Kelechi Nwakali: Nigerian thanks Arsenal despite no appearances

LONDON - English Premier League (EPL) side Arsenal have agreed to pay €63.5m (£55m) up front for Viktor Gyokeres.

Mari-Anne Chikerema, the daughter of the late Cuthbert Chiromo, who was a die-hard Arsenal fan, has shared a heartwarming story about how her father was dedicated to and loved the English Premier League (EPL) club. This week a tribute from Mari-Anne was posted on the official Arsenal Facebook page and comes after the club's recent release of an African fan inspired away kit for the 2024/25 season.

By Luke Batsirai Tamborinyoka It is unfortunate that history only remembers the best. Indeed, history is stubborn and spares no time for second best. But if the truth be told, and notwithstanding their reputation as the nearly men of English soccer, Arsenal continue to display the best and most exciting brand of football ever seen in this generation. They may have lost out on yesterday’s crown, but there is no denying that the most fascinating brand of football this season in the English Premiership was exhibited by my favourite team, Arsenal Football club. Moneybags Manchester City, bankrolled by Abu Dhabi billionaires, may have unfairly elbowed out Arsenal to the title yesterday. I may be biased because I am an Arsenal fan but I will posit that just like Zanu PF, Manchester City have their own baggage regarding the legitimacy of this title and others in the last few years. They have an albatross of 115 charges hanging over them and the legitimacy of their crown will always be contested and disputed until those outstanding legitimacy issues are comprehensively dealt with. Manchester City, the moneybags from the Etihad, the Wicknell Chivayo of the English Premiership, have used the power of their purse to bully the football world by literally buying football talent around the globe, in the process flouting financial fair play rules. The 115 charges will always remain a legitimacy blot and asterisk; painfully so in the two seasons where the accused and their pending charges have robbed Arsenal of the title. Put simply, there are 115 reasons why City’s title triumph is a blemish on the integrity of football as a popular global sport. So too was the integrity of football as a sport and the chastity of fair competition seriously harmed by the behaviour of Tottenham, whose fans joyously sang for their team’s defeat to Manchester City. The shameful sight of Spurs fans celebrating their team’s defeat while raucously chanting: “ I know and I am sure I am City till July ” left a sour taste in the mouth of all football lovers across the globe. The miscreant behaviour of Tottenham fans eroded and corroded all the lustre, glory and honour from the world’s most beautiful game. The gothic message from the celebration of their own defeat just to spite their neighbour was that they hate Arsenal more than they love their own team. It was much like celebrating the rape of your own mother, which rape you seem to have purposely arranged just to tarnish and soil the impeccable record of an anti-rape crusade in the community that is being spearheaded by your neighbour. Dear reader, notwithstanding the fact that they lost out on the title yesterday, this piece is about the several life lessons that can be drawn from the Gunners’ spirited campaign this season.

After weeks of haggling, Arsenal have finally agreed a £105m deal to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice. According to multiple reports the deal breaks down as an £100m initial fee plus £5m in performance related add-ons.

Arsenal have completed a £65m deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea on an unspecified long-term contract.