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Juventus are keen to use Douglas Luiz as makeweight in transfer for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali.

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• Juventus want to sign Tonali
• Ready to offer Luiz plus cash for the Italian
• Newcastle set asking price for Tonali

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per journalist , Juventus have shown strong interest in signing Italy international Tonali from Newcastle United and are reportedly ready to include Luiz in the deal. The Brazilian midfielder, who left the Premier League last summer to join the Bianconeri from Aston Villa, has struggled for form this season and could head back to England.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report adds that the Magpies will not entertain any transfer fee below €70 million (£59m/$79m), and they are yet to decide on Tonali's future. The Serie A giants, on the other hand, are determined to sign the Italian star and could offer Luiz plus €30m in cash.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The Brazil international midfielder relocated to Italy along with his girlfriend Alisha Lehmann last year. However, unlike Luiz, Lehmann has had an impressive outing for the Turin-based team and is likely to stay at the club beyond the 2024-25 campaign.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  The Italian side will be back in action in the Serie A on April 21 as they take on Parma away from home.

Pedri set a new La Liga high for the season for the second time in just three days as he starred in Barcelona's win over Mallorca.

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• Pedri enjoying a terrific season
• Was the MVP in Barca's 1-0 win over Mallorca
• Broke La Liga record three days after setting it

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pedri broke his own record in La Liga this season in Barcelona's 1-0 win over Mallorca on Tuesday night, just three days after he originally topped the same chart against Celta Vigo, prompting fans to hail the Spaniard as the "best player in the world".

  The Spaniard recorded 18 ball recoveries on Tuesday, the most by any La Liga player in a single game this season, beating the record of 17, which he set himself in Barca's nerve-wracking 4-3 win over Celta over the weekend.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Chelsea fan @CFCMod took to X (formerly Twitter) and labelled Pedri as a generational footballer: "Pedri has set such high standards that every insane game he has is just seen as normal, this is a generational footballer."

  Meanwhile, Barca supporter @BaldeWaves went a step further to and crowed him the best player in the world: "Calling Pedri the best midfielder itw is an offense he's the best player in the world."

  Another user, @UgoOsinobi, tweeted: "If you observe Pedri very closely, you’ll actually see the traits of each of Xavi-Iniesta-Busquets in his game."

  Barca fan @NealGardner_ even went so far as to say that Pedri deserves the Ballon d'Or more than any other player: "If I had to pick one Barça player for the Ballon d’Or, it’d be Pedri, and I’d do so without even the slightest bit of hesitation."

• WHAT THE MANAGERS ARE SAYING

  Following the Catalans' win on Tuesday, which propelled them seven points clear of Real Madrid in the title race, the managers of the two teams heaped praise on Pedri.

  "It's difficult to say what Pedri's limit is. He's currently at a very high level. Not only when he has the ball, but also without it. He helps us a lot defensively, and everyone knows how good he is," Barca coach Hansi Flick told reporters after the game.

  Meanwhile, Mallorca manager Jagoba Arrasate claimed he'd not seen a footballer like Pedri in a long time: "When you see Pedri, you analyse him and you enjoy from your TV. But then you see him against you and you want him to stop. I haven't seen a midfielder like this in a long time."

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  The first few seasons of Pedri's career have been marked by inconsistency due to his poor record with injuries. However, he has been among the best players in the world this season, having put his fitness woes behind him. According to ESPN, Pedri has 227 ball recoveries in La Liga this season, 56 more than anyone else. He has been a vital player for Flick, showing efficiency in equal measure both on and off the ball. Indeed, his 18 ball recoveries against Mallorca are the most for any player in Europe's top-five leagues this season.

Manchester City’s season began going downhill when Rodri went down injured against Arsenal, the game ending in a 2-2 draw, but bad news also followed that Rodri will likely be out for the entire season.

Pep Guardiola’s have rallied in recent weeks and now find themselves fifth in the Premier League after 22 games played, two points off fourth place Chelsea and a whopping 12 points off table toppers Liverpool.

With their midfield injury concerns, the Citizens could look to recruit in this area during the January window, in order to ensure they have a strong second half of the season and achieve Champions League qualification.

Man City chasing Douglas Luiz move

According to reports from GIVEMESPORT, Manchester City are lining up a double swoop for Juventus stars, Andrea Cambiaso and Douglas Luiz.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Having already signed Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Omar Marmoush, Guardiola’s side are still interested in improving their side ahead of the second half of the season.

Other clubs are said to be interested in the 26-year-old midfielder, including the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United and even Aston Villa, who could be interested in bringing Luiz back to the club just six months later.

Luiz has made 17 appearances since joining Juventus in the summer but has yet to provide a goal or assist in his 550 minutes played. Most of his minutes have been coming from the bench, which could open the door for a Premier League return this month.

Who Man City should sign instead of Douglas Luiz

There could perhaps be an even better option for Manchester City in midfield, to make a signing that not only replaces Rodri for the now but can also be the long-term heir to his throne in the heart of the City midfield. That is, of course, Real Madrid’s, Aurelien Tchouameni.

Linked with a £67m move for the 24-year-old Frenchman in recent weeks, he has made 24 appearances for Madrid this season, providing one assist, contributing to six clean sheets and totalling 1,906 minutes played.

Tchouameni’s primary job is to protect the back line, defend against transitions and then dictate play from deeper areas, which is exactly what City need to replace Rodri.

When analysing the three midfielders – Tchouameni this season, Rodri and Luiz last season due to minutes played – you can see why the former could be the better option, not only bringing slightly better progressive passing numbers in deeper areas but also the defensive quality needed to put out fires when the opposition attack in transition.

Luiz ranks closer to Rodri in terms of progressive carries and G/A per 90, but apart from that, Tchouameni rates above Luiz in all other metrics, sitting closer to the Spaniard and what Manchester City will need in the second half of this campaign to replace him.

The “world-class” ace, as labelled by Transfermarkt’s Stefan Bienkowski, could also work alongside Rodri when he returns, potentially forming one of the best midfield partnerships in world football.

Both Luiz and Tchouameni would be brilliant signings for City, bringing much-needed midfield reinforcement to the squad, but perhaps the Real Madrid man would be worth the extra investment, planning for not just now, but also the future.

Worth way more than Marmoush: Pep has struck gold on Man City "superstar"

Man City have a youngster in the squad who is worth more than Omar Marmoush

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 18, 2025

James Maddison has defended under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, as he insists the Australian is "my manager" amid uncertainty over his future.

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• Postecoglou's future tied to Europa League
• Spurs play Bodo/Glimt in semi-finals
• Currently sit 16th in PL table

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Spurs have endured a terrible season domestically and sit 16th in the Premier League table, having lost 19 of their 34 games thus far. Postecoglou's future appears to be tied to the Europa League, as they face Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals of the Europa League, but Maddison insists he remains fully behind the Australian.

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  Maddison insists the club can still have a "very successful season" as they eye glory in Bilbao in the Europa League. He accepts, however, that Spurs have underperformed terribly in the league. Indeed, Spurs have been linked with the likes of Marco Silva at Fulham and Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth.

• WHAT MADDISON SAID

  Maddison told reporters: "We're behind the manager, 100 per cent. I think he's a great man. He's the first person to tell you, I've heard it myself, that we've been poor in the league. We've been great in Europe but it's been unacceptable in the league. He's my manager, my gaffer and I respect him. We can still have a very successful season."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Spurs play Bodo in the first leg of their semi-final in north London on Thursday. The second leg takes place in Norway on May 8.

Chelsea attempted to complete the signing of a “composed” Premier League player in the January transfer window in a record deal, according to a fresh claim.

Chelsea beat West Ham as January window slams shut

The Blues picked up a much-needed 2-1 win at home to West Ham in the league on Monday evening, taking some pressure off manager Enzo Maresca after some patchy form of late.

Despite falling behind to Jarrod Bowen, Chelsea rallied in the second half and didn’t allow their heads to drop, with Pedro Neto equalising and Aaron Wan-Bissaka scoring an own goal, following typical good work from Cole Palmer. There were injury concerns for Nicolas Jackson and Mac Guiu, though, acting as a concern moving forward.

It was relatively quiet at Stamford Bridge in the January window, certainly by the Blues’ standards in recent years, with Maresca content with the squad he has, following a busy summer of business.

That’s not to say that Chelsea weren’t linked with an absolute host of players, however, with Sporting CP defensive midfielder Dario Essugo mentioned as a possible option late in the day. Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding another reported target before deadline day reached its conclusion.

Chelsea given swift rejection over "composed" defender

According to a new report from The Telegraph, Chelsea attempted to sign Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo in the January window. The Blues were swiftly and emphatically shut down in their efforts to sign the £80m-rated defender, who would be a record sale for Forest at that price.

Nuno Espirito Santo did not want to lose such an influential player midway through the season, and the Brazilian then signed a contract extension at the City Ground to further cement the strength of Forest’s resolve.

Murillo is enjoying a fantastic campaign for Forest, arguably standing out as one of the leading central defenders in the Premier League, so it is understandable why Chelsea were keen to snap him up. The 22-year-old has started 23 games in the league in 2024/25 to date, while former Steve Cooper heaped praise on him during their time together in 2023, calling him “composed”.

Jamie Redknapp has said of him: “From his touches today, you can just see the quality that he possesses. He’s going to be a real fan favourite. He possesses a lot of weapons in his armoury – he’s got a lovely left foot which I think gives you a massive advantage.”

That said, for all of Murillo’s quality this season, he has averaged only one aerial duel win per game in the league which is less than Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana, while on the ball he has also only completed 79.3% of his passes.

Maresca drops Chelsea injury update on Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu

The duo appeared to be hurt during the Blues’ victory against West Ham United.

By
Dominic Lund

Feb 4, 2025

For that reason, there would be a risk element in Chelsea going back in for him this summer, but if Maresca thinks he can suit his style of play, it could still make sense.

Everything you need to know about David De Gea's salary details playing for Fiorentina

Born in Madrid, Spain, David De Gea came up through the ranks at Atletico Madrid before making a move to English giants Manchester United in 2011. It was at Old Trafford that De Gea became a legend, only ending his stint at the club after 12 years and well over 500 appearances as their undisputed number one between the posts.

De Gea currently ranks in Manchester United’s history books as their seventh-most capped player.

Following his time at United, De Gea remained away from professional football for over a year before joining Serie A side Fiorentina in 2024 on a one-year deal.

The Spanish goalkeeper earns a substantial salary playing for the Serie A side. But exactly how much?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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• David De Gea's wages at Fiorentina in numbers

  David De Gea, under a one-year contract with the Serie A team, receives a weekly salary of £36,303 ($48,674) and an annual salary of £1.8 million ($2.5m).

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  David De Gea	Spanish	£36,303	$48,674	£1,887,743	$2,531,051

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  Top earners at Fiorentina

  Robin Gosens, a German midfielder, has the highest salary at Fiorentina. Following him are Italians Rolando Mandragora and Moise Kean in second and third positions. Icelandic forward Albert Gudmundsson is fourth, and Fabiano Parisi, also Italian, is fifth.

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Robin Gosens	German	£60,505	$81,123	£3,146,239	$4,218,418
  Rolando Mandragora	Italian	£48,404	$64,899	£2,519,991	$3,374,735
  Moise Kean	Italian	£46,114	$61,829	£2,397,444	$3,215,199
  Albert Gudmundsson	Icelandic	£46,114	$61,829	£2,397,444	$3,215,199
  Fabiano Parisi	Italian	£45,460	$60,952	£2,363,931	$3,169,514

• Top earners in Serie A

  Fiorentina players are not among the top-five highest earners in the league.

  Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic is the highest-paid player in the league.

  Inter's Lautaro Martinez, Nicolo Barella, and Hakan Calhanoglu are in second, fourth, and fifth places, respectively.

  Paulo Dybala holds the third position.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Dusan Vlahovic	Juventus	£321,352	$424,581	£16,710,313	$22,078,237
  Lautaro Martinez	Inter	£275,563	$364,083	£14,329,265	$18,932,316
  Paulo Dybala	AS Roma	£214,235	$283,054	£11,140,208	$14,718,825
  Nicolo Barella	Inter	£199,027	$262,961	£10,349,391	$13,673,970
  Hakan Calhanoglu	Inter	£183,653	$242,649	£9,549,978	$12,617,758

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  Highest paid players in the world

  No Serie A players are among the top five highest-paid footballers globally, despite their high earnings.

  The top five are all from the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo leads with a high salary at Al Nassr.

  Karim Benzema, his former Real Madrid teammate, is second. Riyad Mahrez, previously with Manchester City and now at Al-Ahli, is third.

  Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are fourth and fifth, respectively.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	£3,216,155	$4,210,425	£167,250,468	$218,942,120
  Karim Benzema	Al Ittihad	£1,608,178	$2,105,213	£83,625,234	$109,471,060
  Riyad Mahrez	Al Ahli	£839,469	$1,098,921	£45,652,372	$57,43,893
  Sadio Mane	Al Nassr	£643,271	$842,085	£33,450,094	$43,788,424
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Al Hilal	£558,038	$730,509	£29,017,956	$37,986,458

Sheffield Wednesday have now submitted a loan offer for a “fantastic” Premier League defender, with his club open to letting him leave before the February 3rd deadline, according to a report.

Owls pushing for the play-offs

After avoiding relegation from the Championship by just three points last season, Wednesday have really kicked on this term, sitting three points adrift of the play-offs with just one game left to play before the end of the winter transfer window.

It has been a relatively quiet window for the Owls up to this point, but they will be pleased to have re-signed Southampton’s Shea Charles on loan, after striking a new agreement with the Premier League strugglers.

With less than a week to go before the deadline, Danny Rohl is now looking at making some more additions to his squad, and the manager is particularly keen on strengthening his defence. Reliable reporter Joe Crann has reported Vissel Kobe left-back Ryo Hatsuse has impressed Rohl, and there is now a desire to bring the Japanese defender to Hillsborough before the deadline.

Sheffield Wednesday now join race to sign "smooth" 32 y/o int'l for Rohl

He has won 51 caps for his country.

By
Henry Jackson

Jan 27, 2025

Wednesday are yet to make a formal move for Hatsuse, whose contract expires this weekend, but The Star reports they have now made a bid to sign Ipswich Town’s Harry Clarke on a loan deal until the end of the season.

The Owls face a lot of competition for Clarke’s signature, however, with a number of other Championship clubs said to be in the race. Although the right-back was a key player for Ipswich in their promotion to the Premier League last season, they are willing to sanction his departure to the right Championship club.

But it appears the Owls were too late with their bid, as Sheffield United have now won the race (Updated Jan 29, 12:30) with the player undergoing a medical at Bramall Lane on Wednesday afternoon.

Clarke was a great option for Rohl

In the coming weeks, the Ipswich man could have deputised for Dominic Iorfa at centre-back, before challenging for a spot at right-wing back, given that he is also capable of playing slightly further forward.

Having experienced winning promotion with the Tractor Boys, the £25k-per-week defender could be a solid signing for the Blades and a punch in the gut for the Owls, given both sides of the city are pursuing top flight status.

Given his age, the former Arsenal man could also still improve a lot, as stated by Kieran McKenna upon first completing a move to Portman Road: “He’s got a fantastic attitude to work, to win and to try and get better.

“He’s had a good schooling in his time here and that continued when he moved to Arsenal. He’s physical, he has a really good right foot and he’s still got lots of room to develop.”

It is promising news that Wednesday launched a formal bid for Clarke, as they will be hopefully have a shortlist of alternative targets to move quickly for in the coming days.

Rangers' interim coach sent out a brutal warning to Davide Ancelotti amid his links to the Ibrox manager's job.

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• Ferguson's warning to Ancelotti's son
• Carlo Ancelotti's son linked to Rangers manager's job
• Gerrard could return to Rangers after four years

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  reported on Tuesday that Rangers are considering appointing Carlo Ancelotti's son, Davide, as their permanent manager as interim boss Barry Ferguson is about to leave the club at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Davide is currently a part of his father's coaching staff at Real Madrid, but will follow Carlo out of the club after Los Blancos' final La Liga match. Amid talks of the Italian tactician heading to Scotland, Ferguson sent out a warning to the 35-year-old.

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• WHAT BARRY FERGUSON SAID

  Speaking to reporters, Ferguson said: "I don’t know anything about him, if I’m being honest. I know he’s [an] assistant to his dad and his dad is one of the best managers. There’s always going to be speculation, there’s been speculation since I’ve come in. I’ve no issue with that. That’s just the way it operates up here in the west of Scotland.

  "All I can do is just focus on me doing the job as best as I can and we’ll see where it takes us. One thing I will say is that it’s not a project. You need to start winning straight away. That’s it. You don’t get time here. You’ve got the summer to go and build a new squad, whatever way you want to build it. You need to go off to a very fast start and you need to make sure you win as many games as possible."

  He added: "This club is built on winning and we need to start winning. That’s been the issue here and that’s clearly why there’s a number of managers that have lost their jobs over the years. So Rangers need to get back to challenging and winning trophies. That’s there for everybody to see.

  "I’m not hiding anything and I’m sure that, with the changes that have been made, they [the prospective new owners] realise that. The supporters realise that. I certainly realise it and it’s a big job – but it’s also a brilliant job to have. There’s a lot of work to be done and hopefully everything is starting to move. We’ll hopefully see soon what’s going to happen."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has also been linked with a move back to Rangers after four years. Gerrard has been without a job since leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in January. With the current season coming to an end, the Gers have stepped up their search for Philippe Clement's permanent replacement.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RANGERS?

  Rangers will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Dundee United in their penultimate Scottish Premiership match of the season.

Newcastle United are into the final of the Carabao Cup.

Eddie Howe’s side put Arsenal to the sword in each of the semi-final legs, winning 2-0 at the Emirates before repeating the trick on Tyneside.

It’s buried concerns that United’s imperious form had faded away following St. James’ Park losses against Bournemouth and Fulham in the Premier League, with a first-class display to match the result.

Arsenal were without Bukayo Saka but were buoyed after beating Manchester City 5-1 the weekend before, with exciting youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly both notching in that one.

But Newcastle turned form on its head when it mattered.

How Newcastle silenced Arsenal

With Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon wreaking havoc in the final third, Newcastle overwhelmed an Arsenal side that attempted to carry the spark from their recent victory into this semi-final showdown but failed miserably.

Not only did the hosts win 54% of the contested duels on the evening, as per Sofascore, but they also made just one error in the match compared to Arsenal’s four.

The disparity up front was personified, with it perfectly clear why Mikel Arteta so desperately wants Isak to front his ship over the coming years.

Arsenal’s youth contingent proved their worth, however. Nwaneri in particular remains one of the brightest young players in English football despite being kept quiet by Newcastle’s marshalled defence, but the hosts might actually have a bigger talent on their hands.

Lewis-Skelly is the talk of the town right now but Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, 21, will feel that he proved yet again that he is “the best left-back in the country,” as Toon correspondent Dominic Scurr put it after Howe’s first-leg victory in January.

Perhaps, though, Newcastle’s Lewis Miley is the best of them all. He was only introduced in the closing stages, but he’s got quite the future ahead of him.

Newcastle's answer to Nwaneri

Miley hasn’t featured all that much this season, stifled by a metatarsal fracture that left him sidelined until Howe granted him his first Premier League appearance of the campaign in December, during a 4-0 victory over Ipswich Town.

The eldest of three brothers within the United academy, Miley was described as a prospect with “unbelievable” potential by fellow Tyneside native Sean Longstaff.

Toon legend Alan Shearer has been coloured impressed by the rangy midfielder’s start to life, saying: “He just looks natural, he looks very comfortable. Other than looking at his baby looks, if you didn’t know who or what he was you would think he has been around for years, the way he was strutting around the pitch and closing down and the balance he had on the ball.​​​​​​”

One of the youngest goalscorers in Premier League history, Miley has proved himself to be a young player of confidence and ability, racking up 35 senior outings altogether, scoring twice and placing four assists.

Miley is a first-class talent, perhaps with a ceiling higher than the rest at St. James’ Park, maybe even capable of rivalling a player like Nwaneri, who is more of a forward but similarly revered by his team’s fanbase.

In the Premier League last year, while he was only 17, Miley ended up ranking among the top 15% of midfielders for assists per 90, as per FBref.

Moreover, he averaged 1.9 tackles and won 54% of his ground duels in the top flight last season, as per Sofascore, providing injury-hit Newcastle with a combative and youthful dimension.

He’s every bit as talented as Nwaneri and could rival the Arsenal prodigy for the reputation as England’s finest youngster as both continue to go from strength to strength over the coming years.

Howe may have unearthed his own Nobby Solano in Newcastle's "unsung hero"

Newcastle brushed Arsenal aside over two legs to advance to the final of the Carabao Cup.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 6, 2025

Lionness stars Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson could hardly hold back their emotions as they spoke after Arsenal's Champions League win in Lisbon.

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• Emotional Williamson swears on TV broadcast
• Russo admits win feels "surreal"
• Arsenal beat favourites Barça 1-0

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners bested a heavily favoured Barcelona team 1-0 to claim European glory. La Blaugrana dominated possession for much of the game, as they pursued their third straight European crown, but the game was decided by substitute Lina Blackstenuis, who finished tidily in the 75th minute.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Both Williamson and Russo held back tears as they were interviewed on the TNT broadcast. Russo said the victory felt surreal, but the team "believed" they could win the competition from the start. Williamson, swore during the interview, but regained her composure enough to praise her teammates who had the "game of their lives".

• WHAT LEAH WILLIAMSON AND ALESSIA RUSSO SAID

  Williamson said: "I don't believe it, I'm going to f*****g cry. Sorry, I'm crying.

  "This team has been together for a really long time and we've been working really, really hard to get to the next level.

  "And to do it on the biggest stage, and I think some people just had the game of their lives and that's what you need, and we did it. I'm just so happy."

  Russo added: "It feels surreal. We knew we could [win]. We believed since the moment our Champions League journey started.

  "We knew that we had the capabilities, we knew that we could be good enough. It was just about going and doing it, and we've done it."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEAH WILLIAMSON AND ALESSIA RUSSO?

  The Gunners will be celebrating their first UCWL victory for 18 years long into the night. The festivities will continue on Monday, as the players will parade their trophy outside The Emirates.