أكد مصطفى شوبير، حارس مرمى الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، أن مواجهة بورتو لن تكون سهلة، خاصة أن الفريق البرتغالي يُعد من الأندية الكبيرة في أوروبا، مشيرًا إلى أن جميع اللاعبين في حالة تركيز تام من أجل تقديم مستوى يليق باسم القلعة الحمراء.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي مع بورتو، في الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات ببطولة كأس العالم للأندية، في الرابعة صباح الثلاثاء، في لقاء حاسم لمشوار المارد الأحمر بالمونديال.

وقال مصطفى شوبير في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي للنادي الأهلي: “نسعى لبذل أقصى ما لدينا حتى اللحظة الأخيرة، ونستعد جيدًا نظرًا لأهمية المباراة وقوة المنافس”.

وأضاف: “نعد جماهير الأهلي بأن نقدم أفضل ما لدينا، وبتركيز كامل كعادتنا دائمًا، ونطالبهم بأن يكونوا دائمًا خلفنا، فهم الداعم الأول لنا، وهذا أكبر حافز يدفعنا لإسعادهم ورفع اسم نادينا في كل البطولات”.

طالع أيضًا | جوزيه يُفجرها: لا أتابع الأهلي بعد الآن.. وبورتو انتهى

من جانبه، شدد اللاعب يحيى عطية الله على أهمية اللقاء أمام بورتو، مؤكدًا أن الفريق سيبذل قصارى جهده من أجل تحقيق الفوز في المباراة، قائلًا: “نخوض مباراة صعبة أمام بورتو، وتم التحضير لهذه المواجهة بشكل جيد من خلال دراسة الفريق البرتغالي وتحديد نقاط قوته ونقاط ضعفه التي نسعى إلى استغلالها لتحقيق الفوز”.

وأضاف: “الفريق جاهز لتحقيق نتيجة تُسعد جماهيره في كأس العالم للأندية المقامة بالنظام الجديد للمرة الأولى”.

واختتم تصريحاته بتوجيه الشكر لجماهير الأهلي قائلاً: “نشكر جماهيرنا العظيمة على مساندتهم ودعمهم المتواصل في كل المواقف، وهذا الدعم يمنحنا مسؤولية كبيرة لتقديم أفضل النتائج التي تليق بهم”.

A club are believed to be planning a new £10m bid to seal the services of an “outstanding” Celtic player, according to a new transfer update.

Latest Celtic news

The Hoops are preparing for the visit of Motherwell on Boxing Day, but they may have to make do without attacking hero Nicolas Kuhn.

The 24-year-old is struggling with an injury that kept him out of last Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Dundee United – a game in which his creativity and goal threat were missed – with Brendan Rodgers confirming as much, saying: “I don’t know how long Nicolas will be out for. Hopefully it’s not long term. He felt a problem with his knee and then he felt a twinge on Saturday.”

Away from the injuries, transfers in and outs continue to do the rounds at Celtic, with left-back Alexandre Bernabei looking increasingly likely to seal a permanent exit away from the Scottish Premiership champions in the January transfer window.

Meanwhile, Stephen Welsh is another player who could be on his way out of the Parkhead exit door next month, with the 24-yeafr-old struggling to be a regular this season. A loan offer from KV Mechelen could be accepted for his signature. Now, another Hoops departure could also be on the cards, following a new update.

Bid planned for "outstanding" £10m Celtic ace

According to The Daily Mail’s reliable reporter Stephen McGowan, Atlanta United are preparing a £10m bid for Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi, with the MLS side attempting to make a move for him in the summer, too.

They were “offered no encouragement” at that point, however, and are now hoping that an improved offer could be enough to prise the Japanese away from Parkhead.

It goes without saying that losing Kyogo would be an enormous blow for Celtic, considering he has become one of the club’s most influential attacking players in recent years.

The 29-year-old has scored 81 goals in 156 appearances for the Hoops, which is a superb return, also registering 18 assists for good measure. Former manager Ange Postecoglou was also a great admirer of the striker, saying of him last year:

“You look at him, the size he is and the players he is against, and he doesn’t shirk any of it. He puts the opposition under pressure, he’s so clever with movement and he wants to be front and centre when the opportunities are there. He was outstanding and has been from the moment he joined this club.”

Hopefully, Kyogo’s head isn’t turned by a move to the MLS at this stage in his career, instead preferring to keep Celtic enjoying trophy glory for the foreseeable future.

24 y/o Celtic star sidelined and could be out until after Rangers clash

It’s a big blow for Brendan Rodgers.

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He is still contracted at Parkhead until the summer of 2027, so there is no need for the Hoops to consider cashing in on him, with that decision not having to be made until the end of the current season, at the very earliest.

da luck： Nottingham Forest travel to Brentford this afternoon looking to make it three consecutive Premier League wins in a row at the Gtech Community Stadium.

da dobrowin： Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have claimed wins against Manchester United and Aston Villa in the last two matches, pushing them up to fourth in the table.

Late goals from Nikola Milenkovic and Anthony Elanga secured the win for the Reds, showcasing their never-say-die attitude under the former Wolves boss.

However, today’s prospect against Thomas Frank’s side will be a difficult one, with the Bees yet to taste defeat on home soil this season, dropping just two points in the process.

Both sides will be hoping to maintain their impressive starts to the 2024/25 campaign, with the hosts holding the edge in recent clashes in London.

Forest’s record at the Brentford Community Stadium

Brentford only moved to their new stadium back in August 2020, with Forest facing the Bees three times since its opening after multiple years in the top flight whilst the Reds lingered in the second tier.

The first clash came back in the 2020/21 season, drawing 1-1 after Filip Krovinovic cancelled out Ivan Toney’s opener from the penalty spot in the first half.

However, the last two meetings haven’t gone to plan for the East Midlands outfit, losing both games by an aggregate score line of 5-3 following 2-1 and 3-2 defeats.

Brazilian midfielder Danilo will miss the clash in the capital as he continues to recover from his long-term injury, but he has managed to score on both visits to the Gtech, with Nuno undoubtedly wishing he was available this afternoon.

Chris Wood also scored in the last clash between the two sides, hoping to repeat a similar feat today, and looking to add to his goalscoring tally which has already seen him find the back of the net on ten occasions.

However, if Nuno is to continue the recent run of form, he may have to brutally drop one player who’s started each of the last two matches.

The player who Nuno needs to drop against Brentford

Forest’s backline has been up there with some of the very best in the division, conceding just 19 times – the joint-third-best record in the league after the first 16 matches.

Neco Williams has featured in each of the last two victories but could find himself back on the bench with Alex Moreno available for selection once again after missing the meeting with parent club Villa last weekend.

The Spaniard has provided stability at left-back in recent months, with Nuno often switching between Williams and Ola Aina in recent times, both unnatural situations for the right-sided players.

However, dropping the Welsh international may seem harsh after his recent displays, with one analyst dubbing him “incredibly reliable” in the absence of Moreno.

Whoever does feature at left-back this afternoon will be tasked with keeping winger Bryan Mbeumo quiet, which could see the loanee have the edge, given his ability to keep Mohamed Salah quiet earlier in the campaign.

How Alex Moreno compares to Neco Williams in the Premier League (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Moreno

Williams

Games played

11

13

Goals & assists

1

0

Touches

51

49

Passes completed

28

27

Tackles won

2.1

1.9

Interceptions

1.6

0.7

Take-ons attempted

2.1

1.8

Stats via FBref

The 31-year-old has also won more tackles per 90 this season, showcasing he has the defensive quality to restrict the Cameroonian international from causing any problems.

It’s another exciting prospect for Nuno’s side this afternoon, chasing another win to help maintain their impressive away form since the start of August.

However, if the 50-year-old is to secure another three points to maintain their unexpected league standing, he may have to opt for Moreno, offering that added cover to stop the Bees’ dangerman.

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Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Hasan Ali and picked uncapped middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand at home. Shaheen Shah Afridi continues to miss out as he recovers from a knee injury he picked up in the 2022 T20 World Cup final.Naseem Shah, who missed the last two Tests against England with a shoulder injury, has also returned to the squad after being declared fit. But Haris Rauf, who had also picked up an injury on debut in the first Test against England and did not play in the next two matches, is still recovering, and has been left out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ghulam, 27, had also been picked for the Bangladesh Test series a year ago but didn’t get a game then. He has played 44 first-class matches and averages 47.36, having struck 10 centuries and 18 half-centuries for his 3268 runs. He replaces Azhar Ali in the squad after the senior batter’s retirement. Ghulam had scored a record 1249 runs for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2020-21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and was part of the victorious side in the same tournament last season. He is in fine form these days as well, having scored 92, 0, 123* and 98* in the one-day format in the Pakistan Cup this month. In the QeA Trophy before that, he scored 597 runs from 14 innings to average 42.64.Hasan returns to the squad after being dropped for the series against England, which the visitors swept 3-0. His last Test was against Sri Lanka in Galle in July.Fast bowler Mohammad Ali and bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf, who were in the squad for the England Tests, have both been excluded for the upcoming series and advised to participate in the ongoing Pakistan Cup, the PCB said in its statement.The series will start on December 26 in Karachi and then move to Multan for the second game starting January 3. That will be followed by three day-night ODIs back in Karachi from January 10 to 14.Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Zahid Mehmood

Manchester City are ready to aggressively attack the January transfer window in a bid to rescue their season, with Pep Guardiola personally demanding at least three new faces, according to a fresh report.

Man City make unwanted Champions League history

So used to being Champions League heavyweights, Manchester City made history for all the wrong reasons against Feyenoord as they became the first side in the competition’s history to lead 3-0 at the 75-minute mark of a game and fail to win, collapsing to allow the Dutch side to claim a famous 3-3 draw.

It continued a woeful run of form for Guardiola’s side, who have not won a game in over a month and lost each of their last three Premier League games, leaving them eight points behind Liverpool, who they face at Anfield on Sunday.

Thrashed 4-0 at home by Tottenham in their last top-flight outing, Guardiola later admitted that his side were “fragile” and said the same after the draw with Feyenoord.

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“The game was fine at 3-0, playing good, but then we concede a lot goals because we were not stable. We gave them the first and then the other one, that is why it was difficult.

“We have lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course we needed a victory. The game was good for the confidence. We were playing a good level but the first time something happened we had problems.”

One way to fix that is by fresh faces, and now Manchester City are reportedly determined to be active in January, with three men specifically requested by Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola demands Man City to sign trio in January

That is according to a report coming out of Spain, which claims that Guardiola has asked the Manchester City board to sign three new players in the winter window, with the club planning an aggressive move.

The first of those is Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has been the subject of interest from Arsenal and Liverpool in recent transfer windows and is seen as Rodri’s replacement, having done so at the final of Euro 2024.

There is a £50m release clause written into his £49,000 a week deal in San Sebastian, but, as Liverpool found over the summer, it may not be that simple.

Another transfer that Guardiola is thought to be pursuing is Leverkusen jewel Florian Wirtz, who is seen as the future of the Manchester City attack as Kevin de Bruyne enters the twilight of his career.

Wirtz has been on fire so far this season, and scored twice against RB Salzburg to take his tally to nine for the season. With no release clause in his contract at the Bay Arena, he could be a record signing for Manchester City, while his £120,000 a week wages would also likely need to be hiked up to move to the Etihad.

Finally, the report also claims that Manchester City are keen to add another winger to their ranks, and have pointed to Sporting CP’s Maximiliano Araujo as the player in question.

The Uruguayan is also under long-term contract until 2029, but a series of strong outings have sparked widespread interest in the 24-year-old and it is claimed that City “are looking to get ahead of the competition”.

With Wirtz and Zubimendi likely to be mega-money signings, securing deals for the trio would be a massive statement of intent in the unlikely scenario that Manchester City pulled it off midway through the campaign. They may be able to agree deals in advance of the summer though.

Number one pick in the inaugural BBL overseas draft pulls out due to his increased international commitments with England

Alex Malcolm22-Nov-2022The BBL has suffered a major blow just weeks out from the start of a new season with Liam Livingstone, the number one pick in the inaugural overseas draft, withdrawing from the tournament due to his increased international workload.Livingstone was the first player picked by Melbourne Renegades in August and was the most sought-after player in the draft as the BBL looked to reinvigorate the tournament ahead of the next Cricket Australia TV rights negotiation which is set to be finalised in 2024.Livingstone was initially set to play the first part of the BBL and miss the second half having signed to play in the new SA20 league in January. He was then selected for England’s Test tour of Pakistan in December. Renegades signed Andre Russell on a short-term four-game deal for the start of the season in the hope Livingstone could join Renegades for a short stint following the Pakistan tour and prior to the SA20 getting underway.Related

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But Livingstone has opted to withdraw from the BBL entirely, leaving the competition without another overseas platinum player after David Willey also withdrew from the tournament.”We’re obviously disappointed that we won’t have Liam as part of our team this summer, but we understand his decision,” Renegades general manager James Rosengarten said.”Liam is a fantastic cricketer and there’s a reason we used our first pick in the draft to select him. Since then, his schedule has changed with added international duties and we wish him the best as he pushes for a Test debut.”We know Liam had been looking forward to working with our head coach, David Saker, and playing for our club. Hopefully, we can make that happen in the coming seasons.”We have been in regular communication with Liam and his management over the last couple of months, which has allowed us to execute a plan that is best for the Renegades for this season.”We’ve already secured Andre Russell for the first four matches and know the match-winning ability he will add to our team.”This news has allowed us to explore replacement options with greater availability beyond the first half of the tournament, and we look forward to being able to announce another big-name addition for the Renegades soon.”The news comes after it was revealed that Perth Scorchers’ overseas signing Laurie Evans had tested positive for a banned substance following a routine anti-doping test during this year’s Hundred, with the club announcing they had cancelled his deal.Australia star Glenn Maxwell is also likely to miss most of the BBL after breaking his leg in a freak accident on November 12.

A furious Phil Parkinson accused referee Thomas Parsons of "trying to make a name for himself" after Wrexham's damaging draw with Cambridge.

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Wrexham draw 2-2 at CambridgeConcede controversial penalty"Raging" Parkinson in referee rant Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham conceded a controversial penalty in their 2-2 draw at Cambridge on Tuesday, with referee Parsons deeming the home team's Ryan Loft was brought down in the penalty area by Lewis Brunt. After the game, Red Dragons manager Parkinson admitted he was "raging" at the official's performance and that he "couldn’t wait to give those things tonight".

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT PHIL PARKINSON SAID

Parkinson told talkSPORT: “The referee’s performance tonight? To say I’m raging is one of the biggest understatements in my 1,000 games. That penalty decision is one of the worst penalty decisions that I’ve seen and to disallow the goal at the end is completely bizarre. You’ve got to be absolutely sure that that ball has gone out of play and there’s no way – no way – that he can be sure that ball’s gone out of play. For the penalty decision, it’s just incredible. The referee couldn’t wait to give those things tonight. I just asked him if he’s a professional referee because as they get research packs coming into the games – did he watch Cambridge on Saturday throwing themselves to the floor to buy free-kicks in those situations because he clearly didn’t. There’s absolutely no contact and to give a penalty against us in that situation is tough to take but I’m very proud of the way the lads responded.”

He added: "Yes, we're in a fantastic position, but it doesn't stop my anger at the referee tonight. Like I said, is it a coincidence that the Reading penalty gets given against us? And then tonight, anybody will watch that penalty tonight and say, wow, that is unlucky. It's absolutely incredible. I think there was a comment somewhere that we were fortunate to get the penalty at the weekend. But like I keep saying, we've had three, Wycombe have had nine, Birmingham have had 11. I can do a montage of all the decisions we haven't had and had against us, and the refs, I feel, sometimes come at these games wanting to make a name for themselves."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite failing to beat relegation-threatened Cambridge, Wrexham received something of a reprieve as promotion rivals Wycombe Wanderers were held to a draw as well. The Welsh outfit hold a three-point lead over third-placed Wycombe but their rivals have a game in hand and a slightly better goal difference. A third-straight promotion is still very much on for Parkinson's men.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Wrexham are back on home turf, where they are generally much stronger, when they take on lowly Burton Albion on Saturday afternoon.

Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has explained why he copied Cristiano Ronaldo's goal celebration in front of the Portuguese superstar.

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• Red Devils frontman back among the goals
• Settled first leg of Nations League contest
• Has always been a big fan of Ronaldo

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hojlund, who scored for the first time in 22 outings at club level when finding the net against Leicester in the Premier League last Sunday, made another decisive contribution when representing Denmark in UEFA Nations League action.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  His solitary effort was enough to earn the Danes a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the first leg of their quarter-final tie – with Red Devils team-mate Christian Eriksen having previously missed a first-half penalty in the same contest.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  After hitting the net, Hojlund broke out the iconic 'Siu' routine that five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has made famous. Fending off any accusations of being disrespectful to United legend CR7, who was on the field at the time, Hojlund revealed why he opted for that celebration.

• Getty
  

  WHAT RASMUS HOJLUND SAID

  The 22-year-old forward told : "I'm playing against the world's best footballer, my idol, and to score and become the winner, it couldn't be better. It was not to mock him or anything, I've always said he has had great importance for me and my football career. Scoring against him and Portugal is huge. I went to see him in 2009, where he scored from a free-kick, and I've been a fan ever since."

  Quizzed on whether he has dreamed of performing the ‘Siu’ routine in front of Ronaldo, Hojlund went on to say: "Really, really many times. It's very, very big."

Canada have slammed Bayern Munich over "grossly negligent" accusations following Alphonso Davies' ACL injury while on international duty.

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• Davies tore his ACL during the Nations League
• Bayern fuming with Canada's treatment of the player
• Canada FA issues scathing statement in their defence

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 24-year-old defender suffered a devastating ACL tear less than 15 minutes into Canada’s CONCACAF Nations League third-place match against the United States. The injury has ruled him out for the remainder of the Bundesliga season, the Champions League campaign and the Club World Cup.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the wake of the injury, Davies' agent, Nedal Huoseh, voiced his frustration, claiming that the Canadian federation failed to protect the player. He suggested that the Bayern star was not fully fit ahead of the match and was allegedly pressured into starting by head coach Jesse Marsch. His remarks added fuel to Bayern’s growing anger over the situation, further intensifying tensions between the German club and Canada Soccer.

  Bayern have now reportedly threatened to explore legal options against Canada Soccer, citing "grossly negligent" medical care. According to the club, Canada’s medical staff failed to detect the ACL tear, with the full extent of the injury only becoming clear after Davies returned to Germany for further evaluation.

• WHAT CANADA FA SAID

  In response to Bayern’s allegations, Canada Soccer issued a firm statement defending their handling of Davies’ injury. The federation insisted that their medical team followed all appropriate protocols and maintained continuous communication with Bayern Munich throughout the tournament.

  “We further reviewed the circumstances related to the medical care provided to Alphonso Davies," a statement read.

  "Medical documentation confirms that proper care protocols were followed, and communication records show that our medical staff provided updates to Bayern Munich throughout the entire tournament. We spoke further with Bayern Munich today to provide them with context and details to address any misunderstandings. We are all focused on supporting Alphonso in the months ahead.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DAVIES?

  With the ACL tear confirmed, Davies is expected to be sidelined for several months, forcing him to miss some of the biggest fixtures in Bayern’s calendar. The German club are currently fighting for the Bundesliga title and a potential Champions League final, which will take place at their stadium. His recovery timeline now extends into the 2025-26 season.

Arsenal today are practically unrecognizable from the team Unai Emery left Mikel Arteta in December 2019.

The Aston Villa manager was tasked with leading the Gunners into a post-Arsene Wenger world in the summer of 2018, and while he got some things right, he got more things wrong.

The team was poor in attack, even worse in defence and looked like they were sleep-walking into a bottom-half finish in the Premier League when he was eventually given the sack.

However, for all the dreadful performances and confusing decisions he made in North London, the Spaniard was responsible for a few great signings, including one whose valuation has exploded since.

Emery's smart signings

Before we get to the player in question, let’s look at a couple of other intelligent acquisitions made by Emery, starting with one who’s no longer at the club but made a good account of himself during his time at the Emirates: Bernd Leno.

The German goal-keeper joined the Gunners in June 2018 for a fee of around £19m, and while he wasn’t necessarily a household name at the time, he quickly proved his worth for the North Londoners, with his brilliant shot-stopping.

Over the following three seasons, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace made 117 appearances for the Gunners, in which he kept an impressive 34 clean sheets for a team that were far less solid at the back.

However, the 32-year-old was limited to just eight appearances in the 21/22 campaign due to the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale and was eventually sold to Fulham in August 2022 for around £8m, where he has been an unequivocal success and has already amassed 91 appearances, in which he’s kept 20 clean sheets.

Another of Emery’s brilliant signings during his time at the Emirates came in the summer of 2019, when the club splashed £6m on an unknown teenager from Brazil named Gabriel Martinelli.

The now 23-year-old has struggled at points during his time with the Gunners, notably last season, as a drop in output from the campaign prior led to questions over his place in the team, questions which some may still hold today.

However, the fact he’s racked up an impressive tally of 45 goals and 27 assists in 192 appearances for the club, 135 of which have been starts, makes it impossible to describe his transfer as anything other than a roaring success, especially when you take into account the minuscule transfer fee he initially cost the club.

With that said, there was another teenager signed in the same summer, and it would be fair to say he’s been an even bigger success than the Brazilian, as evidenced by his enormous valuation.

Emery's best signing at Arsenal

With it now somewhat narrowed down, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the player in question is none other than centre-back extraordinaire William Saliba.

The French international joined Arsenal in a £27m deal from Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne in July 2019, although he wouldn’t play for Emery. In fact, he wouldn’t play a competitive game for the Gunners until the 22/23 season.

This was because he was sent back to Saint-Étienne on loan for the 19/20 season, and then Arteta opted to send him on loan to OGC Nice and Marseille for the subsequent seasons, leading some to question whether the Bondy-born ace even had a future in North London at all.

Fortunately, the club took no notice of such speculation and finally incorporated him into the team for the 22/23 season, and lo and behold, the highly-rated defender picked up the Man of the Match award on his first start for the club on the opening day of the Premier League season, away to Crystal Palace.

From that point onwards, the 6 foot 4 “monster,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been indispensable for the Gunners.

In fact, the only time he’s been out of the team has been when he picked up an unfortunate back injury against Sporting CP in March 2023, which is often pinpointed as the moment the club’s surprise title challenge fell apart that season, highlighting just how crucial he is.

In all, the “world-class” defender, as dubbed by Fabrizio Romano, has made 101 appearances for Arsenal, in which he’s scored five goals, provided two assists and been named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2023 and 2024, validating U23 scout Antonio Mango’s assertion that he’s “one of the best in the world.”

Unsurprisingly, such a rise has seen his valuation skyrocket, and according to the CIES Football Observatory, he’s now worth a whopping €106m, which converts to around £88m, which represents a massive increase of around 225% from the price he initially cost Arsenal in 2019.

Ultimately, while Emery got a lot of things wrong during his year and a bit in North London, signing Saliba was not one of them, and fans should still be thankful he pulled the trigger on that transfer when he did, as they now have one of the very best defenders in the world in their team.

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