Arsenal are on the hunt for midfield reinforcements this summer, with Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta drawing up a shortlist of five potential options.

Despite winning the Premier League last season, the Gunners’ hierarchy aren’t prepared to rest on their laurels. They’re eager to add more firepower to their squad, with the middle of the park evidently a position of concern.

Martin Zubimendi struggled in the latter half of last season, while Myles Lewis-Skelly remains something of an unknown quantity in midfield. Thus, Declan Rice needs a reliable and durable partner who can also take the reins when the England international is unavailable.

The BBC reported on Monday night that Arsenal have enquired about Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who is one of five targets the North London club are considering.

With that said, GIVEMESPORT have decided to rank all five candidates in order of priority for Berta and Arteta this summer.

5

Curtis Jones

Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Age: 25

Club: Liverpool

Curtis Jones is seemingly on his way out of Liverpool after spending another season somewhat on the periphery of proceedings at Anfield. There are suggestions that just €25million could be enough to prize the Reds’ academy graduate away from Merseyside, and this prospective fee should surely prompt interest from several top clubs.

Jones has been heavily linked with Arsenal in the past, and while reports on this front have been minimal this summer, it would be silly to rule out a Gunners move for a player Arteta is supposedly so fond of. An excellent passer who is nimble enough to be effective in the final third but defensively strong enough to play as an eight, he has the right balance of attributes to make him an exciting prospect at Arsenal.

That said, Jones certainly cannot operate as a lone six, and the North Londoners arguably need someone who can do that as well as playing as an eight.

4

Manu Kone

via Reuters

Age: 25

Club: Roma

Manu Kone is undoubtedly a talented midfielder who should be snapped up by a more established Champions League club, despite Roma qualifying for Europe’s most prestigious competition. However, the purported price tag that has been placed on the Frenchman makes it hard for Arsenal to justify making a move for him.

£43million has been mooted for Kone, a fee that reflects someone who would play an incredibly prominent role and is well-rounded, rather than a sporadic squad player with a handful of exciting tools. The Gunners should steer clear, and instead pursue one of the two promising youngsters on this shortlist, both of whom have a much higher ceiling than the 25-year-old Roma star.

Despite developing a reputation as a silky operator in possession, the data suggests that Kone’s primary attributes at this stage of his career are his carrying, completing 1.06 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A last season. While this would be useful for Arsenal, the Gunners need someone who adds more value in possession through passing.

3

Alex Scott

Age: 22

Club: Bournemouth

Similarly to new Tottenham signing Mateus Fernandes, Alex Scott is yet to demonstrate that he has the capacity to provide real value in possession. However, this may be a byproduct of Andoni Iraola’s system at Bournemouth, which generally relies on ball progression via the centre-backs’ long and direct passing, rather than methodical build-up through midfield.

Arsenal are said to be interested in Scott, although the Cherries’ supposed reluctance to sanction the player’s departure may ultimately present a stumbling block in the deal. The top line in the reporting seems to indicate that the Gunners would need to fork out a substantial sum to tempt Bournemouth into selling one of their prized possessions.

His ceiling is arguably higher than Fernandes’, so Arsenal could certainly justify spending big on the England international. However, they’ll need to be cautious regarding this fee, as there are still reservations about whether Scott can develop the passing ability required to play in a possession-dominant side.

2

Ayoubb Bouaddi

Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA

Age: 18

Club: Lille

Ayyoub Bouaddi doesn’t turn 19 until October, yet he’s already enjoyed two impressive full seasons in the Lille first team. To have played this volume of minutes at a top club in France at this age is an extremely encouraging sign when looking to project forward about what the Moroccan might become.

Thus, the purported price demands from Lille are more reasonable than the fee Bournemouth are looking for for Scott. Bouaddi has superstar potential, and this wonderkid pedigree comes with hefty demands from the selling club.

Arsenal have reportedly already made a £52 million bid for the 18-year-old, and it’s believed that Lille are holding out for more. Given he has displayed similar qualities to Scott and Fernandes, boasting exceptional defensive output and carrying abilities, but is younger and likely cheaper, the Gunners should prioritise Bouaddi over his Premier League counterparts.

1

Bruno Guimaraes

via Reuters

Age: 28

Club: Newcastle United

Despite being considerably older than three of Arsenal’s other primary midfield targets, Bruno Guimaraes is by far the best option available to Berta and Arteta. The Gunners are in a win-now window — their rivals are in transition, while their best players only have a handful of seasons left playing together in their prime.

Thus, Arsenal need to take advantage of this period in which they have the opportunity to dominate English football. They need to sign a world-class midfielder who will complement Declan Rice, but who is also capable of filling the void left by the Englishman if he’s unavailable.

Guimaraes is the perfect candidate. He’s in his prime, may reportedly only cost upwards of £80million and is extremely well-rounded.

The Brazilian is an outstanding passer, contributes in the final third and can carry a midfield defensively by himself. If paired with Rice, Arsenal would arguably have the best double pivot in the Premier League, and one of the best in the world.

If the Gunners were trying to build to be the best team in Europe in three or four years, then one of Bouaddi or Scott would be the sensible move. However, they’re looking to retain their status as the best side in the country, making Guimaraes the ideal acquisition.

All Statistics via FotMob – correct as of 30/06/2026

Paraguay are set to face France in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, and one of the South American nation’s legendary figures has sparked uproar with his comments ahead of this knockout tie in Philadelphia.

La Albirroja secured their place in the last 16 by causing the upset of the previous round, beating Germany on penalties in Boston. Meanwhile, France blew Sweden away in New Jersey to book their place in this encounter.

AI has predicted this match-up to be a stroll in the park for Les Blues, and certain figures in French football agree with this sentiment.

Former France star Christophe Dugarry has expressed how confident he is that Didier Deschamps’ team will progress, and ex-Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert has hit back at the World Cup winner in an unhinged social media rant.

Mike Segar via Action Images via Reuters

The game between France and Paraguay may not kick off until late on Saturday evening in Europe, but the battle has already commenced off the pitch.

Dugarry, a former Birmingham City player and member of the French squad that won the 1998 World Cup, claimed that Deschamps’ outfit will humiliate Paraguay at the Philadelphia Stadium.

“Paraguay will be thrashed, humiliated,” he said on RMC Sport. “They will want to defend because they are incapable. Incapable. I say it twice to make it clear. Offensively, they are catastrophic.”

Chilavert, who made 74 caps in between the sticks for Paraguay between 1989 and 2003, didn’t take these remarks well.

The former shot-stopper screenshotted Dugarry’s quote, and shared them on X, with the caption: “Christophe, you’re right. In the ’98 World Cup, we faced the French, and now Py [Paraguay] will face a team from Africa.”

Unsurprisingly, this outlandish comment has prompted significant backlash online.

One fan wrote: “I really liked Chilavert when all I knew about him was that he was a good GK who scored banger free kicks. What a tosser he turned out to be.”

Another added: “What an idiotic take.”

Meanwhile, one supporter wrote: “Disgraceful thing to say.”

Another fan went more directly to the point, labelling these comments “disgustingly racist”.

Paraguay Need Another Miracle to Beat France

Peter Cziborra via Action Images via Reuters

While many players in Deschamps’ squad have African heritage, all but Brice Samba, Marcus Thuram and Michael Olise were either born in France or in a French Overseas Territory, and were developed through French academies.

This is a French team that will be fired up to dismantle Paraguay after hearing these comments, and they have a good chance of doing so.

The CONMEBOL side defended their box excellently against Germany, but scored on one of their only forays forward across the 120 minutes, and this style of play simply won’t suffice against a French outfit brimming with confidence and oozing with attacking quality.

For Paraguay to progress, they’d either need all of France’s attackers to endure a significant off day, or for Deschamps’ players to miss all the chances presented to them.

If Gustavo Alfaro’s team do somehow pull off the impossible, it’ll be one of the great World Cup upsets.

Manchester United have missed out on Tottenham-bound midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, and they must now pivot to some of their alternative midfield targets.

Tonali is set to complete a £100million switch to Spurs, while Fernandes has already joined Roberto De Zerbi’s squad in a £85million deal. Both players were heavily linked with United, but the Red Devils seemingly weren’t willing to push the boat out and stump up the fees Newcastle United and West Ham United were demanding.

Ederson is still expected to sign for the Manchester club from Atalanta, but with Casemiro leaving and Bruno Fernandes entering the latter stages of his career, further reinforcements are needed in this department of Michael Carrick’s squad.

With that in mind, GIVEMESPORT have ranked five of Manchester United’s midfield options, following the failure to secure the aforementioned players.

5

Ayyoub Bouaddi

Age: 18

Club: Lille

Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA

Ayyoub Bouaddi is one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe at the moment, and is currently enjoying an impressive World Cup with Morocco. United are one of a number of clubs said to be monitoring the 18-year-old’s situation, with Lille said to be intent on commanding a fee in the region of £80 million.

While Bouaddi would be an excellent coup for a number of clubs, he’s arguably not the right fit for United right now. The Red Devils need someone who can slot in next to one of Ederson or Kobbie Mainoo and hold down the fort in the middle of the park in Champions League matches from the outset.

Bouaddi lacks the experience at the top level, and likely still needs two or three more years to develop into a player capable of fulfilling this role at Old Trafford. At the moment, while it’d be an exciting signing for the future, it’s too risky a deal for the Premier League giants to pursue, given their imminent needs in midfield.

4

Alex Scott

Age: 22

Club: Bournemouth

Alex Scott is said to be high on United’s list after missing out on Fernandes in particular. The Bournemouth man is coming off the back of an excellent season on the south coast, where he showcased his immense durability, defensive work and ability to crash the box with late runs.

He’d certainly be an astute acquisition for the Red Devils, although there are a few red flags that should be considered by the north-west club’s hierarchy that arguably make some of the alternatives more appealing. Most notably, Bournemouth are understood be extremely reluctant to sanction Scott’s departure, with some reports suggesting that they wouldn’t accept any offer below £100 million.

As good as Scott was last season, a nine-figure fee simply cannot be justified based on what he’s been able to produce up to this point in his career. Additionally, the England international has yet to show that he can be an excellent passer in a possession-dominant team, which is the kind of profile United should be looking for. While this area of his game could yet develop, it’s a huge risk to bet on this when spending this amount of money.

3

Angelo Stiller

Age: 25

Club: Stuttgart

The big names in the Premier League are the players being most heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford, but the club’s decision-makers should arguably look further afield for a value signing. Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller has been impressing for a number of seasons in the Bundesliga now, and is ready for a step-up.

United were mooted as potential suitors for Stiller earlier this year, although reports have gone quiet on this front. The Red Devils should reignite their interest in a player who would fix many of their needs in the middle of the park.

The German’s underlying passing numbers stand out from almost anyone else across Europe, meaning he’d provide Carrick’s team with a reliable source of ball progression. This primary skillset would dovetail nicely with Ederson’s tenacity and defensive output.

Most importantly, Stiller is likely to be far cheaper than any of the other midfielders United are being linked with, preserving funds for other areas of the squad.

2

Adam Wharton

Age: 22

Club: Crystal Palace

via Reuters

Adam Wharton is surely going to leave Crystal Palace this summer after enjoying another season of development in South London. The Englishman led the Eagles to European glory in May, and is now ready to play at a higher level, with Champions League clubs interested in prying him away from Selhurst Park.

United are interested in Wharton, and he may be a player the Old Trafford executives could justify breaking the bank for. Like Stiller, Wharton puts up outstanding progressive passing numbers, meaning he’d provide Carrick’s outfit with exactly what they currently lack.

His overall game would need to improve in many areas. Greater defensive involvement and more contributions in the final third are needed, but he’s ultimately almost guaranteed to be one of the next great midfielders in the Premier League, and United should pounce on the opportunity to sign him.

1

Aurelien Tchouameni

Age: 26

Club: Real Madrid

via Reuters

He may be on the older end of the spectrum of United midfield targets, but Aurelien Tchouameni would arguably be the best signing Carrick can realistically pull off this summer. While the finances involved could prove too heavy, United are hot on Tchouameni, and they should be willing to invest significantly in him if they have the chance.

The Frenchman may be ready for a new challenge after his infamous bust-up with Federico Valverde in Real Madrid training, and thus, United might see this situation as something of a market opportunity, even if Los Blancos hold out for a substantial fee.

Footballing-wise, Tchouameni solves a lot of issues for Carrick. Capable of taking the ball off the centre-backs and starting United’s build-up from deep, he’s also an outstanding defender in the middle of the pitch. He’d help cover for Fernandes’ work-rate deficiencies by eating up ground, while his elastic legs would stop opposition transitions at a canter.

Tchouameni would represent the perfect midfield signing for United and would arrive without the warts almost every other target has on their CV.