^ ^ Julian Alvarez’s brutal response to Mikel Arteta phone call

Julian Alvarez is still trying to force a move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid (Credits: Cobos/Action Plus/Shutterstock)

Mikel Arteta is facing up to the prospect of another summer rejection with Julian Alvarez remaining steadfast in his desire to join Barcelona.

Arsenal remain keen to sign a superstar forward this summer and are making space in their squad by sanctioning the sale of Gabriel Martinelli to Al-Hilal.

The Gunners expect to generate at least £50million once the Brazil international’s departure is confirmed and that would go around halfway to raising the funds necessary to pull off an unlikely deal for Alvarez.

Arteta has already seen the likes of Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior evade his clutches over the course of the last two months, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola is understood to prefer a move to Liverpool.

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Reports over the course of the weekend suggested Alvarez has softened his stance towards Arsenal after he was jeered by his own fans during Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Villarreal.

But Arteta now appears primed for another disappointment with El Chiringuito claiming Alvarez opted against picking up the phone when the Arsenal boss attempted to make personal contact in an attempt to persuade him to join the Premier League champions.

With the funds available and KSE prepared to back their manager, Arsenal have the wherewithal to meet Atletico’s demands, but the player is said to remain fixated on the idea of Barcelona.

Julian Alvarez appears to have severed his ties with Atletico Madrid (Picture: Getty)

🚨 EXCLUSIVA de @jpedrerol 🚨

💣 "ARTETA llamó a JULIÁN… y NI LE COGIÓ EL TELÉFONO".

💣 "El Barça confía en que Gil Marín se coma el orgullo… y les venda a Julián". pic.twitter.com/8X0uFHaVj9

— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) August 25, 2026

Atletico, for their part, remain adamant they will not sell to their Spanish rivals and, as such, expect the player to be reintegrated into Diego Simeone’s first team squad should he opt against joining Arsenal.

That prospect looks a remote one at present given the damage Alvarez’s conduct has caused with his behaviour leading former France international Christophe Dugarry to brand him ‘an idiot’.

Dugarry told RMC: ‘The player and his entourage are idiots. How can you declare ‘I want to leave the club’? Is he stupid, or what?

‘The best way to leave isn’t to do that. Shut up, be modest, be intelligent in your communication. Didn’t you see what happened with Griezmann? Don’t you know your management? Don’t you know your fans?

Julian Alvarez has made no secret of his desire to join Barcelona (Credits: Dennis Agyeman/Shutterstock)

‘A player who wants to leave should be allowed to leave. After that, it creates more problems than anything else. I also believe that there needs to be respect on both sides.

‘The first thing to do when you want to try and reach an agreement is not to spit on your fans, on your club.

‘The way you’re doing it, you’re completely off base and you’re going to get it back in your face.

‘That kid’s going to have to work hard. He’s put a ball and chain on his ankle and it’s going to be difficult to turn things around. What a huge mistake!’

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^ ^ Raheem Sterling charged with dangerous driving and possessing laughing gas

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Former England footballer Raheem Sterling is facing a significant jail sentence after he was charged with dangerous driving.

The 31-year-old, currently without a club following the termination of his Chelsea contract and a failed spell at Feyenoord, crashed his Lamborghini on the M3 back in May.

Sterling also faces charges of possessing laughing gas and failing to provide a specimen following his arrest.

Dangerous driving carries a maximum two-year prison sentence if found guilty.

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A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesman said: “A driver will appear in court next month to face charges following a collision on the M3.

‘Raheem Sterling, 31, from Berkshire, has been charged for the following offences: dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation, failing to provide a specimen.

‘The charges come following a single vehicle collision, involving a Lamborghini, on the M3 southbound, close to the Minley Interchange, on 28 May, 2026.

The £270k Lamborghini veered across three lanes (Picture: Daily Mail)

‘No other vehicles were involved and no injuries were reported.

‘Mr Sterling is due to appear at Basingstoke magistrates court on 15 September.’

Dashcam footage of the incident, released in June, appeared to show Sterling pulling in front of another car without indicating before almost hitting the central reservation.

A van is forced to brake suddenly to avoid crashing into the Lamborghini, which then veers between two lanes for several seconds.

Sterling appeared to have a balloon in his hand during the clip.

Several cars were forced to break to avoid a collision (Picture: Daily Mail)

In 2021 he was allegedly caught inhaling laughing gas – sometimes known as ‘hippy crack’.

Sterling’s brush with the law is the latest sad chapter in a career that has been in decline ever since he left Manchester City nearly four years ago

After establishing himself as a key cog in Manchester City’s trophy winning machine under Pep Guardiola, the winger lost his way at Chelsea amid the chaos and upheaval at Stamford Bridge.

A loan move to Arsenal last season, where it had been hoped he could rebuild his career working for Mikel Arteta, who had been a key part of the coaching team during the best period of Sterling’s career at City, turned into a disaster.

Sterling managed just five Premier League starts during his time with the Gunners, scored just one goal in all competitions and failed to cement a place in a forward line that had been decimated by injuries.

Sterling joined Dutch side Feyenoord in February (Picture: Getty)

Upon his return to Chelsea it was made clear by the club’s then manager, Enzo Maresca, that he had no chance of forcing his way back into his plans and he spent six months on the sidelines.

Eventually Sterling’s contract was terminated in January, despite his deal, which was worth £325,000-a-week, having 18 months left to run.

The former Liverpool star subsequently secured a move to Dutch club Feyenoord in February but he is a free agent once again having made just eight appearances.

Raheem Sterling was cast aside at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

A source told the Daily Mail the star of the Three Lions run to the final of Euro 2020 has been in an extremely difficult place over the course of the last two years in particular.

‘The psychological strain that has been put on him is immeasurable. Isolated,’ the source is reported to have said.

‘The second he touches a ball, being told he’s a flop and he’s finished. Mocked. Heckled.

‘He moved to the Netherlands to escape and rediscover his love for the game but the negativity followed. It’s been an extremely tough couple of years for him and this incident encompasses that.’

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^ ^ Paul Scholes suggests Man Utd star ‘doesn’t fear’ Michael Carrick after Hull defeat

Scholes was not impressed with some of the post-match comments (Picture: The Good, The Bad and The Football)

Paul Scholes has suggested Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes undermined Michael Carrick and his staff with their comments made after Manchester United’s defeat to Hull City.

United fell to a dismal 2-0 defeat to the newly-promoted side in their opening game of the new campaign on Saturday, undone by two set pieces in the first-half.

After the game, Bruno Fernandes said United were guilty of making the same mistakes as last season, comments former United captain Wayne Rooney described as ‘strange’ over the weekend.

‘Same mistakes as we did last season, every away game we give too much of the ball to them. In the first 20 minutes, the goalkeeper was the one with the most touches,’ Fernandes said on Saturday.

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‘We needed to press more, be more aggressive, and then again we need to work on set-plays and not concede these type of goals. Against these types of teams, they are waiting for that moment.

‘We knew before the game that set-pieces would be a big part of their game. They played all pre-season with a back four, but went to a back five against us for some height in these moments. The most frustrating thing is that we lost the game.’

Shaw meanwhile suggested his side were not prepared for the challenge Hull posed despite a full pre-season campaign that included games against Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan.

Fernandes underwhelmed against Hull (Picture: Action Images via Reuters)

‘I think we have to do, as a whole team, much better,’ Shaw said. ‘I think even leading up the game, we need to prepare better on what their strengths are and of course that’s set-plays.’

Discussing Fernandes’ comments on The Good, The Bad and The Football, Scholes suggested it would have been a better idea for Fernandes to ‘keep his mouth shut’ given his own performance.

On Shaw’s comments, Scholes insisted they will be perceived as a dig at Carrick and his staff over the methods used to get the squad into shape over the summer.

Shaw was at fault for Hull’s second (Picture: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

‘Luke Shaw always says something. And that’s a slight on your staff. That’s a slight on your manager. If one of your players is saying that, f*****g hell you’d have them in Monday morning.

‘What do you mean by that? Those comments, it’s not so much about respect, you speak about fear of managers sometimes… those things they have said they have said, they are a slight on the manager and his staff.

‘If we said something like about Sir Alex, that we weren’t prepared… f*****g hell, he’d probably single you out in front of the whole team.’

United return to action on Sunday at home to another promoted side in Ipswich Town.

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^ ^ Xabi Alonso told to ‘find someone else’ and axe Chelsea star after Fulham win

Xabi Alonso and Chelsea got their season off to a winning start against Fulham (Picture: Getty)

Xabi Alonso has been told he needs to make a ruthless decision and axe Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez following last night’s win over Fulham.

The Blues got their Premier League campaign off to a winning start at the home of their west London rivals, edging a five-goal thriller at Craven Cottage.

Alonso’s new-look side laid down something of a marker and demonstrated th attacking potential that has marked them out as potential title contenders.

After a summer of rest and recouperation, Cole Palmer looked more like his old self and got on the scoresheet, along with Joao Pedro and debutant Morgan Rogers.

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At the other end, despite significant reinforcements, the Blues still looked less than secure, not helped by another error-strewn performance from their goalkeeper.

Sanchez joined Chelsea from Brighton three years ago and has never fully convinced under a succession of managers who have all attempted to ease him out of the side.

The 28-year-old was again at fault last night and former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf believes Sanchez’s latest calamitous display should represent the final straw.

Robert Sanchez didn’t cover himself in glory against Fulham (Picture: Getty Images)

He told ESPNFC: ‘I felt they were shaky like everybody else. You know as a defender at the back when you don’t have a Barthez or a great goalkeeper you don’t feel confident, therefore you get shaky.

‘You see on the second goal with Colwill he should’ve got on the ball with the header and you have nobody behind to save you when you make a mistake.

‘It’s hard to be a goalkeeper because you have nobody behind you but we know Sanchez. We have known him for a while and that he can do mistakes.

‘But when you play for a club like Chelsea and you see what they can do offensively they were perfect the three guys up front scoring three goals away from home that’s great, but you cannot waste that by making silly mistakes.

Robert Sanchez was bailed out by Chelsea’s forwards (Picture: Getty)

‘King’s goal it’s a good shot but why do you open up at the front post? You have to be there and control that, you cannot concede a goal on that side. It’s impossible, you play for Chelsea.

‘There is an issue and Xabi Alonso has to find someone else really quickly. It’s been an issue for a while, we don’t want to see that any more.

‘All due respect to Sanchez we tried, it doesn’t work and when it’s important he’s not there to save the club so we have to find another one.’

Alonso, meanwhile, would not be drawn into criticising Sanchez after the game. The goalkeeper left too much room at his near post for Josh King’s equaliser and was slow to get down, the shot zipping between his wrists and in.

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‘It’s not about individuals,’ said Alonso. ‘We can adjust a few things. The first goal, we can do better to defend, to avoid that.

‘It’s part of the game. We need to accept and to learn. This is going to be a process. All the lines – strikers, midfielders, defence, goalkeeper – we want to do better in everything.

‘The goal was to start good. It’s been a good start. Relax and carry on.’

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^ ^ Alan Shearer tips Arsenal to make ‘title-winning’ signing before transfer deadline

Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer (Picture: Getty)

Alan Shearer has given Arsenal major hope of ‘nabbing’ Julian Alvarez before the transfer deadline and says the Atletico Madrid striker would be a title-winning signing.

The Gunners remain interested in signing long-term transfer target Alvarez, who was heavily jeered by Atletico fans during their La Liga draw with Villarreal on Sunday evening.

The Atletico fanbase are unhappy with Alvarez’s desire to leave the club and secure a controversial move to Spanish rivals Barcelona.

Alvarez has spent two seasons in Madrid, scoring 49 goals in 107 appearances following his £82m move from Manchester City.

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The Argentine World Cup winner lifted back-to-back Premier League titles at Man City but his progress at the Etihad Stadium was blocked by superstar striker Erling Haaland.

Arsenal are interested in Alvarez as £64m signing Viktor Gyokeres endured a mixed first season at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners looked set to miss out on a deal as Alvarez favoured a move to Barcelona, but recent reports claim he has softened his stance over a switch to north London.

Atletico Madrid striker and Arsenal target Julian Alvarez (Picture: Getty)

And former England striker Shearer believes Arsenal could be in the driving seat to sign Alvarez given Atletico Madrid will not want to sell to a direct rival.

‘We’ve heard of a lot of pushing from Barcelona and the reluctant from Atletico,’ Premier League record goalscorer Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast.

‘It seems like their thinking might be, “if we have to sell, we’re not selling to you [Barcelona”.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty)

‘There’s just maybe a small opportunity or a small window there for Arsenal to nab him you would think. And if they do it’s done by the way [the Premier League title race].’

Micah Richards has also encouraged Arsenal to press ahead with their interest in Alvarez, insisting he would take Arteta’s side to ‘the next level’.

‘I would actually go for a striker if I was Arsenal and we’ve all seen the situation with Alvarez at Atletico,’ Richards said.

Julian Alvarez não se despede dos adeptos do Atleti 😬#DAZNLALIGA pic.twitter.com/0WSIhLeMmc

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) August 23, 2026

‘He was booed by his own fans the other night and there are reports he wants to go to Barcelona. But are Atletico going to sell him to Barca?

‘It might be one for Arsenal to just sneak in there and offer a bid. He’s clearly not happy… If Arsenal had Alvarez he would take them to the next level.’

Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004 last season while reaching the Champions League final.

The Gunners began their title defence with a routine 3-0 win over newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday night.

‘Arsenal have put themselves in a hugely positive situation,’ Shearer added.

‘Everyone else is changing and starting to go again but Arsenal are already there and ready. It took them a while to get there so you have to give them a huge amount of credit.

‘Clearly all their challengers are looking at them and knowing that they’re the favourites and in the best position to do it again and even challenge for Europe again.

‘They have an unbelievable opportunity to really stamp their authority on the Premier League over the next couple of years.’

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