I'm sorry we never got a chance to meet, but getting this note from Dolly really had a an impact on me. She definitely didn't have to take the time to do it. Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon. A superstar in every sense. Rest easy Dolly. And thank you for the kind words.
🚨Arsenal are working on a deal to sign talented Israeli forward Beh Henchod from Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv for a fee of €20 million. The 19 year old has been identified as an alternative to Vinicius Junior. Personal terms agreed #AFC@TheAthleticFC
Newcastle are aware of what is happening. This is an attempt to soften them up so they panic after the Isak saga and sell at a price Arsenal like.
Arsenal have not yet made a bid, all this talk of verbal offers through intermediaries is just agent nonsense. There has been no offer let alone a second one.
For a transfer to accelerate or proceed Arsenal would need to talk to Newcastle directly. Newcastle have no offer to consider at the moment. They don’t even know if one will come as it’s all been fuelled by agents at the moment. There is irritation but also an understanding of how the market works.
The asking price will be around the same as the Tonali fee. Not £60m. Not £75m.
And Bruno will have to agitate to leave. He will have to demand a transfer.
A lot of twists and turns to come I’m sure #nufc
I’ve never spoken about this publicly, so bear with me.
But I want to articulate why this Premier League win for Arsenal isn’t ’just football’.
In July 2025, my son was born with a rare condition called CDH. It’s a hernia that forms in the diaphragm, which means that the major organs develop in the chest cavity.
This puts extreme pressure on the development of the lungs.
We were told throughout the pregnancy that he had a 30-40% chance of survival.
We had to wait until my partner gave birth to see whether he would make it or not.
He had life saving surgery on day 5 of his life - and we endured a 2 month stay in a hospital in London.
At times we were told that he might not make it through the night - but by the grace of god, and throughout a rollercoaster of ups and downs he survived the intensive care process.
During that time was the start of the Premier League season - and the one escape that I had was Arsenal football club.
We had been at hospital for a month, and hadn’t left the hospital grounds. We were there 24/7.
I felt so guilty leaving him, but made the choice to find a local pub and watch Arsenal’s season opening game against Man United. And for that 90 minutes, I was able to escape the pain and sadness.
Watching Arsenal become the one thing that helped me escape, even for just 90 minutes over the course of those few months.
We needed a name for my boy. Something to signify strength, courage and being brave hearted. We chose Leo.
He was born on the 19th July.
Leandro (Leo - number 19) Trossard’s goal against West Ham. That historic goal. Will forever live in a lot of people’s memories forever. For me, it felt like destiny.
Leo is now thriving. And in his first season as an Arsenal fan, he’s been spoilt.
Football means so much to all of us. This football club means so much to us. It’s more than just a game.
It shapes people’s lives, their character. It’s hope, it’s escape, it’s proof that hard work pays off.
Whatever your reason is for loving this club and loving football - enjoy every single second of this joy.
This one is for you, son.
🦁
The MOTION that Arsenal have is unmatched. WhatsApp have changed their brand colours from Green to Red to celebrate The Arsenal.
When you are big, you are big!