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Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe has dismissed the perception that he has a poor relationship with manager Mikel Arteta.

How much did Arsenal pay for Nicolas Pepe?

Back in August 2019, the player completed a move to the Gunners, arriving from Ligue 1 outfit Lille for a club-record transfer fee of £72m.

It's safe to say Pepe never managed to live up to his hefty price tag, and while still delivering a respectable 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 games, you got the sense that Arteta struggled to truly trust the winger as he much preferred to put his faith in an emerging Bukayo Saka.

Adding to this was the fact that he was allowed to leave on loan to Nice for the entirety of last season where he scored just six goals in Ligue 1 and claimed one assist too.

With all that in mind, some may assume that Arteta didn't have much confidence in the 28-year-old winger, but when speaking exclusively with Colinterview (via Get Football News France), Pepe has since revealed the truth.

What did Pepe say about Arteta?

He explained: “People say that he identified me as a player that wasn’t up to the level in his team, in his philosophy. It’s completely false."

Before continuing: "When he spoke to me, he said he counted on me, he wanted me to do this or that, and you have to focus on that. He improved me in every way. He spoke to me the whole time, I watched videos with his assistants all the time. He really believed in me. He said I had incredible potential, so we need to extract that potential."

However, it appears that the relationship became a bit strained during the second campaign.

“At the end of the first season, he spoke with me and told me to do this or that," Pepe began. "The second season comes along, I was a substitute. I was going mad. How could I be a substitute when he said he counted on me? Everything is spinning in your head. I was a substitute for [what felt like] 10 matches. It was at the time when they signed Willian. He is a number 10 or a winger. But he plays on the wing for like 11 or 12 matches in a row. My head turned, knowing that I had spoken with the coach and it wasn’t like that.”

“But that improved in the sense that he gave me a chance, I scored against Sheffield United at the Emirates. The confidence started to come back. I started to speak better, but it was a bit cold. I started to speak to agents, but we didn’t see each other like before. But it improved.

He concluded: "It’s not true that he labelled me. Not true at all. He helped me in every way, on a tactical level, in terms of game intelligence because his philosophy requires a lot of intelligence.

"He knew my style of play wasn’t waiting in possession, it was cutting inside, it wasn’t waiting out on the right. Before, I was a bit freer. I had to wait in my zone, and I wasn’t like that before. These are parts of my game that he tried to improve. He always wanted to help me with all of that."

Arsenal "remain favourites" to sign West Ham star Declan Rice and will indeed make a third bid despite rival interest, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Who will Arsenal sign this summer?

The north Londoners appear determined to challenge yet again for a Premier League title next season, after they fell just short of treble-winners Man City last campaign.

Arsenal have already agreed a deal to sign forward Kai Havertz from Chelsea in a big boost for the club, which means manager Mikel Arteta has more attacking variety at his disposal.

Meanwhile, it is believed that they could also be closing in on a move to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, despite having a bid rejected, with reporter Chris Wheatley claiming they are on the verge of an agreement.

Southampton's Romeo Lavia is also a target for Arteta, with talks "progressing" and a hand-shake on personal terms apparently close with the 19-year-old.

However, one top target who has eluded them thus far is Rice, with West Ham already rejected two bids for him from Arsenal recently.

One of them was a club record, but despite the snubs, it is also believed that the Gunners are "serious" about signing him and will keep pushing.

Speaking to CaughtOffside, reliable journalist Romano has some good news on Rice amid Man City's real interest.

Other sources claim Man City are plotting a bid for the 24-year-old, which comes as a slight worry given their obvious pull, though Romano believes they "remain favourites".

He says this "for sure", while detailing that Arsenal are preparing a third bid for Rice and seem determined to seal his signing for Arteta.

Why do Arsenal want Declan Rice?

The England international was a star under David Moyes last season with WhoScored detailing that he stood out as their best-performer by average match rating over 22/23.

He also made more interceptions per 90 than any other Hammer in the top flight, prompting some real praise from ex-professionals, including former England defender Matthew Upson.

"He has worked really hard at his game, physically and technically," said Upson.

He can handle responsibility amazingly well, which is why he was such a young captain in the Premier League."

Manchester United signing Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa this summer would be a surprise as he would be a 'big name contender' to challenge David De Gea between the sticks, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Diogo Costa?

According to A Bola via METRO, Manchester United are interested in signing Costa from Porto this summer and he has emerged as a priority target for Erik Ten Hag.

The report states that the Red Devils are reluctant to activate his £64 million release clause and are trying to get his current employers to lower the price of the £24k-a-week ace.

As per The Guardian, they also detail that Manchester United are known admirers of Costa; however, Newcastle United and Chelsea are also keen on the Portugal international this off-season.

David De Gea's future at Old Trafford is uncertain and he may well depart the club following a distinguished period of service stretching back to 2012, as per 90min.

Contractually, De Gea will be free to leave Manchester United at the end of the month when his deal at the Red Devils expires; however, Ten Hag does have an option to extend his terms at the Premier League giants by a further 12 months.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones has indicated that he would be surprised if Costa was brought to Old Trafford this summer.

Jones told FFC: "To be honest, I would just be surprised generally if they brought in a big-name contender for De Gea. It doesn't really add up with what their intentions should be in this transfer window. They either replace David De Gea or they focus the main bulk of their money on other positions."

Would Diogo Costa be a good signing for Manchester United?

Costa is a very accomplished goalkeeper who is highly regarded among his peers due to his safe handling and his composure and distribution on the ball.

In 2022/23, the 23-year-old made 40 appearances in all competitions for Porto, recording 20 clean sheets in total, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Costa has also managed to produce a save percentage rate of 77.2% in the Primeira Liga, demonstrating his reliability between the sticks.

Former Brazil international Helton was full of praise for Costa last year in an interview with Noticias ao Minuto, stating: “He [Costa] has the possibility of being the best goalkeeper in the world. I knew his qualities, and this is not a surprise to me. He took over at FC Porto and the national team as well, and this, even if there is Rui Patrício, an excellent goalkeeper.”

It is easy to see why Costa would warrant such high appraisal and he could well be a long-term replacement for De Gea if the latter chooses to depart Old Trafford.

Fulham have made a new contract offer to Brazilian winger Willian in an attempt to ward off interest from Saudi Arabia and Europe, according to reliable journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

Who could join and leave Fulham this summer?

The Whites, after a successful first Premier League campaign back in the top flight, are thoroughly planning for the 2023/2024 season and have earmarked transfer targets.

As per recent reports, it is believed that Gil Vicente striker Fran Navarro is of interest, alongside Man United duo Fred and Harry Maguire. Central midfield is also of priority, especially as star player Joao Palhinha attracts attention from domestic rivals and big clubs abroad.

Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a player supporters know well following his 2020/2021 season on loan at Craven Cottage, is apparently being targeted by Marco Silva and co as well.

However, Fulham must also think about the futures of seven players, with a plethora of squad members either returning to their parent clubs from a loan spell or nearing the end of their contracts (Transfermarkt).

Manor Solomon, Cedric Soares, Layvkin Kurzawa, Neeskens Kebano, Anthony Knockaert, Steven Sessegnon and Willian are the players in question, but a report by Kinsella in The Evening Standard claims Fulham have made moves to keep the latter player.

Indeed, Kinsella writes that they have made an offer to the 34-year-old to extend his stay by another year, which possesses the option for a further 12 months.

The deal is worth around £50,000-per-week, but there is no agreement yet, as Willian will bide his time and consider his options amid interest from Saudi Arabia and Europe.

The Brazilian's family, though, enjoy living in London and are settled – which could be a big factor. As mentioned in the report, Silva sees keeping Willian as a "priority".

Who is Willian?

The South American veteran, who has totalled 286 Premier League appearances over a glittering career, also has 70 caps for the Brazil national team (Transfermarkt).

As per WhoScored, he was a key player for Fulham over 2022/2023, standing out as their second-best performer overall behind striker Aleksandar Mitrovic with 10 goals contributions (five goals, five assists).

Speaking after a 5-3 thrilling win over Leicester City in May, Silva was effusive in his praise for Willian, calling him a "top, top class" player.

"Very good goals by Willian," said Silva.

"He is top, top class. It is hard to express in words the way he is playing and what he is doing for us this season.”

Everton are interested in a summer deal to bring Angers SCO midfielder Batista Mendy to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Batista Mendy?

Mendy first arrived at the Raymond Kopa Stadium from FC Nantes on a free transfer back in 2021, and he’s since gone on to make a total of 73 appearances to date. The Frenchman started 35 out of the 38 Ligue 1 games last season and established himself as Alexandre Dujeux’s third best-performing defensive player, but despite his displays, his future is up in the air.

The Kelyxane Sport Agency client will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window will be his club’s final big opportunity to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and if he was to depart, he won’t be short of potential suitors in the top-flight.

Are Everton signing Mendy?

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Mendy is being “followed” by Everton, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the midfielder having “emerged as a target” for the trio ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Angers are expected to sell their prized asset in the coming weeks and months and have already placed a €6m (£5m) price tag on his head, a fee that they would be happy to receive in order to “part ways” with him.

The Toffees and Sean Dyche “want to take advantage” of his side’s relegation to see if they could “lower” the demanded sum, but it’s currently “not clear” whether they would be willing to do such a thing.

Should Farhad Moshiri move for Mendy?

Everton will be in need of several new reinforcements over the summer to ensure that they don’t find themselves in danger of relegation again next season, but Mendy is not a player that they should be aiming to bring to Merseyside.

France’s former U19s international was ranked by WhoScored as Angers’ 16th overall worst-performing player last campaign with a match rating of 6.35, not to mention that he was averaging 1.9 fouls per league game which was higher than any other of his fellow teammates.

The 6 foot 3 defensive midfield colossus also lacks any kind of threat going forward having posted zero goals or assists across all competitions during the previous term, so fails to have a positive impact at either end of the pitch, therefore making this a deal that the hierarchy should avoid.

Manchester United target Neymar is seemingly keen on a move to Old Trafford this summer, with prospective new owner Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani open to a deal.

What's the transfer gossip on Neymar to Manchester United?

Foot Mercato shared an update on United's interest in signing Neymar this summer in the last 48 hours, saying the Red Devils have the advantage when it comes to the attacker. The Brazilian appears to be on his way out of PSG with the Ligue 1 outfit open to getting his incredible €3.6m-a-month (£3m-a-month) salary off the books.

Most recently, the PSG hierarchy has been irritated by Neymar after he missed the final game of the season due to injury before appearing in Monaco to watch the Grand Prix. The Brazilian's trip was seen as a "provocation" and "seals his fate a little more."

Foot Mercato note that PSG tried to sell Neymar last summer and are looking to sell him again this year, with Manchester United, Newcastle and Chelsea named with an interest.

United, as mentioned, are said to hold the advantage, with the player, who has contacts with the Qatar brand, seduced over a move to Old Trafford and can only see himself playing in Manchester or staying with PSG.

The 31-year-old reportedly wants to continue playing in Europe for the time being after an offer of around €400m (£343m) from a Saudi Pro League side was rejected by the forward.

Is a Man Utd move to sign Neymar wise?

Labelled as "one of the best players on the planet" in the media, Neymar has already won plenty in the club game, nine major honours with PSG in fact, and a move to Manchester United could be an opportunity to grow his personal brand even more.

The Premier League appears to be a popular attraction for the top stars, although it's unclear whether or not Neymar's body is strong enough to cope with the demands of England's top flight. According to Transfermarkt, the Brazilian missed 15 games after undergoing ankle surgery on a nasty injury sustained against Lille in February.

Potential new owner Jassim is said to be keen on signing Neymar should he complete a takeover at Man United. If he was able to remain fit, Neymar is the type of player that could restore Erik ten Hag's side back to the top with 293 goals and 188 assists in his club career, and by the looks of it, a move may well be one to keep an eye on.

Arsenal transfer target sign Declan Rice has sent Bukaya Saka a message of support on Instagram after the winger signed a new contract.

How much is Saka's new contract worth?

It was revealed this week that the England international has signed a new four-year deal with the Gunners which makes him the club's best-paid player. Indeed, as per Evening Standard, Saka will make at least £200k-p/w, but this can rise to £300k-p/w with bonuses.

It's a great moment for the player, the team and the fans and the 21-year-old seemed delighted about the deal, telling Arsenal.com: “I’m just really happy. There’s been a lot of talking and it’s been a while, but I’m here now. I think this is the right club, the right place to make the next step. It’s a beautiful club – look where we are."

And it seems someone else outside of North London is also delighted for Saka. Yes, West Ham United captain Rice sent his England teammate a message on Instagram to show his support.

The midfielder said: "Congrats brother! Fully deserved."

What's the latest on Rice and Arsenal?

The Gunners are in the market for a new midfielder this summer and appear to have identified Rice as a main target – alongside the likes of Brighton's Moises Caicedo, Chelsea's Mason Mount and Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan.

However, the West Ham man looks to be a priority with a bid expected to come in at the end of the season after the Irons have played their Europa Conference League final.

Seeing as Rice has publicly spoken about his desire for Champions League football, Arsenal look to be a great fit for the midfielder. Earlier in the season, he told The Guardian: “One hundred per cent I want to play in the Champions League,” he said. “For the last two or three years I’ve been saying that.

“I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies.

“You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in.”

Considering Mikel Arteta's men will be in the Champions League next term and Rice has been linked with a transfer already, his latest message to Saka could suggest he's already picturing life at the Emirates next term.

It's certainly something for fans to get excited about.

Manchester United are reportedly close to the signing of Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona in a move which will surely please incoming manager Erik ten Hag.

What’s the word?

According to a report from AS (via The Faithful MUFC), a deal is close for the transfer of the Dutchman from Camp Nou to Old Trafford.

The report stated that if United make an offer of €70m (£59.6m) then the La Liga side will allow the 25-year-old to leave.

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Ten Hag would then reunite with his former Ajax protégé, and this news will surely excite the Old Trafford faithful.

Better than Paul Pogba

De Jong is currently valued at £63m by Transfermarkt and could well be the marquee signing that Ten Hag needs to make to instantly make an impression on United supporters who are desperate for success.

With the likelihood of Paul Pogba leaving the club upon the expiry of his contract this summer, as Juventus seemingly offer the midfielder a deal to return to Italy, then the Red Devils urgently need another central midfielder.

In the 25-year-old, they would get an instant upgrade on the Frenchman. It’s clear that the Netherlands international offers more of a goalscoring threat from midfield, with four goals this season compared to Pogba’s solitary strike.

De Jong also has a higher pass completion rate than the 29-year-old (90.1% to 83.5%), generates more than double the amount of shot-creating actions (104 to 56) and has made significantly fewer fouls over the course of the season (37 to 56).

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These figures clearly prove that signing De Jong would be a shrewd move, and with Ten Hag knowing exactly what he would get from the Barcelona maestro from their mutual time at Ajax, then it’s a transfer that makes absolutely perfect sense.

With Barca manager Xavi dubbing the midfielder a “genius”, it could be a massive loss to the Spanish side in the long-term, but it would be a tremendous coup to kickstart the Ten Hag era at Old Trafford.

AND in other news, Man United plotting bid to sign “complete” £63m monster, he’d be their own De Bruyne

With Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur heading into Thursday’s Premier League meeting against Arsenal knowing that they simply must secure victory over their north London rivals in order to have any chance of sealing a top-four finish this season, the 52-year-old Spurs manager will certainly not have been disappointed by his team’s performance, nor the result.

Indeed, Cedric Soares’ needless barge into the back of Son Heung-min gave Paul Tierney no choice but to point to the spot after just 22 minutes, with Harry Kane coolly tucking the ball past Aaron Ramsdale to give Tottenham the lead.

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Matters were made worse for Arsenal just 11 minutes later when, having already made a quite astonishing three fouls, Rob Holding was shown a second yellow card for an elbow on Son – a numerical advantage on which Spurs wasted no time in capitalising, with Kane again heading home just before the break to double the hosts’ lead.

The game was dead and buried a little over 60 seconds after the restart, when Gabriel Magalhaes first failed to hold off Kane, before scuffing his clearance straight into the path of Son, who slotted home to give Tottenham an unassailable lead and move his side to within one point of the Gunners in the Premier League table.

However, while it was very much all about Kane and Son in attack on Thursday night, one player whose performance perhaps went under the radar was that of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the 26-year-old midfielder who has recently been linked with a £30m move away from north London in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, over the course of the 90 minutes last night, the £60m-rated talent was imperious in the heart of Conte’s midfield while he had the ball at his feet, enjoying 91 touches, completing 73 of his 79 attempted passes (92%), finding his man with five long balls and making one key pass.

The £100k-per-week Dane also impressed out of possession, winning three tackles, making one interception, completing three clearances and winning four of his five attempted duels, a success rate of 80%.

These returns saw the midfielder who Graeme Souness once dubbed “useless” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.5, while football.london journalist Alasdair Gold awarded the 26-year-old an eight in his own player ratings, stating of his performance: “Won some big tackles to get Spurs on the front foot and was a constant thorn in the side of the Arsenal midfield.”

It is indeed true that Kane and Son stole the show on Thursday, while Davinson Sanchez also impressed after being a late replacement for Cristian Romero. However, it was undoubtedly Hojbjerg who most proved his worth to Conte against the Gunners, with it now appearing as if the Denmark international is an indispensable part of the Italian’s side.

AND in other news – Bid incoming: Paratici to make £34m offer for Spurs target, he’d be a “special” signing

David Moyes has delivered some important West Ham injury news ahead of their upcoming Europa League clash against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Missing from the matchday squad

The Irons recently suffered a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League in their race for a top-six finish, but first team regular Ben Johnson appeared to be missing from the starting XI and wasn’t even occupying a seat on the bench, with teammate Vladimir Coufal taking his place.

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The 22-year-old has been in impressive form under Moyes this season so it was a surprise to see him not named in the match-day squad, however, it’s now been revealed that there was a very good reason as to why.

The Latest: Injury concern

The Athletic correspondent Roshane Thomas shared the news in a Twitter post, revealing: “Moyes says Ben Johnson has a thigh strain.”

Johnson joins a long list of defensive injuries at the London Stadium including Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna.

The Verdict: A massive blow

If the versatile wing-back is unavailable for selection in the second leg against the Bundesliga outfit, then this would come as a huge blow for the Scottish manager who needs all of his experienced defenders accessible to him, should the Irons have any chance of turning the tie around.

Despite Johnson only making 16 top-flight starts this term, he has been an absolute rock at the back for the Hammers, averaging 2.7 clearances, 1.8 tackles, and 1.2 interceptions per 90 minutes, via WhoScored.

Dubbed a “brilliant” player by pundit Paul Robinson since making his stamp on the first team, the £2.5k-per-week ace would be hugely missed if not declared fully fit in time, but will hopefully come back into contention for his side as soon as possible.

In other news… a BBC pundit has backed West Ham to make a move for a Championship starlet who could ‘do a Jarrod Bowen’.