre Miguelito.

– O cara que só viaja e não entra no jogo, ele ‘destreina’. Temos que ter essa capacidade de gerenciamento. Miguelito e Ed Carlos, neste momento, estão fazendo bons treinamentos e estão merecendo receber uma oportunidade de vir para a lista. Quem sabe até de entrar nas partidas – afirmou sobre Ivonei em abril.

Começo de ano complicado

Mesmo sendo visto como um jogador com potencial, o início do ano não foi nada fácil para o jovem boliviano de apenas 19 anos. Em janeiro, ele sofreu com a perda súbita de sua mãe. Na época, o Santos o liberou para retornar ao seu país natal e acompanhar o velório. Além disso, Miguelito estava se recuperando de problemas no joelho e se preparando para retornar aos gramados. Devido à sua idade, o futuro do meia na equipe causava preocupação no Peixe, que sempre deixou claro que daria todo o tempo necessário para o jogador se recuperar do luto.

Depois de quase quatro meses sem jogar, Miguelito voltou a atuar em março, pelo Brasileiro Sub-20. Em um clássico disputado contra o São Paulo, ele marcou o gol decisivo na vitória por 3 a 2.

Birmingham City have found their return to Championship life to be comfortable so far.

Unlike fellow promoted new side Wrexham, who have already been made well aware of the jump-up in quality, Chris Davies’ Blues look ready for the challenge ahead of the 46-game marathon, having recently fought back dramatically to win 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers.

Having also just been acknowledged at the PFA Awards with seven members of the Birmingham first team squad in League One Team of the Year, everything appears to be rosy currently at St. Andrew’s.

That’s the case even after rumours linking the Blues to an audacious move for Aleksandar Mitrovic were rubbished, with the temporary thought of Mitrovic leading the line for another Championship side a terrifying prospect.

Birmingham's rumoured interest in Mitrovic

There may well have been some weight behind Birmingham plotting a stunning move for the ex-Fulham attacker, considering they have forked out a notable £10m on Kyogo Furuhashi’s services in recent times.

However, landing the Serbian would have undoubtedly been the signing of the summer from the Blues’ perspective – away from the former Celtic man’s arrival on to the scene – when you assess his unbelievable goalscoring exploits in the EFL’s elite division previously.

In total, Mitrovic has managed to bag an insane 83 strikes from just 126 career appearances in the competitive league, with 43 of those coming during just one Championship season.

Of course, it wasn’t just Birmingham taking a look at Mitrovic in isolation, unfortunately, with Leeds United and Sunderland also named as other parties keen on snapping up the imposing centre-forward.

The Al-Hilal attacker wouldn’t be joining the Blues camp on a cheap deal, either, with reports suggesting that he had a £26m price-tag above his head, before you even factor in his wild £414k-per-week salary in the Saudi Pro League, as per Capology.

Therefore, it’s safe to assume – despite Journalist Alex Crook hinting on talkSPORT (17:55, 17th August) that it could have been a possibility – that Mitrovic leaving the luxuries of the Middle East behind for St. Andrew’s was always going to be far-fetched to pull off.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, going back in for this former target does seem more realistic and a perfect way to get over this ambitious switch not happening.

Birmingham can forget Mitrovic by signing £13m star

For half of Mitrovic’s extortionate valuation, Birmingham could set their sights on this alternative figure up top instead, with Che Adams – who is worth £13m according to Football Transfers – tipped for a return to St Andrew’s.

As was reported earlier this month, the Championship newcomers still hold some interest in bringing their former striker back to the West Midlands, having been in the race for his signature earlier in the transfer window.

While he might not boast a 43-goal season at the unforgiving level, the Scotsman certainly knows how to find the back of the net with some venom in the EFL’s top league to be seen as an adequate move to go after, instead of landing a more expensive Mitrovic.

Indeed, Adams has managed to register a healthy 49 Championship strikes across his well-travelled career to date, with his last season at the punishing level seeing him bag a career-best 17 goals as his then employers Southampton soared up to the Premier League.

Southampton

191

48 + 21

Birmingham

123

38 + 13

Sheffield United

55

15 + 5

Torino

39

10 + 4

This will surely pique Birmingham’s interest as they try to make the best possible moves to ensure back-to-back promotions occur, with the 29-year-old proving himself to be a reliable goal machine wherever he’s been across his playing days so far. Indeed, ex-Torino manager Paolo Vanoli hailed him as “perfect” for the Serie A side’s system when powering home ten strikes from 39 clashes in Italy.

Rather than Mitrovic ditching the Saudi Pro League for a chance back in England, therefore, it could soon be Adams tempted by a second chance at glory with his ex-side.

In an ideal world, Birmingham might well have shown more purpose as they attempted to bring Mitrovic into the building on a statement deal.

But, any potential lost move for the ex-Championship menace irking Birmingham will be swept under the carpet if Adams joins Davies’ camp last minute, especially if he powers home more crucial second-tier strikes to add another promotion up to the Premier League on his resume.

Birmingham eyeing "great player" with 44 Premier League goal contributions

What a signing this could be.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 19, 2025

تحدث بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي عقب فوز فريقه أمام برينتفورد ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”، وعلّق على رقمه القياسي، حديثه مع إيرلينج هالاند، وإصابة رودري.

وتغلب مانشستر سيتي على برينتفورد بهدف دون مقابل، سجله هالاند، في إطار مباريات الجولة السابعة للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال جوارديولا متحدثًا لشبكة “سكاي سبورتس”: “لقد كان أداءً جيدًا، سنحت لهم فرصة واحدة في الشوط الأول، والتحام واحد خسرناه، لكن بخلاف ذلك حصلوا على مزيد من الركلات الركنية، ورميات التماس، وبعض المواقف الخطرة، وهذا أمر معتاد في الدوري الإنجليزي”.

وأضاف: “لقد قدمنا شوطًا أول مميزًا وقريبًا للغاية من أفضل مستوياتنا في كثير من الأمور، المشكلة أننا لم نسجل الأهداف، والفرص التي حصلنا عليها تألق كيلهير في التصدي لها، وفي الدوري الإنجليزي دائمًا يكون الأمر أكثر صعوبة في الشوط الثاني، كنا متقدمين 1-0 وهذا يحدث”.

وتابع جوارديولا: “بشكل عام أنا راضٍ جدًا عن هذا الشهر، فمنذ مباراة مانشستر يونايتد تطورنا كثيرًا في جوانب عديدة، وآمل أن يعود اللاعبون من فترة التوقف الدولي بصحة جيدة”.

وعن سبب معاناة فريقه بعد الهدف، أجاب: “لأن هناك عشرة لاعبين خلف الكرة، أليس كذلك؟ العملية كانت جيدة للغاية، ومن خبرتي فإننا عندما نفوز يكون ذلك لأننا لعبنا جيدًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | هالاند: هذا أفضل هدف بالنسبة لي.. وأوجه التحية إلى ابني

وبشأن إيرلينج هالاند، وما قاله له جوارديولا، أوضح: “قلت له في نهاية المباراة أن يستمر، لقد كان مرهقًا لكنه مطالب بالاستمرار، لقد كان مهمًا جدًا بالنسبة لنا هذا الموسم، نحن بحاجة إلى مزيد من الأهداف من بقية اللاعبين، الأجنحة عليهم أن يسجلوا أكثر، في مواقف واحد ضد واحد أو اثنين ضد واحد يجب أن ينهوها بشكل أفضل، لكن خطوة بخطوة سنفعل ذلك، الفريق بدا أكثر صلابة، وسنكون بخير”.

وحول إصابة رودري، أشار: “كنت محقًا، أليس كذلك؟ في بداية المباراة عندما سألتني لماذا لا أشركه طوال 90 دقيقة، يسألني الصحفيون دائمًا لماذا أستبدله؟ آمل ألا تكون إصابته خطيرة، كنت أتمنى أن أملك رودري كل ثلاثة أيام، لكن بعد عام كامل من اللعب المستمر يحدث ذلك دائمًا، الأمر مرهق للغاية، لهذا حاولنا التعامل معه بحذر، أن يلعب 60 أو 65 دقيقة فقط، لكن لم يكن ممكنًا أكثر من ذلك”.

وأستطرد: “إنها إصابة عضلية، لذا سيغيب أسبوعين أو ثلاثة أسابيع، بالطبع لا أريد أن أخسره حتى لفترة قصيرة، إنه أمر مؤسف لأنه لاعب مهم جدًا بالنسبة لنا، حاولنا أن نعتني به، لكن هذا هو الوضع”.

وبشأن الوصول إلى 250 فوزًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز أسرع من أي مدرب آخر، أفاد: “سأدعوهم جميعًا (المدربين الذين حطم رقمهم القياسي) لتناول العشاء، أعتقد أنه لشرف لي الجلوس معهم على الطاولة، لذا فالأمر ليس سيئًا، إنها عشرة مواسم، و250 فوزًا عدد كبير، بدأنا لسبب واحد، وهو أننا حققنا الكثير من الانتصارات”.

Brendon McCullum begins his tenure in charge of England’s white-ball teams with T20I and ODI series in India ahead of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. On the first pod of 2025, Alan Gardner was joined by Matt Roller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to discuss how McCullum might overhaul their fortunes. Topics include reinvigorating Jos Buttler, bringing back Joe Root and a focus on pace in the seam attack.