Premier League
Agent Arrested After Alleged Firearm Threat to Premier League Player
An agent has been arrested after an alleged firearm threat against a Premier League player. More info.
A football agent has been arrested after a Premier League player reported being threatened with a firearm following an altercation on a busy north London street.
The Telegraph reports the agent, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has worked with players operating at international level and that the player in question is an established Premier League regular. The incident was reported to police late on a Saturday evening in early September.
“Police were called at 23.14hrs on Saturday, 6 September, to reports a man in his 20s had been threatened with a firearm on Cockfosters Parade, Barnet,” a Metropolitan Police statement confirmed.
The force said their enquiries identified a second alleged victim. “Officers spoke to the victim and during the course of their investigation it was also reported another man in his 20s had also allegedly been blackmailed and threatened by the same individual. No injuries were reported in either incident.
“A 31-year-old man was arrested on Monday, 8 September on suspicion of possession of firearms with intent, blackmail and driving without a licence. He has been bailed while enquiries continue.”
A source speaking to The Sun described the impact on the player and the wider business side of football. “This was a terrifying incident and one which has sent shockwaves through the business side of football. The player was understandably shaken up—to have threats made against you with a gun is shocking.
“He reported it right away. It was the right thing to do for his safety. He has been supported by his friends and club and they all hope it will not impact his performances. But there will be serious questions about why this happened, which the police are now trying to answer.”
The story highlights the off-field role agents play in the modern game. A football agent traditionally takes care of all off-field matters, namely contract negotiations, sponsorships and even the managing of social media accounts on the likes of Instagram, X and TikTok. They make the majority of their money by earning commission from transfers, often bringing in the help of intermediaries to help facilitate and flush out potential deals.
Agents can work individually or as part of a wider agency. Jorge Mendes and Rafaela Pimenta are named in discussions about prominent agents; the draft notes Pimenta took on the client base of Mino Raiola after his passing in April 2022, and that Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland are among the high-profile players associated with leading agents.
Arsenal
Gyökeres to Miss November Internationals as Arsenal Target Derby Return
Arsenal hope Viktor Gyökeres will return after the November internationals for the north London derby
Arsenal expect Viktor Gyökeres to be sidelined through the November international window but are targeting his return for the north London derby on Sunday, Nov. 23. Mikel Arteta expressed concern after the striker was forced off with a muscular problem: “I am concerned because he hasn’t had many muscular issues and he had to leave the pitch. He was feeling something and that’s obviously never a good sign.”
The Athletic report the Swede will undergo further tests and will be out until after the international window. Arsenal are “hoping” Gyökeres will be fit and ready to start against Tottenham Hotspur. In the meantime Arteta is expected to revert to last season’s tactical workaround, deploying natural midfielder Mikel Merino up front for the European trip to Sparta Prague and likely for the Premier League visit of Sunderland on Saturday, Nov. 8.
The timing is unfortunate for Gyökeres, who had begun to find form in an Arsenal shirt. After scoring three times in his first 11 appearances he has since found the net three times in his last three matches.
Gyökeres joins a growing list of absentees. Noni Madueke, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are all currently unavailable. Martinelli, who sustained a muscle injury in Arsenal’s 1–0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, Oct. 26, is “targeting a return swiftly” after the November international window and is hoping to be available in time for Spurs’ trip to the Emirates as well.
Martinelli was left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for upcoming matches against Senegal and Tunisia, a move that gives the forward time to recover ahead of a congested holiday schedule. If either Gyökeres or Martinelli suffer a setback, they risk missing not only the north London derby but also clashes with Bayern Munich and Chelsea to close out November.
Premier League
Ten Hag Listed Among Candidates as Wolves Seek New Manager
Ten Hag is among candidates considered by Wolves after Pereira’s sacking and fan backlash. in process
Wolverhampton Wanderers moved quickly to replace their departing head coach after a damaging defeat at Craven Cottage. The dismissed manager had been given a new three-year contract just 45 days earlier, and BBC Sport reported the club’s hierarchy “did not want to make a change” before last weekend’s fixtures. The manner of the loss, however, proved decisive.
Erik ten Hag has since been named as a surprise candidate to lead Wolves. Multiple outlets report the 55-year-old is under consideration and is interested in a return to the Premier League, though he is understood to have reservations about accepting a role mid-season. Interest in Ten Hag followed reports that Gary O’Neil had been the leading favourite to return to the club he left 11 months ago.
Reports indicated personal terms between O’Neil and Wolves had been agreed, per The Telegraph, but a wave of fan backlash prompted media coverage that the English coach had withdrawn and the club subsequently stepped back from that appointment.
Wolves are also weighing younger candidates. Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards has been linked, while former Manchester United midfielder and interim manager Michael Carrick remains in the conversation. It has been suggested the club would prefer a younger coach, a factor that could influence how far Ten Hag progresses in the process.
Carrick is currently unattached after leaving Middlesbrough in the summer following a disappointing 10th-placed Championship finish. There had been high hopes for his managerial acumen after gatecrashing the top four in his debut season at the Riverside, but it has been a case of diminishing returns since. The prevailing concern about Carrick is said to be an inability to adapt to in-game alterations.
Also mentioned among potential options is Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who is a free agent after his dismissal from Beşiktaş in August. Wolves’ selection process appears to balance immediate stability with a longer-term preference for younger coaching candidates.
Arsenal
Zubimendi ruled out for Arsenal’s Champions League trip; Nørgaard to anchor midfield
Zubimendi is suspended for Arsenal’s trip to Prague after three yellows; Christian Nørgaard starts..
Arsenal will be without Martín Zubimendi for their fourth Champions League outing in the group stage as the midfielder serves a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. The Spaniard, who has been a regular presence in midfield, will not travel with the squad for the trip to Prague where Arsenal face Slavia Prague in Gameweek 4.
Zubimendi has been influential this season, logging 1,099 minutes — the third-most in Mikel Arteta’s squad across all competitions — and scoring twice. Both goals arrived in the 3–0 win over Nottingham Forest in September. He trained ahead of the midweek match but his absence is disciplinary rather than fitness related. Zubimendi did pick up a knock in Saturday’s 2–0 win over Burnley, but that is not the reason for his unavailability.
The travelling party is already depleted by a list of injuries. Gabriel Jesus, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Martinelli are all absent due to injury. Separately, Viktor Gyökeres and Zubimendi were listed as concerns over the weekend; the former suffered a muscle issue that will keep him out until after the November international break.
UEFA’s disciplinary framework means Zubimendi became the first player to earn a suspension in this season’s Champions League after accumulating three yellow cards in Arsenal’s opening three group games. He will be eligible to return for Gameweek 5 when Arsenal welcome Bayern Munich to the Emirates. The rules also stipulate that players receive one-game bans for every odd-numbered yellow card they receive after the third. If Zubimendi picks up a fifth yellow card before the slate is wiped clean after the quarterfinals, he would face an additional suspension.
To cover his absence in central midfield, Arteta has turned to summer signing Christian Nørgaard, deploying him in a holding position for the match in Prague. Arsenal go into the fixture aiming to preserve their perfect start to the competition.
