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 Arsenal player now coaching club’s u15 side

  Former Arsenal youth player Conor Henderson is now working with the u15 team as a coach, having completed his UEFA A License.

  

  The Arsenal u15s are currently overseas for the Messi Cup, and pictured alongside all the fresh faces in the travelling squad was a familiar old one, with former Arsenal youth player Conor Henderson helping to coach the side.

  35-year-old Henderson played for the Arsenal academy all the way up to the first team, making his senior debut in a 2011 FA Cup win over Leyton Orient.

  Henderson then spent most of his playing career in the English lower leagues, as well as playing in Romania and Bulgaria. But after his retirement, he returned to Arsenal to coach the club’s u12 side.

  

  Since then, Henderson has progressed to coaching the u14s, and now the u15s. Whilst doing so, he’s been working towards getting his UEFA A License with the help of the FA, a milestone he ultimately achieved earlier this year.

  Arsenal have regularly welcomed back former academy players to work with their current youth teams, and Henderson is just another example of that.

  The strategy makes sense, as no one will know the development process better than former players who have already been through it.

  

  Ultimately, these youth coaching roles often lead to senior opportunities.

  The likes of Jack Wilshere and Colin Kazim-Richards have made the jump from the Arsenal youth teams to senior management in recent years, and there are many more examples out there. Perhaps Henderson is next.

  

• Club respond to Arsenal interest in 22yo striker

  Club Brugge are determined to keep Nicolo Tresoldi amid interest from Arsenal, with one board member refusing to set a price tag for the striker.

  

  Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad report that Arsenal are considering a January bid for Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi, with Barcelona equally interested in the signing.

  But the Club Brugge board reportedly have no intention to let their top scorer leave in the winter window. They are unanimous that Tresoldi is not for sale, and that any January bids will be “completely irrelevant” to them.

  Nieuwsblad quote an unnamed board member as saying: “There is no price for Nicolo, and there never will be.”

  

  Nieuwsblad add that Club Brugge believe Tresoldi’s journey in Belgium isn’t yet complete, and another six months with the club won’t hinder his career.

  The report suggests Tresoldi isn’t desperate to leave, and no one expects any trouble for him. Brugge already turned down a €35m bid from AS Roma over the summer.

  The club expect to sell Tresoldi eventually, but they want it to be a high-profile move ‘through the front door’.

  

  Sky Sports in Germany reported this week that Arsenal are seriously interested in Tresoldi, having even had the player on their radar over the summer.

  But Sky were similarly clear that a January move was considered unlikely, and the Gunners’ interest would probably resurface in the summer.

  Tresoldi has a contract until 2029, and he’s scored 12 goals in 14 games this season. That includes four in three matches in the Champions League, one of which was against Premier League opposition in Aston Villa.

  Tresoldi also plays for the Germany u21s, for whom he has 16 goals in 27 matches. He scored four in three for the u21 national side over the September-October break.

  

• Early Arsenal team news vs Fleetwood Town: 4 youth players called up

  Mikel Arteta has reportedly called up four youth players to his Arsenal first-team squad to face Fleetwood Town, in addition to Marli Salmon and Max Dowman.

  

  Isaan Khan of the Daily Mail reports that Arsenal youth quartet Ceadach O’Neill, Maalik Hashi, Andre Harriman-Annous, and Marcell Washington are all set to be in the first-team squad to face Fleetwood Town in the fourth round of the League Cup on Tuesday night.

  Khan adds that Marli Salmon and Max Dowman will also be included, and the pair are likely to start the match.

  The report follows rumours on social media that O’Neill is set to start as well, though this remains unconfirmed at this stage.

  

  Arsenal fans will already be well aware of young centre-back Salmon and midfielder/winger Dowman, and supporters who followed pre-season closely would also have had a look at 18-year-old forward O’Neill.

  O’Neill has already made the senior squad this season, featuring on the bench against Lille. He also made the bench for two of Arsenal’s FA Cup matches last season.

  But the teenager is yet to make his on-field debut, and that could be set to change on Tuesday. Primarily a centre-forward, O’Neill is also capable of playing on the wings.

  

  Fellow versatile forward Harriman-Annous made his first Arsenal start in the League Cup last season, before making his Champions League debut from the bench against Slavia Praha.

  Then midfielder Hashi and left-back Washington are both waiting on their first senior appearances. There’s hardly going to be a better opportunity than against Fleetwood on Tuesday night.

  

• Santi Cazorla’s son makes Real Oviedo senior squad

  Santi Cazorla’s son Enzo has been named in Real Oviedo’s squad for the first round of the Copa del Rey, making a senior debut a possibility.

  

  Real Oviedo have confirmed their 23-player squad for the first round of the Copa del Rey, with the team to play away to CD Numancia on Wednesday at 19:00 GMT.

  Among the players called up is 16-year-old Enzo Cazorla, the son of former Arsenal and Oviedo midfielder Santi Cazorla.

  Enzo is yet to make his first-team debut for Oviedo, but he could now get the chance on Wednesday.

  

  So far this season, Enzo Cazorla has been playing for Real Oviedo Vetusta, Real Oviedo’s reserve team. He’s made eight appearances in the Spanish fourth tier, scoring two goals from his position on the left-wing.

  The Real Oviedo first-team currently operate in the Spanish second tier, La Liga 2. They were relegated from La Liga last season.

  As disappointing as their relegation was, it does perhaps create a pathway for the teenage Cazorla. He’s probably more likely to get senior opportunities while his team aren’t playing in the top flight.

  

  Enzo’s father Santi Cazorla made 180 appearances for Arsenal, and his most famous moment was the free-kick he scored in the FA Cup final.

  Santi won two FA Cups in north London, as well as two Community Shields, but serious injury issues ultimately forced him to leave to rebuild his career with Villarreal.

  That rebuild was surprisingly successful, and Cazorla went on to play for eight more seasons, including a campaign in La Liga in 2025/26. But with Cazorla now having retired, his son looks set for his chance.

  

• Fleetwood manager tells players not to fear Arsenal

  Fleetwood Town manager Matt Lawlor has told his players to embrace the occasion rather than fear it as Arsenal arrive at Highbury Stadium in the Carabao Cup.

  

  Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor has told his players they cannot afford to be frightened of Arsenal when the Premier League champions arrive at Highbury Stadium in the Carabao Cup tonight.

  The League Two side have already knocked out Sheffield United to reach the fourth round and now have the chance to book a place in the quarter-finals against Mikel Arteta’s side.

  Lawlor knows exactly how difficult the task is, but wants Fleetwood to enjoy the occasion rather than allow Arsenal’s status to get to them.

  “The champions are coming to town and they’re coming to our patch,” he said.

  “The players need to be excited by it, not overawed by it. The respect is through the roof, but the fear can’t be through the roof.

  

  “We’ve earned a game like this. We’ve had to go through round upon round of tough games, and none of them were easy. To get to where we are, we deserve that.

  “To be able to represent the town on the national stage is amazing.”

  Lawlor also did not hide his frustration with Fleetwood’s current run of form after their good start to the season. Unbeaten in the first six, they have lost five of their last seven.

  “It has been a frustration of mine, and I’ve shared that with the group,” Lawlor added.

  “With a young group you get peaks and troughs. We need to level out a little bit more than we have done in recent weeks. It’s not from a lack of trying or effort.”

  Arteta, meanwhile, has warned his players not to embarrass themselves.

  “Our reputation, our pride, everything is in play,” he said. “So every time you play a football match, and especially against a team in a different division, respect the game, respect every opponent because they deserve to do that, and then try to win and try to play a bit better than them.

  “We all have one [upset] at some stage. We know the risk, and in football, things can get very equal the moment you are able to match certain things, and that’s why our basics and habits have to be through the roof to be able to win the game.”

  This is the first time Arsenal have ever played at this Highbury Stadium.