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Throughout the summer transfer window, Liverpool's focus was rightly on rebuilding their midfield following the departures of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita and others in the middle of the park. Now approaching the halfway point of the season, it's clear to see that Jurgen Klopp completed that task with the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo. Whilst the focus was on restoring their midfield, the Reds failed to bolster their backline, which could indicate what their next transfer plan is.

As things stand, Klopp's options are Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah, but a long-term injury to Matip has left the German with just three options in the Premier League. And given that Matip's contract runs out next summer, the Reds could be in need of another central defender, either way, which could reportedly see FSG target one particular reinforcement.

Liverpool transfer news

Those at Anfield must start thinking about the long term before it's too late. The last thing they need is to repeat the problem they endured last summer when they were forced to rebuild their midfield in one summer window. Reports indicate that the Reds could have an option for the future lined up, with the club open to offers.

According to 90min, Sao Paulo are now open to offers to sell Lucas Beraldo in what appears to be a boost for the Reds. The 20-year-old has reportedly attracted the interest of Liverpool and was the subject of a summer bid from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The ball now seems to be in Liverpool's court, with the Brazilian side willing to listen to any offers for their defender.

Liverpool make first move to sign "starlet"; he's impressed Reds scouts

The Reds have reportedly turned their attention towards the future…

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 6, 2023

"They are boys with very good minds, who know that the moment will come [to leave]. We'll always talk to the agent and the player. We ended up renewing Beraldo's contract until 2027. We will negotiate with each of them if the offer is good for everyone. But I have never faced pressure from these boys. Quite the opposite."

"Innovative" Beraldo could become Van Dijk replacement

At just 20 years old, Beraldo is yet to reach his prime and is being linked with moves to the Premier League. If Liverpool are to think of their long-term future, then welcoming the Sao Paulo defender may not be a bad idea. Matip is leaving in the summer as things stand and Van Dijk is now 32, begging the question of who will replace the current captain in a few years. And the answer to that question may well be Beraldo.

The Brazilian has earned plenty of praise whilst playing in his home country, including from U23 scout and journalist Antonio Mango, who posted on X:

"Brazil aren’t too far away from the next big thing but you, as like me think of their attacking flair. It’s not too often you get excited by a rare breed left-footed centre-back. Innovative, distinctive creative and brave Beraldo has a unique complexion of attributes that makes him one of the most compelling individuals upcoming."

Whilst it remains to be seen whether Liverpool place an offer for Beraldo, the central defender is certainly one to keep an eye on in the forthcoming transfer windows.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has now shared a pretty promising update on Arsenal and their chase to sign Brentford star Ivan Toney.

Strikers linked with moves to Arsenal

Widespread reports from the last few months indicate manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu, who work together on Arsenal's transfers, are very keen to bring in a new centre-forward.

Arteta has just Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as his only senior, natural options in the position, and club legend Ray Parlour has urged Arsenal to sign a new striker to add more firepower.

Related Arsenal could sign a £53m "special talent" instead of Douglas Luiz

The young Spaniard could be a better fit for Arsenal.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 11, 2023

“Where they are going to be lacking is the striker position," said Parlour to TEAMtalk last month. "In teams I played in we had four top strikers so I think that is one area they need to improve. I know Jesus is out at the moment and Nketiah did brilliantly getting his hat-trick at the weekend but there is not a lot of options up front.

“I am sure Arteta, if there is someone available whether on loan or someone who is not playing on a regular basis but who he knows can do a decent job, will be looking for options. When you are chasing a goal you have got to change it up front and they do not have that at the moment."

Of the forwards who've been tipped to potentially sign for Arsenal, there are a few. Edu has been linked with signing Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus as one example, coming amid the Serbian's resurrection of form in Italy. Napoli star Victor Osimhen is a rumoured option for Arsenal as well, but the 24-year-old is set to be a very expensive option for any interested side.

Toney, however, stands out as the most regularly mentioned candidate to shore up Arteta's attacking options. The Englishman, who is currently serving a ban for alleged gambling breaches, is due back on the field mid-way through January.

The Bees are determined not to lose their man, and according to Sky Sports, Brentford have placed a £100 million valuation on the Toney's head.

Romano shares very promising Toney update

The battle to sign Toney next month will be an interesting one, as Arsenal aren't the only side interested in doing a deal. That being said, Romano has now dropped a very promising update on the Edu's pursuit of the prolific striker. According to the reliable journalist, speaking on Kick this week, Toney now sees Arsenal as his preferred destinaton over any other club.

It's even said he's "really excited" by the prospect of making a move to north London.

“From what I’m hearing, this is one more detail on Ivan Toney, this is a rumour I’m hearing that his preference in terms of a top club move in January or the summer would be to go to Arsenal," said Romano (via The Boot Room).

"From what I’m hearing Ivan Toney could be really excited by the possibility of joining Arsenal."

Toney scored 20 Premier League goals under Thomas Frank last season. Indeed, a record like that could be the difference between silverware and a trophy-less season where Arsenal are concerned. It appears they'll have zero trouble on the player's side, with Brentford being the only thing standing in Arteta's way.

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Inaugurada em 2014, o Allianz Parque é a casa do Palmeiras e costuma pesar a favor do Alviverde em momentos decisivos. Dentro de casa, o Verdão faturou três títulos, entre eles, duas vezes o Campeonato Brasileiro.

+ TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

Porém, ao menos com um adversário a história é diferente. Trata-se do Grêmio, de Renato Portaluppi, que ainda não sabe o que é derrota na casa do rival.

Desde a construção da nova casa do Palmeiras, o Tricolor fez duas visitas. A primeira na Copa do Brasil de 2016. Após vencer a ida por 2 a 1, o Grêmio segurou um empate por 1 a 1. Em 2019, na segunda visita, Portaluppi contou com Everton Cebolinha inspirado para vencer por 2 a 1.

+Quem são os fregueses na era dos pontos corridos do Brasileirão? Confira!

Agora, Portaluppi e Grêmio têm mais dois encontros marcados com o Palmeiras. O primeiro será nesta sexta-feira, pela 30ª rodada do Brasileirão. O segundo é pela final da Copa do Brasil.

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Após a goleada sofrida diante do Santos e a eliminação nas quartas de final da Libertadores da América, o Grêmio junta os cacos e tenta se reconstruir para a sequência da temporada.

+ TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO

Na próxima semana, o Tricolor inicia a série semifinal contra o São Paulo pela Copa do Brasil e corre o risco de ficar sem o lateral-direito Orejuela, que sentiu um problema muscular no jogo contra o Peixe.

No duelo da Vila Belmiro, o colombiano não conseguiu acompanhar o rival na velocidade, caiu no chão e precisou deixar o gramado antes dos 15 minutos da etapa inicial.

Com a improvável presença de Orejuela, Renato Gaúcho vai colocar suas fichas em Victor Ferraz, que chegou com status de titular, mas ficou no banco de reservas.

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Australia lost 10 for 60 after a solid 142-run opening stand to concede the advantage on a platter to Pakistan

The Report by Danyal Rasool09-Oct-2018
The model remains the same, only the specifics vary. This Test match, like most in the UAE, is beginning to take shape around a resounding Pakistan victory.On a day where they were every bit as dominant as any in the lopsided 2014 series between these two, Pakistan sliced through Australia with consummate ease. Once the opening partnership of 142 had been broken – thanks to intelligent field placing and a magnificent low catch at silly mid-on from Asad Shafiq – Pakistan were all over Australia. Debutant Bilal Asif did a bulk of the damage to pick six wickets in a magnificent spell of offspin on a surface that has just started to wake up.Usman Khawaja and debutant Aaron Finch helped themselves to half-centuries after overcoming a probing opening burst early in the day. Then the familiar Australian subcontinent collapse came about as they lost 10 for 60 to make it the seventh time since July 2016 that they lost all 10 wickets for under 100. Asif took six and was supported superbly by fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who bowled with characteristic discipline to pick four wickets.There was never a question of enforcing the follow-on in this weather with the pitch beginning to take sharp turn. It meant Pakistan had to bat 17 overs to see out the day, but at the end of it, lost three of their own, including those of batting lynchpins Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali. In between those two, they also had to see Asif walk off after being sent in as nightwatchman with 30 minutes remaining. Pakistan ended on 45 for 3, leading by 325 overall, not even the late collapse being any reason for them to fret yet.The crucial breakthrough earlier in the day was the wicket of Khawaja. His foot movement was impressive against both pace and spin, and he looked comfortable with most of the shots he played. The early signs suggest the positive mental space he talked about occupying is already paying dividends.While Finch had fallen to the consistency of Abbas and the brilliance of Shafiq, Khawaja continued his assured progress towards what looked like an inevitable first hundred in Asia. He had been playing the sweep shots – paddle and reverse – chancelessly all day, but in the 62nd over, he was punished for misjudgment. He attempted to paddle a Bilal delivery that was far too short to sweep, and could only get the leading edge on it. It scooped up to short leg, and a despondent Khawaja found himself trudging back 15 runs short of a hundred.That exposed the middle order on a wicket it appeared hard to get a start on, and a confident Bilal was on the prowl. After troubling debutant Travis Head for much of the left-hander’s embattled nine-ball stay at the crease, he found his outside edge as Head looked to drive with the spin, only succeeding in guiding the ball to second slip. Two balls later, another debutant, Marnus Labuschagne, was walking back without scoring, having inside edged a straighter one onto his pad to short leg.There was negligible resistance after tea, the bottom half folding for 19 runs in under 11 overs. As with the previous session, Asif and Abbas were the only ones among the wickets, Yasir Shah went wicketless for the first time in his career in the UAE.Before lunch, Finch and Khawaja had looked positive and undaunted, and ensured Pakistan began the day with a wicketless session. They took the attack to any bowler, no matter his reputation, both scoring an unbeaten half-century by lunch. Where Pakistan’s run-rate stayed under three throughout the innings, the Australians were much more positive, adding 107 to their overnight score as they took lunch having chiseled 137 runs out of Pakistan’s colossal 482.Pakistan would have had plenty of reason to be confident this morning with a Test debutant at the crease with a player who averaged under 15 in Asia. But Finch and Khawaja played like men to whom those descriptions didn’t apply.Finch made it a point to consistently come forward to Yasir Shah, never really allowing the bowler to settle on a length. A smashed six down long-on from Finch off him was the shot of the morning, evocative of the player who’s established such a fearsome reputation in the limited-overs game. He brought up his half-century on debut with a commanding sweep off Bilal.It had looked so promising for Australia then, but Pakistan demonstrated, just as they had with the bat, that they were willing to be patient. As they inexorably move towards taking a 1-0 lead here, Australia will be left to wonder what more they have to do to stem the catalogue of collapses that have blighted their Test performance for the past few years.

Finally starting to find their feet under former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke, Leeds United's recent form have been positive, having lost just once in their last five games in the Championship, which came against fellow recently-relegated side Southampton. The international break, this time, comes at a bad time for those at Elland Road, with their form the most promising it has been all season.

The break will at least give them a chance to get a full squad back in contention, however, or as close to that as possible. And one injury update has provided Farke with a thankful boost ahead of a busy period once the international football has been played.

What's the latest Leeds United injury news?

Leeds' injuries have eased up a little recently, but with the likes of Stuart Dallas and Wilfried Gnonto out long term, they could do with some positive news from the treatment room, especially with fixtures coming thick and fast in the Championship. If Farke can get his squad as close to full strength as possible, then a promotion charge will be far from out of the question, even if the top two are putting a serious gap between themselves and the rest.

With that said, The Athletic's Phil Hay has provided the latest Junior Firpo injury update, reporting that Leeds are expected to be able to recall their full-back to the side after the international break, ahead of their game against fellow play-off hopefuls Norwich City.

Hay wrote for The Athletic, via Leeds All Over: "Their aborted bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s Nadiem Amiri in August was a hint that Farke would like more depth at No 10, but Firpo is due back after the international break and neither Djed Spence nor Willy Gnonto are a mile away from recovering from injury.”

Firpo is, of course, yet to play a single minute for the Yorkshire club this season, having picked up an injury in pre-season, which ruled him out up until after the second international break of the season.

How much does Junior Firpo earn?

Back in contention, Firpo can begin to prove exactly why he's one of the highest earners at Elland Road, alongside others, as he looks to help his side bounce straight back to the Premier League.

Player	Wage Per-Week (Leeds salaries)
Georginio Rutter	£70k
Patrick Bamford	£70k
Junior Firpo	£60k
Daniel James	£50k
Pascal Strujik	£45k

The full-back has certainly impressed during his time at Leeds to earn that wage, with Connor McGilligan telling One Leeds Fan Channel: "We needed a left-back in January, and the reason we needed a left-back was to replace Firpo, was to get [Pascal] Struijk out of that left-back position.

“But what he's done right now is… you know, I think that that was his sixth game on the bounce. And I don't think he's done that for Leeds yet, which is great. And I think he's been immense. I think he's been very, very, very good."

Firpo will now look to pick up where he left off to become a permanent feature under new boss Farke. If he can get back to his best as soon as possible following his injury, then Leeds will have an important option.

West Ham United secured another victory in the Europa League but saw their celebrating received by empty seats as supporters endured a stadium ban for their disruption in the Europa Conference League final in June.

The record-breaking win saw the Hammers become the first English side to go 17 consecutive European games without defeat, and now with two wins from two in the group phase, David Moyes' side are first and comfortably in reach of a place in the knockout phase already.

Lucas Paqueta opened the scoring after meeting Jarrod Bowen's delightful cross, and while the Bundesliga side restored parity shortly after the break, Nayef Aguerd headed home a curling James Ward-Prowse corner to seal a third successive win across all competitions.

How did Lucas Paqueta perform vs Freiburg?

It will be most pleasing for Moyes that his side are juggling football across multiple fronts with confidence at present; West Ham suffered successive Premier League defeats last month but those came against Manchester City and Liverpool, since winning 2-0 against Sheffield United at the London Stadium.

And at the centre of all that flows is Paqueta, who was duly rewarded for another fine display with his role as the conduit in midfield, making a whopping five key passes to complement his opening strike.

Metric

#

Goals

1

Assists

0

Key Passes

5

Touches

77

Pass completion

69%

Duels won

10/22

Tackles

1

The Brazilian maestro has been sensational since signing from French side Lyon for a club-record £51m last summer, and has now posted seven goals and eight assists from 50 appearances.

While he only completed 69% of his passes at the Stade Europa-Park, this is more to do with Paqueta's creativity and enterprising nature on the ball, searching for openings at every moment.

Indeed, another stellar showing, but it was his teammate and the orchestrator of his goal, Bowen, who was "brilliant again", according to The Athletic's Roshane Thomas.

How good was Jarrod Bowen vs Freiburg?

Bowen's cross for Paqueta's opener takes his seasonal tally up to five goals and two assists from eight outings, and he has rightfully been heralded for his "unbelievable" seasonal exploits by the likes of talkSPORT's Simon Jordan.

In Germany, as per Sofascore, he served as the centre-forward and complimented his goal with a key pass, 41 touches and success with four of his five dribble attempts, also winning six duels and taking four shots.

Having received an England call-up earlier in the day, the dynamic forward proved his worth once again as one of the most threatening and multi-faceted of his position.

With metrics also ranking the £60k-per-week star among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for interceptions, the top 9% for aerial wins and the top 19% for clearances per 90, as per FBref, he is certainly integral across the different phases of the Irons' play.

With further displays such as the one against Freiburg, this flourishing gem will only continue to grow, and he is very much the centrepiece of West Ham's attack and demonstrated his stunning skills once again last night.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is said to be personally eyeing a league's star player for his Spurs ranks in the new year.

Who could Spurs sign in January?

Spurs supporters must be in dreamland following their side's exceptional start to this Premier League season. The north Londoners maintained their unbeaten start with a 1-0 victory over Luton Town last Saturday, a result which also makes it six wins from a possible eight in the top flight. They were forced to dig deep for yet another three points, though, with midfield ace Yves Bissouma being sent off midway through the match.

A goal from summer signing Micky van de Ven was eventually enough to nick a great result for Postecoglou, who went on to reveal that Tottenham players are determined to "change the destiny of this club". Here's nearly every word Postecoglou said on the changing landscape at Spurs:

"I don't think it is fair to compare to last season, and speak about what happened then. It is all credit to the players, the way they have bought into what we are trying to do," Postecoglou told TNT Sports (via Reuters).

"We are really tight as a group, which you see because not only are we winning games, but apart from the football, which has been good, the resilience we have shown has been great. The players want to change the destiny of this club and that is what they are trying to do on the pitch."

Tottenham have been helped by the imperious form of summer signings like van de Ven and James Maddison, but the latest Spurs transfer rumours claim they wish to sign another central defender and potential Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in January.

The likes of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba and Chelsea star Conor Gallagher have been linked with moves to north London, with a report from Turkey now claiming they're after one of the Super Lig's star players.

Kerem Aktürkoğlu transfer news

Indeed, Tottenham are apparently big fans of Galatasaray star Kerem Akturkoglu, who lead the Turkish top flight for assists last season. The left-winger has gone on to score three goals and register four assists already this campaign, something which may have alerted Postecoglou. Turkiye Newspaper, as relayed by Sabah, shared this latest Tottenham transfer news on Monday.

Postecoglou personally "wants Kerem for the left wing transfer" as he considers Son Heung-min a more central striker. The Spurs manager had observers running the rule over Akturkoglu during Galatasaray's Champions League win over Man United this time last week, where he even grabbed a goal during their shock 3-2 victory at Old Trafford. Postecoglou's scouts were apparently left impressed by his performance, and as a result, they're continuing to follow him very closely as his club are apparently certain to cash in on their star man.

Key passes

Holding onto the ball

Through balls

Defensive contribution

Finishing

Crossing

Long shots

Spurs stars Son, Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have thrived as part of Postecoglou's new-look forward line, but perhaps a move for Akturkoglu would provide even more strength in depth.

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Depois de ver a Chapecoense vencer mais um jogo na Série B do Brasileirão na última sexta-feira (23) contra o Operário-PR, a responsabilidade do Cuiabá diante do Sampaio Corrêa nesse sábado aumentou.

Com 33 pontos, três atrás da equipe catarinense, o Dourado sabe que é difícil tirar o saldo de gols positivo que favorece o adversário pensando em estar a frente nos critérios de desempate. Todavia, também sabe ser igualmente importante seguir igualado no número de pontos para aumentar suas chances de chegar na reta final da competição em condições de brigar pelo título.

Já a briga da Bolívia Querida, nesse momento, é de seguir acumulando pontos para deixar a zona de rebaixamento como apenas uma situação pontual vivida no início da Série B. Nesse momento, a equipe dirigida por Léo Condé está em 12º lugar com 21 unidades, três a mais do que o primeiro ocupante do Z4, o Figueirense.

Os desfalques que o Sampaio já tinha na última rodada são os mesmos que acumula para a atual partida, todos com lesões: o goleiro Gustavo, o lateral-esquerdo João Victor e o meio-campista Vinícius Kiss.

Para o Cuiabá,Felipe Ferreira, Rafael Gava, Auremir e Lenon ainda carecem de reabilitação da forma física para voltarem a ser opções válidas enquantoRomário e Felipe Marquesestão machucados. O zagueiro Anderson Conceição e o meio-campista Luiz Gustavo voltam de suspensão e tem possibilidades até mesmo de integrarem o 11 inicial a ser montado pelo treinador Marcelo Chamusca.

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Arsenal have been guilty of some of the worst transfer missteps in recent history, as they strived to ease the pain that Arsene Wenger’s inevitable exit would cause.

The Frenchman had enjoyed 22 successful years in north London, cementing his status as one of the game’s greatest-ever tacticians alongside Sir Alex Ferguson.

He would win three Premier League titles among numerous other domestic honours, with his stature made immortal earlier in the year with the unveiling of his statue outside the Emirates. An action befitting such a legendary character.

So, when he stepped down, the man chosen to succeed him was always bound to struggle, in a similar way to how David Moyes did following the retirement of his compatriot at Old Trafford. The Scotsman would last just ten months in Manchester before his sacking, with his tenure a doomed one.

However, despite being given more time, Unai Emery still failed to earn success, making way for Mikel Arteta’s current regime which finally has them seemingly headed back towards good times.

That being said, the current Aston Villa boss was handed a rough start to life, inheriting all of the duds that Wenger brought in as his truly special tenure wound down. As such, he not only had to build up his own philosophy but also break down the one that came before him by pushing out these failures.

In the end, many of the players painfully outlived the 51-year-old tactician.

Who is Arsenal’s worst-ever signing?

Whilst the title of the Gunners’ worst-ever signing could be handed to any number of players, the last decade has been particularly startling given the inevitable transitional period that Wenger’s departure invoked.

Nicolas Pepe, Lucas Perez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Francis Jeffers are just a few names that spring to mind over their recent history, but arguably with regard to the biggest disappointment, few compare to Shkodran Mustafi.

Joining as a World Cup winner with Germany, the 31-year-old had been shining for Valencia and deservedly earned his move to England's top flight. The expectation was that he would take to life in a new country with ease, instantly translating his ball-playing and physical profile to become an instant fan favourite in north London.

Whilst he would enjoy some early-tenure success, this proved to be a false dawn, with Mustafi’s true form showing its ugly truth towards the end of his time in north London.

His debut campaign boasted a 7.14 average rating and was upheld through his 83% pass accuracy, 2.4 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and five clearances per game. Crucially, he would not make a single error leading to a goal that year, via Sofascore. By the time his contract had been terminated, a reputation had already been built for making mistakes.

Comparing such figures to the final few seasons endured, and this could not be more unlike how he started. Arsenal legend Ian Wright even launched into a scathing criticism of the 20-cap flop back in 2020, noting: “He's had multiple chances at Arsenal and he continues to let them down.

"I'm not digging him out or anything. He is not good enough. They are playing him because they've got no choice and that's unfortunately why Arsenal can't get rid of him."

Even when they did finally remove him from the playing squad, journalist Charles Watts still summed up his torrid tenure with some choice words:

“So ends the Mustafi era at Arsenal. Horrendous signing. Had some good games, but up there with one of the most costly errors of judgement the club has ever made.”

Whilst Pepe might have been the most expensive flop produced thus far, Mustafi is understandably a contender for their worst-ever acquisition due to the unfulfilled expectation the dud left.

How much did Shokdran Mustafi cost Arsenal?

That’s not to suggest that the centre-back did not set the club back significantly too, with his £35m fee a huge sum for the time.

For context, in that same summer, Manchester City signed John Stones for just £15m more at £50m, and Liverpool brought in Sadio Mane for £36m.

What makes this even more amusing is that The Express rated Pep Guardiola’s business at a mere 6/10, suggesting the “jury’s still out”. Meanwhile, Mustafi’s deal garnered an 8/10, with James Dickenson writing: “Another great piece of business.”

What was Shokdran Mustafi’s salary at Arsenal?

Such a lucrative fee was always bound to draw an equally sizable salary, and by tying him down on a five-year deal, they were locked in.

The north London outfit were forced to pay him £92k-per-week, and across the time he spent with the club, he amassed £21.5m from wages alone.

2020

€12m (£10.3m)

20% decrease

2019

€15m (£12.9m)

39% decrease

2018

€25m (£21.4m)

17% decrease

2017

€30m (£25.7m)

N/A

2016

€30m (£25.7m)

N/A

Not only did Wenger pay out a huge initial fee, but the now 73-year-old’s unwavering faith in the 6-foot stopper also made him a consistent drain even after his departure.

How much has Shokdran Mustafi earned in his career?

Mustafi did not endure a completely torrid career though, despite what many will remember when viewing his his time at Arsenal in isolation.

Successful spells with Sampdoria and Valencia set up the foundation for a thoroughly impressive career that was unfortunately halted in England, with those national team performances a frustrating example that poor displays for the Gunners were in isolation.

As such, he has merited some of the $38.99m (£31.2m) career earnings amassed, although the bulk of that came from Wenger’s generosity.

Did Shkodran Mustafi deserve to earn £92k-per-week?

It is certainly fair to say that Mustafi was not good value for his £92k-per-week paycheck, given how he would struggle as his time at the club went on,

Despite that, the current-Aris Thessaloniki FC ace would go on to make 151 appearances for the club, enjoying some positive spells at the very least. Although, for the total fee he cost the club, you would hope so.

Adding those aforementioned wages to the transfer fee, the former Everton ace took a total of £56.5m from Arsenal across his years there, costing around £374k per game.

How much did other Arsenal players earn?

To emphasise how clueless a period this was, despite his torrid tenure, Mustafi actually earned more than many of his starring peers at the club.

Club captain Laurent Koscielny and Santi Cazorla were both on a level salary with the flop, whilst stars such as Jack Wilshere, Hector Bellerin and Granit Xhaka all earned less, via Capology.

It seems that Wenger made a truly catastrophic error in investing so much in Arsenal’s former number 20, which somehow has managed to age terribly even despite the huge influx of additional money in recent years.