Arsenal have finally agreed on a deal with Newcastle United for Bruno Guimaraes and Mikel Arteta’s transfer chiefs are reportedly ready to turn their attention to another Premier League star.

The Gunners have agreed on a £75 million fee for Guimaraes, who is headed to the Emirates to undergo a medical and sign his contract with the English champions. He had been on Arteta’s radar throughout the summer and will become their fourth signing of the summer.

A potential move for Guimaraes’ Brazilian compatriot Vinicius Junior remains a possibility amid a contract stand-off with Real Madrid. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that talks between the player and the Spanish club are continuing to try and find a resolution.

Nothing is imminent on that front, given Vinicius’ preference is to stay at the Estadio Bernabeu. While the higher-ups wait for clarity over his situation, they are looking to address Arteta’s defence.

William Saliba suffered a back injury during the World Cup with France and is set to be sidelined for several months. That could mean a new defender arrives, and the club have already attempted to sign one.

Arsenal Readying Second Konsa Offer

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Arsenal failed with an offer for Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa earlier this summer but are reportedly expected to return for the Englishman. A report from Mail Sport claims that the Villans are “braced for a fresh bid” from the Gunners as they try to get him tied down to a new contract.

Konsa is at the top of Arteta’s defensive wishlist, but the club didn’t come close to meeting Villa’s £60 million asking price. The 28-year-old is one of Unai Emery’s most important players and still has two years left on his contract.

Villa are reluctant to sell another of their star players after Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea and Youri Tielemans moved to Manchester United. They instead want to get the former Brentford man to extend his stay with the west Midlands outfit.

They are also under no financial pressure to cash in on Konsa given they raised £140 million from Rogers and Tielemans’ sales. That could prove problematic for Arsenal, who look likely to have to meet the player’s valuation.

Arsenal Should Pay Up For Konsa

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Konsa has proven his worth as one of the most reliable defenders in English football and earned a starting berth in England’s defence during the World Cup. He helps Arteta address issues beyond just Saliba’s injury as he can fill in at right-back if required.

The 5ft 11in centre-back, dubbed a “warrior”, is at the right age to make a big impact at the Emirates and help the Gunners defend their Premier League title. He is believed to be open to joining Arteta’s side, and we’ve seen how important it is to get the green light on the player’s side, as Guimaraes had agreed to join weeks before a fee had been agreed.

What the North Londoners can’t do is lowball Villa with another offer that doesn’t come close to their desired £60m fee. The next bid, if made, has to be enough to at least get the Villans’ chiefs to sit down at the negotiating table.

Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to continue splashing the cash to strengthen Roberto De Zerbi’s squad and are ready to spend big on their top target.

It’s been a busy summer transfer window for Spurs’ recruitment staff, who have forked out £237 million on six new signings. Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle United for £100 million while Mateus Fernandes joined from West Ham United for £85 million.

De Zerbi wants a new attacker following last season’s struggles, which nearly resulted in relegation. A new winger is on the agenda and the transfer chiefs are willing to get the chequebook out again.

Tottenham Ready To Go Big For Gakpo

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Tottenham have set their sights on Liverpool‘s Cody Gakpo and are keen on bringing the Dutch attacker to North London. A report from Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof of Voetbal International claims that the club have set aside a “substantial budget” to seal his signature.

Liverpool are prepared to sell but want “well over” €70 million (£60 million) for the 27-year-old who has four years left on his contract. Andoni Iraola’s Reds aren’t pushing the player towards the exit door, but it’s been left up to him whether he wants to leave.

Gakpo, who reportedly earns £250,000 per week, has been in the Premier League since January 2023 when he joined the Merseyside outfit from PSV Eindhoven for around £37 million. He hasn’t always been a starter, but has been effective in front of goal and managed nine goals and six assists in 52 games last season.

Why Gakpo Should Be Keen On Spurs Move

Mohamed Salah sang Gakpo’s praises a season ago, explaining why he feels he had been misunderstood by the Kop. The Egyptian, who left Liverpool earlier this summer, called him a ‘very clever’ attacker.

This verdict sums up Gakpo’s spell at Anfield as he hasn’t quite won over fans and had many of them questioning his continued run in Arne Slot’s starting lineup last season. With the Reds chasing Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, his chances of regular game time are doubtful heading into the new campaign.

A move to Spurs could be a perfect opportunity for the Dutchman to get back to his best and he’s certainly a player whom De Zerbi will like. His intelligence allows him to operate on the wing or as a centre forward, and this could help the Lilywhites if they opt not to sign a new striker after top target Junior Kroupi’s injury.

Clearly, the Anfield chiefs are prepared to do a deal if their valuation of the player is met, and it’s now up to him to decide whether he wants to join De Zerbi’s side. If he does, he could be joined by Savinho whom the Lilywhites reportedly have a ‘very good chance’ of signing from Manchester City.

Football is one of the most lucrative professions anyone can pursue, especially when you get to the level of winning the World Cup and making the Ballon d’Or top 20.

Yet a remarkable number of talented footballers have run into financial troubles after hanging up their boots. Some of the bigger names to have declared bankruptcy include Brazil icon Ronaldinho and Manchester United great George Best.

Both men’s issues were well-documented publicly due to their stardom. One man whose financial plight went somewhat under the radar was Ronaldinho’s 2002 World Cup teammate Cafu.

From the World Cup With Brazil to Bankruptcy

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The right-back earned millions during his career, playing for the likes of AS Roma and AC Milan. After all, he did win Serie A twice and the 2006-07 Champions League. Not to mention two World Cup titles with his country.

He was 24 years old when he first got his hands on world football’s biggest trophies, and went on to wear the captain’s armband eight years later. That year, he finished a career-high 15th in the Ballon d’Or rankings. Cafu goes down as one of the greatest full-backs the sport has ever seen.

But he ran into money troubles in 2019, according to Spanish publication AS. After finally calling time on his glittering career, Cafu and his wife set up an agency called Capi-Penta International Player, which represented players.

Mounting debts and poor investments eventually destroyed their finances. In 2019, five properties belonging to the family were seized, while 15 assets were frozen temporarily. The Brazil legend, one of the nation’s greatest-ever players, then declared bankruptcy.

In the years since, Cafu has managed to stabilise his money troubles and has settled the majority of his outstanding debts.

Ronaldinho

Cafu’s Brazil teammate Ronaldinho not only faced money problems, but even ended up spending time in jail. Despite being estimated to have made over $130 million during his playing days, the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner refused to pay a $2 million fine imposed by the Brazilian courts, leading to serious financial difficulties after gradually losing the majority of his earnings over time. As a result, 57 of his properties and several luxury vehicles were seized by authorities.

George Best

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George Best is one of Man Utd’s greatest-ever players. The Northern Irishman won the Ballon d’Or and lit up every game he took part in. But his personal life was very much in the public eye.

His lavish lifestyle didn’t help his bank account, and Best sadly died in 2005, while £450,000 in debt. He owed money to the hospital he passed away in and a further £100,000 on an outstanding mortgage for his apartment, according to Manchester Evening News.

John Barnes

Liverpool and England icon John Barnes is one of the most popular footballers of his generation. His move to Anfield in 1987 saw the winger become the league’s highest-paid player, earning £10,000-per-week. Barnes blamed misplaced trust in others for the £1.5 million bills he racked up. The 62-year-old has repaid £61,000, explaining:

Wes Brown

Wes Brown is another England icon who’s fallen on hard times after his career, going bankrupt in 2023. Despite earning 50,000-per-week at the peak of his Man United career, the defender had several financial issues off the pitch.

His divorce came with a six-figure bill, while Brown also made poor property investment choices. This included an overpriced farm he bought for £6-7million, which remains unsold.