Daily Cannon

Galatasaray and Tottenham Hotspur signings Alvaro Morata and Mathys Tel were both open to joining Arsenal in January, but the Gunners opted against both transfers.

Sami Mokbel reports for the Daily Mail that whilst Alvaro Morata and Mathys Tel ended up joining Galatasaray and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, both would have given serious consideration to joining Arsenal in the January transfer window.

The reason neither had to make that decision was that after discussing each move internally, Arsenal decided not to make offers. The club felt that neither would provide sufficient impact in the second half of the season.

Simon Collings reported on deadline day that whilst Arsenal did hold exploratory conversations over a move for Tel, they decided not to advance it beyond that.

The Gunners’ hestiance to do a deal for the teenager was likely partly related to the significant finances involved. Spurs are paying a loan fee of up to €10m (£8.3m), and they’re also paying Tel’s salary in full.

After that, Spurs will have a €60m (£50m) purchase option, taking the total potential cost of the signing up to more than £58m. That’s significantly more than Arsenal were willing to pay for a proven striker in Ollie Watkins, and Spurs are investing it on a player with no club goals this season.

As for Morata, it’s clear that Galatasaray were just a lot more keen to get a deal done. The Turkish club ultimately signed the striker on loan with an option to buy.

Arsenal are clearly an attractive destination to strikers at the moment, but the Gunners are evidently hoping to leverage that fact to sign one of their priority targets. Morata and Tel didn’t fit that description.

Arsenal’s pursuit of an emerging Irish star has ended in disappointment as their North London rivals secured a long-term deal for one of Europe’s most promising young forwards.

Tottenham Hotspur have secured the signing of Mason Melia, beating Arsenal to the highly-rated Irish forward in what is now a record-breaking transfer for a League of Ireland player, believed to be around €2m.

St Patrick’s Athletic confirmed the deal, which will see the 17-year-old remain in Ireland for the 2025 season before officially joining Spurs on January 1, 2026 as he doesn’t turn 18 until after the summer window closes.

A product of St Patrick’s youth system, Melia has already made waves in Irish football, becoming the club’s youngest-ever senior goalscorer at just 15. His performances at domestic level quickly earned him international recognition, representing Ireland at multiple youth levels, including the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He received his first call-up to the Ireland Under-21 squad in October 2024.

Since making his senior debut in May 2023, he has made 54 appearances and scored 10 goals.

Valued at just €125,000, Spurs have paid much more but Melia still represents a low-risk, high-reward investment for the club, particularly in a market where emerging strikers often command exorbitant fees.

A clinical finisher with an instinctive understanding of space, he is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s most promising forwards in recent years.

Arsenal held initial conversations about a potential move for Tottenham Hotspur signing Mathys Tel, but decided against going ahead with a deal.

On transfer deadline day, Tottenham Hotspur completed the signing of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich on an initial loan with an option to buy.

Arsenal had been linked with the player earlier in the window, and appeared to be one of the final teams remaining in the race after Tel rejected Spurs’ initial approach.

But Simon Collings reported on deadline day that whilst Arsenal held exploratory conversations over a move for Tel, they decided not to advance it beyond that.

Arsenal’s hesitance to do a deal for the teenager likely stemmed from the significant finances involved.

A conversation with Ange Postecoglou ultimately convinced Tel to sign for Spurs, and Christian Falk reports that they’re paying a loan fee of up to €10m (£8.3m). The club are also paying Tel’s salary in full.

After that, Spurs will have a €60m (£49.9m) purchase option, taking the total potential cost of the signing up to more than £58m. That’s significantly more than Arsenal were willing to pay for a proven striker in Ollie Watkins, and Spurs are investing it on a player with no club goals this season.

Spurs were desperate, given Dominic Solanke’s injury absence and the team’s current position at 14th in the table. If they don’t start winning games immediately, the prospect of European football next season will evaporate.

Arsenal are in a much stronger starting position. Whilst that has led many to suggest that they need to invest and capitalise while they have the chance to win trophies, it also means the club hierarchy keep opting to stay patient until their top targets become available.

Tel was clearly never a priority for Arsenal, and we’ll see whether that turns out to be a good thing or not.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer targets Mathys Tel and Fikayo Tomori are causing problems by preferring no transfer at all to joining Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel has been linked with plenty of Premier League clubs lately, with Arsenal reportedly among those interested in a late move for him. But Tottenham Hotspur were certainly in the lead until Friday, with Daniel Levy flying to Germany to try and get the deal done.

Bayern had reportedly reached a £50m verbal agreement for a permanent transfer for the striker, yet it all fell apart when Tel himself had to decide whether to move to Spurs.

Sky Germany report that Tel wasn’t convinced by Spurs’ project, and he didn’t feel it was the right step for him. Tel has been keen on a January move, but he told Bayern that if his only two options were to sign for Spurs or stay at Bayern, he’d rather not make a transfer at all.

Spurs moved on to Fikayo Tomori, given they also have a pressing need for defensive reinforcements, but again they’re facing difficulties.

Fabrizio Romano reports that AC Milan are pushing to seal Tomori’s sale to Spurs, but it’s evidently Tomori they need to convince. Luca Bendoni and Gianluca Di Marzio report that the player wants to stay, isn’t open to a transfer to Spurs, and is focused on Milan’s next game.

Arsenal have no direct stake in the Tomori deal, but they might raise their eyebrows at Tel rejecting Spurs. Given the Gunners’ need for a forward addition before Monday’s deadline, a move for the Bayern man could make sense.

That move would require Tel to reject a few other options though, given Chelsea, Manchester United, and Aston Villa have also been linked with interest. It looks like this one is going down to the wire.

As well as playing at centre-forward, Tel can also operate on the wings, so he’d make a versatile addition if Arsenal can get it done.

Arsenal’s gripping 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby has reignited debates surrounding VAR, particularly after former referee Keith Hackett criticised the decision to award Arsenal a corner that led to their equaliser.

Hackett’s suggestion that VAR should be expanded to review corner-kick decisions has sparked backlash, with Arsenal fans expressing their frustration over what they see as selective outrage whenever the Gunners benefit from contentious calls.

Hackett argued that the current VAR remit—limited to goals, penalties, direct red cards, and mistaken identity—should include the ability to correct incorrect corner-kick decisions. “An unofficial whisper in the ear from VAR, which might have assisted Hooper on this occasion,” Hackett wrote, referencing replays that showed Leandro Trossard had the final touch before the ball went out of play.

Arsenal supporters, however, were quick to lampoon the idea, pointing out the glaring inconsistency in how scrutiny is applied to their matches.

On social media, fans sarcastically proposed increasingly absurd rule changes. “I’m just waiting for them to make scoring from corners illegal,” posted Brian Poplar, while Danny quipped, “Round pitches it is next year then—no more corners, Arsenal are too good at them.”

Another fan, @ArseVengers, mocked the logistical chaos of Hackett’s suggestion: “Guess we’re all waiting patiently for that PGMOL announcement that VAR are going to analyse every corner and throw-in from now on. 120-minute football games YAY.”

The controversy also evoked memories of a similar incident during Arsenal’s match against Newcastle last season, where debates raged over whether the ball had crossed the byline before a decisive goal. “Remember last year in Newcastle where the media spent weeks forensically examining the ball shape and the line using AI and graphics?” wrote @gooner63. “Can’t make this sh*te up.”

Fans such as @Goonernation expressed the broader sentiment: “Change the rules because of something that happened, that happens a lot but may have benefited Arsenal this time and should now be seen as a huge issue.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta declined to comment on the controversy, instead focusing on his team’s performance. “ I’m very proud of the team, I think we were sensational. I think it was a good test to see after two big performances and not getting rewarded in two different competitions.

“You have to play the biggest game of the season for our people in those conditions, and it’s a test of attitude. You know what we are made of, the courage that we have, how much we really care only about a result or the performance and how much we can do in terms of what is required in the game to be better than the opposition.

” I think we played from the minute one to hurt them with or without the ball. I think we fully deserve to win the game. I think we made a lot of people very happy, but especially very proud to see a team that behaves in the manner that they have played to it again.

While Hackett’s proposal may not gain traction, the heated responses highlight a recurring theme: when Arsenal succeed, it often becomes a flashpoint for scrutiny and calls for change.

For Arteta and his squad, however, the focus remains firmly on sustaining their title challenge, regardless of the noise surrounding their victories.

Tottenham Hotspur have picked up another injury ahead of the north London derby, though they’re set to welcome Richarlison back into the fold.

Tottenham Hotspur have a number of injury concerns ahead of Wednesday’s north London derby match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and their list of issues grew at the weekend as Timo Werner suffered a hamstring injury against Tamworth.

Werner completed 90 minutes of the 120-minute match, but he was forced off in injury time. Ange Postecoglou has now confirmed that it’s an injury setback.

“The only one who picked up an injury was Timo [Werner],” Postecoglou said. “It’s a hamstring injury and we’re waiting on the results of that scan.”

One Spurs player expected to return to the mix is Richarlison, and Postecoglou confirmed as much, saying that “Richy is available” to face Arsenal.

Richarlison has been out with a hamstring problem since early November, and he’s only made a total of seven appearances this season due to his injury issues.

Wilson Odobert is set to miss the game, as will Guglielmo Vicario with an ankle injury and Destiny Udogie with a thigh injury. The latter pair aren’t expected to return before February.

But Vicario’s absence has been mitigated by Spurs signing a new goalkeeper, bringing in Antonin Kinsky. The 21-year-old has already kept clean sheets against Liverpool and Tamworth, now he’ll hope to do the same against Arsenal.

Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, and Micky van de Ven are also expected to be unavailable, with Postecoglou suggesting all three are “slated to return at the back end of January”.

Tottenham Hotspur have lost another player for their match against Arsenal next week, with Rodrigo Bentancur suffering a concussion on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been in and out of their team recently, largely for disciplinary reasons. The 27-year-old was initially charged by the FA after joking that all people from South Korea “looked the same”, receiving a seven-match ban.

After returning from that ban, Bentancur picked up his fifth Premier League yellow card and another one-game suspension – which he served against Newcastle United on January 4th.

Once again returning to the team against Liverpool in the League Cup on Wednesday, Bentancur was quickly withdrawn with an apparent head injury. Spurs have since confirmed that he suffered a concussion, and he’ll be out for a couple of weeks.

Given Arsenal play Spurs next Wednesday, Bentancur will certainly be unavailable for the match.

In better news for Spurs, Richarlison could be available against Arsenal. The winger has been out with a hamstring problem since early November, and he’s only made a total of seven appearances this season due to his injury issues.

Postecoglou gave an update on the winger on Tuesday, suggesting a return against Arsenal is a possibility.

“Wilson [Odobert’s] still a fair way off, Richy’s coming back but we’ve got to be really careful with him, we’ve got to try to keep him back,” Postecoglou said.

“All being well, in seven days, Richy’s back and he’ll definitely help Dom [Solanke] for sure. We’re hoping by Arsenal next week, he should be available.”

Spurs have also had illnesses for Fraser Forster, Radu Dragusin, and Mikey Moore, but there’s no reason to believe any of them will be absent against Arsenal.

Odobert is evidently set to miss the game, as will Guglielmo Vicario with an ankle injury and Destiny Udogie with a thigh injury. The latter pair aren’t expected to return before February.

Then Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, and Micky van de Ven are also expected to be absent, with Postecoglou saying last Friday that all three are “slated to return at the back end of January”.

The Arsenal clash is very much in the middle of January, the 15th, so Postecoglou was seemingly ruling the trio out of that game.

Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie will miss the North London derby against Arsenal on 15 January due to a hamstring injury, adding to Spurs’ growing defensive crisis.

Arsenal’s North London derby clash with Tottenham Hotspur on January 15 will see Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou face another challenge in what has become a trying period for his team. Tottenham’s dynamic left-back Destiny Udogie is set to miss the encounter after suffering a hamstring injury during Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Wolves.

Initial reports suggest the Italy international could be sidelined until March, delivering a significant blow to a team already reeling from defensive absences.

Udogie, 22, limped off against Wolves and was replaced by Sergio Reguilón, who made his first Premier League appearance since 2022.

The injury further exacerbates Tottenham’s defensive crisis, with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario also unavailable. Radu Drăgușin also reportedly picked up a problem in the Wolves match.

The timing of Udogie’s absence could not be worse for Tottenham, as they prepare for a daunting run of fixtures on the back of one win in their last seven Premier League matches. Before facing Arsenal, Spurs will play Newcastle, Liverpool (Carabao Cup), and Tamworth (FA Cup), games that could further define their season.

Postecoglou, who thankfully retains the backing of the Tottenham board despite the recent slump, faces an uphill task in balancing the demands of a depleted squad with the high stakes of the Premier League and his refusal to alter his system to suit circumstance.

Tottenham Hotspur have suffered another defensive injury in the build-up to their match against Arsenal, though they’re hoping to welcome a number of players back before then.

Tottenham Hotspur have been going through a bit of a defensive injury crisis lately, and things only got worse on Sunday as Destiny Udogie was forced off with a hamstring problem.

It’s unclear at this stage how serious the setback is, but Ange Postecoglou didn’t seem too optimistic after the game.

“Yeah, I think it was a hamstring,” Postecoglou admitted. “Again like I said, we’ve been relying on a core group of players because we just haven’t had the ability to rotate so at some point it was going to catch up with us. Unfortunately it caught up with Destiny.”

Physio Scout reports that the injury looked more like a hamstring strain than tightness, particularly with the way the player hobbled off. That would mean two-to-four weeks out, which would make an appearance against Arsenal on January 15th very unlikely.

Spurs also have goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario out, and he’s not expected to return in time for the Arsenal match. But many of Postecoglou’s other injured players should be back in time.

Richarlison and Ben Davies are both predicted to return for the Arsenal match, and suspended duo Rodrigo Bentancur and Djed Spence will have served their bans by then.

Then there’s little clarity over Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, but Postecoglou has previously suggested they’ll be back “in the new year”. So again, an appearance against Arsenal seems very possible.

Another more immediate impact of Spurs’ injury situation is that they have a League Cup semi-final coming up against Liverpool. The Gunners are in the other semi-final against Newcastle United, so wins for both teams would set up a north London derby final.

With Spurs losing heavily to Liverpool at home recently and their continuing injury problems, it looks like Arne Slot’s side will walk through that tie at the moment.

Tottenham Hotspur are likely to be without Guglielmo Vicario for the next north London derby, with the goalkeeper undergoing ankle surgery this week.

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed on Monday that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has undergone surgery on a fractured ankle, having played much of the weekend’s match against Manchester City after suffering the injury.

Though the club didn’t give a timeframe for Vicario’s absence, he certainly won’t be back for at least a few weeks, and early reports suggest it will be months.

Tom Barclay writes that it will indeed be months out, and Samuel Meade writes for the Mirror that the goalkeeper is not expected back until after January.

Arsenal are set to play Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League fixture at the Emirates Stadium on January 15th. So unless Vicario makes a miraculously speedy recovery, he won’t be available for the match.

In some ways, that might not be a good thing for Arsenal. The Gunners have dominated Vicario on set pieces in recent fixtures, and whichever goalkeeper comes in will likely be an improvement in that regard.

But Arsenal will likely fancy their chances of putting a backup goalkeeper under pressure in possession.

As for which goalkeeper might take Vicario’s place, Fraser Forster is next in line, but there’s already been talk that Spurs might look to sign another goalkeeper in January to fill in.

The coming weeks should provide a clearer picture of how long Vicario is set to be out, and how Spurs intend to deal with his absence.