Arsenal have been linked again with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi as Manchester City consider a January response to recent defensive injuries. Joško Gvardiol suffered a fractured shinbone that required surgery and is set to be out for months rather than weeks. Rúben Dias also picked up a muscular problem in the same match and is expected to be sidelined for between four and six weeks.

City’s increased focus on a short-term defensive signing has intensified interest in Guéhi, who has just six months remaining on his Palace contract. That attention has prompted other admirers to reassert their claims. Arsenal’s long-standing interest is reported to remain active, and the club are expected to view Guéhi as a summer option, though no timetable for a move has been confirmed.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed that the club will be forced to accept a suitable bid for their captain this month. Liverpool, who nearly secured Guéhi last summer, are named as keen but appear likely to only move for the defender when he becomes a free agent in July. Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also said to be considering approaches in the off-season.

Mikel Arteta is seeking every edge as Arsenal pursue their first Premier League title in 22 years and has stressed the club are “actively looking” at further additions this January. “The window is there. We’re Arsenal. Now, we have to be looking at it,” he declared last month.

That said, Arsenal’s immediate need at centre back is less acute. When fit, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães are automatic starters. The club recruited Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera in the summer to provide cover and flexibility; both are comfortable playing as deputies or at fullback. Natural fullbacks Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Jurriën Timber also have experience of lining up through the middle, giving Arsenal depth even if they pursue Guéhi in future windows.

Roy Keane has publicly identified Eddie Howe as his preferred candidate to become Manchester United’s next permanent manager. Keane, speaking in his role as a Sky Sports pundit, highlighted Howe’s experience and temperament as reasons he would back the Newcastle United manager for the Old Trafford job.

The context of the discussion is a club in transition. The breakdown of Amorim’s relationship with key figures at United—namely technical director Jason Wilcox—has been cited as the primary reason for his departure, although results have remained inconsistent this season despite being an improvement on the record low 2024–25 campaign. Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher is currently minding the ship while the club looks for an interim manager to take them through to the end of the season. Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick are the two leading candidates to return to Old Trafford.

Keane was clear in his preference. “I’d go with Eddie Howe. I like him,” Keane said. “I like what he’s done. He’s managed a lot of games. When his teams are at it, they’ll play good football. He has his critics, but I like what he’s done at Newcastle.

“He’s managed seven or 800 games. He’s still a young man. I love his calmness. Maybe Man Utd need a little bit of that.

“We’ve seen with our previous [appointments], we like people with emotions, but he’s got that calmness. The job he’s done at Newcastle, Champions League and winning a cup, I’d be happy to see him go in there.”

Keane added: “Do I think Fletch is the man to do it? Absolutely not,” he continued. “But he’s stepping into do it for a few weeks and a few months. He’ll probably win a few games. If they go with Ole, good luck to them. I wish him well.

“They need to get a top manager in to get a grip of the dressing room.”

Howe’s record at Newcastle is outlined in basic figures: 203 games managed, 103 wins, a 50.74% win rate, best Premier League finishes of fourth in 2022–23 and fifth in 2024–25, and the 2024–25 EFL Cup among his achievements. Howe has been at St James’ Park since November 2021 and has repeatedly stated his current commitment to the club. “No, not at this current time. The most important thing for me is happiness in the role, happiness in the job. The relationships I have with the people around me.

“Now, that’s not always been consistently good and things can change at any football club. But, at the moment, I am very happy. We have made some great appointments in the roles we needed to fill and as long as I can express myself in the best way possible, the best version of myself to help the players and the club [I’ll stay].

“Because ultimately, for any club to be successful, there has to be unity from top to bottom and a good feeling between everybody. I’ve had an unbelievable relationship with the board here since I’ve come to the football club and that’s never changed.

“I’m very happy and I hope that continues for a long time.”

Conor Bradley was forced from the pitch on a stretcher after a late knee twist, a sequence that has left Liverpool manager Arne Slot “fearing the worst.” The incident began when Arsenal’s No. 11 dropped the ball onto the prone defender and then attempted to shove him off the field to restart play. That shove ignited a mass brawl which further delayed the match.

Players from Liverpool reacted angrily at what was described as Martinelli’s disregard for a clearly injured opponent. Bradley was later seen leaving the stadium on crutches with his left knee in a brace; there was no suggestion he had been feigning the problem.

Slot was cautious on specifics but clear on the concern. “We have to wait on the scans if it’s that bad,” Slot acknowledged. “But it doesn’t look great if Conor has the injury which we fear he might have.”

The Liverpool manager tempered criticism of the Arsenal forward. “I don’t know Gabriel Martinelli, but he comes across as a nice guy,” he said. “I’m 100% sure that if he knew what the injury might be, that he would never do that,” Slot insisted. “I think the problem for him—and it’s a problem in general in football—is that there is so much time-wasting and players pretending that they are injured in the final parts of the game and during the game, that you can sometimes be annoyed if you want to try to score a goal that you think the player is time-wasting.

“You cannot ask Martinelli to think so clear in the 94th minute.”

Martinelli posted on social media to say he had contacted Bradley. “Conor and I have messaged and I have already apologised to him,” Martinelli wrote on Instagram. “I really didn’t understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment. I want to say I’m deeply sorry for reacting.

“Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery.”

Arsenal’s manager added a character reference for his player. “Knowing Gabi, if anybody knows Gabi, it’s an incredibly lovely guy and probably he didn’t realise what happened,” the Basque boss declared. “I hope that Conor is well. I will have a word with him now to understand that, but probably he didn’t recognise what happened.”

Broadcasters reacted strongly. Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville called the action unacceptable. “I am actually fuming with Martinelli, I don’t know how the Liverpool players didn’t go over and absolutely whack him to be honest with you and take a red card. Absolutely disgraceful, that,” he seethed. Roy Keane recalled a similar personal experience. “I didn’t like it,” the former Manchester United captain said of the Martinelli incident. “It happened to me when I was badly injured and a player stood over me, and it’s not good.