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​One can dream, can’t they? And in regards to Arsenal and any potential incomings, ‘dream’ has been the primary word used when any fan of the club lists a player they’d like to join the Mikel Arteta revolution.

Every man and his dog is fully aware that significant changes need to occur in north London for the Gunners to stand any chance of rediscovering the wonders of a fourth-place finish and to avoid slipping into the Europa League AGAIN.

While ​Arsenal’s academy continues to play a key role in the club’s future, the glaringly obvious areas of improvement need addressing both to appease the disillusioned fanbase, as well as provide Arteta with some chance of reinvigorating a club who’ve fallen by the ​Premier League wayside.

Within reason – given the pitiful budget the club has – we take a look at what sales and signings could be made to inject some much-need life back into the squad and attempt to push the club back up the league table.

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Transfers In

Where to start? Only a couple of areas in the starting lineup are nailed down, and even in some of those cases, there are no ready-made backup choices to fill the void if injury or suspension occurs. So, let’s take a look…

Nathan Ferguson – With Hector Bellerin the only recognised right-back in the squad, there is desperate need to reinforce. Highly regarded in England for his performances at West Brom, Ferguson could be a decent (and free!) addition. Free (With Tribunal Compensation)

Thomas Partey – This rumour has been lingering for some time, and with a £43.5m release clause, money from player sales will make this a deal worth pursuing. He’d need convincing of the project, but his box-to-box and combative style would suit the midfield. £43.5m

Corentin Tolisso – With Bayern Munich willing to offload the French midfielder in the summer, hopes of rediscovering the player he was before his long-term injury have European clubs on high alert. Even more so, the supposed asking price is so low it’d be foolish to not investigate. £25m

Willy Boly – Yet to sign a new deal at Wolves and with just one year remaining on his contract, Arsenal could do with a commanding defender like 29-year-old Boly to add steel to a frail backline. £25m

Ryan Fraser – After everyone has let out a collective groan, the fact is, Arsenal need another left-winger and they won’t get anyone cheaper. This season hasn’t lived up to the heights of his last campaign, but maybe, with better quality players around him, he can shine again. This is where Arsenal are at now. Free

Pablo Mari – In no way, shape or form the defender to answer Arsenal’s issues at the back, but, for the fee in question, it’s likely Arteta will make the move with William Saliba already incoming and all other central defenders costing £500m at least. £13m

William Saliba – Rarely does a player have more pressure placed on his shoulders without having even kicked a ball. Seen as the ‘messiah’ despite only being 19 years old and never having kicked a ball in England, it’ll be interesting to see how this one works out. Already Bought

Potential Spend: £106.5m

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Transfers Out

All of the above hinge heavily on what funds can be raised through player sales. Sadly, as has been seen far too frequently over the past few seasons, the players who would command decent transfer fees have run their contracts down – so it’s pretty slim pickings.

Shkodran Mustafi – Three-and-a-half seasons since his move to north London, Mustafi’s reputation as a top drawer central defender has plummeted as fast Arsenal’s credibility across Europe. Needs to go. £12m

Sokratis Papastathopoulos – Signed three years too late in his career, Sokratis is another player whose performances have gradually worsened. Now 31 it’s unlikely that he’ll command a decent fee, but it’s something. £6m

Konstantinos Mavropanos – Unlikely to come back and challenge for the first team. Accrue whatever possible. £6m

Granit Xhaka – Without a doubt the most improved player under Arteta’s tutelage, the fact that a new-look Xhaka could draw a decent profit might be an opportunity too great to refuse. With midfield targets in sight, the Swiss could be moved on. £20m

Mohamed Elneny – His time at Arsenal will likely come to an end as soon as someone offers any sum of money for him. The Premier League isn’t his level, but at somewhere else in Europe he could offer a decent midfield option. £6m

Ainsley Maitland-Niles – While no fan likes to see an academy product fail to make the grade, it’s clear that Arteta has not been impressed by Maitland-Niles. The opportunity to play in his preferred midfield role elsewhere could see a mutual departure occur. £8m

Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Everyone is wishing Mkhitaryan all the best at Roma, simply because that means they might stump up the money and buy him. Thus far, he’s doing just that, so hopefully, the club and player see the loan as a longer-term option. £10m

Sead Kolasinac – Tough one to call given the improvements he’s shown under Arteta, but as one of the few players in the squad who could earn the club a profit – as well as remove his big wages from wage bill – it might have to be done considering Kieran Tierney is now back and fit. £15m

​Emile Smith Rowe – Needs an extended loan spell to improve his game, and while he looked on the cusp of doing so for Huddersfield, another loan will benefit all parties. Loan Out

Dani Ceballos – Has impressed in patches while on loan, but with Real Madrid likely to seek upwards of £35m for him, it’s a move that will likely out-price the Gunners for a player who won’t meet the requirements. End of Loan

Cedric Soares – While intended to come in as backup for the rest of the season, the fact Cedric was injured and incapable to do so begs belief. Arsenal already spent £5m on the loan, but they shouldn’t make it permanent. Not the standard required. End of Loan 

Potential Sales: £83m

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Full First-Team Squad for 2020/21 in a Dream Scenario (inc. Squad Numbers) 

1.​	Bernd Leno​
2.​	Hector Bellerin​
​3.	​Kieran Tierney
​4.	​Thomas Partey (New Signing)
​5.	​William Saliba (New Signing)
​6.	​Willy Boly (New Signing)
​7.	​Gabriel Martinelli (New Squad Number)
8.​	​Corentin Tolisso (New Signing)
​9.	​Alexandre Lacazette
​10.	​Mesut Ozil
​11.	​Lucas Torreira
​12.	​Eddie Nketiah (New Squad Number)
13.​	Nathan Ferguson (New Signing)
​14.	​Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
​15.	​Joe Willock (New Squad Number)
​16.	​Rob Holding
​17.	​Ryan Fraser (New Signing)
​18.	​Bukayo Saka (New Squad Number)
​19.	​Nicolas Pepe
​21.	​Calum Chambers
​22.	​Pablo Mari (New Signing)
​23.	​David Luiz
​26.	​Emiliano Martinez
​29.	​Matteo Guendouzi
33.	​Matt Macey

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​Not all goals are created equal.

As much as all strikers like to trot out the old adage ‘they all count the same’, that is a lie. They are lying. They are liars. Scoring in the dying minutes to make it 7-0 carries only a fraction of the significance that a winning strike does.

Equally, pulling one back to reduce a massive deficit may make the scoreline more flattering, but it doesn’t change the number of points your side wins.

Inevitably, sometimes these ‘meaningless’ goals happen to be converted in extraordinary fashion. These gems either get lost in the fog of time because of their insignificance or, more interestingly, the circumstances surrounding the goal get brushed aside due to its the overriding aesthetics of the strike.

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Adel Taarabt – Queens Park Rangers vs West Ham, October 2012

The Moroccan nutmeg specialist has ​reinvented himself as a player with some semblance of tactical discipline in recent years but back in 2012 Taarabt was at his mercurial best for QPR against West Ham.

Sticking to his manager’s mandate of remaining in the opposition’s half or face a fine, this was Taarabt’s first goal of the season and came when QPR were 2-0 down. It proved to be the last goal of the game as Taarabt and the Rs endured a bleak campaign, winning just four league matches all season.

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Terry Phelan – Manchester City vs Tottenham, March 1993

Phelan netted this mazy effort in the 88th minute of an FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham to reduce the deficit from three goals to two, as ​Manchester City limped out of the competition with a 4-2 loss at home.

Tottenham’s Nayim scored a hat-trick that day, a man famous for one spectacular goal in the final of the 1995 Cup Winners’ Cup against his former north London rivals. That one was anything but meaningless.

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Olivier Giroud – Arsenal vs Man Utd, November 2014

15 minutes after Giroud came on for ​Arsenal against Manchester United, the French striker – who has a tendency for an extravagant finish – ripped one past David de Gea for some consolation in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give the Gunners a more respectable 2-1 defeat at home.

Yeah. The 95th minute. We call that ‘too late’.

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Christian Benteke – Liverpool vs Man Utd, September 2015

It’s fair to say Benteke’s time on Merseyside didn’t exactly go to plan. The Belgian frontman – who has scored seven goals against ​Liverpool in his career – only managed ten while playing for the Reds.

This effort at Old Trafford was spectacular but only brought the score back to 2-1 before Anthony Martial made sure United took home all three points just a couple of minutes later.

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Fabio Quagliarella – Italy vs Slovakia, June 2006

Quagliarella, a Napoli player at the time, delicately chipped Slovakia’s Ján Mucha in the second minute of stoppage time in the final round of Group F games at the 2010 World Cup.

If they’d been 2-1 down at the time, instead of 3-1, it would’ve been enough to claim the point that would’ve put them through into the last 16. As it was, the defending champions finished bottom of the group and went home miserable.

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Eric Cantona – Manchester United vs Sunderland, December 1996

It’s a goal every ​Premier League fan will know and, if not love because of club loyalties, at least have some begrudging respect for.

However, while this chip enjoys endless reruns, the scoreline gets very little airtime. As Cantona is cautiously embraced by Brian McClair, the Frenchman made it 5-0 in the 80th minute.

This iconic effort did little more than add to Sunderland’s misery but its lack of importance on the day is overshadowed by the celebration as much as the finish.

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Matthew Le Tissier – Southampton vs Blackburn, December 1994

Southampton’s greatest ever player was built for this list: No-one has scored more Premier League goals in defeats than Le Tissier, a player famous for memorable strikes.

The man who the St Mary’s faithful would christen Le God scored twice in the Saints’ 3-2 defeat to the eventual champions Blackburn. It was his second which we’ll focus on though, when he lobbed his former teammate Tim Flowers from at least 30 yards to bring his side within one goal of a point – which they ultimately didn’t get.

This strike won BBC’s goal of the season award, one of two that Le Tissier had nominated in that year’s competition but, as Flowers undoubtedly pointed out after the incident, it didn’t mean squat.

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Gareth Bale – Tottenham vs Inter, October 2010

Bale, unquestionably, takes the biscuit with his ​Champions League hat-trick against Inter.

It’s unlikely that there has been any other performance which has so definitively inspired the public to try and end another player’s career but Bale’s three (meaningless) goals earned as much praise for the Welshman as they did calls for Maicon’s retirement.

Bale scored all three of his near-identical (but spectacular) goals after Spurs went 4-0 down in the Champions League group stage away to Inter and while his hat-trick was impressive, it ultimately made no difference to the final result.

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Real Madrid have made an enquiry about Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as the Spanish giants look to lighten the load on first-choice forward Karim Benzema.

Aubameyang is yet to sign a new deal at the Emirates, and his contract is set to expire in 2021, leaving the upcoming transfer window as possibly the final opportunity for the club to cash in on him.

The Gabonese international has scored 61 goals in 97 appearances for the Gunners since signing from Borussia Dortmund in 2018, but has not won a major trophy or played in the Champions League during his time in north London.

According to ​France Football, Real have already made a tentative enquiry into Aubameyang’s situation and availability, but have made no strong advances since.

The news comes just a day after the president of Gabon’s football association, Pierre Alain Mounguengui, ​urged Aubameyang to leave ​Arsenal in favour of a more ambitious club.

Mounguengui said: “I don’t want to say that Arsenal aren’t ambitious, but Arsenal don’t have ambitions as high as some other clubs as far as Europe is concerned.

“So if Pierre could secure a contract with a more ambitious club, he’d definitely find his place there.

“On an individual level, we all consider him to be among the best players in the world, but the advice I give to him is to continue to work and to attract the attention of the biggest clubs and the most ambitious clubs.”

“​Aubameyang is a world-class player, but for him, or anyone else in Europe who hasn’t won a major honour, football is a collective sport. Right now, he’s at Arsenal, and he’s won nothing here, so it’s a collective failing.”

Aubameyang turns 31 in June and Arsenal could struggle to keep hold of the striker in the summer if an offer comes in, especially with the club likely to miss out on Champions League football once more.

​Real manager Zinedine Zidane is in the hunt for someone to compliment Benzema, or act as a replacement during fixture congestion. France Foot state Los Blancos would be required to fork out €50m to secure the Arsenal man’s services.

Having brought 35-year-old Steven Davis and 53-year-old Allan McGregor back to the club in recent years as they look to restore former glories, it’s pretty clear Rangers love nothing more than a trip down memory lane.

The return of Masters Football, then? Absolutely ideal from an Ibrox standpoint.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t actually been announced, so we’ll just have to pretend that the famous (well, cult famous) six-a-side tournament for the golden oldies is back in full force, and that Rangers are taking part. 

First, a little house-keeping on who is eligible.

• Only players aged 35 or over are eligible, and they must not be currently playing, coaching, managing or have any other role at a club that isn’t only ambassadorial
• Where possible, club legend games will be used narrow selection choices
• If a player has health conditions that would prevent them from playing, then they will not be included

Got it? ​Right, time for Masters Football 2020: Rangers edition.

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Stefan Klos (Goalkeeper)

Age: 48

Years Spent at Rangers: 1998-2007

Club Highlight: Making 35 brilliant saves against Hearts to keep Rangers top of the league in December 2000.

Club Lowlight: Celtic winning the league that year anyway.

Klos would have been one of the obvious choices in any case, but the fact Allan McGregor is the club’s current number one and Neil Alexander is coaching at Dundee United means there is no real contender to the throne.

The creatively nicknamed ‘Der Goalie’ was one of the highest-paid players in Europe when Rangers signed him from Borussia Dortmund, but the club didn’t regret that for a second.

Well, maybe when he spent ages out injured.

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Marvin Andrews (Defender)

Age: 44

Years Spent at Rangers: 2004-2006

Club Highlight: His social media presence.

Club Lowlight: His dodgy knee.

You’re cutting your teeth as a reporter in the lower leagues in Scotland, waiting on Barry Ferguson – current manager of League Two club Clyde – emerging from the dressing room. He is evidently issuing every one of his players with a legendary b*llocking.

Well, every one except a 40-year-old Marvin Andrews. The big man is exempt from the team talk, apparently, and is instead gleefully skipping around the corridor singing about how great God is. You look to a more senior reported inquisitively, and he shrugs. ‘Aye son, that’s just big Marv’.

That’s just what he’s like – seriously, have a look at his ​Twitter. Anyway, he was pretty excellent for Rangers in 2004/05, before God’s plan (injuries) consigned him to the sidelines and the lower reaches of the Scottish game.

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Carlos Cuellar (Defender)

Age: 38

Years Spent at Rangers: 2007-2008
​Club Highlight: Winning the SPL Player of the Year award in his first season, and declaring he wanted to ‘stay at Rangers for life’.

Club Lowlight: Leaving for Aston Villa that summer.

Not many players can sign a four-year deal, get sent off for handball in a crucial derby, find themselves heralded as a hero when the resulting penalty is saved, break the club record for appearances in a single season, win both the official and writers’ Player of the Year awards, and leave for three times what they signed for, all within the space of 12 months.

But then again, not every player is Carlos Cuellar.

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Brian Laudrup (Midfielder)

Age: 51

Years Spent at Rangers: 1994-1998

Club Highlight: Turning down Barcelona because he ‘would prefer to play against Falkirk’.

Club Lowlight: Going missing against Hearts in the 1998 Scottish Cup final.

I’ve been informed currently coaching an academy for disadvantage youths in Denmark doesn’t disqualify Laudrup from inclusion; 90min ‘aren’t evil’ apparently.

That’s good news for the Rangers Masters team, as Laudrup was very, very, very good. He never looked back after running from the half-way line to assist big Duncan Ferguson on his debut.

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Paul Gascoigne (Midfielder)

Age: 52

Years Spent at Rangers: 1995-1998
​Club Highlight: Two great solo goals and a penalty against Aberdeen to secure league title in his first season was alright.
​Club Lowlight: Defecating in Gennaro Gattuso’s sock? A bit out of order.

We’re going to blow past all the controversy surrounding Gascoigne’s off-field antics and focus on one thing: he was seriously good. Arguably the best player to play in Scotland levels of good.

He remains on great terms with the club and it seems his health is back on the up and up; what an ace in the pack he is to have available. He appeared in a cameo for Spurs’ legends when they opened their new stadium and you wouldn’t have known this was one of the greatest footballers ever.

But he’s Gazza. He’s in the team.

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Kris Boyd (Striker)

Age: Only 36, somehow

Years Spent at Rangers: 2006-2010

Club Highlight: His first spell at Rangers.

Club Lowlight: His second spell at Rangers.

Boyd was a freakishly good goalscorer at Rangers; his ‘worst’ season for the club saw him net just the 25 goals in 41 appearances in 2007/08, and by the time he left in 2010, he was Scottish football’s all-time top scorer – having scored 195 goals for Rangers and Kilmarnock.

The less said about his return to the club while they were wedged in the Championship – which came in the middle of further prolific spells with his boyhood Killie – the better, but although he seems to have tacked on the beef since his prime years, his goalscoring instincts could still prove invaluable.

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Substitutes

Richard Gough (Defender)

Age: 58

Years Spent at Rangers: 1987-1997

Club Highlight: Winning nine (9) successive league titles

Club Lowlight: Being so successful that no current Rangers captain even stands a chance

Gough’s career reads like something mythical to a Scottish football fan. He captained Rangers throughout their famous and unprecedented (until now) ‘nine in a row’ dominance, played for Scotland at three major tournaments, and scored close to 100 league goals despite spending his entire career at centre-back.

Despite being 58, he’s still a charity match regular, but has to settle for a place on the bench since he’s by far the oldest player at the tournament.

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Jorg Albertz (Midfielder)

Age: 49

Years Spent at Rangers: 1996-2001

Club Highlight: Sticking free-kicks in the top corner every other week.

Club Lowlight: His melodramatic fall-out with Dick Advocaat.

What are we gonna do, leave out a guy whose nickname is literally ‘The Hammer’? Grow up.

Albertz was monikered after his physicality and explosive left boot, and went on to net 82 goals across his five seasons at Ibrox, despite a prolonged spell at left-back, and spending two seasons under a manager with whom who he famously did not get on.

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Nacho Novo (Striker)

Age: 41

Years Spent at Rangers: 2004-2010

Club Highlight: Scoring from 350 yards to clinch the 2009 Scottish Cup.

Club Lowlight: Everything that’s happened since he left.

If Novo’s only goal for Rangers was the absolute howitzer that won them the cup in 2009, then he would have left a legend.

It was just one of 73, however. The crafty Spaniard proved the ideal foil for the likes of Boyd and Kenny Miller, and his passion for the club led him to open a pub near Ibrox years after leaving in 2010.

​While perhaps for non-footballing people the notion of a kit number may be rather mundane, for us footballing folk, its importance cannot be underestimated.

In recent times, the pressure of wearing a certain shirt number has been enough to make particular players wilt, while there is often great fanfare when a new signing takes their new number.

It may be a trivial detail part and parcel of being a footballer, but the kit number has become a vital part of superstition and psychology for every player.

Here’s a look then at the best ​Leicester City players to have worn each shirt number from one to 11. No easy task…

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#1 – Gordon Banks

“Oh what a save… Gordon Banks.”

The late, great Banks is a must on this list. While the likes of Kasper Schmeichel and Peter Shilton would be worthy of selection, the World Cup winner was simply too good a player to miss out.

The former England international was a mainstay of the side between 1959 and 1967, helping to lift the League Cup trophy in 1964. He left for ​Stoke City after making 356 appearances in all competitions to be replaced by a young Shilton. 

Honourable Mentions: Peter Shilton, Kasper Schmeichel

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#2 – Colin Appleton

As captain of the ‘Ice Kings’ – the 1962/63 Leicester side that went close in pursuit of a league and FA Cup double – Appleton is a true great at the club.

While the double attempt failed, it was Appleton who held the League Cup trophy aloft in 1964 after beating Stoke City 4-3 on aggregate.

Bring back the two-legged final, right? Right…

Honourable Mentions: Danny Simpson, Simon Grayson

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#3 – David Nish

Besides having a cool name, Nish wasn’t a half bad player either.

While his best and most successful days may have been at ​Derby – after his British transfer record-breaking move to the Rams in 1972 – it was at Leicester that the full back made his name.

The defender spent six years in Leicestershire, winning the FA Charity Shield in 1971 when his side defeated the might Liverpool.

Honourable Mention: Frank Sinclair

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#4 – Graham Cross

The easiest selection of them all, Cross is a hero at the King Power Stadium.

His 599 appearances in all competitions make him the record holder at the club, with his 16-year stay ending in 1976 when he moved south to ​Brighton and Hove Albion.

He also represented Leicestershire’s cricket side – y’know, that game with the bats and the small red ball – taking 92 wickets in 83 First Class games.

Just imagine Jamie Vardy doing the same today!

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#5 – Wes Morgan

Steve Walsh can count himself very unlucky, but the Premier League title-winning captain has to be in this side.

After leading his side to Championship glory in the 2013/14 season, Morgan then stepped up to aid his side in the most unlikely title victory of all time in 2015/16.

Remarkably, it was Leicester’s first ever top flight title.

Honourable Mention: Steve Walsh

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#6 – Muzzy Izzet

Great name, great player. The skilful Turkish midfielder was a vital part of Leicester’s two League Cup successes in the late 1990s and quickly emerged as a fan favourite.

Under Martin O’Neill’s guidance, Izzet formed a vital partnership with Neil Lennon as Leicester surged to three League Cup finals in just four seasons.

Honourable Mention: Robert Huth

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#7 – Keith Weller

While not a household name outside of Leicester, Weller is regarded as perhaps one of the club’s greatest ever players.

The pacy wide man spent eight years at Leicester, amassing 43 goals in 295 games in all competitions, becoming a firm fan favourite in the process.

After leaving in 1978, Weller became a player and manager for numerous teams in the US before retiring. Not a bad way to end your career.

Honourable Mention: Neil Lennon

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#8 – Gary Lineker

That bloke off Match of the Day and those crisps ads was also a very very good footballer.

Lineker was not only the Golden Boot winner at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986 and a star of the 1990 England side that reached the semi finals at Italia 90, but a prolific striker at club level also.

His 103 goals in 209 games for the club is impressive, with the former ​Tottenham forward going on to have a distinguished career that led him to ​Barcelona and Japanese side Grampus Eight.

Honourable Mention: Alan Birchenall

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#9 – Jamie Vardy

What a five years this man has had. The well-known story of Vardy’s rise from non-league football to Premier League title success is a true rags to riches tale.

His form in that spellbinding league success – scoring for a Premier League record of 11 games in a row – signalled his arrival on the world stage.

It is testament to his ability that he has certainly not been a one-season wonder, scoring bucketloads season after season.

Honourable Mention(s): Arthur Rowley, Alan Smith, Steve Claridge

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#10 – Frank Worthington

For those non-Leicester supporters, Worthington was reminiscent of a certain Jack Grealish. Known for his party lifestyle and for often not wearing shin pads, the forward was something of a maverick.

He joined the Foxes in 1972 and went on to make 237 appearances at the club. However, he certainly wasn’t a one-club man – just have a look at his Wikipedia page. 

Honourable Mention(s): James Maddison, Roberto Mancini

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#11 – Jon Sammels

Despite never finishing above seventh with the club, Sammels was a terrifically gifted footballer.

Alongside the likes of Keith Weller and Alan Birchenall, Leicester were an attacking feast for the eyes, renowned for the quality of their play. Sammels left Leicester in 1978 to join Vancouver Whitecaps after seven years at the club.

Honourable Mention: Marc Albrighton

Tributes have poured in for ​former player and manager Radomir Antic who has passed away aged 71, following a long battle with illness.

Antic is the only man to have managed all three of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

The Serbian enjoyed an illustrious playing and managerial career, which took him from Kenilworth Road to Camp Nou and spanned nearly 50 years.

Antic spent his early playing days in his native Serbia, where he represented Sloboda Užice and FK Partizan, winning the Yugoslavian Premier Division with the latter in 1976.

He moved to Fenerbahce that summer. After two years in Turkey, he got his first taste of Spanish football, signing for Real Zaragoza.

Antic saw out his final playing days at Luton Town, after joining the club in 1980. In the final game of the 1982/83 season, the defender scored four minutes from time at Maine Road to save the Hatters from relegation at Manchester City’s expense.

Luton paid tribute to their former player, writing on ​Twitter: “We are devastated to learn of the passing of Town legend Radomir Antic, at the age of 71. A true Hatters hero, for promotion and preventing relegation.

“The thoughts of all at Kenilworth Road are with his family and friends at this terribly sad time.

Rest in peace, Raddy.”

Antic hung up his boots in 1984, and four years later, he returned to Zaragoza for his first stint in management. He secured European football for the club, and that was enough for the might of ​Real Madrid to come calling.

He left the Bernabeu after a year in charge, and after a three year-spell in charge at Real Oviedo – where he saved the club from relegation – he joined Real’s rivals ​Atletico.

It was at Atleti where Antic would enjoy his most success in the dugout, guiding the club to the double in his maiden season in charge, as Atletico were crowned ​La Liga and Copa del Rey champions.

He left Atletico in 1998, but would go on to return on a further two occasions, before the pair eventually parted company for the final time in 2000.

In 2003, the coach made history when he was appointed manager of ​Barcelona, becoming only the second man (after Enrique Fernández) to take charge of both Real Madrid and Barcelona – and the first to have managed the two Madrid sides in addition to Barça.

Antic went on to manage Serbia, guiding his country to the 2010 World Cup finals. His final managerial job was with Hebei China Fortune in 2015.

Barcelona paid tribute to their former manager, writing on ​Twitter: “The Barça family mourns the loss of a man who was deeply beloved in the world of football. Rest in Peace.”