Kendry Paez has been linked with a move away from Chelsea in recent months. There were rumours that the 19-year-old could leave the club on loan during the summer transfer window, but a move has not materialised. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder will now train with the under-21s until January, as per TEAMtalk. Kendry Paez faces […] The post Xabi Alonso makes surprise decision on Chelsea attacker who “is not part of the plans” appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Martin Keown after Arsenal’s win over Napoli (Picture: TNT Sports) Martin Keown felt World Cup winner Mikel Merino ‘missed an opportunity’ in Arsenal’s Champions League win over Napoli. The Premier League champions kick-started their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Serie A side Napoli on Wednesday night. The Gunners were the better side throughout but looked set to pay the price for some wasteful finishing as the score remained goalless with 15 minutes remaining. But Martin Odegaard ensured Arsenal began their European campaign with three points, slotting home his fourth goal in five games. Sign up for In The Mixer, Metro's football newsletter Get exclusive analysis and previews of the biggest games every Friday. Sign up now for free. Mikel Arteta’s side are hoping to go one better in the Champions League this season after losing to PSG in last season’s final. Keown sees no reason why Arsenal will not once again challenge to become European champions and says their ‘hunger and determination’ was there for all to see against Napoli. The Gunners legend was impressed by Odegaard, Declan Rice and Piero Hincapie but felt Merino ‘missed an opportunity’ after a rare start ended in a 65th-minute substituion. Martin Odegaard scored Arsenal’s winner in Naples (Picture: Getty) Merino helped Spain win the World Cup over the summer but could still struggle for game-time this season given Arteta’s embarrassment of riches in the midfield positions. ‘I thought Mikel Merino coming back into midfield missed an opportunity tonight,’ Keown said on TNT Sports. ‘We missed him last season but I thought he was a little rusty on his first start for a while. ‘But overall it’s looking good for Arsenal. The drive and determination and hunger is there. Mikel Merino was subbed off by Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty) ‘Those Napoli players will tell you that Arsenal are going to go all the way again this season because that will have been one of the most difficult games they would have been involved in. ‘Martin Odegaard is the icing on the cake. Shooting from outside the box, I can’t remember the last time he did that. He looks like the real deal.’ Joe Cole also singled out Odegaard for praise after Arsenal beat Italian giants Napoli, describing his performance as ‘brilliant’. Great play 😮💨Martin Ødegaard rounds off a wonderful passing move for Arsenal 🔥📺 Watch live on TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/FrH6gW8Ak4— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 9, 2026 ‘Martin Odegaard was brilliant all night,’ the former Chelsea and England star said. ‘He is back to his very, very best. ‘He is probably thinking even though they won the league last season, he didn’t have a good season personally. He looks like the player we admired 18 months ago, he was brilliant. ‘Everything runs through Martin Odegaard. He can stand still and find space. He is at the peak of his powers and it is beautiful to watch. ‘You can’t help but love watching him play his football.’ Meanwhile, Arteta described his Arsenal captain as ‘decisive’ after the Gunners’ Champions League opener. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"'Remarkable from the team': Arteta praises Arsenal after statement win over Napoli","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/09\/10\/653240925252043333\/480x270_MP4_653240925252043333.mp4","description":"Arteta praises Arsenal's dominant display as Martin Odegaard's second-half strike secures a deserved victory in Naples.","duration":"T5M5S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/09\/10\/08\/111160149-0-image-m-5_1789026253793.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-09-10T08:38:59+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.car
Xabi Alonso has confirmed midfielder Kendry Paez will not be part of Chelsea's first-team squad after failing to secure a move before last week's transfer deadline. The 19-year-old Ecuador international is expected to join Cobham Next Gen - Chelsea's Under-21 side - after failing to find a loan move in the Premier League or Championship. Chelsea had wanted to send Paez on a domestic loan after Argentine club River Plate removed him from their first-team squad and forced them into recalling him.
Arsenal and Manchester City are continuing to monitor Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho as both Premier League heavyweights consider future additions to their back lines. The 24-year-old Ecuador international has established himself as one of Europe’s leading left-footed centre-backs since joining PSG from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2024. Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a […] The post Sources: Arsenal and Man City scouts closely monitor two-time UCL winner appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
