Sports
Keep, Dump or Extend? 5 big questions Arsenal must answer in January
The transfer window opened on New Year’s Day, triggering a monthlong scramble to make any final personnel moves that will cover the rest of the Premier League season. For clubs vying for a top spot, it’s a chance to reinforce in the push for a trophy — or multiple. For teams looking to escape relegation, it’s an opportunity to bring in reinforcements to finish the job.
But it’s not just about the movement of players between clubs. Now is the time for clubs to worry about stars approaching the end of their contracts — whether hitting free agency in summer 2026 or 2027 — and extend them on new terms before they are persuaded to join elsewhere.
In this edition of Keep, Dump or Extend, Mark Ogden and Gab Marcotti examine the questions facing Arsenal all fronts, from contract renewals to transfers. Let’s dive in!
Arsenal: Keep, Dump or Extend?
• League position, as of Jan. 2: 1st, 45 points. (Last year’s finish: 2nd, 74 points)
• Realistic goal: Aim to win all four competitions they are alive in, but win at least one
1. Bukayo Saka‘s contract expires in June 2027. Tie him down to a new deal now or wait?
Ogden: I’m amazed that Arsenal still haven’t dealt with this. Saka is arguably their star player, a product of the club’s academy and the prime example of everything Arsenal claim to stand for, but they are taking a huge risk if they allow him to enter the final 12 months of his contract. Haven’t they heard of Trent Alexander-Arnold at the Emirates?
Saka is 24 and the best clubs in Europe will line up to take him in the summer or in 2027. Arsenal simply have to get this done ASAP.
Marcotti: It’s hard to imagine him elsewhere, but — and I say this without any inside info on Saka — you can see a scenario where Arsenal win the league or Champions League, he gets an attractive offer and talks about a new challenge somewhere else.
It’s possible they’ve reached an agreement in principle and simply haven’t announced it officially because they want to get maximum exposure. You hope that’s the case. Because as loyal as he is to the club, nobody likes being taken for granted.
2. Kai Havertz is ready to return. Does he play, or should Mikel Arteta keep faith with Viktor Gyökeres?
Ogden: Havertz and Gyökeres are obviously two forwards with very different profiles, but I don’t think you can play them together unless it is the final 10 minutes of a game and you’re flooding the zone with attackers in order to score a goal.
Havertz is a very talented player — though frustrating at times, he has a knack of scoring big goals in big games. Gyökeres is only scoring against the Premier League’s also-rans and he isn’t doing it very often, so it’s an easy answer in my opinion: Drop Gyökeres and go with Havertz.
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Marcotti: I’m a Havertz guy, so to me it’s a no-brainer, but I imagine it will depend on the opposition. I think they can definitely play together, though that would be at the expense of other, better options, so that’s not a route to go down.
More interesting, I think, is how Arsenal should play it going forward. If Havertz is fit and Arteta still picks Gyökeres ahead of him in most games, then you have to wonder about the wisdom of having your highest-paid player on the bench. He has a deal through 2028, and he’s 27 this summer. If he’s not going to start, I think it makes to shift him — ideally off the back of a successful World Cup.
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3. Mikel Arteta’s contract ends at the end of next season. Is his future dependent on winning a trophy?
Ogden: I think the Arteta skeptics among the fan base need to be careful what they wish for. He has transformed a club that had been drifting for over a decade under Arsene Wenger and put Arsenal back in contention for everything.
While they haven’t won a trophy yet, Arteta has made incredible progress. The club should end the talk of him needing to win a trophy this season by handing him a new contract.
Marcotti: They can wait until June if they like, but Arteta has already proven himself even if they don’t win a trophy. I think you have to extend him, even if only by a year or two. It’s not just because of what you see on the pitch; it’s the way he has represented the club and managed the dressing room, too.
4. Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Christian Nørgaard are all out of contract in 2027, like Saka. Should any be extended in January?
Ogden: Martinelli and Nørgaard have one-year options on their contracts, so there is no rush with those two, while Trossard and Jesus are both likely to be available for transfer this summer. Nørgaard has barely played since arriving from Brentford six months, so club and player will likely part company before his deal expires.
Martinelli is the tricky one — Arsenal will want to keep him, but he’ll be 25 next summer and might decide he doesn’t play enough games to justify staying at the Emirates. He always makes an impact when he comes off the bench, but less so when he starts, so I suspect there will be a parting of ways ahead.
Marcotti: Trossard has been hugely productive, and he’s happy to be a squad player. If he keeps getting minutes, he should be rewarded with an extra year.
Nørgaard arrived to do a specific job, and he has done it when called upon. He’s the only option off the bench in that role anyway, so of course you keep him.
Gabriel Jesus would have to perform miracles to make me want to keep him. He makes too much money and there are better, younger options already there. Arsenal should keep an open mind, but start easing him out.
As for Martinelli, he’s very much playing for his Arsenal future. With Trossard and Noni Madueke around (and Max Dowman coming through the pipeline) there are only so many minutes available. Unless he does something to convince Arsenal he’s irreplaceable, they have to start laying the groundwork to shift him this summer.
5. Do Arsenal need to do any player trading in January?
Ogden: Arsenal did a lot of business during the summer, with deals such as Nørgaard’s and Piero Hincapié‘s going under the radar due to the money spent on forwards such as Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze and Madueke.
Their squad is stacked in every position, and they have Havertz due back from injury, so I really don’t see the value in short-term fixes to cover short-term injuries.
Marcotti: Everybody in Arteta’s preferred XI has a viable alternative off the bench who can do a similar job (except Declan Rice, because there’s no such thing as an off-brand Rice; he’s unique). That’s a positive if Arteta can man-manage his way through it, and so far he has.
However, I think you have to think of player pathways and development. Ethan Nwaneri is 18, has a long-term deal and yet will likely end up playing significantly less than a year ago. He has yet to start a league game after staring 11 last year). Fullback Myles Lewis-Skelly, 19, also signed a big long-term deal and has started one league match after making 15 starts last season.
I think it’s logical to see if you can send them somewhere that will take care of them, allow them to grow and have them return as better players than they are now. It’s a tough sell to the players themselves, but if you can show there’s a pathway into the first team, it’s worth doing.
Manchester United are searching for their seventh new manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 following Monday’s dismissal of Ruben Amorim. Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher will take charge of the team on an interim basis for Wednesday’s Premier League trip to Burnley and the FA Cup third-round tie at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. But sources told ESPN that United have yet to decide whether to make a permanent appointment quickly or wait until the summer, when an array of big-name coaches could become available after the FIFA World Cup.
Who are the likeliest candidates to be the next manager at Old Trafford? Here are the two short lists that United could be working off: one for an immediate hire, and one if they choose to wait until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Immediate candidates
Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace coach is out of contract at Selhurst Park at the end of this season and has yet to negotiate a new deal. Glasner’s stock is rising rapidly after winning the FA Cup last season and taking Palace into the UEFA Conference League. He also won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, so has proved himself as a trophy winner in his last two jobs.
The 51-year-old favors a three-man defense, like Amorim, so if United want to continue that model, he would be a good fit. He’s also likely to be available now due to his contract situation.
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Kieran McKenna, Ipswich Town
The 39-year-old has guided Ipswich Town to two promotions and was interviewed for the Chelsea job in 2024 before former coach Enzo Maresca’s appointment. Having worked at United as part of Jose Mourinho’s and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching teams, McKenna has knowledge of many of the existing players and youth prospects at Old Trafford.
Ipswich are pushing for promotion back to the Premier League this season, but United would likely be too big a job for McKenna to turn down if they come calling.
Gareth Southgate, unemployed
The former England manager has been out of the game since stepping down from his Three Lions role after Euro 2024. The 55-year-old has shown no inclination to return to management since, but after guiding England to two Euro finals and the 2018 World Cup semifinal, he has admirers at Old Trafford.
Southgate is available and therefore would not involve a compensation fee; if he is interested, he would be an immediate contender.
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Xavi, unemployed
The former Barcelona coach guided Barca to the 2022-23 LaLiga title during a three-year stint at Camp Nou, but he has been out of work since leaving the club at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Xavi, 45, is keen to work in the Premier League, and his availability would make him an attractive candidate. But with his lack of experience against Premier League opponents and managing the fixture workload, Xavi might have too many negatives for United to accept considering their past two appointments — Amorim and Erik ten Hag — struggled to adjust to the demands of the English top flight.
Michael Carrick, unemployed
Carrick has had one previous spell at interim manager at United, taking charge of three games in 2021 following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The 44-year-old has since had a three-year spell managing Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship.
Having left Boro at the end of last season, Carrick hasn’t yet shown a desire to return to management, but his knowledge of the United squad and the club would mark him out as a safe pair of hands to guide the team until the summer before handing over to a permanent appointment.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, unemployed
Solskjaer remains a hugely popular figure among the United fan base after his feats as a player in Ferguson’s treble-winning 1998-99 team, but he also won admirers for overseeing an attacking style in his three years in charge as manager from 2018 to 2021.
United finished as 2020-21 Premier League runners-up under Solskjaer, but the team lacked defensive solidity and he exited in November 2021 after a series of heavy defeats, including a 5-0 loss at Old Trafford to Liverpool. Solskjaer most recently was in charge of Turkish club Besiktas, but after leaving them in August, he is available for an unlikely return to United.
Enzo Maresca, unemployed
Maresca is out of work after leaving Chelsea last week. In his 18-month stint at Stamford Bridge, he delivered success in the Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup. His availability would make him an obvious candidate, and Maresca also worked closely with United CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox when all three men were employed by Manchester City. But Maresca’s philosophy of a possession-based game might not work with the squad of players at United.
Summer candidates
Thomas Tuchel, England
The England manager spoke to United about succeeding ten Hag in summer 2024 before opting against a return to club management. With his Three Lions contract due to expire after the World Cup, he would be potential summer hire.
Tuchel, 52, ticks every box for United — he won the Champions League with Chelsea and has also managed Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. However, his reputation for being outspoken and challenging his bosses could lead to fireworks behind the scenes.
Mauricio Pochettino, United States
The U.S. coach is under contract until after the World Cup, but sources told ESPN that the 53-year-old will be open to a return to club management when his international commitments come to an end.
United have considered Pochettino three times over the past 10 years, and he was on a two-man short list with ten Hag in 2022 before missing out to the former Ajax coach. With his Premier League credentials and his experience at big clubs such as PSG, Chelsea and Spurs, Pochettino would be a good fit for United.
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Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil
The 66-year-old is contracted to coach Brazil until after the World Cup, but if United want an experienced coach with a stellar track record, Ancelotti is the obvious candidate.
A multiple Champions League winner with AC Milan and Real Madrid with further big club experience at Bayern Munich, Juventus, PSG, Napoli and Chelsea, Ancelotti also worked in more constrained circumstances at Everton. He would command big wages and would expect United to sign better players, but with him at the helm, the club would become more attractive to potential signings.
Julian Naglesmann, Germany
The Germany coach is under contract until Euro 2028, but his future could depend on the outcome of his team’s World Cup campaign.
Still only 38, Nagelsmann has rebuilt his reputation in the Germany job after his turbulent 18-month spell at Bayern Munich ended with him being fired in 2023. Earlier success at TSG Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig made Nagelsmann one of Europe’s most sought-after coaches, and his stock remains high within the game.
Andoni Iraola, AFC Bournemouth
The Bournemouth coach has earned praise for his work at the Vitality Stadium, turning the Cherries into a team that consistently overperforms its budget.
Whether his high-energy style would work with the existing United squad is a question mark. However, as a coach with proven Premier League experience, Iraola will be under consideration at United.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Montana State finally found a way to answer when it mattered most for the program’s first national championship since 1984.
A year ago, Montana State missed winning its first title in 40 years when a slow start doomed it in a shootout loss to North Dakota State. Two years ago, the Bobcats’ season ended in Bozeman in the quarterfinals on a blocked extra point in overtime against the Bison.
Montana State started this season losing its first two — at Oregon and in double overtime at home versus South Dakota State.
So, when Myles Sansted‘s extra point went through the uprights in overtime for a 35-34 victory over Illinois State on Monday night in the Football Championship Subdivision title game, the Bobcats chucked helmets in the air while sprinting around with a heavy contingent of Montana State fans celebrating with them.
“To be able to clear that hurdle and know that, yes, this ’25 group accomplished what hadn’t been done in a long time …,” said Bobcats coach Brent Vigen, who’s already thinking ahead with a young, Montana-laden team featuring only nine seniors. “You know, we’re building for more.”
The Bobcats (14-2) capped a campaign that featured two wins over in-state rival Montana across a four-week span. Beating the Grizzlies in the semifinals put Montana State back into the FCS title game for the second straight season and for the third time in five years under Vigen. It was the school’s fourth berth overall in the championship tilt.
Montana State topped those accomplishments with its 14th straight win in a thrilling finish in the first overtime in the 48 years of this title game. The Bobcats led 21-7 at halftime and 28-14 in the third. They needed Jhase McMillan‘s block of Michael Cosentino‘s 38-yard field goal attempt with 57 seconds left in regulation to keep it tied at 28.
In overtime, Montana State’s Hunter Parsons blocked the extra point attempt after Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Lord to give Illinois State its only lead at 34-28 to open overtime. Justin Lamson tied it for the Bobcats with a 14-yard scoring pass to Taco Dowler on fourth-and-10.
Stansted’s extra point started the celebration of the end of a long title drought. Along with the 1984 Division I-AA championship, Montana State also won the 1976 NCAA Division II title and the 1956 NAIA championship.
“What a hard-fought game, and these things aren’t supposed to come easily, I guess,” Vigen said.
Lamson, who didn’t join the Bobcats until June, said Montana State’s overtime touchdown was the result of a great playcall.
“Taco was wide open,” Lamson said. “I got hit, so I was just trying to give him a chance, and the rest is history — and Myles did his thing and that was the game.”
Illinois State (12-5) already had made history as the first FCS team to win four straight road games to advance through the playoffs to this championship contest. That included a win over this postseason’s No. 1 seed in North Dakota State — winners of 10 of the past 14 FCS titles, including last year.
It was the Redbirds’ first time in FCS championship game since 2014, and they left empty-handed.
“Just couldn’t find one more play,” Illinois State coach Brock Spack said. “We needed to make one more play to win. When you look at a game that’s a one-point loss like that, there’s probably 10, 15, maybe 20 plays in the game if you make just one of them, you win. Wasn’t able to do that, and we came up short.”
Lamson finished with 280 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also ran for two scores. Dowler had eight catches for 111 yards.
Rittenhouse registered 311 yards passing and four TDs. Lord collected 13 catches for 161 yards and two TDs, and Victor Dawson ran for 126 yards.
Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy signed a deal to return for the Rebels in 2026, sources told ESPN on Monday.
The All-America running back ranks third nationally in rushing yards with 1,464 yards and 23 touchdowns and has helped lead the Rebels to the College Football Playoff semifinals in his debut season.
Ole Miss secured a commitment from Lacy in its ongoing efforts to retain top returning players amid former coach Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU.
The first-team All-SEC performer was expected to be a priority target for the Tigers if he entered the portal after running backs coach Kevin Smith agreed to join Kiffin in Baton Rouge.
The sophomore running back from Dallas transferred to Ole Miss after a year at Missouri and developed into one of the SEC’s top offensive playmakers, surpassing 100 yards from scrimmage in eight games, including a career-high 229 yards against Florida.
Lacy rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns in the Rebels’ 39-34 win over No. 3 Georgia in the CFP quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl last Thursday. They’ll face No. 10 seed Miami in the semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Thursday.
New Ole Miss coach Pete Golding and school officials have secured commitments from a several key starters to remain in the program in 2026 rather than enter the transfer portal after the season.
Ole Miss star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss also announced Monday he planned to return pending the approval of an NCAA waiver for an additional year of eligibility.
Chambliss was one of seven Rebels players who announced Monday they’ll be back next season.
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