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 announce young striker signing from Blackburn Rovers

  Youth striker Igor Tyjon has signed for Arsenal from Blackburn Rovers, the club have now confirmed.

  

  Arsenal have finally completed the signing of 18-year-old Igor Tyjon from Blackburn Rovers, after a protracted transfer saga lasting around 15 months. The youngster will wear the number 64 with his new club.

  Speaking to the Arsenal website, Tyjon said of the move: “It feels amazing. I’ve waited a long time for this and I can’t wait to get started. 

  “It’s a dream come true for [my family] as well, it’s always a nice feeling when you make your family happy, so I’m buzzing for them as well.

  “Who doesn’t want to join the champions? I can’t wait to be part of the team. 

  “The pathway, the staff, the players, everything about it, it’s just top. I’m excited to meet the group, meet the players, hit the ground running and have a good season.”

  

  Previous reports suggested Tyjon held his medical with Arsenal last week, with the Gunners agreeing to pay an initial fee of £1m, plus bonuses and a sell-on clause.

  Arsenal spent well over a year pushing to add the young striker to their academy, as Rovers rejected various bids and extended Tyjon’s scholarship contract.

  The player’s desire to leave was clear, and he was even reportedly planning to take Rovers to a tribunal to finally secure the transfer this month. In the end, that wasn’t necessary.

  

  Tyjon scored seven goals and assisted two in 21 appearances for the Blackburn Rovers youth teams in 2025/26, with his minutes inconsistent and limited as an apparent result of his refusal to sign professional terms with the club.

  The 18-year-old also made an appearance for Rovers’ senior side in the League Cup, and he made the bench for an FA Cup match against Hull City, as well as three Championship games.

  Tyjon has played for the England youth teams up to u18 level, and he’s also represented Poland in the past. He has three goals in five matches for the u18s.

  

• Arsenal could make late loan move for Manchester United forward

  There are rumblings that Arsenal could make a late loan move for Marcus Rashford of Manchester United, according to a report.

  

  Miguel Delaney reports for the Independent that there’s some internal surprise that Arsenal have let Gabriel Martinelli’s move to Al Hilal progress before securing a new signing in the position.

  But Delaney adds that some sources believe the situation could see Arsenal making a move for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford on a temporary deal.

  At the moment, there doesn’t appear to be too much substance behind the claims, with Delaney suggesting it’s just as possible Arsenal decide to keep the money and wait.

  

  Though the links have been few and far between, this isn’t the first suggestion of the summer that Arsenal could hold an interest in Rashford.

  Back in May, Chris Wheeler and Nathan Salt reported for the Daily Mail that Arsenal were monitoring Rashford’s situation.

  At the time, it was believed the forward was unlikely to have a future at Manchester United, even if he didn’t make his loan move to Barcelona permanent.

  

  Rashford largely played on the left wing for Barcelona in 2025/26, though he’s also capable of playing at centre-forward or on the right.

  After signing Christos Tzolis, Arsenal remain in the market for another left-sided attacker, and Rashford’s 13 goals and 14 assists in just 2,378 minutes this season (one every 88 minutes) might make him a candidate.

  But the rumours are still relatively tentative at this stage, and they’d need to develop a lot more very quickly for a deal to go through.

  

• Arsenal player trains alone as Napoli pursue transfer

  Gabriel Jesus remains Napoli boss Massimiliano Allegri’s preferred striker signing, with the Arsenal player now training alone.

  

  Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Napoli are still working on strengthening their attack in the final days of the summer transfer window, and they’re looking at various players to do so.

  But Di Marzio claims Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus remains Massimiliano Allegri’s favourite, even if Napoli are exploring other options in parallel.

  While Arsenal and Napoli work on a possible transfer, Jesus is training away from his Gunners teammates at the moment, with Mikel Arteta explaining why.

  

  “It’s something to do with the numbers that we have in the squad at the moment and the way we’re managing that kind of situation individually with all the players – they have some personal situations,” Arteta said.

  “Yes, for sure (he’s spoken to Jesus). Those conversations go both ways, but I’m very satisfied with how these conversations went because I know what is in each other’s hearts.

  “The words that come through in those conversations make me really happy. It’s inevitable at some point you need to have certain discussions and say certain things that sometimes are tough.”

  

  Previous reports had suggested that Jesus had indicated some hesitance towards joining Napoli, and it’s unclear whether that’s changed at this stage.

  There had been some optimism earlier this month, when Fenerbahce agreed a deal to sign Romelu Lukaku from Napoli. That was the first of the exits required to go ahead of the Italian club to move for Jesus.

  But things have moved slower than expected since then. With Jesus’ contract expiring next year, this is Arsenal’s last real chance to cash in on the player, and it seems they’re pushing to do so in the final few days of the window.

  

• Chelsea agree £7.5m deal to sign former Gunner

  Chelsea have reached an agreement with Aston Villa to sign former Arsenal goalkeeper Emi Martinez, and the player could now debut against the Gunners.

  

  David Ornstein and Simon Johnson report for The Athletic that Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Emi Martinez from Aston Villa, with the Blues to pay £7.5m for the goalkeeper.

  Martinez will sign a two-year deal with Chelsea, with the option to extend by an additional 12 months.

  Villa had opted to replace Martinez with Zion Suzuki this summer, and the goalkeeper has reportedly been training alone ever since. A transfer was clearly the preferred option for all parties.

  

  Depending on how quickly the deal gets done, Martinez could make his debut for Chelsea against Arsenal.

  The Blues visit Arsenal for a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, September 6th at 16:30 BST.

  The only game before that is Chelsea’s home game against Brighton on Sunday, but the move would have to be finalised very quickly for Martinez to feature in that match, and he wouldn’t get a chance to train with his new teammates first.

  

  Martinez had a relatively poor year with Aston Villa in 2025/26, keeping just eight Premier League clean sheets to finish outside the top-10 goalkeepers in the division. Arsenal’s David Raya finished first for the third season in a row.

  Things went better for Martinez and Villa in Europe, where they won the Europa League, but the club evidently decided they needed more between the sticks before their step up to Champions League football.

  Given Chelsea have no form of European football at all, Martinez will want to ensure he’ll get minutes domestically. But that wouldn’t be a surprise, particularly after Robert Sanchez’s recent performances.

  

• Medical booked for Arsenal player ahead of £56.5m exit

  Gabriel Martinelli has now given the green light to a transfer to Al Hilal, with a medical scheduled for this weekend.

  

  Fabrizio Romano reports that Gabriel Martinelli has said ‘yes’ to a move to Al Hilal, with the transfer now imminent. Martinelli’s approval was one of the final elements for the deal to go ahead, and he’s now given the green light.

  Romano claims negotiations between Arsenal and Al Hilal are at the final stages, with only the details to be sorted. Martinelli will then fly to Saudi Arabia.

  

  James Benge reported for CBS Sports on Thursday that Al Hilal were making the final arrangements for the transfer, including booking a medical for this weekend.

  The club are hoping to announce the move over the weekend, in what would be a club-record sale for Arsenal.

  Some of that money will go to Ituano through a sell-on clause, but the Gunners are also including a sell-on clause in Martinelli’s deal with Al Hilal, so they could earn more later.

  

  Benge had previously reported that the fee would be around €58m (£49.7m) guaranteed, with €8m (£6.9m) in further bonuses.

  Martinelli has been a key player for Arsenal over the last seven years, making 278 appearances and scoring 62 goals from his spot on the left wing.

  The 25-year-old has won the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Community Shield, and he extended his contract on a couple of occasions amid intense interest from elsewhere.

  But the last couple of weeks have made it clear Mikel Arteta no longer intends to give the winger significant minutes, leaving him out of the matchday squads against Manchester City and Coventry City. It seems he’s now on the verge of a move to the Saudi Pro League.