LONDON: Arsenal have reportedly reached an agreement on personal terms with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, according to claims by a popular account on the X platform.

The English Premier League champions are said to be eyeing a high-profile move for the 26-year-old Brazilian winger.

Vinicius only has one year left on his contract with Real Madrid.

The player is represented by Roc Nation, the agency owned by famous singer Jay-Z, who is reportedly in talks with the club.

A well-known X-account among Arsenal fans, Hand of Arsenal, which has over 370,000 followers, claims that Arsenal have reached a preliminary agreement on personal terms with Vinicius.

According to the account, Roc Nation is now ready to hold talks with Real Madrid by bringing a lucrative offer from the English champions.

However, previous reports stated that Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is determined to keep Vinicius at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Portuguese manager reportedly wants to continue working with the winger regardless of his contract situation.

Real Madrid are also close to finalizing the transfer of RB Leipzig player Yan Diomande for a huge fee.

However, sources within the club insist the player is not a replacement for Vinicius.

They also reminded that several Real Madrid and Barcelona stars had previously been linked with moves to the English Premier League before eventually signing lucrative new contracts to remain in Spain.

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists he wants to bring in players who can take the team to a higher level.

The left wing position is one of Arsenal’s priorities to strengthen following Gabriel Martinelli’s future which is still uncertain, while Leandro Trossard has left the club to join Besiktas.

“We all understand the situation of the transfer window this time.

“From the club owner, the board of directors, the sporting director to myself, we know we want to take this club to a different level.

“That requires a stronger squad and better quality players.

“We have identified aspects that can be improved and how we want to develop our game to achieve that target.

“Hopefully in the near future we can make it happen,” said Arteta.

LONDON: Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has cast doubt on Bradley Barcola’s ability to handle the task of replacing Mohamed Salah if the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker moves to Anfield.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Barcola as a replacement for Salah, but Carragher believes the player is not the best choice to fill the void left by the Egyptian star.

The former Liverpool defender expressed his views via social media after reports of The Reds’ interest in the 23-year-old surfaced.

Barcola, who usually plays on the left wing, is also capable of playing on the right and as a centre forward.

Reports also claim that Barcola is open to joining Liverpool, with the club prepared to spend around £100 million to secure his services.

Liverpool are seen as desperate to find a player who can fill Salah’s role, but Barcola is expected to face a difficult task to match the Egyptian striker’s goal and assist contributions.

Meanwhile, Liverpool also brought in Victor Munoz from Osasuna and the player is expected to try to make an immediate impact in the English Premier League next season.

Munoz finished last season with six goals and two assists in 34 La Liga appearances.

The player was also in the Spanish squad that won the World Cup, but did not manage to make any appearances in the tournament.

Liverpool endured a disappointing season that led to the sacking of Arne Slot, with Andoni Iraola now tasked with restoring the club’s glory.

The new manager hopes to start the 2026-27 season with flying colours and intends to strengthen the attacking machinery in this transfer window.

LONDON: Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri is expected to be sidelined for a short period after undergoing minor back surgery, Manchester City said on Monday.

The Premier League club confirmed that the 30-year-old midfielder underwent the procedure successfully after experiencing prolonged discomfort.

“Manchester City can confirm that Rodri has successfully undergone minor surgery on his back.

“The midfielder has been experiencing discomfort for some time, but has now undergone procedures to address the issue and will begin a short recovery period,” City said in a statement.

Rodri was previously named player of the tournament after helping Spain lift the World Cup trophy in the United States earlier this month, but the latest injury has once again affected his fitness.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has faced several fitness issues since suffering a serious knee injury almost two years ago.

The former Atletico Madrid player still has a year left on his contract with City, but speculation over his future has intensified after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final.

City’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, previously insisted he was not worried about the situation and was confident that Rodri would return to strengthen the team after fully recovering.

City are scheduled to face Arsenal in their season opener in the Community Shield on August 16 before starting their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth the following week.

TRONDHEIM, Norway: No Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko or Amad Diallo.

But while Manchester United’s mainstays were resting in Trondheim, 19-year-old Shea Lacey stole the show in a stylish 5-0 win over Rosenborg.

Five goals were scored, with four of them coming from academy products and each celebrating their first unofficial senior goals against Norway’s most successful club.

Lacey, Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass and Ethan Williams all found the target, flanked by Joshua Zirkzee’s stunning solo effort as United continued to pack up their pre-season preparations.

United manager Michael Carrick just didn’t have time to field 15-year-old gem JJ Gabriel who would have completed a perfect visit to Norway.

Gabriel’s presence in Carrick’s 25-man squad sparked expectations that he would be among the youngest players to ever play for United’s senior team.

However, it did not materialise as Carrick continued with his plans without almost all of the players who had just returned from the World Cup.

Sesko was also not taken due to a shin injury.

Lacey, 19, took over Fernandes’ role at number 10 and his unofficial first senior goal showed United fans the finishing touch that has become synonymous with Carrington academy players.

The Liverpool-born player calmly controlled the ball, tricking the opposing defence before firing a curling shot into the corner of the goal while dominating the game against a Rosenborg midfield that was already fit due to the domestic season.

In front of a rather quiet atmosphere with more seagulls than fans, Zirkzee produced a special moment with a quality solo goal as United bounced back from a 0-1 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki.

LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta faces a major challenge after several of his key players returned from the World Cup exhausted and plagued by injuries.

The tournament ended with Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino suffering a significant bruise under his eye after being hit by a powerful shot from Lionel Messi in the final, which Spain won 1-0 over Argentina.

Merino shared a photo from the Spain dressing room showing the injury, while placing a drink bottle on the swollen eye.

Although the injury is not considered serious, it still brings relief to Arsenal’s medical team who now have to manage the return of all their players from the tournament.

Most worrying is the condition of Declan Rice, who has had a very busy season when he played for 5,482 minutes in 69 matches for club and England.

Rice is expected to need a long period of rest after finishing a grueling season.

Bukayo Saka is still struggling with an Achilles tendon problem he has been experiencing for the past few months, while William Saliba is likely to require surgery after his back injury recurred during France’s semi-final defeat.

Arsenal sent 15 players to the World Cup, including Leandro Trossard who has now left the club, with eight of them progressing to the final weekend of the tournament.

In total, Arsenal players have accumulated 4,224 minutes of action in North America.

That number is only surpassed by Manchester City among Premier League clubs, when their players recorded 5,925 minutes.

The situation is difficult for Arteta as Arsenal have just come through a season that saw them play 63 matches before the players went on to join the World Cup training camp just two days after the season ended on May 30.

Now they only have about 30 days before the new Premier League season begins.

Arsenal enter the new season as Premier League champions, but the fitness levels of Rice, Saka and Saliba are among the main concerns.

The club already expects many players to go far in the World Cup, hence the pre-season schedule has been modified.

Arsenal held a short training camp in Marbella last week before starting official training on Monday.

They also rejected the long pre-season travel plans and opted for a simpler approach.

The team will undergo a training camp in Spain before playing Girona on August 1.

Four days later, Arsenal will face Real Betis in Dublin before returning to London for two more friendlies at the Emirates Stadium in preparation for facing Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff on August 16.

Arsenal have also overhauled their medical department in an effort to improve the team’s injury record.

The club’s doctor, Zafar Iqbal, and head of sports science and performance, Tom Allen, have left the club.

The main physical performance coach, Sam Wilson, also moved to Parma.

To fill the vacancy, Arsenal have appointed Arnaldo Abrantes from Aston Villa as the new club doctor, Eneko Angulo from Real Betis as a rehabilitation specialist and Bayer Leverkusen fitness coach Jose Jimenez.

They are now responsible for ensuring players like Ben White and Jurrien Timber return to peak fitness as soon as possible.

The delayed return of several key players also opened up opportunities for young talent to shine throughout the pre-season.

16-year-old winger Max Dowman has the opportunity to prove his ability on the right wing as Saka and Noni Madueke have just returned from international duty.

In midfield, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are expected to be given more playing minutes after Martin Zubimendi, Merino and Rice only finished their World Cup campaigns last weekend.

Nwaneri’s future with Arsenal is still a question mark, but last season proved that things can change quickly.

The 19-year-old almost left the club before finally making the starting line-up for the Champions League final.

Arteta certainly hopes that the young player can continue his excellent performance and help reduce the burden facing the Arsenal squad ahead of the new season.