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With a club legend at the wheel, high-profile signings arriving at the club instead of moving to rivals and football looking more progressive than ever on the pitch, it's hard  not  to get supremely excited about the future as a Chelsea fan. Securing Hakim Ziyech from Ajax, swooping Timo Werner from right under the eyes of Liverpool and now closing in on a deal for young German hot-shot Kai Havertz, the Blues look more focused than ever on closing the gap between themselves and the Premier League title. On the surface, it looks like it could well be heading that way, too. Frank Lampard has breathed new life into the club with a youthful approach - despite his hands being tied by a transfer ban in his first season as head coach - and his side are still in with a chance of lifting a trophy in both the FA Cup, and the Champions League (if an absolute miracle comes to pass). Owner Roman Abramovich seems to have reverted to his old ways and tapped into his inner villain, reaching d...

Mikel Arteta has admitted that  Arsenal  have 'no margin for error' in the upcoming transfer window, but backed the Gunners' owners to come good in approaching a 'crucial' time for the club. With the last game of the season on Sunday, the highest Arsenal can finish the campaign is eighth, which will be Arsenal's lowest final position in the Premier League since 1995. To make matters worse, if they don't beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final, it'll also be their first year outside of European competition for 25 years. After a turbulent campaign for the Gunners, Arteta has  repeatedly been vocal about the club's need to strengthen  in the summer in order to compete with the division's best. Pepe joined in a huge £72m deal last summer. Missing out on Europe could have grave consequences for Arsenal, as it represents a major revenue loss, which could make the summer transfer window an even more challenging one. "We know that we don't have any mar...

Stefano Pioli will be staying in charge of Milan after signing a contract extension with the Serie A club. It was expected Pioli would be replaced by Ralf Rangnick, who had been in talks with the Rossoneri about a deal that could have seen him become head coach and effectively sporting director.   However, Rangnick's representative confirmed on Tuesday that talks had been called off because "it is not the right time at the moment and there is no momentum for working together". Marc Kosicke also pointed to "the good development and results under Pioli" as a reason for the move not taking place. Milan later confirmed their current coach had agreed to a new contract that would keep him at San Siro until June 2022.  "I am happy and proud of the trust I have received from AC Milan," Pioli said in a statement. "I want to thank everyone, including our fans, who we are really missing at the stadium, but are always close ...

When Pep Guardiola said he had a feeling Mikel Arteta was building something special at Arsenal, he might not have banked on being proved right so quickly and so emphatically. Arsenal reached half-time in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City deservedly 1-0 ahead. It should have been more. The eventual 2-0 outcome did not flatter them in the slightest. Arteta's three and a half years as Guardiola's assistant at City saw his reputation blossom rapidly. He had already been offered the top job at Emirates Stadium in 2018 before accepting his first senior coaching position last December. It was easy to see almost everything Arsenal did in an accomplished showing as being informed and inspired by the Guardiola playbook. Take Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's beautifully constructed 19th-minute opener, for example. The move featured 18 passes, the bulk of them knocked about inside their own area in a daring high-wire act. By the time Nicolas Pepe floated a teasing ...

It was so near, yet so far for Arsenal at the weekend. Despite dominating much of the north London Derby against Tottenham, Mikel Arteta's side were cruelly robbed by a late Toby Alderweireld header - sending their bitter rivals above them in the Premier League table. It doesn't get any easier for the Gunners either, with a trip to Anfield to face record-points chasing Liverpool next on the agenda. So what should Arteta do ahead of his toughest away game as manager? Here's  90min 's take on who should play. 1. Goalkeeper & Defenders Emiliano Martinez was unlucky to be on the losing side on Sunday Emiliano Martinez (GK )- The Argentine stopper has been excellent since he stepped in for the injured Bernd Leno, highlighted by his blinding fingertip save from Ben Davies at the weekend. More of the same may be needed here. Shkodran Mustafi (CB) - Mustafi had a pretty ordinary game against Spurs, as he so often does in big games. Although he has improved since the restart...

When it comes to right wingers in 2020, Jadon Sancho is probably causing the biggest stir. With Manchester United intent on signing him, he could feasibly soon be the most expensive English player in history, surpassing the £80m fee that took Harry Maguire to Old Trafford last summer. Were it not for the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the transfer market, his value could have even exceeded £100m and firmly in the bracket with the few most expensive of all time. What is remarkable is that Sancho has reached this level, expected to be among the world’s best players for years to come, at the age of just 20. As recently as March, he was still a teenager. Sancho scored 20 goals for Dortmund in 2019/20 His place in history as the first player born in the 21st century to make a world class impact in the sport is already secure. The rest is still yet to be written. At an age when most footballers are just trying to get first-team opportunities, Sancho was top scorer for  B...

RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff says he believes Dayot Upamecano will be staying put this summer, hinting that the centre-back could agree similar terms to those signed by Timo Werner 12 months before the striker's move to Chelsea. Upamecano was one of Europe's leading central defenders in 2019/20 as Leipzig came up short in the  Bundesliga  title race. Leipzig finished with the second defence in the division, and conceded just 33 goals in the 28 games started by the 21-year-old. They have a place in the Champions League quarter-finals to look forward to in August, having brushed aside Spurs in the round of 16, but there have been fears Upamecano could depart before then. Manchester City considered a January offer, while Arsenal, Barcelona,  Bayern Munich  and Manchester United are among his options. Mintzlaff, however, is laid back about the future of one of his prized assets, saying that he is 'confident' of securing his long-term future, despite his contract ...