Arsenal Insider

Arsenal will be expected to finish above Tottenham for the fourth consecutive season in 2025/26.

The Gunners have finished second in each of the last three campaigns, with Spurs moving between fifth and 17th in this period.

Mikel Arteta’s side should compete for the Premier League title once again, while the objective for Thomas Frank’s outfit will be to return to the top eight at least.

Arsenal have added Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke to their ranks in an attempt to close the gap to Liverpool, while Tottenham have thus far landed Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus.

Tottenham now want to sign Eberechi Eze

Despite already signing six players this summer, Arsenal remain interested in Eze.

The Gunners view the England international as someone who can provide cover and competition for Martin Odegaard, while also potentially establishing himself as the first-choice left-winger.

That said, Crystal Palace are staunch in their stance of demanding £68 million for the player, while another potential suitor has now entered the room.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are now interested in signing Eze after failing to secure Morgan Gibbs-White and losing James Maddison to an ACL injury.

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The Lillywhites are desperate to add a new number ten to Frank’s squad, and this desperation could result in Daniel Levy forking out a significant fee for Palace’s talisman, which Arsenal aren’t willing to match.

Eze would be something of a luxury signing for the Gunners, while he’s a necessity for Spurs, and thus, Arsenal’s North London rivals are probably favourites to ultimately strike a deal with Palace.

Eze was in Arsenal’s academy until the age of 13.

The Gunners released him before he went on to spend time in the youth set-ups at Fulham, Reading and Millwall.

Eventually settling at Queens Park Rangers, Eze worked his way back up to the top, excelling in the last five years at Selhurst Park.

Similarly, Harry Kane was also once part of the Hale End academy, joining Arsenal at the age of eight, before being released for being ‘a bit chubby’ a year later.

Like Eze, Kane didn’t let this setback effect him, signing for Tottenham and eventually establishing himself as one of the best strikers in world football.

The Palace midfielder could now emulate the Bayern centre-forward by joining Spurs and thriving in N17, after having been released by Arsenal as a youngster.

The Gunners have the ability to prevent this nightmare from unfolding again by simply moving more quickly than the Lillywhites in the transfer market.

Tottenham didn’t appeal to one of Arsenal’s summer signings, reports have revealed.

Andrea Berta wasted no time improving Mikel Arteta’s squad this summer, signing six players before August came around.

The Gunners have the striker they so desperately needed on board, welcoming Viktor Gyokeres as well as signing competition on the wings in the form of Noni Madueke.

Madueke will challenge for a starting spot, making his arrival one of the most exciting; however, it’s not just the higher-calibre acquisitions that are generating attention.

Christian Norgaard snubbed Tottenham to join Arsenal

What made the difference last season, and what will make the difference over the coming campaign, is Arsenal’s squad depth.

The signings of Cristhian Mosquera, Kepa Arizabalaga and Christian Norgaard represent arrivals that add quality to the depth of Arteta’s squad.

Norgaard has made an impressive start to life at Arsenal, arriving from Brentford with a vast amount of Premier League experience under his belt.

Signing the former Brentford captain could prove to be a triumph for Arteta, even more so given how different things could’ve been.

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According to The Athletic, Thomas Frank was eager to sign Norgaard at Tottenham, but he was denied the chance due to the player’s preference.

The midfielder instead ‘chose Arsenal’, snubbing the Gunners’ North London neighbours in favour of joining Arteta’s project.

It was a particularly bold move from Norgaard, who had spent the majority of his professional career working alongside Frank.

Spurs have signed former Arsenal target Joao Palhinha

Frank admitted he felt emotional facing Norgaard when Arsenal and Spurs met in pre-season.

The Gunners won the race to sign Norgaard, but their rivals were able to recover from the transfer snub, ironically signing one of Arsenal’s targets.

Arsenal were interested in Joao Palhinha but opted to sign Norgaard instead, paving the way for the Bayern Munich midfielder to join Spurs on an initial loan.

Despite the form that the Portugal international showed at Fulham, there will be no complaints from Arsenal, who were advised not to sign Palhinha due to not needing the 30-year-old.

Having signed Martin Zubimendi to partner Declan Rice, Norgaard arrived as back-up, with no room in the squad for profiles such as Palhinha’s.

Arsenal suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the final game of their Asia tour.

It was a scrappy North London Derby in Hong Kong – the first to be played between the two sides outside of the UK.

A mix up between David Raya and Myles Lewis-Skelly allowed Pape Sarr to fire the winner just before half time in a game which saw Viktor Gyokeres make his debut from the bench.

The Swede was given the final 12 minutes of action as he works his way towards full fitness, however, Mikel Arteta has just proven that one player’s career at the club is coming to an end.

Albert Sambi Lokonga fails to make an Arsenal appearance on the pre-season tour of Asia

Arsenal’s 30-man squad to Asia included a real mix of youth and experienced first-team players hoping to gain some minutes under their belt ahead of the new season.

However, forgotten Gunners star Albert Sambi Lokonga was left red-faced after he failed to earn a minute of action across the three matches.

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Lokonga spent last season out on loan at Sevilla and will surely now be looking for a new club this summer after Arteta made it clear he isn’t in his plans.

The Belgian midfielder signed for Arsenal back in 2021 and Lokonga was once described as a ‘complete’ player by his former manager at Luton Town Rob Edwards.

Arsenal will have to suffer a loss on Albert Sambi Lokonga this summer

Having bought Lokonga for just over £15m in 2021, it is likely that Andrea Berta will have to suffer a huge loss on the midfielder to get him off the books.

Sevilla had an option to buy Lokonga for £10m but chose not to activate the clause after his loan spell in La Liga last season.

The Gunners need a number of player sales in order to fund a move for another attacking target – the club have interest in both Eberechi Eze and Rodrygo.

However, recouping a significant fee for Lokonga now looks unlikely, especially with the 25-year-old having experienced no action this pre-season.

Lokonga will return to the UK with the squad and hope that he may get his chance in the clashes with Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao at the Emirates before the season commences.

Arsenal slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday in a pre-season friendly.

This was the first-ever North London Derby played abroad, with the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong playing host to the historic match.

Spurs took the lead shortly before the break, courtesy of an exceptional long-range effort from Pape Sarr.

The Gunners pushed for an equaliser in the second half, but were unable to find one as Mikel Arteta’s men suffered their first defeat of pre-season.

Arsenal player ratings vs Tottenham Hotspur

David Raya – 7

Claimed crosses well and played some excellent long balls throughout. Solid.

Ben White – 6

Didn’t see enough of Ben White’s overlapping runs in the first half, but dealt with Wilson Odobert well. As Arsenal dominated the ball in the second period, he was significantly more influential.

William Saliba – 7

Swept up for Jakub Kiwior on a few occasions, while his passing was progressive and adventurous.

Jakub Kiwior – 6

Strong in possession, whilst being a little passive defensively at times.

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Myles Lewis-Skelly – 5

A couple of excellent carries forward early on, but faded as the game progressed. A poor giveaway for the Sarr goal.

Christian Norgaard – 7

Read the game excellently throughout and made some crucial defensive actions.

Declan Rice – 5

Not getting on the ball nearly as much as he’d have hoped, Declan Rice struggled when trying to carry Arsenal forward. Has been recovering from an injury in recent weeks, and that showed in this one.

Martin Odegaard – 6

Some nice touches here and there, but somewhat struggled to make an impact in the final third.

Bukayo Saka – 6

Looked dangerous whenever he was fed the ball, but that wasn’t frequently enough.

Kai Havertz – 6

Some very astute hold-up play from Kai Havertz, although he’ll be disappointed he couldn’t get more opportunities to score inside the box.

Gabriel Martinelli – 5

A very peripheral display from Gabriel Martinelli, even if his defensive work was typically excellent.

Substitutes

Martin Zubimendi – 7

Almost scored with a dipping volley with his first touch, and injected some energy into Arsenal’s passing.

Leandro Trossard – 6

Looked to be bright with the ball but was unable to influence the game in any meaningful way. Forced off through injury.

Cristhian Mosquera, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mikel Merino, Max Dowman, Viktor Gyokeres, Reiss Nelson – N/A

Introduced late in the game.

Kai Havertz started for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

The game at the Kai Tak Sports Park was the first-ever North London Derby outside the United Kingdom, and the support was absolutely incredible.

Before the game, all eyes were on whether Viktor Gyokeres would start, but Mikel Arteta put him on the bench and went with Havertz instead.

The German did something that impressed many Arsenal fans.

Arsenal star Kai Havertz sends Micky van de Ven flying

Micky van de Ven is one of Tottenham’s best players.

The Dutchman joined Spurs in 2023, and even though injuries have really troubled him, he has developed into a very good defender.

Van de Ven became popular for his blistering pace, but what people forget about him is that he is 6ft 4in tall and really strong.

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However, his strength was no match for Kai Havertz, who dominated him in a physical duel.

In the first half of the North London Derby in Hong Kong, Havertz and Van de Ven went shoulder-to-shoulder while challenging for the ball.

The Arsenal man showed off his strength in that duel as the Spurs defender went flying to the ground.

Arsenal fans have spotted Havertz bulking up over the last few months, and many now feel that all the hard work in the gym has paid off.

Arsenal fans react after Kai Havertz dominated Micky van de Ven

The clash in Hong Kong is a pre-season game, but there are no friendlies between Arsenal and Tottenham.

Players on both sides didn’t shy away from making challenges, and you could sense that there isn’t much love between the two teams.

Arsenal fans absolutely loved Havertz winning his challenge against Van de Ven, and they’ve had their say on social media.

One Arsenal fan tweeted: “Havertz’s new body is causing havoc for opposing teams. Hahaha! Van de Ven went for a ride with that body check.”

Another wrote: “Yeah, Havertz has definitely been in the gym. He put Van de Ven in the dirt.”

“Havertz’s strength on display there. Van de Ven went in for a 50/50 and ended up on the floor lol,” said another.

Arsenal took on North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur during their final pre-season clash of the club’s Asia tour.

Mikel Arteta named a strong side for the first ever North London Derby outside of the UK and the Gunners were frustrated in the first half.

William Saliba had a good chance to open the scoring early on in the game but Spurs defended resolutely.

In fact, it was the other side of North London that had the better chances in the first half and went in at the break 1-0 up with a sensational strike from Pape Sarr. The game also showed that the Gunners have failed to address a major issue from last season.

Arsenal still look vulnerable from defensive set pieces

Jamie Redknapp criticised Arsenal last season for their ability to defend set pieces and claimed that it could have cost them the Premier League title.

It appears that despite solving the issue of scoring goals with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, Arteta’s side continued to look vulnerable from set piece routines against Spurs.

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Thomas Frank’s side hit the post twice in the first half from corner routines and it is clear that David Raya and his Arsenal defence are still not commanding the penalty area.

Arsenal are so potent from set pieces in an attacking sense, however, the complete opposite is occurring in their own penalty box and it keeps costing them silly goals and points dropped.

It is now up to set piece coach Nicolas Jover to spend as much time on defending corners and free kicks as he does coming up with attacking plans.

David Raya has not learned lessons from last season

Raya himself also repeated a mistake from the previous campaign of being caught out of position leading to a goal for the opposition.

Just before the break, the Spanish goalkeeper played a pass into Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was surrounded by three Spurs players and lost the ball.

Raya was then scrambling to get back on his line and Sarr expertly lifted the ball over him into the empty net.

Jean-Philippe Mateta also scored a similar goal for Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium last season and although pre-season is about getting rid of the mistakes and rustiness, the Gunners have to help themselves and learn from past failures.

If they continue making the same mistakes, another trophyless season would see a lot of criticism and frustration levelled their way.

Arsenal are preparing to face Tottenham Hotspur in their latest pre-season clash.

The game will be the first North London Derby to be played outside of the UK with Hong Kong hosting the bitter rivalry.

Mikel Arteta’s side have won both of their games on the tour so far with youngsters Max Dowman and Marli Salmon stealing the limelight for their assured displays.

The test against Thomas Frank’s side will mean a step up in intensity for the Arsenal squad and although it is only a pre-season clash, there will be no ‘friendly’ element about this derby.

Predicted Arsenal line up vs Tottenham Hotspur

All eyes will be on whether Arteta hands a debut to new signing Viktor Gyokeres, however with the Swede only having completed a couple of training sessions with his new side, it is unlikely he will start the game.

Riccardo Calafiori had an injury scare in the game against Newcastle and is likely not to be risked with Jakub Kiwior set for his first start of the tour.

It could also be the first time we see Arsenal’s midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard from the outset – with many believing this will be Arteta’s preferred option this season.

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With continued speculation over his future, Leandro Trossard will likely move to the bench in place of Gabriel Martinelli.

Cristhian Mosquera could be set for a debut of his own after joining up with the squad last week, whilst Dowman and Salmon will be hoping to feature from the bench once again.

Reiss Nelson has already played his last game in an Arsenal shirt

With the Gunners still keen to add another attacking player in the transfer market, player sales have become the priority for Andrea Berta.

Reiss Nelson has been linked with Fulham and an agreement is reportedly close between the two sides over a loan deal with an option to buy the Hale End winger.

It would be highly unlikely that Nelson is risked during the clash with Spurs given that the deal is so far down the line.

Nelson impressed during his cameo against AC Milan but was an unused substitute in the 3-2 victory over Newcastle United.

There is hope from Arsenal fans that Nelson’s departure alongside the likes of Fabio Vieira and Trossard, could open up room for a swoop for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze.

It’s one thing for Arsenal to miss out on a transfer target, but it’s quite another to miss out on a target to Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal are no strangers to having their transfer deals hijacked at the last minute.

Indeed, Chelsea pinched Mykhaylo Mudryk from Arsenal back in 2023 in one of the most infamous hijacks in recent history, while Manchester United got Lisandro Martinez after Arsenal made multiple bids just months prior.

Arsenal have been courting Rodrygo from Real Madrid, this summer, but, in recent days, it’s been reported that Tottenham could sign the winger.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, Rodrygo to Tottenham isn’t something that is going to happen this summer.

Rodrygo will not sign for Tottenham

According to the journalist, the rumours regarding Rodrygo potentially joining Tottenham are baseless.

Rodrygo has been valued at £70m, and he could be on the move this summer, but it would appear he’s not headed to Spurs.

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“There were rumours about Tottenham. Tottenham are not in the conversation for Rodrygo guys, Tottenham and Rodrygo is not something realistic to happen this summer, so forget about that.”

Rodrygo thinks he’s good enough for Real Madrid

Rodrygo isn’t going to be joining Tottenham, and according to Romano, the Brazilian could end up staying exactly where he is this summer.

“I can confirm this is not an easy decision for Rodrygo. Rodrygo loves Real Madrid, he loves the club, Rodrygo is convinced he can still be an important player for Real Madrid.

“The feeling from Rodrygo is not that he can’t be a Real Madrid player anymore and he wants to go, he really feels he can be important for this squad and this Real Madrid team.”

Of course, Rodrygo was continuously left out of the Madrid team throughout the Club World Cup, so things may come to a breaking point somewhere down the line.

Whether or not Rodrygo does leave Real Madrid this summer remains to be seen, but, if he does, Arsenal may well be there waiting to pounce.

Arsenal could be set to hand rivals Tottenham Hotspur more transfer misery.

Arsenal are interested in signing Eberechi Eze and the Crystal Palace man wants to join the Gunners ahead of Spurs after they also showed interest in the England international.

Noni Madueke was a Spurs academy graduate and is also close to joining the club after a £52m fee was agreed between Arsenal and Chelsea. The 23-year-old is currently undergoing medical tests.

Now Arsenal could be set to deliver a third blow to their North London neighbours this summer, stemming from something they did back in 2023.

Tottenham Hotspur told they have to pay ‘Declan Rice’ money to sign Adam Wharton

According to journalist Dean Jones, Tottenham Hotspur have hit a stumbling block in their pursuit of Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton over the asking price for the 21-year-old.

Spurs are keen to add to their squad ahead of their Champions League campaign next season but have been told that it would take an offer close to the fee paid for Declan Rice to tempt Palace into selling.

Jones stated: “Tottenham like Adam Wharton a lot. But Crystal Palace are playing hardball. We’re talking a valuation that could go north of £80 million.

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“Palace believe there’s no reason they shouldn’t aim for a Rice-style fee after what West Ham pulled off a couple of years back. And to be fair… they might have a point.”

Arsenal completed the signing of Rice back in 2023 for a club-record fee of £105m and the midfielder was outstanding last campaign for the Gunners.

Rice has not travelled to Spain for the initial part of pre-season as he is still following an individual training programme but the England star will be looking to hit the ground running once again next season.

Spurs will now have to cough up close to Rice’s valuation if they want to sign Wharton and having already spent money on Mohammed Kudus and the likely signing of Morgan Gibbs-White, that fee may be beyond their realms.

Adam Wharton valuation makes Christian Norgaard signing look even better

There is no doubt that Wharton is a terrific prospect at Palace and at just 21 years of age, he will develop into one of the best midfielders in the country.

However, his valuation north of £80m makes Andrea Berta’s signing of Christian Norgaard for just £10m look even better.

Norgaard could prove to be an excellent piece of business and provide depth and quality to Mikel Arteta’s midfield options.

His relatively cheap price tag also allows Arsenal to splash the cash in other areas, most notably in their attack.

Arsenal fans love nothing more than embarrassing their North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Mikel Arteta’s side are currently on a three-match winning streak against their nearest neighbours after securing a Premier League double over Spurs last season.

Away from the pitch, Arsenal have angered the other side of North London in the transfer market before as they shocked world football by securing Sol Campbell on a free transfer back in 2001.

Eberechi Eze can emulate Tomas Rosicky with his incredible record in North London Derbies if the Gunners can secure a deal for the Crystal Palace man. However, Andrea Berta now has the opportunity to deal another transfer blow to Tottenham and this one will really sting.

Arsenal target Noni Madueke was once part of Tottenham Hotspur’s academy

Arsenal are in contact with Chelsea over Noni Madueke and are hoping to conclude a deal swiftly for the England international.

Madueke would provide the Gunners with pace and versatility in attack, something that was missing last season in their quest for a major trophy.

Should Madueke prove to be a difference-maker for Arsenal this season, it would be even more painful for Spurs fans given that the 23-year-old is a product of their own academy.

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Madueke made one appearance for Tottenham Hotspur’s U18 side in the Premier League 2 before moving to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Noni Madueke would join an exclusive list to play for Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur

There are not many players who have played for Arsenal and Spurs during their careers and Madueke would join an exclusive club.

Although the Gunners transfer target never featured for the first-team he would join the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and William Gallas to have represented both sides of the North London divide.

Perhaps one of the most famous instances of rivalry between the two clubs came in 2009 when David Bentley scored a remarkable goal from the halfway line for Spurs at the Emirates.

Bentley was an Arsenal academy graduate and went on to represent England during his time at White Hart Lane.

Should the Gunners complete a deal for Madueke, he will be hoping that his best footballing years are in a red and white shirt.