Saliba misses another France session
William Saliba sat out France training again on Monday, two days before the World Cup semi-final against Spain (1). He is on a modified schedule. No official word yet on the nature of the issue, but missing back-to-back sessions before a semi-final is never minor.
Declan Rice played hurt, and Pardew is not having it
Alan Pardew called out Thomas Tuchel for starting Declan Rice when he was clearly not right. "Dec looked like he looked down yesterday, didn't he? You only had to look at him," Pardew said. "He wasn't buzzing and being the Declan Rice that we know. So that was a mistake that Thomas made there" (5). Separate reports flag genuine medical concern about long-term damage from Rice playing through injury at this tournament (9). With your season starting as defending champions, this is exactly the kind of risk that lingers.
Barcola: PSG say no, Liverpool still circling
PSG have told interested clubs Bradley Barcola is not for sale (2). Arsenal and Liverpool both want the winger, and Fabrizio Romano says both remain firmly in the mix (6). The door is not open, but it is not locked either.
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Alvarez deal gets the green light from Atletico
Atletico Madrid have sanctioned a record-breaking transfer of Julian Alvarez to Arsenal, according to one report (4). The catch: his release clause makes the deal difficult to pull off regardless of Atletico's stance (2). Big ambition, complicated execution.
Villa name their price for Rogers
Aston Villa want a specific fee from Arsenal for Morgan Rogers. Fabrizio Romano has the number but it has not been made public yet (3). Villa already sold Youri Tielemans and are not under pressure to do anyone favours.
Norgaard could head to Palace
Christian Norgaard is out of favour at Arsenal and Crystal Palace are interested (7). A summer departure looks likely for the midfielder.
Youngster Thompson picks Newcastle over Spurs
Kyran Thompson has rejected a new Arsenal contract and turned down Tottenham to sign for Newcastle United (8). Snubbing Spurs on the way out is one way to leave.
Fan reactions
The Saliba and Rice fitness news has supporters on edge, with one Athletic piece circulating about the cost of players pushing through pain link. Meanwhile, a Luke Edwards report linking Arsenal to Bruno Guimaraes has fans debating whether a £50m fee was ever realistic link. The tone is split between World Cup watching and anxiety about what these players return with.
