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.

• Former Gunner makes debut appearance on Crystal Palace trial

  Takehiro Tomiyasu has now made his unofficial debut for Crystal Palace on a trial basis, with the Premier League club considering signing the former Gunner on a free transfer.

  

  Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has now made a pre-season appearance for Crystal Palace as a trialist, as they consider signing him permanently.

  Tomiyasu has been training with Palace recently, and he first made their matchday squad for a pre-season game against Lens on Tuesday.

  Though the 27-year-old was an unused substitute on that occasion, he did then make a 30-minute debut as a substitute in Palace’s subsequent friendly against Al-Ula on Friday.

  

  Sami Mokbel reported for the BBC on Wednesday that Palace have held talks with Tomiyasu over a permanent contract, with the player available to complete the move as a free agent.

  A broad agreement on personal terms is in place, and it’s up to head coach Pierre Sage whether to proceed with making the move official.

  Tomiyasu is reportedly viewed as a potential left-centre-back option in Sage’s back-three formation, but Palace understandably want to be sure of his fitness before they make a decision.

  

  Prior to the World Cup, Tomiyasu made his long-awaited return to the pitch with Ajax, appearing seven times for the Dutch club on a short-term contract. He then made three appearances for Japan at the summer international tournament.

  Tomiyasu recently spoke out about his frustrations during the latter period of his spell at Arsenal, saying: “I never imagined I would go through such a tough time at Arsenal, because I’ve always taken great care of my body. I’ve probably done more than anyone else.

  “My first six months in London were amazing. It was like a dream. I can understand if my approach was wrong. Some players don’t get injured even if they party after a match. I didn’t do anything reckless, yet it happened to me. I felt frustrated at that time.

  “Eventually, you realize that things happen in life that you can’t control. There’s no point in getting angry about them. Everything goes on.”

  

• How Mikel Arteta reacted to Vinicius Junior transfer question

  Mikel Arteta smiled in response to a question about Vinicius Junior on Saturday, before insisting that Arsenal have big ambitions for the remainder of the transfer window.

  

  Following Arsenal’s 4-1 pre-season win over Girona on Saturday, Mikel Arteta was asked about the club’s transfer plans for the remainder of the summer window.

  The questioning began with a cheeky attempt to get the Arsenal boss to comment on the links to Vinicius Junior, with one reporter asking: “When’s Vini joining?”

  Arteta only smiled in response, declining to answer, but he did then comment more generally on Arsenal’s strategy for the final month of the window.

  

  “We are really active, trying to improve and evolve the team, that’s clear,” Arteta said.

  “We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously, because we want to get better like anybody else. You just can see the transfer market and our opponents.

  “What we are doing, we won’t sit still. We are very ambitious, what we want to do.”

  

  According to reports, Arsenal are expected to complete the signing of Bruno Guimaraes in the coming days, and they’re clearly very much hoping that Vinicius will follow.

  Unfortunately, that one is not as much in Arsenal’s control, with the decision ultimately resting with the Real Madrid man and his club.

  The Gunners are also looking to sign a centre-back to cover for William Saliba’s injury absence over the next few months, but the identity of their primary target isn’t currently known.

  

• Arsenal 2026/27 third kit release date leaks

  Arsenal’s third and final kit for 2026/27 will be released on Monday, new leaks have confirmed, with photos already appearing online.

  

  Footy Headlines and Arsenal Shirt report that Arsenal’s 2026/27 third kit will be unveiled on Monday, August 3rd, a little under a fortnight after the blue away kit was released.

  Photos of the players in the shirt have already hit the internet, with Piero Hincapie pictured wearing it earlier this week.

  The design of the third kit has been known for months, with the shirt using a pale yellow primary colour, navy blue accents, and lightning bolt graphics that continue down onto the shorts.

  The new shirt uses Arsenal’s cannon logo, rather than the club crest, and the sponsor logos will all be in the same shade of navy blue as the accents on the shirt, which is also the primary colour of the shorts and socks.

  

  There are also dark red accents on the sleeves, the collar, the ends of the shorts, and the tops of the socks, as shown in Footy Headlines’ mock-up graphic above.

  Since those initial details were revealed, official photos of the third kit have leaked (shown below), and we now have our first photo of a player wearing the kit.

  

  With the home and away kits for 2026/27 already having been released, the third kit is the only one waiting on an official announcement. After its release on Monday, it’s likely the kit will get its competitive debut later this month.

  The Gunners will surely wear the red and white home kit in the Community Shield and the Premier League opener at home to Coventry City.

  But they might wear this yellow kit for the away trip to Aston Villa on August 31st, having avoided wearing red or blue to wear their third kit at Villa Park last year.

  

• Mikel Arteta says Arsenal fans will love new signing

  Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal fans are going to love new signing Christos Tzolis, with the player scoring his first pre-season goal for the club on Saturday.

  

  Amid all the noise around Arsenal’s pursuit of a big-money left-wing signing, Christos Tzolis’ arrival from Club Brugge hasn’t generated nearly as much interest as it otherwise might have.

  But the Greek winger has made a very solid start to pre-season with the Gunners, providing an assist in a behind-closed-doors friendly against MK Dons, before scoring in another friendly away to Girona on Saturday.

  The 24-year-old looked very sharp, perhaps aided by the fact he’d already played a pre-season game for Brugge even before joining Arsenal. He’s a little ahead of his new teammates in his preparation, and he’s taking full advantage of that at the moment.

  

  More than just having an advantage in his fitness right now, Mikel Arteta believes Tzolis will prove to be a player the Arsenal fans love, comparing him with Leandro Trossard.

  “First of all, the way he has adapted to the club, the team and the connections he’s already generating with the boys, I think you’re going to love the player,” Arteta said. “He’s a player that has the goal between his eyes. He’s really good at linking up.

  “He’s got a lot of similarities with Leo (Trossard) with the things he can do and the spaces he can occupy. Then the work rate he has, he’s a boy that comes with so much hunger and wants to prove this is a dream for him.”

  

  There would probably be more excitement around Tzolis’ signing if he’d been signed from a different country. This is a player who scored 22 goals and assisted 28 last season, for a mammoth 50 direct goal contributions.

  Tzolis was vital to Club Brugge winning the Belgian Pro League, notably scoring an excellent goal and providing an assist in their title-clinching game.

  But Belgian football isn’t particularly highly rated by English supporters, and perhaps that’s a little unfair. The stats suggest it’s currently one of the strongest leagues outside of the big five, and it’s worth remembering that Trossard himself played in Belgium until the age of 24.

  If Tzolis keeps up his form throughout pre-season, Arsenal fans may well start to fall in love.

  

• Arsenal close to signing Blackburn Rovers striker

  Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign Igor Tyjon from Blackburn Rovers, with the Gunners pushing to complete the transfer once again.

  

  Alan Nixon reports on his Patreon that Arsenal are preparing to close a deal for Blackburn Rovers youngster Igor Tyjon.

  The Gunners are reportedly hoping to agree a fee of around £2m plus add-ons for the 18-year-old striker, after failing with multiple bids to bring him in last summer.

  Rumours from the former owner of Rovers’ fan account RoversXtra suggested earlier this week that the club rejected a bid from Arsenal around two weeks ago, but that another was expected this weekend.

  

  Ryan Taylor reported back in February that Arsenal did plan to revisit Tyjon’s signing this year, though he added that a number of other clubs would also be in the mix.

  Tyjon’s scholarship contract at Rovers was due to end this summer, but they extended it by a year after he refused to sign a professional contract. As a result, he is once again in the final 12 months of his deal.

  Arsenal have made many bids for Tyjon over the last year, with possibly as many as five offers submitted so far between summer 2025, January 2026, and summer 2026. Perhaps they’re finally now close to a successful conclusion.

  

  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 in the season just finished, and he made the bench for an FA Cup match against Hull City, as well as three Championship games.