Arsenal
Arsenal would be wise to beat rivals to sign this 16-year-old Championship gem at the earliest
Why Arsenal should sign this teenage sensation from West Brom soon
According to The Sun, top English clubs Liverpool and Manchester City are in hot pursuit of West Bromwich Albion wonder kid Rico Richards.
The league leaders and City have now joined Arsenal and Tottenham (h/t The Sun) in a transfer race to land the Baggies forward, who turned 16 two months ago.
Despite his young age, he has already spent time training with West Brom’s Under-23 squad – a clear indication of the boy’s talent.
With just one year left on his contract, it is no surprise that top clubs are tracking his progress. However, West Brom must aim to hold on to their wonder boy since losing youngsters Morgan Rogers and Louie Barry to City and Barcelona respectively, as claimed by a Birmingham Mail report.
Meanwhile, European champions Liverpool stay unbeaten after 12 games whereas North London side Arsenal slumped to 6th after their 2-0 loss to Leicester City.
Be it the Reds or the Gunners, Richards should move to newer pastures when the right offer comes around. A move to a bigger club would offer him more exposure and also improve his gaming standards.
In the meantime, let’s quickly analyse which of the above two clubs would suit the young Richards the most.
A real No. 10, Rico is versatile enough to play anywhere in the attack. He can also shift to the wings when required.
Rico, who scored a goal in his debut match for the England Under-17 side, is capable of being a viable long-term option for both Liverpool and Arsenal.
As many as 13 Liverpool youth players have played for their respective nation’s junior side while only five from Arsenal have been lucky enough.
Arsenal, at present, have a world-class attacking midfielder in Mesut Ozil but the German international is beyond his prime and doesn’t look as sharp as he once did.
New addition Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid is also an attacking player but he often initiates attacks from a little deep in the midfield.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are in fantasy land under manager Jurgen Klopp, considering the side’s recent achievements. In fact, the Reds also have some top players in their youth system right now.
Amongst many talented youngsters, the Reds have the likes of Rhian Brewster (19), who won the 2017 Under-17 World Cup with England, Curtis Jones (18) and Harvey Elliot (16).
Jones and Elliot have represented England in the Under-18 and Under-17 sides respectively. Jones has played 11 matches till now while Elliot has featured in seven.
All three have also made their senior debuts for the Merseyside club – a clear indication of the depth of attacking talent within their ranks.
However, this is not the case with Arsenal. None of their youth players has found a place in the national sides.
Looking ahead, Liverpool’s future seems a bit brighter than that of their North London counterparts.
Verdict
With a dearth of talent within their ranks, it is crystal clear that Arsenal need to add more firepower to their attack.
The side’s performances in the league this season have been inconsistent under Unai Emery and they need to bounce back quickly in order to gain a Champions League berth once again.
Read more:
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Liverpool, at present, look well-drilled for a team and are en route for more glories.
Thus, Arsenal should invest in this teenager sooner rather than later in order to keep their hopes intact and build a better future.
Arsenal Women look to strengthen their Champions League qualification hopes when they host FC Twente at Meadow Park on Tuesday night.
The defending champions sit tenth in the league phase standings with six points from four matches and need victory to maintain realistic hopes of finishing in the automatic top-four qualification spots.
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT, Tuesday, December 10, 2025
Venue: Meadow Park (Mangata Developments Stadium)
TV: Disney+ (UK)
Form Guide
Arsenal secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, with Stina Blackstenius netting an 87th-minute winner after Olivia Smith’s opener was cancelled out by Beata Olsson. The result extended their unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions and marked their fifth WSL win of the season.
In Champions League action, the Gunners beat Real Madrid 2-1 on November 20 after coming from behind through Alessia Russo’s second-half brace. However, they lost their opening two home European games at Meadow Park against Lyon (0-1) and claimed a 2-0 away victory at Benfica between those fixtures.
Twente remain winless in the Champions League with just two points from four matches, sitting 14th and two points outside the playoff places. They drew 1-1 with Chelsea and Benfica but suffered defeats to OH Leuven (1-2) and Atletico Madrid (0-4). Despite their European struggles, Twente top the Vrouwen Eredivisie unbeaten with seven wins and one draw from eight matches.
Team News
Arsenal will be without Daphne van Domselaar (quad), Chloe Kelly (knee), Manuela Zinsberger (ACL) and Katie Reid (ACL). Anneke Borbe made her Arsenal debut against Liverpool and will earn her first Champions League start for the club on Tuesday.
Leah Williamson is available for limited minutes as she continues her comeback from the knee injury sustained at Euro 2025. Kim Little requires careful management after recent calf problems, with Renée Slegers describing it as “a loading issue.”
Twente have former Arsenal midfielder Jill Roord in their squad after she surprisingly joined from Manchester City during the summer, citing a desire to rekindle her love for football by returning home.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Borbe; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe; Cooney-Cross, Little; Foord, Maanum, Blackstenius; Russo
Twente (4-3-3): Lemey; Stroot, Oudejans, Pijpers, Oude Elberink; Groenewegen, Andradóttir, Pelova; Proost, Van de Velde, Roord
Also read: News of Unrest Engulfs Arsenal Women Camp – Manager Renee Slegers Clarifies
Renee Slegers has strongly denied reports of splits and player power issues within the Arsenal Women camp, insisting the reigning Champions League winners remain united despite sitting eight points behind WSL leaders Manchester City.
The Athletic published a damaging report during the international break, alleging divisions in the Gunners’ dressing room and dissent over player influence.
Slegers addressed the claims head-on during Friday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with bottom-placed Liverpool.
“There Will Be Noise” – Renee Slegers Hits Back at Dressing Room Unrest Reports as Arsenal Face Liverpool
“We won the Champions League, historically Arsenal has been the most successful team in England,” Slegers fired back. “There will be noise, there is noise. That’s all on the outside. We know what we’re doing on the inside.”
High-Performance Environment Creates Challenges
The Arsenal boss acknowledged the demands of elite football while defending her squad’s mentality. “It’s a high-performance environment so it’s a very challenging environment, we demand a lot of things from each other and it should be like that,” she explained.
“Every group of people will have things that they have to manage and get through. I am very positive about where we are at. We’re in a process, I believe in the process and we’re going in a really good direction.”
Slegers expressed frustration at the timing and nature of the report. “It’s unfortunate that is what’s written about us when we’re doing so many good things.”
Williamson Returns as Injury Crisis Continues
Arsenal will be without goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and England winger Chloe Kelly for Saturday’s noon kick-off, meaning summer signing Anneke Borbe will make her debut between the posts.
However, there’s positive news with the return of England captain Leah Williamson, who makes her first appearance this season after being sidelined with a knee injury since the European Championship. Midfielder Kim Little is also available again.
“Leah has a presence, which sometimes even without speaking it sets standards and creates a certain environment,” Slegers said. “It will be really, really good to have her back. It’s such a win for the team.”
Liverpool held Chelsea to a draw last month despite sitting bottom of the table, suggesting Saturday’s fixture at the Emirates Stadium won’t be straightforward for an Arsenal side desperately needing to close the gap on City.
Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
Arsenal Dragon
Renee Slegers Confirms The Position Arsenal Women Are Looking To Sign a Player From in January Transfer Window
Renee Slegers has confirmed Arsenal will sign a goalkeeper in January after revealing Daphne van Domselaar will miss the remainder of 2025 with a quad tendon issue, leaving the club relying on debutant Anneke Borbe and teenager Amy Liddiard.
The Arsenal boss made the admission during Friday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Liverpool, where summer signing Borbe will make her full debut with 17-year-old Liddiard providing backup from the bench.
Van Domselaar requires an injection for her quad tendon problem and won’t return until the new year, compounding Arsenal’s goalkeeper crisis. Manuela Zinsberger is already out for the season after rupturing her ACL in October, one of 17 players across the WSL to suffer knee injuries during that month alone.
“We Need Three Goalkeepers Available”
Asked directly if Arsenal want to sign a goalkeeper in January, Slegers didn’t hesitate. “Yes, definitely, because Manu is out and Daphne has been managing issues, so we’re definitely looking,” she said.
“We’re definitely looking at that position because we think we need a really strong goalkeeper union with three goalkeepers available and we’re not in that situation at the moment so we’ll have to solve that for the second half of the season.”
Arsenal have also been linked with Swedish right-back Smilla Holmberg as they look to strengthen multiple positions during the winter window.
Chloe Kelly Adds to Injury Woes
The goalkeeper situation isn’t Arsenal’s only injury concern for Saturday’s noon kick-off. Chloe Kelly suffered a knee injury on England duty against Ghana on Tuesday and will miss the Liverpool match. Like van Domselaar, Kelly could be unavailable until the new year.
Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang (on loan at Brighton) have also suffered season-ending ACL injuries this campaign, highlighting the brutal injury toll Arsenal have endured.
Slegers Dismisses Dressing Room “Unrest” Reports
Slegers was also asked about The Athletic’s report claiming the dressing room has been “splintered for many years” with some players “wielding significant influence” and underlying tension between squad members.
The Arsenal boss firmly rejected the narrative. “We won the Champions League, historically we are the most successful club in England, there is noise on the outside, there will always be noise, but on the inside we know what we are doing,” she responded.
“I didn’t agree with it and I think it is unfortunate that this is what is written about us while we are doing so many good things and a lot of people invested in the process.”
Also read: Arsenal Women vs. Liverpool Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
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