Could he add the firepower Mikel Arteta is after?

Liam Delap has scored 12 goals in the Premier League this season (Getty)

Paul Merson has urged Liam Delap to join either Manchester United or Aston Villa ahead of Arsenal or Chelsea this summer.

Delap is expected to be one of the Premier …

The youngster’s club confirmed the tragic news on Thursday.

Ian Wright has lavished praise on Declan Rice and believes his club record transfer fee looks a bargain in light of Tuesday’s matchwinning heroics against Real Madrid.

The England international raised eyebrows when he chose Arsenal as the next step in his career progression upon his decision to leave boyhood club West Ham nearly two years ago.

Chelsea and Manchester City, who submitted a rival bid, were also in the running but Mikel Arteta’s vision for Rice convinced the midfielder to join the Gunners.

Rice has vindicated Arteta’s judgement with a series of outstanding displays and capped a superb individual performance against Real on Tuesday night with two stunning free-kicks that have put his side within touching distance of what would be only Arsenal’s third appearance in a Champions League semi-final.

At the time Rice’s £100million fee looked steep, but David Moyes, his manager during his final season at West Ham, suggested Arsenal signed him on the cheap, a claim Wright is now in full agreement with.

He told The Overlap: ‘With David Moyes saying we haven’t got enough for him. Remember him saying he wanted £150 million for him.

‘I know like now we can all jump back and say ‘yeah David Moyes was right’ but Declan from the time he’s been at Arsenal he’s made that fee look embarrassing.’

Arteta, Rice and a host of his teammates were quick, meanwhile, to point out that the tie against Real is only at the halfway stage with next week’s second leg at the Bernabeu anything but a forgone conclusion.

Arsenal’s defensive record in Europe this season gives genuine hope for optimism, especially after Jakub Kiwior deputised so ably for the injured Gabriel but Wright is taking nothing for granted.

He said: ‘[On Arsenal beating Real Madrid] It was an amazing game. I think everybody played well – [Jacob] Kiwior did very well and so did Thomas Partey.

‘Especially [Bukayo] Saka, being 50% fit – he was amazing. The manager has always gone on about the group and their mentality and they had to show it in that game.

‘There were times that I thought Real Madrid played well and the crowd were going off it in that place.

‘Real Madrid have never come back from a 3-0 down in the first leg. They’ve never done that so hopefully we won’t be the first. However, they have players that can score goals quickly.’

Whether Rice is capable of repeating his dead ball magic remains to be seen, but Roy Keane was not surprised to see the 26-year-old leave Thibaut Courtois grasping for thin air twice in the space of unforgettable 12 minutes.

‘Declan Rice has great technique in terms of striking the ball,’ said Keane. ‘Those two goals against Real Madrid, I was not that shocked that he did it. He has got that in his locker. The second goal was fantastic though.  

‘If Rice can keep getting more goals, then he can be on a whole different level like some of the greater players out there. The goals add to it.”   

‘However, Nottingham Forest are exciting to watch.’

Victor Osimhen missed out on a move to Chelsea last summer (Getty)

John Obi Mikel has revealed that Victor Osimhen is still holding out for a move to Chelsea and claims a transfer could be completed quickly in the summer transfer window.

…

The Red Devils are ready to upgrade their error-prone number one.

‘If he could ask to come off right now, he wouldn’t be far off doing it.’

Metro are returning for the third year as media partner.

A summer move looks likely.

‘I was flabbergasted.’

‘Lovely player.’

‘They can be a bit exposed.’

We’re at the business end of the Champions League.

Barca are on the verge of the semi-finals.

‘Insane ball knowledge!’

‘I don’t see a full player at the moment.’

Emiliano Martinez is persona non grata with French football fans (Picture: Getty)

Emi Martinez was afforded a hostile reception during Aston Villa’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes.

The Argentina …

A big night for Aston Villa in Europe!

Huge news for Liverpool!

Liam Delap is set to become available this summer with a £30m relegation release clause (Shutterstock)

Chelsea and Manchester United are on alert as Liam Delap has a relegation release clause in his deal with Ipswich Town, according to rep…

Barca are packing their bags.

Brutal from the Arsenal fans.

‘I think it would be a perfect end for him.’

Marco van Basten believes PSG would beat Arsenal if they met in the Champions League semi-final (Ziggo Sports)

Marco van Basten believes Paris Saint-Germain are still the team to beat in the Champions League this year following Arsenal&#82…

Nemanja Matic has hit back and Manchester United’s Andre Onana and branded him the worst goalkeeper in the club’s modern history.

The Cameroon international joined the Premier League giants from Inter at the start of last season following a £47 million move from Inter.

Erik ten Hag sanctioned the ruthless decision to dispense with the long-serving David de Gea in an attempt to assert his authority and accelerate United’s plan to play out from the back.

Jettisoning the Spaniard and placing his faith in the error prone Onana proved to be a disastrous decision, however, which went a long way to causing his downfall.

Onana has fared little better since the appointment of Ruben Amorim and his days at Old Trafford appear to short numbered.

Despite speculation mounting over his own future, Onana felt confident enough to declare his team the overwhelming favourites ahead of tomorrow’s Europa League quarter final first leg against Lyon.

While the Ligue 1 side may not be in the rudest of health themselves, Matictook issue with Onana’s suggestion that Lyon would struggle to compete over two legs against a team who are currently languishing in mid-table obscurity in the Premier League.

‘I don’t know to say that you need to have cover for something like that,’ said the former United and Chelsea midfielder when asked for his assessment of Onana’s bold statement. ‘I respect everyone then you need to give the answer.

‘If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United history then you need to take care what you are talking about.

‘If David de Gea, or Van der Saar or Peter Schmeichel say that then I would question that.

‘But if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history then he needs to show that before he says it. We will see.’

Kobbie Mainoo, meanwhile, trained with his team-mates ahead of tomorrow’s game as the midfielder prepares to return from his two-month lay-off.

The homegrown 19-year-old has been absent since picking up a muscular issue in training in the days after his most recent appearance against Leicester in the FA Cup on February 7.

Mainoo trained with the group in the opening section of the session at Carrington on Wednesday, but it remains to be seen whether he is part of the squad that travels to France for the quarter-final first leg.

United defender Matthijs de Ligt was conspicuous by his absence from training having missed Sunday’s 0-0 derby draw at home to Manchester City.

Toby Collyer also missed the session with a knock, joining Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo, Jonny Evans and Ayden Heaven on the sidelines.

Luke Shaw again trained with the group having returned to the bench in the Manchester derby after four months out.