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It looked like Arsenal had given up on their chances of signing midfielder Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid in this transfer window. The Gunners have wanted the player all summer but have failed to meet the price tag that the La Liga side have demanded.

However, transfer deadline day is always full of drama and The Athletic’s David Ornstein has just offered up his fair share, claiming that Arsenal are making a late move for the player.

Ornstein has dropped a major transfer update on Partey as he reports that the Gunners have made this late move to sign the player. They have contacted those close to the 27 year-old and have expressed their intention to pay his buy-out clause.

The North London side are making all necessary arrangements, including sorting out a possible medical in Spain to make the deal happen, and they are optimistic about their chances.

Last season under Diego Simeone, Partey caused havoc for the sides he faced as he played 35 times in La Liga and managed 2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, and 1.1 clearances per game, via WhoScored. This shows that he is great at breaking up opposition attacks and he would be an ideal asset for Arsenal in the middle of the pitch.

If they had a proper defensive midfielder like the Ghanian in their starting eleven, it would give more freedom to attacking players in the side, and he would also provide great cover for the defensive line.

It would show a big statement of intent that the north London side are not happy with where they finished last season and that they want to be battling again for the top six at a minimum if they sign Partey, and it would bring a massive lift to all associated with the club..

Gunners fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Let us know down below!

Arsenal didn’t produce their best performance against Tottenham Hotspur as they lost 2-1 in the North London derby.

One pundit speaking about the game was former Gunners star Paul Merson, who has slated one player in particular. That player is Sead Kolasinac, who gifted Spurs their first goal following a misplaced pass.

Speaking via Sky Sports, Merson said: “When the manager puts on a training session and you’re doing five-yard passes to start off with, everybody is moaning: “What the hell are we doing this for? Who can’t pass the ball five yards?”

“But that is why. It’s concentration, so you can keep on doing it without even thinking about it, like you’re brushing your teeth in the morning.

“It’s just a really, really poor pass. But that’s Arsenal, they have that ability to shoot themselves in the foot. He could play that in his sleep, he didn’t even have to turn around.

“But this raises another question, and I don’t know why footballers do this. All Kolasinac has to do is dink that down the line, but if he sticks it down the line and a defender comes across and clears for a throw in, that doesn’t count as a completed pass in the stats.”

Kolasinac’s error was a very poor one to make, and his overall performance was not a good one as he picked up the lowest rating for a starting player as he received a 6.2 from SofaScore. He also lost both his ground duels and only won one of his aerial duels.

Merson’s criticism of the player is fair, and the lapse of concentration should not be happening in what is arguably one of Arsenal’s biggest games of the season if not the biggest as it is against such a big rival.

The full-back is playing in a new position as a centre-back in a back five, and it was looking to be working well as they had not lost in the last four games with him in that position, per Transfermarkt. However it looks like there are still issues and might make Mikel Arteta re-evaluate his plans in the upcoming transfer window.

Gunners fans, what are your thoughts on Merson’s comments? Let us know down below!

A number of Glasgow Rangers have voiced their opposition to the SPFL’s decision to allow teams to introduce five substitutes in Premiership matches this season.

As reported by Daily Record and later posted by Raman Bhardwaj on Twitter (via @ramanbhardwajtv), the SPFL confirmed that top-flight clubs can name nine substitutes for matches and bring on five of those in a bid to help with players’ recovery time.

The decision was taken due to the season being condensed amid the global pandemic, which could put a strain on clubs’ squads (as per Daily Record). However, as with the latter weeks of the recently-completed English Premier League season, managers will only have three windows of opportunity in which to make substitutions and cannot bring on five players individually.

Although fans of some clubs have apparently complained that the decision would be of most benefit to the two main Glasgow sides, many ‘Gers supporters have had a thorny relationship with the SPFL after the club accused the organisation of corruption over their handling of the league resolution proposal and unsuccessfully lobbied for an independent inquiry into the authority.

These ‘Gers fans on Twitter took aim at the SPFL over their “daft” decision to introduce the five-substitute rule for the new Premiership season:

‘Gers fans, what’s your take on the five-substitute rule? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!

As per 90min.com, Liverpool will turn to Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele if they are unable to sign Timo Werner this summer.

The Reds have been heavily linked with a move for the Germany international in the past few months (BT Sport via The Daily Express), although The Mirror claimed that the Anfield outfit have now pulled out of talks for the 24-year-old.

The report from 90min.com says that they haven’t abandoned the pursuit of Werner but added that alternatives are being lined up, one of which is France international Dembebe.

Since his move to the Camp Nou, injuries have damaged Dembele’s progress, but there is a reason why they paid £96.8m to Borussia Dortmund for his services. During the 2016/17 campaign, he scored 10 goals and provided 22 assists in all competitions, with him starting that season as a 19-year-old.

However, despite his obvious ability, he is far from similar to Werner. The latter is an out-and-out striker, as illustrated by his 30 goals in all competitions this season, and although he also has 12 assists, that is not the main part of his game. Dembele, by contrast, has played just five matches at centre-forward as per Transfermarkt – he is far more accustomed to a wing position.

It is clever from Liverpool to look at alternative options if the Werner deal cannot be completed for whatever reason, but the £50.4m-valued Barcelona forward cannot be the man to whom they turn given his chequered injury record.

Liverpool fans, would you accept Dembele as an alternative to Werner if the Reds are unable to land the Germany striker? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Burnley midfielder Jeff Hendrick has been a wanted man in recent weeks, with clubs from England and Italy being linked with the 28-year-old, and it may not be long before he takes flight from Turf Moor.

The Republic of Ireland international is out of contract at the Clarets in just 11 days’ time and, as revealed by manager Sean Dyche in an explosive press conference yesterday, neither he nor any of his team-mates with imminently-expiring contracts have been offered new deals.

Indeed, as mentioned by Lancashire Live, the players affected will need to have agreed terms as early as next Tuesday to ensure that they can feature for Burnley for the remainder of the season. Dyche is keen to retain the services of Hendrick but conceded that he would not blame the midfielder, nor any of those whose contracts expire at the end of the month, if he was reluctant to jeopardise his future by playing before then.

The Irishman has given four years of service at Turf Moor, contributing 10 goals and seven assists in 139 appearances for the club, and was a regular feature for the team in 2017/18 when they qualified for the Europa League.

With his contract set to run out, though, some rather illustrious sharks have been lurking. AC Milan (Sky Sports), Roma (Calciomercato) and Newcastle (Chronicle Live) have all been linked with a move for the 28-year-old, with each of those an attractive destination at surface level.

Roma are firmly in the hunt for a Champions League place and have a strong pedigree in the tournament, while AC Milan’s rich history is bound to give them some clout, and Hendrick might want to try his luck in Serie A after spending all of his club career so far in England.

Conversely, Newcastle would offer him a chance to remain in a league with which he is familiar, while the summer could be a hugely exciting one on Tyneside if the proposed takeover of the club is approved by the Premier League and duly completed.

Also, at 28, Hendrick could well feel that he might never again get such enticing opportunities to play for clubs of that esteem; and with the Burnley hierarchy being quite slow to act on tying down a solid, committed first team regular to avoid him leaving on a free, he may feel that the time is right to make his next career move.

He couldn’t really be blamed if he does, especially with the Clarets’ board not exactly moving heaven and earth to extend his stay at Turf Moor.

Burnley fans, were you shocked to learn that Hendrick hasn’t even been offered a new deal by the club with so little time left on his contract? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!

Everton are lacking depth in central defence and that is an area in which the club are aiming to strengthen according to Patrick Boyland.With football currently on hold due to the global pandemic, it is difficult to anticipate when the transfer window will reopen for business.However, that has not prevented speculation from rising in recent days.

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Indeed, Boyland recently posted a tweet regarding the Toffees’ plan for the future, revealing the player profile the club are targeting as a matter of priority.

The Athletic journalist claimed that the club will aim to bring a left-sided central defender into the club -Â a profile that they are currently lacking.

Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate are all naturally right-footed and right-sided defenders, so it’s easy to understand the logic behind the transfer ambition.

Boyland also name-checked Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes as a player who is high on the shortlist, and a recent report from the Telegraph adds further weight to that claim.

The report suggests that Everton are will compete for Gabriel when the window eventually reopens for business and they are confident of beating both Arsenal and Chelsea to the coveted signature.

The 22-year-old is expected to cost £30m and the Ligue 1 outfit are resigned to losing him.

It may be some time before Marcel Brands can get working on an agreement for Gabriel’s services, but it appears that, whatever happens in the mooted pursuit, the club will be bringing a left-sided centre-back to the club in the not too distant future.

In other Everton news, Danny Mills has suggested that Ancelotti’s presence could help the club pull off a major coup…

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.