One club boss has admitted he is powerless when it comes to the potential blocking of an Arsenal transfer this summer. The Gunners are now looking to ramp up their summer business with a couple of statement signings, with Mikel Arteta hoping to address a couple of key areas.

Arteta and Andrea Berta want a new number 8 and a new left-winger, and it seems as though they are closer to ticking off the former of those two needs. The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes for much of the summer, and recent reports suggest they are ready to up their efforts in the form of formal talks.

Newcastle have already sold Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer, and the loss of Guimaraes, will be damaging, so they are likely to ask for North of £80million, while Arsenal are expected to start their bidding at around £70million. The Gunners must balance their spending to make sure they can also sign a new winger, which will not come cheap, but Guimaraes represents a big opportunity to get a top midfielder who is Premier League-proven.

Eddie Howe has no say in Guimaraes sale

Fortunately for Arsenal, they will exclusively be negotiating with Newcastle club chiefs, and the one man who is likely to choose to keep the player over taking the money will not have any say.

Eddie Howe admitted to the Chronicle: “Look, I don’t know what’s going to happen with Bruno’s future. That’s for other people to, one, speculate about, but also conversations that I’m not part of.”

That is a frustrating position for a manager to find himself in, and Howe admitted to being frustrated by the potential of Guimaraes leaving, especially having already lost Tonali and Gordon this summer. He added: “Losing those big two (Gordon and Tonali) is painful for us and difficult. For me, it’s been another challenging summer so far.”

Newcastle have spent big over recent times, and the sales are part of a Financial Fair Play equation that threatens to leave them in a precarious position after this missed out on Champions League qualification, and the subsequent revenue that would have brought. In fact, the Magpies missed out on European qualification completely in what was a major blow.

Arsenal getting their man feels inevitable

via Reuters

Arsenal are closing in on Guimaraes, who has been described as a ‘complete midfielder’ by Jamie Carragher, and even with their opening bid likely to be around £10million short of the price Newcastle will realistically accept, it’s unlikely the Gunners will allow £10million to stand between them and a proven player like Guimaraes.

Arteta wants a clear midfield upgrade, and there simply aren’t many top-level number eights out there. There are even less who are for sale, and even less who are for sale and ready to be plugged and played, as Guimaraes is, as a player who has a wealth of Premier League experience.

Andy Burnham’s Government is actively considering scrapping the decades-old ban that stops football fans drinking alcohol in the stands.

Officials are said to be weighing up whether to review the restrictions, which prevent supporters from consuming alcohol within sight of the pitch — a rule which has governed the English matchday experience for 40 years.

Interestingly, the move comes just weeks after Burnham, who became Prime Minister on July 20, publicly questioned why football fans are treated differently to those in other sports.

Why the Ban Exists and What Could Change Under Burnham

Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham via REUTERS/Phil Noble

The original restriction came into effect in 1985 to curb hooliganism that was rife at the time, stopping supporters from drinking while watching the action in an era when crowd violence was commonplace.

Other sports, such as rugby, were never subject to the same rules — a discrepancy that has long frustrated football fans. As per the Sun, a government spokesperson confirmed the matter is under review, saying:

“We are considering the case being made by some clubs and supporter groups for reviewing the current restrictions on alcohol consumption at football matches.

The proposed review from Burnham comes hot off his first week at the helm in which he championed “working-class culture” pleding a commitment to cutting business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues from April.

For all the political momentum that Burnham is currently harnessing, the reaction from fans on social media has been sharp, with many opposing the idea.

His proposed plans have been met with plenty of doubt, with one fan stipulating that current fan-goers wouldn’t want that to happen. “Literally no match-going fans want this,” read one reply, a sentiment echoed by another who wrote: “People that actually go to football don’t want this.” A third put it bluntly: “No one who goes the footy regularly, drinker or not wants this.”

Another fan believed the whole proposal was misguided: “This is an absolutely terrible idea,” one fan posted.

For many, one concern will stand out more than others: the danger of having a pint poured all over them. “Like imagine having a warm pint of Singha chucked over you after Jackson scores his second offside goal of the night against Ipswich Town,” one supporter joked.

Whilst another said, “If I get drenched by beer when Gillingham score after being 4-0 down, someone’s getting a broken face.”

Given the early reaction here, it remains to be seen if this reflects the whole of the fan community, but they all make strong points opposing Burnham’s plans.

Argentina legend Diego Maradona named the player he strongly believed is the greatest British footballer ever.

Maradona, who is widely regarded as one of the best players in football history after inspiring Argentina to glory at the 1986 World Cup before leading Napoli to their first two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990, competed against several legendary British players during his illustrious playing career.

Arguably the most famous match of his career came against England at the 1986 World Cup, where he scored his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal followed by his mythical ‘Goal of the Century’ minutes later against a team featuring the likes of Gary Lineker, Peter Beardsley, Glenn Hoddle and goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

Chris Waddle and John Barnes, two of the most gifted players England have ever produced, also came off the bench at the Azteca Stadium that day.

Maradona also witnessed the likes of Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard before he passed away at the age of 60 in 2020.

The South American played against Scottish legend Kenny Dalglish and watched Wales legends Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale become global superstars, but it’s another British idol who left the biggest impression on Maradona.

Maradona: ‘I Love You, George Best!’

Action Images

Speaking in 2002, Maradona said: “George Best. For me, he is the greatest.” He added:

“With the greatest respect for Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan, and [Bryan] Robson, who I love very much. With the greatest respect to all British players. For me, George Best. I love you, George Best!” Watch the clip below:

George Best: Flawed Genius

REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Northern Ireland’s Best, like Maradona, was a flawed genius who battled some similar demons to the great Argentine away from the football pitch.

Remembered for his 11-year spell as a first-team player at Manchester United between 1963-1974, Best – nicknamed the ‘fifth Beatle’ – is one of the greatest players Old Trafford has ever seen and is part of the ‘Holy Trinity’ statue located on the iconic stadium’s forecourt.

Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Best scored 181 goals in 474 appearances for United, and helped the club win their first European Cup in 1968, just 10 years after the tragic Munich air disaster that claimed the lives of 23 people, including eight players.

Sadly, also like Maradona, Best died at a premature age, passing away in November 2005, six months before his 60th birthday.

However, both men will forever be remembered as two of the most naturally gifted footballers to ever play the beautiful game.