Arsenal sign Real Betis Head of Rehab

Betis are understood to view Angulo’s departure as a major loss, with the rehabilitation specialist accepting an offer from the Premier League champions.

According to ABC in Spain, Arsenal have strengthened their medical and performance department by signing Eneko Angulo, the head of rehabilitation for Real Betis’ first team.

Angulo leaves Betis after 12 years with the Spanish club, where he had worked across the youth academy before taking responsibility for first-team set-up.

Mateo Gonzalez reports that Angulo accepted a “lucrative offer” from the Premier League champions and Champions League finalists.

Angulo had initially developed his work at Betis as an assistant in Manuel Pellegrini’s first-team set-up, after previously gaining experience in the academy.

His rise through the club made his farewell a particularly emotional one, and he marked his departure with a long message to Betis.

“It’s not easy to say goodbye to you,” he wrote on X. “My arrival was as unexpected as my departure has been. Twelve years have passed between that young man who walked through your doors to do an internship in a newly created rehabilitation department at the youth academy and the person who says goodbye today.

“I never imagined the path we would travel together. I had the privilege of growing with you, of reaching the first team, of fulfilling dreams that seemed unattainable, of living moments and experiences I never could have imagined.

“I leave with millions of memories that I will never forget . It’s hard for me to accept that our paths are diverging. It’s hard for me to imagine my daily life away from you. You have been more than a club, more than a team, more than a job.

“You have been my home. Those who have shared this journey with me know this well. You were the place where I grew professionally, but also where I grew as a person. Where I found colleagues who became friends, people who will mark my life, and memories that will stay with me forever.”

“Today I leave with the peace of mind of having given everything I had. With mistakes, successes, better days and worse, but always with the same intention: to help, to contribute, and to represent you with the utmost commitment. I take with me much more than I leave behind. I take with me lessons learned, experiences, friendships, and a part of myself that will always belong to this place.

“Thank you to everyone who has made this chapter an unforgettable adventure. Thank you to every teammate, player, and staff member I’ve been fortunate enough to work with over these years. I take with me people and friends for life.

“Today I close a chapter that has been the most important of my professional and personal life. I do so with sadness for what I leave behind, but also with a deep sense of gratitude for everything we’ve experienced. Because although our paths diverge today, a part of me will always remain here. Thank you so much for everything. I love you, Betis.”

In response, Real Betis replied, “Thank you so much for these twelve years of dedication, work, and love for this club! We wholeheartedly wish you all the best, both personally and professionally, and tons of luck for what’s to come.”

There will, however, be a swift reunion. Arsenal are due to face Betis in Dublin on 5 August.

Arsenal have already let their doctor, Dr Zaf Iqbal go, while recruiting heavily from Aston Villa‘s medical department as they look to put an end to the number of injury problems they have suffered over recent years.

• Arsenal confirm signing of Liverpool youth striker

  Arsenal have confirmed the transfer of Liverpool youth striker Vincent Joseph, with the player signing a scholarship agreement to play in north London.

  

  Arsenal have officially announced the signing of Vincent Joseph, following the young striker’s decision to run down his contract with former club Liverpool.

  The club report that Joseph is joining as part of Arsenal’s first-year scholarship intake for the 2026/27 season, with the player expected to continue his development in u18 football after his debut at that level last season.

  Liverpool had made an effort to convince Joseph to stay, offering him a scholarship contract this summer, but he turned them down.

  

  Despite Joseph being out of contract with Liverpool, a compensation fee still needed to be agreed due to his age.

  Reports in August suggested that the two clubs had failed to reach a deal agreement, and the matter would go to a tribunal. That tribunal evidently reached a positive resolution.

  

  As mentioned, Joseph made his breakthrough into u18 Premier League football last season, scoring three goals in his two appearances for Liverpool.

  The young striker has also scored eight goals in his nine games for the England u16s, with all of those appearances coming in the course of the 2025/26 campaign.

  Arsenal have been on the lookout for youth strikers in recent transfer windows, and they missed out on Will Wright to Liverpool just last year.

  But after completing moves for Blackburn Rovers’ Igor Tyjon, Crystal Palace’s Mylo Bernard and now Liverpool’s Joseph, the Gunners seem to have found their attacking academy additions.

  

• Concerns about Arsenal 24yo’s social media purge played down

  Arsenal winger Noni Madueke has removed his photos from his Instagram profile, but there’s reportedly nothing to worry about.

  

  Noni Madueke made a significant alteration to his Instagram profile this week, either deleting or hiding all of his posts. The winger didn’t remove the Arsenal tag in his bio, but there was understandably some discussion about the photo removal by fans on social media.

  Yet Tom Canton of Football.London reports that he’s been told there’s “nothing in Noni’s Instagram photo deletion”, and that fans “don’t need to read anything into it”.

  

  Madueke hasn’t always had the easiest time with Arsenal so far, scoring just three goals and assisting one in the Gunners’ title-winning Premier League season in 2025/26.

  The winger added more goals and assists in the Champions League and FA Cup, but he still only managed 12 goal contributions across 43 games in his first season, and he’s found himself playing a substitute role in 2026/27 so far.

  The only exceptions have been Madueke’s start in the Community Shield, and in the League Cup on Tuesday. But rotation in those kinds of games is not unusual, so those appearances can’t really be taken as evidence he’s winning a regular starting spot.

  

  Having said that, Madueke’s goal in the Ipswich game would have made it rather an odd time for the player to display unhappiness.

  The fans were largely appreciative of his latest performance, with any criticism instead primarily aimed at the other two members of the front three on the night.

  Whatever the reason for Madueke’s profile purge, it seems he isn’t trying to make a point about his minutes or a desire to leave.

  

• Arsenal still like Real Madrid winger but won’t sign him in January

  Arsenal like Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, but the Gunners won’t be signing the Brazilian winger in January, according to a report.

  

  Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal appreciate and like Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, but the player definitely won’t be on the move in January, as he works on his comeback from injury.

  Romano suggests the summer could potentially be a different story, but it’s way too early to predict anything on that. The player appears to have positive feelings about his current club and the way they’ve dealt with his injury setback.

  The same source adds that Rodrygo was definitely a player Arsenal wanted in the summer of 2025, though Manchester City were a more realistic destination for the winger at that time.

  

  Following those strong links in 2025, Arsenal were again touted as a possible destination for Rodrygo during the January 2026 window, with suggestions the Gunners could look to make their move in the summer.

  Reports in 2025 claimed that Rodrygo had asked his agents to explore a new destination for him, but Real Madrid wanted €100m, and there was never any confirmation Arsenal were willing to go that high.

  Rodrygo then suffered his ACL injury in March, which ruled out any possibility of Arsenal or Manchester City signing him this year.

  

  Arsenal did sign Christos Tzolis for their left-hand side over the summer, but with both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard making way. It does seem as though there’s still an opening for another winger.

  If that winger is to be Rodrygo, Arsenal will need to wait until next summer to get it done.

  

• Monaco plan to sell former Gunner with sell-on clause in January

  AS Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro has confirmed that their primary plan for the January transfer window is to sell Folarin Balogun, allowing them to hold onto their other in-demand players.

  

  Folarin Balogun was on the verge of joining Everton in the summer transfer window, but the move ended up breaking down, and the former Arsenal striker will now stay with AS Monaco for at least the first half of the 2026/27 campaign.

  Big transfers breaking down can often lead to a revival in a player’s career at their existing club. Granit Xhaka arguably had his best Arsenal spell following his failed move to Hertha BSC in January 2020, spending another three-and-a-half years in north London.

  But it seems Monaco aren’t expecting the same to happen with Balogun, with club CEO Thiago Scuro admitting they’ll try and sell him in January.

  

  “The original plan is to find a solution for Balogun,” Scuro said (via GFFN). “If we find that, it will give Monaco the opportunity to keep Lamine [Camara] and [Aleksandr] Golovin until the end of the season.

  “That is the ideal plan, but we can’t control the decisions and what will happen in the winter.”

  Camara was heavily linked with Chelsea over the summer, and likely would have joined the Blues if not for the confusion surrounding Balogun’s Everton transfer.

  As for Golovin, he was linked with a return to Russia. But Monaco would evidently prefer to keep both players if possible.

  

  Balogun was left off Monaco’s squad list for the 2026/27 Europa Conference League’s League Phase, and it’s unclear whether that was related to his recent fitness issue or a potential transfer exit.

  Arsenal would probably welcome a Balogun transfer, as the Gunners have a 17.5% sell-on clause in his deal.

  That clause would have paid out in a big way if the striker had joined Everton for €50m over the summer, and it remains to be seen whether Monaco receive any bids on that same level in January.

  

• David Ornstein confirms Arsenal interest in Liverpool’s Ngumoha

  Arsenal like Rio Ngumoha and hold an interest in signing him, but Liverpool are keen to renew the young winger’s contract, according to David Ornstein.

  

  David Ornstein reports for The Athletic that he believes there is some interest from Arsenal in Rio Ngumoha of Liverpool, and he heard over the summer that the Gunners like the young winger.

  Ornstein clarifies that this doesn’t mean Liverpool are open to selling. In fact, the youngster’s current club are keen to renew his contract, and there’s no suggestion Ngumoha is unhappy where he is.

  Bayern Munich also reportedly did a lot of work on a potential move over the summer, but Liverpool had no interest in selling. Yet the player is into the final two years of his contract, so a decision will need to be made one way or another before too long.

  

  Ornstein’s update follows a recent report from Alan Nixon that Arsenal are watching developments between Liverpool and Ngumoha with growing interest, adding that the Gunners will look to make a move for the player if he doesn’t establish himself on Liverpool’s left-hand side.

  18-year-old Ngumoha had established himself in the Liverpool squad last season, and he was getting regular minutes in the second half of the 2025/26 campaign. It looked like things could open up even more with Cody Gakpo’s touted departure to Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur.

  But Liverpool then signed both Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz for big money, and they held onto Gakpo as well.

  Ngumoha has only made one Premier League start in Liverpool’s opening four games, and it was on the right, not his favoured position on the left. He also started on the right in the League Cup against Spurs in midweek.

  

  Ngumoha clearly isn’t nearly as close to a starting role on the left wing as he was at the start of the summer, and if he looks at all unsettled by that, Arsenal are evidently ready to pounce.