Arsenal
Agent Rejects Claims Linking Tonali to Arsenal After Merino Injury
Agent denies Arsenal approach for Sandro Tonali as Arsenal scramble for midfield cover after Merino.
Arsenal were reported to have considered Sandro Tonali on Deadline Day as they sought short-term midfield cover following confirmation of Mikel Merino’s foot injury. The suggestion that Tonali had been offered to Arsenal was strongly denied by the player’s agent, while the club continued to evaluate options.
The need for reinforcements followed Arsenal’s announcement about the severity of Merino’s injury, which leaves the squad down a midfielder for the coming months. Mikel Arteta acknowledged the situation ahead of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea and confirmed the club were searching the market.
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claimed Arsenal were “exploring” a deal for Tonali after an initial approach was rejected. That report was contested by The Athletic ’s well-connected David Ornstein, who said no discussions between the two clubs had taken place and traced the interest back to Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso.
Andrea Berta was described as an “admirer” of Tonali, but the practicalities of completing a transfer so late in the window prevented any move from progressing. In response to The Athletic’s account, Riso told Sky Italia: “Newcastle won’t let Sandro leave in January. We haven’t spoken to Arsenal about this opportunity.”
Arteta addressed the club’s response to Merino’s absence directly. “The news of Mikel was very unexpected, obviously, especially for such a long time,” he said. “So we are actively looking at options and we will continue to do that. My day will be the same as usual, I will be busier and if we have a final solution, I will try to do it, and if we don’t, we will continue in the manner that we are now.
“You need to look and we need to do everything that we possibly can to see if we have a player that is available. If we don’t, we keep what we have,” he added, later conceding he “isn’t relaxed” about the situation.
On the injury itself Arteta was cautious: “It’s a very rare injury, so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery,” the Arsenal boss sighed. “How it reacts daily, monitor it throughout the week. I know Mikel is going to do absolutely everything that he possibly can to come back as quick as possible.”
Arsenal
2025–26 Premier League awards: Haaland, Fernandes and Raya lead the season honours
Arsenal champions; Haaland wins Golden Boot (27), Bruno Fernandes leads assists (21), Raya 19 cleans
The 2025–26 Premier League season concluded on May 24 with Arsenal lifting the title and several individual awards settled. Erling Haaland claimed the Golden Boot with 27 goals, while Bruno Fernandes topped the assist charts with 21 and David Raya secured the Golden Glove with 19 clean sheets.
Haaland finished as the division’s top scorer for the third time in four seasons. His 27 goals helped Man City remain central to the title race. Haaland now has three Premier League Golden Boots to his name, the same amount as division legends Alan Shearer and Harry Kane. Only Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah have won more Golden Boot awards than the Norwegian striker.
Brentford’s Igor Thiago took second place in the scoring charts with 22 goals. Antoine Semenyo finished on 17 goals after a split season that saw him score 10 for Bournemouth before joining Man City in January and adding seven more. Ollie Watkins ended the campaign with 16 goals, the highest total among English players, while João Pedro and Morgan Gibbs-White each recorded 15.
Bruno Fernandes set a new benchmark for creativity, collecting 21 assists to win the Playmaker Award and break the single-season assist record previously held since 2002–03. Fernandes’s performances also saw him named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. Rayan Cherki provided 12 assists and Jarrod Bowen 11; Haaland contributed eight assists. Dominik Szoboszlai, James Garner, Mohamed Salah and Harry Wilson all finished on seven assists.
In goal, David Raya produced a standout campaign with 19 clean sheets in 37 appearances, claiming the Golden Glove for a third consecutive season. Gianluigi Donnarumma had 15 clean sheets, while Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson and Đorđe Petrović shared third place on 11.
These awards underline the individual performances that shaped a memorable season, with Arsenal crowned champions and the league’s leading scorers, creators and goalkeepers recognised for their contributions.
Arsenal
How the Premier League Final Day Determined European Places
Final day confirmed five Champions League places and Europa League spots for Bournemouth and Sunderland
The final day of the Premier League delivered decisive outcomes for European qualification after a season of shifting permutations. Arsenal were crowned champions on Tuesday evening after Manchester City failed to win at Bournemouth, and the Gunners also head into next weekend’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain with the possibility of entering next season’s competition as holders.
Aston Villa, Europa League winners, beat Manchester City 2–1 and secured fourth place. That result, combined with earlier developments, left the top five comprised of Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd, Aston Villa and Liverpool as the Premier League’s Champions League representatives for next season.
Liverpool’s route to Europe hinged on midweek events. Erling Haaland’s equaliser at the Vitality Stadium meant Liverpool needed a point at home to Brentford. Curtis Jones opened the scoring before Kevin Schade cancelled it out, and the draw was enough for Liverpool to finish fifth and take the extra Champions League berth awarded after a strong English showing in continental competitions.
Manchester United had already confirmed their place among Europe’s elite by beating Liverpool 3–2 earlier in the month. United went into the final day locked in third and ended the season with a 3–0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion; Bruno Fernandes broke the single-season assist record.
Bournemouth will compete in the Europa League after holding Nottingham Forest to a 1–1 draw and completing an 18-game unbeaten run. Sunderland produced the biggest surprise, rising from 10th on the morning of the final day to secure Europa League qualification with a 2–1 win over Chelsea.
Régis Le Bris has done a remarkable job, and surely the rumors of a potential successor being lined up will be squashed after what his team achieved on the final day.
Crystal Palace can still reach the Europa League by winning the Conference League final. There have been nine English finalists in UEFA’s three club competitions since 2021, with Palace aiming to become the second Premier League outfit to win the Conference League.
Brighton were beaten 3–0 by Manchester United but finished eighth after other results, while their European experience under Roberto De Zerbi in 2023 remains part of the club’s recent continental history.
Arsenal
Six narratives to follow on Premier League final day
Final day focused on title celebration, relegation drama farewells and Bruno Fernandes’ assist chase
The Premier League reaches its final day with several distinct threads still to be resolved. Arsenal travel to Selhurst Park to conclude an historic campaign, and how their players respond to Tuesday night’s extended title celebrations will be obvious from the first whistle. Selection changes are expected and could produce either a lively goal fest or a subdued end to the season. The trophy will be presented after the final whistle, with skipper Martin Ødegaard first to lay hands on the prize. Twenty-two years of anguish banished to the history books.
Tottenham face a far more fraught finish. Despite sitting in the driving seat for survival, Spurs remain uncertain of their safety. West Ham are two points behind with a much worse goal difference, which leaves Tottenham realistically needing only a draw at home to Everton to secure their top-flight status. West Ham host Leeds United knowing their destiny is out of their hands, while Tottenham must arrest the inconsistency that has defined their campaign.
Chelsea can still affect their European destination with a trip to Sunderland. With incoming manager Xabi Alonso watching, the Blues can secure continental football next season, whether via the Europa League or the Conference League, the latter having been won by the Blues in 2024–25. Victory at the Stadium of Light would give them a decent chance of making the Europa League, but they will require a favour from Manchester United at Brighton & Hove Albion. A draw makes progression trickier and defeat could prove fatal to their hopes.
Manchester City’s finale at the Etihad against Aston Villa marks the end of an era. Pep Guardiola will oversee his final game as Man City boss at home, and club icons John Stones and Bernardo Silva will also be saying their goodbyes. Guardiola and his players will be determined to finish with a fitting result.
Liverpool will bid farewell to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson after nine-year spells at Anfield. A win or draw at home to Brentford will guarantee Champions League qualification; a defeat is unlikely to drop them out of the top five given Bournemouth’s need for a seven-goal swing to overtake sixth.
Manchester United travel to Brighton with nothing riding on the result except Bruno Fernandes’ individual chase. “The Portuguese playmaker, who was named Premier League Player of the Season on Saturday, is hunting down the division’s assist record. Having tied with Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry last time out, one more assist on the south coast will take his tally to an unprecedented 21 for the season.”
Great Teams That Fell: Premier League Relegations Reconsidered
Carrick sets out transfer task after earning permanent Manchester United role
