Arsenal have been informed they must break the British transfer record and pay £130m to sign Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez this summer.

Mikel Arteta is seeking further attacking reinforcements despite his side currently sitting nine points clear at the Premier League summit.

The Gunners recently secured a 2-0 victory over Everton to leave them in a commanding domestic position with just seven games remaining.

However, the Spanish manager has identified the 26-year-old World Cup winner as his primary target for the upcoming season.

Atletico demand premium fee

The Argentine international only moved to the Spanish capital in the summer of 2024.

He has since established himself as a vital component in Diego Simeone’s starting lineup.

The La Liga club are reluctant to sell their prized asset and are reportedly preparing a new contract offer.

They have subsequently placed a €150m (£130m) valuation on the former Manchester City striker to deter potential suitors.

London return appeals to forward

Barcelona have also registered an interest in the prolific attacker, but the Catalan club cannot meet the current asking price.

Recent reports suggest the South American would be highly receptive to a Premier League return if his valuation is met.

It is understood that a move to London is his preferred option, placing the league leaders in a strong position.

Contact has been made to find out if he would be open to joining, and the answer was a firm yes.

Adding pedigree to the attack

Current leading goalscorer Viktor Gyokeres has impressed this season, but doubts remain over his long-term stylistic fit at Emirates Stadium.

Securing a player of such proven pedigree would represent a massive statement of intent from the north London club.

The two-time Premier League champion boasts exceptional technical quality and already possesses crucial experience of English football.

While the required fee is unprecedented, acquiring a player entering his prime years could cement Arsenal’s status among Europe’s elite.

Reigning constructors’ champions McLaren suffered a disastrous start to the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday as both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to make the grid due to separate technical issues.

The Woking-based outfit rushed to prepare their machinery for lights out in Shanghai, but reigning world champion Norris was unable to leave the pit lane following a suspected electronics failure.

Moments later, heartbreak struck his Australian team-mate, who was forced back into the garage less than 10 minutes before the formation lap after engineers discovered an undisclosed problem.

Early struggles in the 2026 season

These pre-race failures compound a miserable opening to the brand-new 2026 technical regulations for the Papaya team.

Piastri previously recorded a non-start at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after crashing his vehicle on the way to the grid.

Meanwhile, his British counterpart could only manage a fifth-place finish in Melbourne while rivals Mercedes and Ferrari dominated the podium places.

Shattered podium hopes

The double withdrawal comes as a bitter blow after the squad had shown significant pace and progress throughout the weekend in China.

Both drivers successfully locked out the third row of the grid during qualifying, trailing the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc by just two-tenths of a second.

They had also accumulated eight valuable points during the Sprint event, finishing comfortably ahead of Mercedes title hopeful Kimi Antonelli.

Addressing the disastrous turn of events, the team released a brief update confirming their ongoing investigations into the dual failures.

“Unfortunately, we identified separate issues on both cars which prevented them from starting the Chinese GP, with Oscar’s being removed from the grid shortly before the formation lap. We will now work to identify the issue.”

McLaren Official Statement

Four cars miss the lights

The reigning constructors’ champions were not the only competitors to suffer severe pre-race reliability woes on Sunday.

Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto encountered mechanical trouble on the grid, forcing his mechanics to push the car back to the garage with 15 minutes remaining until the formation lap.

Williams racer Alex Albon completed the quartet of non-starters, failing to emerge from the pit lane after taking his car out of Parc Fermé conditions to rectify ongoing balance issues.

Former winger Peter Taylor has warned Tottenham Hotspur they are at genuine risk of suffering an unexpected Premier League relegation following a disastrous run of form.

The North London club are currently embroiled in a battle for survival at the bottom of the table under manager Igor Tudor.

Spurs recently suffered a damaging domestic defeat against Crystal Palace before being thrashed by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Taylor experienced the pain of dropping out of the top flight with a star-studded Tottenham squad at the end of the 1976-77 campaign.

Avoiding the mistakes of the past

The former England caretaker manager was part of a group featuring club legends such as Glenn Hoddle and Steve Perryman that finished dead last.

He believes the current generation must quickly find consistency to avoid repeating that nearly 50-year-old nightmare.

“The more I think about it, unfortunately we couldn’t have been good enough because we got relegated,” Taylor explained.

“We probably weren’t consistent enough, because we had some very good players but maybe we weren’t consistent as much as we should have been and that’s why we got punished.”

A desperate need for creativity

The modern-day side has been severely hampered by injuries and suspensions throughout the campaign.

Dutch centre-back Micky van de Ven is the latest key figure sidelined after picking up a red card in their last league outing.

However, the 72-year-old feels the primary issue lies further up the pitch where the team lacks genuine attacking flair.

“One thing I would say is the difference between when I was there in my first year and now is that we had Glenn Hoddle, we had Alfie Conn. So I think we had more flair players than what they’ve got at the moment,” he added.

“Looking at them the other night, they needed a James Maddison badly. I can imagine a Glenn Hoddle being out there… you know on one of his days or one of his nights he’s going to open somebody up and score.”

Managerial pressure intensifies

Taylor noted that the current squad worked incredibly hard against Palace but failed to show enough of their traditional attacking style.

That domestic setback was immediately compounded by a humiliating five-goal defeat to Atletico Madrid in European competition.

The heavy loss marked a fourth consecutive defeat for the Croatian head coach, raising serious questions about his immediate future.

While Keith Burkinshaw survived relegation in 1977 to eventually lead the club to major silverware, the former Juventus boss may not be afforded the same patience by the current hierarchy.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves delivered sensational late-game heroics to secure a thrilling 127-125 overtime victory for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

Reaves forced the extra period with a perfectly executed intentional free-throw miss and put-back with just 1.9 seconds remaining in regulation.

Doncic then sealed the dramatic win with an 18-foot step-back jumper with a mere half-second left in overtime.

The Slovenian star capped off his exceptional performance by blocking Tim Hardaway Jr’s three-point attempt at the buzzer.

Reaves executes flawless intentional miss

Trailing by two points in the dying moments of the fourth quarter, Reaves purposely fired his crucial free throw flat against the front of the rim.

With Deandre Ayton successfully boxing out three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the 26-year-old guard was able to collect his own rebound and sink a nine-foot floater.

Reaves finished as the highest scorer for the hosts with 32 points, marking his third consecutive game surpassing the 30-point threshold.

“I wasn’t going to give the ball an opportunity to go in,” Reaves explained. “I don’t think my ball ever got over 10 feet.”

Doncic shines alongside veteran James

The sensational climax set the stage for Doncic to register his eighth triple-double of the campaign.

The former Dallas Mavericks talisman recorded 30 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds across the tightly contested affair.

It marks his first game-winning shot for his new franchise, following an astonishing 50-point performance in his previous outing.

“That execution was perfection,” Doncic noted regarding his team-mate’s game-tying play. “Went to my left hand, to my left step-back… I just trust the shot.”

LeBron James was quick to praise his new backcourt partner, labelling the 27-year-old a generational talent.

Unprecedented hustle from James

The dramatic sequence was only made possible by an exceptional hustle play from the 39-year-old James in the final minute of regulation.

The four-time NBA champion executed a full-body dive onto the floor to deny Christian Braun an offensive rebound, forcing a crucial jump ball against Jamal Murray.

“In 23 years of watching you play in the NBA, the three years I watched you play in high school, I never saw you make a full-out extension dive like that,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick told James.

This hard-fought victory against a formidable Western Conference rival serves as a major statement of intent for Redick’s rejuvenated squad.

Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday with crucial Premier League points and potential transfer talks involving Andy Robertson on the agenda.

Manager Arne Slot will be demanding an immediate response from his squad following a narrow Champions League defeat to Galatasaray earlier this week.

The hosts are desperate to solidify their position in the top four, while their struggling opponents arrive on Merseyside fighting for top-flight survival.

Beleaguered visiting boss Igor Tudor is still searching for his first victory since taking charge of the relegation-threatened Londoners.

Robertson’s future remains uncertain

Beyond the pitch, officials from both clubs are expected to use the fixture to discuss the potential movement of a modern Anfield icon.

The Scottish full-back rejected the opportunity to swap the North West for the capital during the January transfer window.

However, the 31-year-old is entering the final three months of his current contract and could seek guaranteed playing time elsewhere next season.

“There was obviously interest there – there were discussions had with both sets of clubs,” Robertson recently admitted following an FA Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“But the decision was that I wanted to stay. We stayed at Liverpool and that was the decision made.”

“When a decision is made, and we’re getting to the point where I only have three months left on my contract, it will be announced to you guys.”

Real Madrid midfielder on the radar

While navigating outgoing negotiations, the Merseyside outfit are reportedly eyeing a summer move for French international Eduardo Camavinga.

Spanish reports suggest Real Madrid may be willing to offload the 23-year-old for a fee in the region of £43m as part of an impending squad overhaul.

The former Rennes prodigy remains contracted at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2029, meaning any successful approach would require a significant financial commitment from the English side.

St. John’s have secured their second consecutive Big East tournament championship with a dominant 72-52 victory over sixth-ranked UConn at Madison Square Garden.

Zuby Ejiofor anchored a tenacious defensive display in New York, recording seven blocks, nine rebounds and three steals.

The imposing forward also contributed 18 points alongside team-mate Bryce Hopkins to lead the top-seeded Red Storm to a historic triumph.

Pitino’s resurgence continues

This latest piece of silverware underlines the remarkable revival orchestrated by Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino.

His squad have now become the first team to claim consecutive Big East tournament crowns since Villanova achieved three successive victories between 2017 and 2019.

Furthermore, the Johnnies are the first programme since the legendary Huskies sides of 1998 and 1999 to win both regular-season and tournament titles in back-to-back campaigns.

Huskies stifled on the big stage

Oziyah Sellers added 14 points for the victors, who established a commanding 17-point advantage before the interval.

That comfortable cushion allowed the New York outfit to control the tempo and ultimately win two of their three encounters against their conference rivals this season.

Meanwhile, the second-seeded Huskies endured a frustrating evening in attack and were restricted to an uncharacteristically low return.

The Connecticut programme were held to a final tally that was nine points worse than their previous lowest scoring output of the year.

Arda Guler scored a spectacular lob from inside his own half as Real Madrid thrashed Elche 4-1 at the Bernabeu on Saturday to move within a point of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

The Turkey international caught goalkeeper Matias Dituro off his line in the 89th minute to cap off a dominant performance.

Goals from Antonio Rudiger, Federico Valverde and Dean Huijsen had already secured the three points for the hosts.

Record-breaking strike

The 19-year-old playmaker’s outrageous 68.6-metre strike etched itself into the history books as the longest goal in Spain’s top flight over the past 15 seasons.

Stand-in manager Alvaro Arbeloa was left in awe of the audacious long-distance effort.

“We should frame it, and hang it on a wall,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV.

“It’s amazing, wonderful. I saw everyone throw their hands up in amazement, and I did too.”

‘One of the best in the world’

Elche head coach Eder Sarabia echoed those sentiments, acknowledging the sheer brilliance of the strike despite his understandable frustration.

“We lost the ball unnecessarily, and then one of the best players in the world appears,” Sarabia noted.

“Alongside that anger and sadness, as a football fan, it’s an incredible goal.”

Youth shines on historic night

The comfortable domestic victory allowed the Spanish giants to rest crucial senior figures ahead of Tuesday’s pivotal Champions League last-16 second leg against Manchester City.

Arbeloa utilised the opportunity to introduce five substitutes aged 21 or under, drawing comparisons to the club’s legendary ‘Quinta del Buitre’ era of the 1980s.

“For someone who came up through the youth ranks myself and made it to the first team, this is a day of immense happiness and pride,” the former full-back added.

Mbappe injury concern

Attention now turns entirely to European action, with major concerns lingering over the fitness of star forward Kylian Mbappe.

The French World Cup winner is currently recovering from a knee sprain and faces a crucial medical assessment on Sunday.

“I hope he’ll be available,” Arbeloa stated. “If he can be in Manchester, that will be great news.”

France have secured back-to-back Six Nations titles after a last-gasp Thomas Ramos penalty clinched a dramatic 48-46 victory over England in Paris on Saturday.

The thrilling conclusion at the Stade de France dashed the championship hopes of Ireland, who had beaten Scotland 43-21 earlier in the day to claim the Triple Crown.

Fabien Galthie’s side entered the final weekend needing a victory following a remarkable 50-40 defeat against the Scots at Murrayfield that had ended their Grand Slam ambitions.

Captain Antoine Dupont ultimately hoisted the trophy amid exploding fireworks to crown what is widely being hailed as the greatest edition in the tournament’s history.

A finale of cinematic proportions

The climax of the championship delivered a relentless 14-try spectacle between the hosts and a rejuvenated English squad.

Steve Borthwick’s men had arrived in the French capital under immense pressure following a historic defeat by Italy and a three-game losing streak.

Despite those recent struggles, the visitors scored seven tries to six and briefly looked to have won the game when Tommy Freeman crossed the line in the 76th minute.

However, the ice-cool Ramos ensured Les Bleus had the final word by striking the match-winning kick through the uprights with the last play of the game.

“England were blistering – their pace, their skill, their intensity, their physicality and they had a genuine chance of winning.”

Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson speaking to BBC 5 Live

Record-breaking Bielle-Biarrey shines

The historic encounter was further illuminated by the unstoppable form of Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who crossed the whitewash four times against the English defence.

The 22-year-old winger has now scored in 10 consecutive championship matches, extending an unprecedented streak for the European competition.

Having broken the tournament try-scoring record with eight touchdowns last year, the dynamic back went one better this season to reach nine.

His astonishing career tally now stands at 18 tries in just 14 appearances, elevating him to joint-fifth on the all-time tournament scorer list.

Tumbling tournament statistics

This year’s championship shattered numerous attacking benchmarks, cementing its reputation as a uniquely high-scoring and unpredictable campaign.