Arsenal have made a shock offer to sign Manchester City forward Savinho on loan, with their Premier League title rivals making their stance on a move clear.

Arsenal have had a quiet start to their summer transfer window, which isn’t too surprising because the Gunners don’t need to major work on their squad after a season where they won the Premier League and finished as runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

While some of their rivals like Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have already made signings, with three in the case of the latter, the Gunners are taking their time to ensure they land the right targets who will improve them as they look to retain their Premier League title and go one better in Europe’s elite club competition next term.

Arsenal chiefs will be considering any position where they feel they can sign an upgrade, but their attack appears to be one area where there could be activity in the summer window.

With some doubts over the future of Gabriel Martinelli, the north Londoners have been looking at left-sided attacking options, with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers emerging as a key target in recent weeks.

He isn’t the only left-sided Premier League player on the radar though.

Arsenal Hold Talks With Man City Over Savinho Deal

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According to RTI Esporte, in Savinho’s homeland of Brazil, Arsenal have held talks with Manchester City over a potential move for Savinho.

The Gunners are said to have expressed an interest in signing the 22-year-old on a loan deal from the Etihad, but the proposal was instantly rejected by City, who will only consider permanent offers to let the forward leave.

Tottenham appear to be the club best placed to prise the ‘extraordinary’ Brazilian away from City, having shown interest in buying him last summer.

The report claims that Spurs have opened initial talks with City and the player’s representatives over a move, with the player also attracting interest from Clube Atletico Mineiro in his home nation.

RTI Esporte claim that City would be willing to sell for around €50m (£43m) with Arsenal and Tottenham needing to decide what they’re going to do next.

Arsenal Making Progress on Morgan Rogers Deal

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While negotiations over a move for Savinho have fallen flat, according to RTI Esporte, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed that Arsenal are making progress over a move to sign Aston Villa and England star Morgan Rogers.

The Gunners want to add a starting left-winger and Rogers fits the bill, with the Englishman having the added bonus of being able to operate in the No.10 role too.

The north Londoners have now made the 23-year-old their top transfer target and club chiefs are expected to submit an offer to Villa for his signature soon.

While he has firm interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, Rogers is said to be keen to seal a move to the Premier League champions, with Villa reluctant sellers if their asking price is matched.

That number is around £100m, according to GMS sources, with Arsenal set to begin formal talks with Villa imminently.

Former referee Darren Cann – who officiated in the Premier League and Champions League during his career – has delivered a strong verdict on an incident in England’s goalless World Cup draw with Ghana that saw Ezri Konsa bring down an opponent in the penalty area. After the final whistle, much of the discussion centred on the Three Lions’ lacklustre attacking display.

It was a complete contrast to last week, when Harry Kane and his fellow forwards tore Croatia apart in a 4-2 opening victory. But for the fourth major tournament in a row, England failed to win their second match, quickly bringing the feel-good factor back down to earth. Kane had just three touches in the opposition box on Tuesday night, while England largely lost the midfield battle, with some fans singling out Jude Bellingham for criticism.

However, not enough attention was paid to the fact that Thomas Tuchel’s side may have been fortunate to escape with even a point. It was only after the match had concluded that analysts focussed on an incident late on in which Ghana could easily have been awarded a penalty, despite a VAR check not even being recommended at the time.

Former Referee Casts Verdict on Possible Ghana Penalty

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As Prince Kwabena Adu beared down on Dean Henderson’s goal, the Aston Villa defender appeared to jump, both footed, before lunging into a reckless challenge to stop him. Analysing the moment for the BBC, Cann said (watch the incident below):

He continued: “In this tournament, most of the time, they’ve gone with the on-field decision. In general, they’ll stick with the on-field decision unless it’s clearly, clearly wrong.”

England Brought Down To Earth By Ghana

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Heat may or may not have played its part in Boston this week. But regardless of the conditions, Tuesday night’s action will serve as a wake-up call to England in the fact that they still don’t look like a finished product early into this summer’s tournament.

While last week, questions were asked about the defence that leaked two goals with ease and ensured Croatia always had belief in the match, this week has shone light on Tuchel’s attacking options. It also suggested his options from the bench aren’t as strong as other nations, with none of them making a result-altering impact.

Next week, against rock bottom Panama, the mission will be to strike a perfect balance. They are heavy favourites to dispatch their Latin AMerican opponents with relative ease to finish top of Group L, but nothing should be taken for granted.

Lionel Messi may have become the highest-scoring player in World Cup history with his brace against Austria, but the Argentine picked up an unwanted statistic along the way.

Before putting Ralf Rangnick’s side to the sword in a 2-0 victory, and surpassing Miroslav Klose’s long-standing benchmark in the process, Messi proved he is human. After Lautaro Martinez was fouled inside the area, the 39-year-old was given the chance to open the scoring from 12 yards out.

But he stepped up and fired the ball harmlessly wide, leaving everyone in the stadium and watching from home stunned. Should everyone have been so shocked, though? After all, that failure from the spot meant Messi has missed three of his seven World Cup penalties.

Lionel Messi’s Penalty Struggles Explained

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Geir Jordet, The Athletic’s penalty expert, has explained why Messi was unsuccessful against Austria. He pointed out the delayed run-up from the Argentine, waiting for the goalkeeper to make a move.

Analysing the footage, Jordet explained that this technique, also adopted by players like Bruno Fernandes and Jorginho, causes the taker to ‘lose some precision’. The expert said:

“My guess is that when Messi, mid-kick, sees Schlager go in the same direction his shot is intended to go — and it’s too late to change it — he attempts to make sure it is placed as far over to the post as possible, and it goes wide.”

Another key reason why only Cristiano Ronaldo (36) has missed more spot-kicks than Messi (33) in the 21st century is the fact the latter doesn’t have a set technique. With players like Ronaldo or Harry Kane, for example, you know what to expect.

However, Messi often changes his technique. At the start of his career, Messi would shoot low after a short run-up. His tendency to shoot very quickly after the referee’s whistle goes against him, as research suggests this leads to lower conversion rates, perhaps through nervousness.

Messi ‘Angry’ After 33rd Penalty Miss of His Career

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Following the 33rd miss of his long career, Messi admitted he was less than happy with himself. Perhaps confirming that precision is reduced by the technique he used, the Barcelona icon claimed he ‘kicked it very badly’.

In his post-match interview, Messi told reporters: “Today there was a moment where I was very angry about the penalty because I missed it.

“I kicked it very badly, and well, luckily we were able to turn that situation around, take the lead and get the three points, which is what’s important.”