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Arsenal have now been given an exciting update on their pursuit of West Ham United captain Declan Rice by Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

What's the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

Football Insider have recently reported Rice has told his friends he has played his final Premier League game for West Ham, opening up the door for a move elsewhere in the summer, with Arsenal said to be in pole position.

Although the Gunners are currently leading the race, there will also be competition from Chelsea, as well as both Manchester clubs, but the report claims the Englishman wants to remain in London, which could give Mikel Arteta a real boost in the race for his signature.

The Mirror report that Arteta wants to bring in the central midfielder to replace the outgoing Granit Xhaka, while also adding that West Ham are ready to let him leave this summer, should their asking price be met.

That said, there will be fierce competition for the £60k-per-week star, as Plettenberg has recently told Sky Sports he is "at the top" of Bayern Munich's list of transfer targets for the summer, having already held a telephone conversation with Thomas Tuchel.

However, the Sky Sports reportes provides some exciting news for Arsenal fans, as he claims that Bayern are "running out of time", while also adding: "Arsenal are further along and he could switch to the Gunners immediately."

Will Rice leave West Ham this summer?

It appears as though the 24-year-old is edging towards exiting the London Stadium this summer, with manager David Moyes admitting he could leave, while he has previously outlined that he wants to play in the Champions League.

That could potentially open the door for a move to the Emirates Stadium, and he would be an excellent addition to Arteta's squad, having been the Hammers' best performer in the Premier League this season, averaging a 7.01 WhoScored rating.

As previously mentioned, Arsenal are looking at signing the England international to replace Xhaka, and he would be a real improvement defensively speaking, having averaged more tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90 than the 30-year-old over the past year.

Hailed as "dominant" by journalist Charles Watts earlier this year, Rice should now be coming into his prime years at the age of 24, and the Gunners should move swiftly to secure his signature, given that Bayern also appear to be seriously interested.

Newcastle United are set to send scouts to watch Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte this weekend ahead of a potential switch to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Manuel Ugarte to Newcastle?

The Athletic have reported that Eddie Howe is set to enter the upcoming transfer window in search of a new number six, and with the 22-year-old being Ruben Amorim’s top-performing defensive player and third overall with a WhoScored match rating of 7.08, Ugarte has seemingly been identified by the manager as an ideal deep-lying target on the market.

Back in April, Record claimed that the Jose Alvalade Stadium outfit could be forced to cash in on some of their most prized assets at the end of the season to create funds for new signings and the Magpies were credited with a “growing interest”, off the back of which they are believed to have promised to submit an official proposal ahead of the 2023/24 term.

Who is signing Ugarte?

According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), Newcastle and top-flight rivals Liverpool will both "have representatives" in Lisbon this weekend to "focus" on Ugarte during Sporting CP's fixture vs Benfica on Sunday.

As it stands, it's currently unknown which of the two suitors are leading the chase, but it's worth noting that the midfielder has a €60m (£52m) release clause included in his contract, alongside the fact that Aston Villa are claimed to have already held contact regarding a deal, as per A Bola.

Newcastle are clearly serious about securing the services of Ugarte, first to have promised to table a proposal and now to deploy officials to assess him in action, and should they be able to get a deal over the line for the defensive midfielder, it would be a massive coup for PIF and Howe.

The World Cup participant ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles having made 114 this season which is higher than any other member of his squad, as per FBRef, and the 98th percentile for interceptions so loves to get stuck in and win back possession for his team.

Sporting’s “warrior”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who has the versatility to operate slightly higher up in central midfield alongside his natural position, is also capable of contributing to efforts at the opposite end of the pitch having provided three assists and scored one goal since joining, so this really is a no-brainer of a move to pursue should the opportunity present itself.

ScorecardJoe Leach completed a memorable match as he helped run through Leicestershire•Getty Images

The deteriorating pitch played its part, but the Leicestershire batsmen did not help themselves in being bowled out for 43 in their second innings in 25 overs on the third day against Worcestershire at Grace Road. It left the visitors just 86 to win, a target they reached for the loss of three wickets.Leicestershire’s previous lowest score against Worcestershire was 52, made in 1965. The total is the lowest made in the Championship since Lancashire bowled Essex out for 20 at Chelmsford in 2013.There was little indication of the mayhem to come when Leicestershire picked up the two first innings wickets remaining to Worcestershire overnight, Jack Shantry caught at first slip and last man Charlie Morris run out in his eagerness to get Matt Henry his half-century.Thereafter, however, it was chaos. Henry struck in his first over, Paul Horton edging an outswinger low to third slip, but while Neil Dexter could do little about a Joe Leach delivery that rose and took the shoulder of the bat before flying straight to point, skipper Mark Cosgrove was playing a disappointingly airy drive to the Henry inswinger which disturbed the left-hander’s off-stump.With the score 11 for 3, Mark Pettini then decided the time was right to risk a quick single to a misfield and paid the price, Ross Whiteley throwing down the stumps from wide gully. The Leach delivery which pinned Angus Robson on the back foot both seamed back and kept low, before, astonishingly, another risky single saw Aadil Ali run out by a Brett D’Oliveira throw which took out middle stump.Wells went the same way as Robson, though his foot movement was minimal, and Ben Raine then fenced at an ordinary delivery from Henry and edged to the wicketkeeper.Niall O’Brien reached 17 before edging Leach to Whiteley at third slip, while Henry produced another fine delivery to bowl McKay. Having taken 5 for 99 in the first innings, Leach’s 4 for 10 gave him career-best match figures of 9 for 109.Leicestershire did pick up three wickets during Worcestershire’s chase, though once again the pitch could not be blamed for Daryl Mitchell dabbing at a wide delivery and edging McKay to O’Brien, or for Whiteley – promoted to hit out – dumping McKay to mid-on, but D’Oliveira could do little about the delivery from McKay that left him and took the edge on its way through to O’Brien.

West Ham United remain in real relegation trouble in the Premier League after David Moyes' side lost out 3-0 against title favourites Manchester City at the Etihad.

What happened in Manchester City vs West Ham?

Moyes opted to make a number of changes for the trip north, with the likes of Declan Rice, Nayef Aguerd and Tomas Soucek rested entirely, with one eye clearly on this weekend's game against Manchester United.

Despite the changes, the Hammers defended well in the first 45 and kept the scores level, but the Citizens showed their class in the second half and cruised to victory.

Nathan Ake was left unmarked to head in Riyad Mahrez's free-kick for the opening goal before Erling Haaland scored a record-breaking 35th league goal of the season by dinking the ball past Lukasz Fabianski from Jack Grealish's through ball.

Phil Foden rounded off the victory in the final minutes to send Pep Guardiola's side back top, while the Hammers remain just four clear of the bottom three.

While there were a number of poor performances from those in claret and blue on Wednesday, it was arguably Jarrod Bowen who struggled the most.

How did Jarrod Bowen perform vs Man City?

As per Sofascore, the England international would earn a shocking 5.9/10 rating for his performance, which saw him ranked as the worst player from both sides to feature in the game.

During his time on the pitch, the right-winger mustered just 23 touches of the ball, completing a disappointing seven passes, both of which were fewer than goalkeeper Fabianski, who managed 34 touches and 16 passes.

Although City were perhaps always likely to dominate possession at the Etihad, Bowen has averaged 19.3 passes per game in the top flight so far this term, so it is clear that he was far more anonymous than usual on Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, on the rare occasions that the former Hull City man did see the ball, he was incredibly wasteful with it, as he lost possession five times, failed with his one cross attempt and was unsuccessful in all three dribble attempts against Guardiola's side.

However, on a night of few chances for the Hammers, the 26-year-old missed a golden opportunity to give Moyes' side the lead in the first half when the scores were level,

Thus, the £60k-per-week winger could certainly be considered to have cost the Scottish manager any hope he had of earning a surprise result against the champions-elect.

It has been an underwhelming campaign from Bowen, with just five goals and four assists to his name in the top flight, and he will be one of many who need to improve next season if the Hammers are going to distance themselves from another relegation battle.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has claimed that goalkeeper Illan Meslier will leave Leeds United this summer even if they avoid relegation.

What's the latest on Illan Meslier and Leeds?

With only eight games left to play in the current Premier League season, the Whites find themselves in a rather precarious situation.

Indeed, after a morale-sapping 5-1 loss at Elland Road to Crystal Palace last weekend, Javi Gracia and his team are stuck just two points and two places above the bottom three.

Unsurprisingly, if Leeds do drop in the Championship, some of their better players will be excepted to leave in the summer to remain in the top flight in England or elsewhere.

While discussing this possibility on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan made the bold claim that goalkeeper Meslier would be leaving either way.

He explained (17:47): “The more fascinating thing is what happens with Illan Meslier?

"I personally believe, even if Leeds stay up, I think he's going to move on. I think obviously if Leeds go to the Championship, I think he's 100 per cent going to move on.”

What has Meslier said about leaving Leeds?

The Frenchman has already gone on the record about his ambitions in the near future and how he can take the next steps to progress his career potentially beyond Elland Road.

Indeed, in an interview with Ouest France he said: “It would be a mistake to project oneself so far. There are many steps before that: a continuation to be sought with Leeds, the Euro Espoirs [U21 championship] in June.

“To succeed in all of this, I have to be good. Because no one will come looking for me if I am not. And if I am asked, I will take the time to think about my future with a clear head.”

And it seems as though the £30k-p/w star is at least doing enough with his Leeds displays to catch the eye of some big English clubs.

For instance, Football Insider reported in March that the Whites want £30m-plus to sell their man amid links to multiple Premier League teams.

While Tottenham Hotspur were named as a potential destination with Frank McAvennie insisting that sort of money would be a more than fair price to pay.

He said: “Spending £30m on a goalkeeper, it is nothing. The big clubs will spend £80-£100m on a goalkeeper. In today’s world it has to be done.“

Arsenal boast a squad bursting with talent at the moment, having been nurtured as part of Mikel Arteta's long-term vision for continued success at this great club.

The Spaniard had predicted such a campaign as this, as they currently sit atop the Premier League and eight points clear. Back in 2021, he correctly proclaimed: "This project is going to go bang"; it seems that the ensuing explosion has sent shockwaves throughout the division.

Few would have expected the Gunners to be in this position after last season's disappointment, where bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur stole the final Champions League spot to resign them to Europa League football.

But it is the red half of north London who seem poised to have the last laugh, as they cruise towards a first league title since 2004.

With plenty of different characters to thank for their imperious form, one such former manager actually deserves more praise than most for his exploits in this charge. After all, it was Unai Emery who signed the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli during his tenure.

How much is Gabriel Martinelli worth?

Both of these youngsters have played key roles in this league campaign, with the French defender having played every minute before his recent injury.

However, it is the mercurial Brazilian who has earned particular praise of late, bouncing back from his missed penalty against Sporting CP to score two important goals in his last two games. These marked his sixth strike in as many appearances, bumping his total tally up to an outstanding 13 for the campaign.

Impressively, he sits level with Bukayo Saka as the club's top scorer in a season that could well go down in history.

The fact that he is just 21 years old only enhances this awe, with his potential now that of a soon-to-be Ballon d'Or challenger. Gary Lineker has suggested that he "will be a world-class player", with editor Fabrizio Neitzke even arguing that he already is.

If the £180k-per-week earner's valuation is anything to go by, he certainly is regarded as one of the most financially impressive assets in the whole game. CIES Football Observatory obviously thinks so, with a reported estimated transfer value of up to €120m (£105m).

With Emery having poached him for just £6m from Ituano in 2019, to witness this growth is almost mesmeric. It is a poetic rise for a youngster with the world at his feet, and this is a figure only set to continue growing as he matures and becomes even more important for the high-flying Gunners.

Journalist Charles Watts has slammed Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu following his poor recent display in the club’s stunning comeback win this weekend.

What’s the latest on Arsenal and Tomiyasu?

On Saturday afternoon, the Gunners hosted relegation-threatened Bournemouth at home in the Premier League and found themselves 1-0 down after just nine seconds.

The Cherries then took a shock two-goal lead in the second half before three goals – including a last-gasp winner from Reiss Nelson – saw Mikel Arteta’s men turn the game around.

Clearly, things didn’t go to plan for Arsenal and with the club struggling in the early stages of the game, it seems as though Tomiyasu failed to convince.

Indeed, while speaking on his YouTube channel after the game, Watts noted (5:44): “Tomiyasu had a shocker in the first half. He was really poor, looked well off it.
“He was replaced at halftime, not surprisingly, because he had a really poor afternoon. Tomiyasu, I mark him three out of 10.”

What went wrong for Tomiyasu against Bournemouth?

It seems as though Watts isn’t alone in thinking the right-back was pretty poor as manager Arteta opted to bring Tomiyasu off after 45 minutes.
Incidentally, his replacement Ben White then provided the second Arsenal goal with a fine volleyed finish and so proved himself to be much more useful to the team on the day.
As per SofaScore, Tomiyasu was the joint-worst outfield player for the Gunners and he finished the game having lost the ball 13 times, failing to find a teammate with three attempted crosses, and also being inaccurate with one attempted long ball.
Seeing as that was just his sixth league start of the season, the Japan international will no doubt be disappointed to have performed so poorly and played no part in the second-half comeback.

Glasgow Rangers chief Ross Wilson has had his fair share of transfer successes and gaffes over the years since becoming the club’s sporting director in 2019.

He has been responsible for bringing in flops such as Aaron Ramsey and Cedric Itten, although he also managed to secure the astute signings of John Lundstram and Malik Tillman, among others.

The former Southampton executive has had mixed success in the transfer market at Ibrox, but one piece of business that he did get bang-on was the deal to sign Antonio Colak from PAOK last summer.

Has Antonio Colak been a good signing for Rangers?

Wilson hit the jackpot by signing the Croatia international to bolster the Rangers squad, as the centre-forward has been a terrific addition for the Scottish giants.

Then-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst hailed the transfer by saying of Colak: “He is a very experienced player who has played at high levels and scored a lot of goals for the teams he has played for.”

The striker was valued at £1.2m (€1.4m) by Football Transfers at the time of the move to Glasgow, and his performances at Ibrox have caused his value to skyrocket.

At the time of writing (27/02/2023), Football Transfers value the forward at £2.6m (€3m), which means that his price has soared by a whopping 114% in less than a full season. This shows that the dynamo has been in exceptional form since making the switch to Glasgow.

Colak, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed “has everything”, made a rapid start to life at the club and earned the Light Blues millions by playing a crucial role in the team qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League.

Rangers earned a guaranteed £13.2m by making it through to the group stage of the competition and the Croatian marksman scored winner in the second leg of the play-off against PSV to secure group stage qualification.

This means that Colak’s terrific finishing ability landed the Gers a huge payday, which you could argue made his signing a success irrespective of how the rest of his career at the club transpires. Nonetheless, the Croatian has gone on to be a great success in the Premiership, as he has plundered 11 goals in 15 Scottish top-flight starts this term.

Only four Rangers players have averaged a higher Sofascore rating than Colak’s 7.14, which suggests that the dynamo has been one of the team’s best performers over the campaign so far.

Therefore, Wilson struck gold by signing the 29-year-old last summer, as the attacker’s value has soared whilst delivering brilliant performances domestically and in Europe, alongside earning the club millions by scoring the goal to secure Champions League qualification.

Tottenham Hotspur failed to build on their sensational 1-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City as they were smashed 4-1 by Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

Despite taking the lead through Rodrigo Bentancur in the first half, Spurs were put to the sword by Brendan Rodgers’ side and now sit two points off the top four, having played one more match than Newcastle.

The team’s defensive frailties were on full display against the Foxes as the likes of James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho and Harvey Barnes found themselves open in and around the Tottenham penalty box with alarming regularity.

Antonio Conte may want defensive reinforcements to come through the door in the summer transfer window, but the Italian may have a player who could bolster his backline already at the club in the form of academy gem Maksim Paskotsi.

Who is Maksim Paskotsi?

The U21 defender is a 20-year-old Estonia international who has shown great promise in his short career to date, and he could be a future star for Spurs.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once hailed him as a ‘similar’ player to Manchester United’s Raphael Varane and described the youngster as “complete, dominant and elegant” centre-back, whilst stating that the Estonian is a “modern defender, who combines strength with good technique and passing”.

Conte could now unearth his own version of 29-year-old Varane by promoting Paskotsi to the first-team and offering him a chance to showcase his quality in the senior ranks.

If the titan can even come close to achieving what the Red Devils defender has in his career to date, he will go on to become a great player, as the France international has won four Champions League crowns, the World Cup and three LaLiga titles, whilst being capped 93 times by his country.

Paskotsi, who Kulig once dubbed an “interesting” prospect, caught the eye in the UEFA Nations League for Estonia in 2022 with two strong performances. As per Sofascore, the 20-year-old won 67% of his aerial duels and made 4.5 clearances and interceptions per match for his country, whilst averaging an overall rating of 7.10.

The gem also played in seven World Cup 2022 qualifiers for Estonia and made 2.5 tackles and interceptions and 5.4 clearances per outing, whilst Varane has made 1.7 tackles and interceptions and 3.9 clearances per game in the Premier League this season.

Both players are centre-backs who are actively involved in winning possession back for their team whilst also being in the right place at the right time to make vital clearances at the back.

With his 16 caps and fine form for Estonia, Paskotsi has shown that he has the capacity to compete at senior level, and Conte could unearth his talent – potentially finding Varane 2.0 for Tottenham – by adding to the young enforcer’s one first-team appearance for Spurs so far.