Chris Kouakou was born on 15 December 1999 in Ivory Coast, a country renowned in footballing circles for producing legendary players like Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure. Kouakou left his homeland in January 2018 at just 18 years of age to join the prestigious Tunisian club CS Sfaxien. During his time in Tunisia, he has…

In football, a player’s career can change for better or worse in an instant. That was certainly the case for Mohammed Salisu, who went from an unknown quantity to one of the most promising defenders in Spain in just one day. Despite only being used sparingly in preseason under manager Sergio González, Salisu was given…

Last Friday Arsenal announced the signing of Norwegian international Martin Ødegaard from Real Madrid on a permanent deal reportedly worth 35 million euros. The highly touted 22-year-old spent half of last season on loan at the North London outfit and was one of The Gunners’ top chance creators.   Manager Mikel Arteta spoke about Ødegaard’s…

On May 26th, after years of rumors and reported interest, Arsenal Women Football Club announced the signing of Mana Iwabuchi after her contract with Aston Villa expired. After just two professional games for the club, it is clear why Arsenal have been rumored to be interested in the Japanese national for some time now.  …

Ever since it was promoted to Serie A nearly a decade ago, Sassuolo has been a club that has nurtured an abundance of young talent and it has often prioritized Italian players instead of looking for hidden gems from aboard like its counterparts.   While playing for the club in the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy,…

Despite Solly March recently signing a long-term contract, Brighton are seeking to strengthen their left-hand side. Whether it’s to replace March or act as competition, the acquisition of Marc Cucurella from Getafe is a statement signing that highlights the financial and statutory clamour that Brighton now possess. But, what will the 23-year-old offer Brighton and…

Stade Brestois 29 vs Paris Saint Germain, 21st August 2021. Anxiety creeps in as the murmurs of an unsettled Frenchman began circulating the stadium. Clubs normally look to build their squad around their talisman, but the uncertainty over the player’s future leaves question marks on the club’s direction and immediate future. Not to mention the…

“I’d heard other players talking about dark times when they were trying to get back from bad injuries.” Those were the words of Luke Shaw the man himself from his interview with The Guardian back in 2016 where he spoke about his mental well-being, after being sidelined for 10 months from a double fracture on…

Creativity: the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness.   It ebbed and flowed through the veins of the Arsenal midfield during the Arsène Wenger era. Ranging with personnel, from Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp and Cesc Fàbregas to Mesut Özil, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey. It was finesse, decisiveness, and a sharp…

Very few times in football does a player transcend their role and become something entirely out of the scope that was once used to define a position. In the early 2000s, there was the Makélélé role, associated with the one man conductor – Claude Makélélé. In the mid-2000s there was the false nine – associated…