BBC Journalist reveals Arsenal have initiated contract negotiations with 27-year-old star

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20-11-2018

If there is one criticism that can be leveled at the Gunners, it is the handling of the contracts of players. This is most visible with the way the club has handled the Aaron Ramsey situation.

But, it seems like the board is learning from their mistakes. With the contract of Danny Welbeck running out in the summer, the Arsenal hierarchy have started discussions over a new deal.

This comes from BBC Journalist David Ornstein who was speaking on Arseblog Podcast. Here is what Ornstein had to say regarding the situation of Welbeck:

“I think there have been some initial discussions about now offering Welbeck a contract, if the numbers are right for the club, bearing in mind he could be out for a while. I don’t think it’s a sentimental thing, but they value him very highly at Arsenal.”

The 27-year-old star suffered a potentially season-ending injury against Sporting Lisbon and ever since then, there had been some doubt as to whether the club would be looking to renew his deal.

When any news is given by Ornstein, it can be safely said that it is accurate information as he has proven over the years that he can be reliable when it comes to the Gunners.

As for the striker himself, this is certainly good news and it is something that will help him during the time that he takes to get back on the pitch. He was building up some momentum and was in good form so it is a pity that he got injured at this point in the season.

The Gunners will always benefit from having a player like Welbeck on the squad as he has the ability to disturb the defense of the opposition. And given that he works very hard on the pitch, it makes a real asset to have.

Though we are not sure exactly how long the striker is going to take to get back, the fans and the club will be hoping that it is sooner rather than later.

Arsenal interested in completing transfer deal for £8m-rated Brazilian this January

By

Nithyanand

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20-11-2018

The Gunners have always had a tradition of developing young players and because of that, it is not a surprise when they are linked with a promising youngster.

The latest in this line as per reports in Brazilian outlet O Tempo(via Sun), is full-back Emerson and he plays for Atletico Mineiro.

The report in O Tempo states that Arsenal and Chelsea are in the race to sign the 19-year-old Brazilian youngster in January. It further states that Atletico Mineiro are going through a financial crunch and could be willing to cash in on the defender, who is valued at around £8 million.

A player who normally plays as a right back, Emerson has been very impressive ever since joining the Brazilian side in April of this year and has proven himself to be one of the team’s most dependable players as he has been a rock in their defense.

Though Arsenal do have two right backs with them at the moment, there is no harm in bringing in someone who is as talented and promising as the Brazilian.

The player is particularly good at winning aerial duels and this is an incredibly valuable trait for a fullback to have. He has shown that his reading of the game is impeccable and that has helped him a lot.

If there is a weakness in his game, it would have to be his passing and ball retention. But, if Emerson was to come to a club like the Gunners, that would be one of the first things that will be taken care of.

The factor that could complicate this move is the interest that is being shown by Premier League rivals Chelsea, as previously mentioned. This just goes to show how good a player Emerson is but at the same time, this does make life that much harder for Arsenal.

If the player is to be brought to the Emirates, he will have to be convinced by the project that Arsenal are currently under. It is well known that manager Unai Emery likes to field young players and this is one aspect that could work in the club’s favor. For more movement on this deal, we will have to wait until January.

Zipping up his coat: Arsene Wenger finally talks about his struggles with Arsenal zipper

By

Nithyanand

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19-11-2018

It has been some time since the Gunners have had a new manager. But for many, not having Arsene Wenger at the helm does feel a little weird given how long he was with the club.

During his time, he led the club to a level of success not felt by any other Arsenal manager but there were some failures along the way as well.

One of the more funny incidents that happened during his reign was the trouble he always seemed to have with the zipper of his jacket. Now, the man himself has cleared the air on this as he spoke about it on an interview with beIN Sports.

During the interview, presenter Richard Keys asked him a question that many wanted the answer to and this is what Wenger had to say:

“They are too long and sometimes the zip didn’t work. I struggled a lot with that. But, in the end, because people were showing it and I was conscious that I was under scrutiny when doing it!”

He even went to add on how he had overcome the difficulties of the zipper as he said:

“In fact, I improved on that.”

Here is the video:

🧥 The one question @richardajkeys just had to ask… 🤣

WATCH: 'Arsène Wenger in Conversation' 👇https://t.co/u6wqLygQlE pic.twitter.com/JZCTO9Rnlc

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) November 18, 2018

This just goes to show the funnier side that Wenger has and it was one that was seen quite often in his interactions with the media.

The former Arsenal boss has been rumored to be in line for a return to management but so far, the man himself has refused to confirm anything.

But knowing the kind of passion that he has for the game, it will not be a surprise if he comes back into the management fold sooner rather than later.

He is sure to have the backing of the Arsenal fans wherever he does go next as he still remains a beloved figure for a majority of the fans. Many of the top clubs would love to have someone like Wenger who knows a lot about the game and, his experience will be a boost for them.

Juventus launch £10.4m-a-year offer to hijack Bayern Munich’s transfer deal for Arsenal star

By

Nithyanand

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19-11-2018

The Aaron Ramsey contract situation is one of the only blemishes that the Gunners have had during the current season.

It is looking more and more likely that the player will end up leaving Arsenal at the end of the season if not earlier.

A few days back, reports in Metro claimed that Bayern Munich had stolen a march over other clubs and were in pole position to sign Ramsey. But, that seems to have changed as per the latest reports in Sun Sport, with the entry of another European giant in the form of Juventus.

The report states that The Italians are looking to sabotage the move that had been planned by Bayern and the way they intend to do that is by offering Ramsey a superior wage package.

Juventus are willing to offer the Welshman £10.4m per year as a way to entice him into choosing Italy as his next destination.

Wages were one of the reasons as to why the Gunners withdrew the contract offer that they had given the midfielder earlier. But, if Juventus are indeed offering the player a deal such as this, it is highly possible that Ramsey will choose them.

The Italian giants have a history of signing players on a free with Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba being the more notable success stories. The club is willing to wait until the end of the season and then sign Ramsey for free.

Arsenal would also be interested in letting the midfielder go in the January transfer window as it would mean that they get something for the player rather than letting him leave him for free.

Ramsey has shown over the years that he can always contribute when he is called upon. It is a pity that his stay with the Gunners is going to end this way. Now, it is up to the club to show that they can deal with the increasingly possible departure of the Welshman. Until he leaves the club, the fans will be hoping that he is able to help the club get back into the Champions League.

Ray Parlour predicts this Unai Emery decision might make or break Arsenal’s season

By

Nithyanand

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19-11-2018

Now that we are a few months into the Unai Emery era, it is time to predict the ways in which the season is going to end.

This will be coming from fans and even former players with everyone ready to offer their opinion on the club and its fortunes. Ray Parlour, the former Arsenal midfielder has had his say on the way the season might go.

Speaking to Express Sport, this is what Parlour had to say about the decisions that the club might have to make:

“You’ve got two options, you can either go top four or obviously Europa League.

“The Europa League’s quite a big trophy this year. If I had to pick one I would say Europa League, to win that, because you win a trophy and then you’re in the Champions League.”

“I think what will happen is Emery will assess the situation in February/March when it kicks off again and gets serious.”

This is the choice that the club will have to make at some point of the season. Of course, it would be nice if they were able to focus on both competitions but given how competitive they are, that is going to be a little harder to accomplish.

Parlour went on to add that the club will think about where to focus their priorities a little later in the season. When the club reaches the later stages of the knockout stages, the manager and the players will have a better idea of what to do.

After a tough start to the season in the Premier League, the Gunners have gone on an unbeaten streak that has lasted for a long time. There have been some bumps along the way but the club has managed to overcome them.

What Parlour has to say does seem to be true as the club will probably be better served if they focused their attention on one competition alone. But, they must not lose focus on one just because they are focusing on the other. The main objective of the Gunners will be to get back into the Champions League and to be honest, it does not matter how they get there as long they get there.

Arsenal send scouts to watch 22-year-old star, ahead of possible January transfer move

By

Nithyanand

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15-11-2018

The January transfer window is not too far away and as a result of that, the rumors regarding Arsenal have started going on overdrive.

Every day, we see more and more players being linked to the club. As per reports in Express, one such player being looked at is the young Italian center back Gianluca Mancini who plays for Atalanta.

The 22-year-old has been in great form for the Italians this season and this has helped him catch the eye of the Arsenal scouts. He has gone on to show that he has a goal scoring touch to go with his defensive toughness.

If he was to join the Gunners, he would be a fine addition to the defenders that are already at the club. Even if he is not able to start a lot of games, he will prove to be a very good backup.

There are a lot of clubs that are interested in signing Mancini as Roma, Fiorentina and even Inter are said to be among the clubs who are targeting the defender.

The defense was one of the most talked about aspects of the latter part of the reign of Arsene Wenger. With Unai Emery, he has been able to steady the ship to a certain extent.

Though this has happened, there is still a lot of work to be done by the team and if players such as Mancini are brought in, it will certainly go a long way in helping sort out the defense and the issues that it has.

The amount of interest in Mancini is proof of how good a player he is. And what makes this deal even better is the fact that he is only going to get better from here. This makes the prospect of signing him a very exciting one.

But for the Gunners to be successful in this endeavor, they need to be quick and not wait around. If they do this, they are in danger of losing the player.

Arsenal interested in triggering €40m release clause to sign 23-year-old Spaniard

By

Nithyanand

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15-11-2018

The defense of Arsenal has always been a bone of contention as it has not proven to be solid on a consistent basis.

There are too few flashes of good form and there is a need to take care of that. Keeping that in mind, Arsenal have started looking at ways to bolster this department.

One such player that they have earmarked as per reports from Marca is the Spanish center back Mario Hermoso who plays for Espanyol.

Hermoso who joined the Spanish side from Real Madrid has proven to be a real asset for them and has gone on to establish himself as one of the best center backs in the Spanish league.

The price that the Gunners would have to pay is around €40m as that is the value of the release clause that has been set by Espanyol. A problem that could arise here is that Real Madrid can sign him for as little as €7.5m.

This is the value of the buyback clause that has been inserted by the Spanish giants and it is being suggested that they are looking to activate it.

If Real do go ahead with this then it would affect the plans that Arsenal have in mind. And to be fair, Espanyol would be more interested in getting the higher amount from a club, if they were to sell.

Another factor that is worth mentioning is that half of the release clause will go to Real Madrid if any deal is struck for Hermoso.

The form of the player is a big reason as to why he is being targeted by clubs such as the Gunners. Hermoso is someone who is very quick and strong and he is also a very good passer to boot.

If Arsenal were able to pull this move off, it will go a long way in ensuring that their defense is taken care off. But they will have to move quickly and not let other clubs get a chance at taking Hermoso away.

Boost for Arsenal as Bundesliga star admits its his dream to become a Gunners legend

By

Nithyanand

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15-11-2018

Even though many Arsenal fans did not agree when the move took place, they would have not thought in their wildest dreams that it will take off in such spectacular fashion.

The loan move of Reiss Nelson to Hoffenheim has proven to be a resounding success so far. But, the player’s focus is on the Gunners and he made this clear in a statement.

When Nelson was asked about his time in the Bundesliga and his future, this is what he had to say(as per Standard):

“I think a couple more months or even a year in Hoffenheim will make me strong and give me the belief and confidence to go back to Arsenal and do very good there. I want to be an Arsenal legend.”

If fans were a little worried that the player might be looking at opportunities elsewhere, this should put those fears to rest.

The connection that Nelson has with the Gunners is clear to see. This should surely make the fans very excited about what he is going to do when he comes back to the club.

Nelson has had an excellent start to life in the Bundesliga where he has already scored six goals so far. While we all knew that he was immensely talented, it was hard to predict him having this kind of a start to his Hoffenheim career.

Normally when a player and especially a young player goes to a foreign country, they take time to acclimatize to their new surroundings. This has not been the case with Nelson who has immediately hit the ground running.

Arsenal fans will be wishing that Nelson was playing at the Emirates as he is just what the club needs at the moment. There is a real dearth of wingers and the Gunners have found it difficult to fit someone in that role.

This is where a player like Reiss Nelson comes in handy. All the fans can do now is hope that he continues his development in Germany and become a more polished player.

Arsenal offer official injury update on Danny Welbeck

By

Nithyanand

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15-11-2018

Apart from the first two matches of the season, there has been a lot to be positive about as far as Arsenal are concerned.

But, there was some really bad news that happened in the last week. We are referring to the injury that has been suffered by striker Danny Welbeck.

Given how gruesome the injury was, there were a lot of fears about his situation and now Arsenal have given an update regarding this.

This is what the club had to say about the striker on their official website.

“Danny has undergone a second planned operation on his right ankle. Both procedures went well, without complications. Danny will now recuperate and start his rehabilitation. It’s too early to say how long this will take.”

The good news, if there is any to be taken from this, is the fact that the surgery went off well and that is a good start. From this, the road to recovery is going to be very difficult for the striker.

As someone who has gone through this rehabilitation process in the past, Welbeck understands what needs to be done. He is lucky to have such a support system behind him and that is sure to work in his favor.

The worst part about this injury was that the forward was in really good form and was showing how he can be an important player for the Gunners.

This has sadly been a feature of the striker’s Arsenal career as he has been derailed by injury far too many times. But, given the perseverance and determination that he has shown in the past, he will surely come back.

One thing that could scupper this whole process is the contract situation that Welbeck is in right now. His contract with the Gunners is set to expire next summer and it is still not clear as to whether the team is going to extend it. Before his injury, there were reports that Crystal Palace were interested in signing him and now it looks like that will not happen.

Agent claims Arsenal are scouting 18-year-old Brazilian, club confirm unspecified approach

By

Nithyanand

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14-11-2018

Arsenal have a reputation as a club that is focused on nurturing and developing young talents. This has been proven for a long period of time and was a particular facet of the reign of Arsene Wenger.

Even with a new manager, the Gunners seem to be still focused on youth players as well. As per reports in Sport Witness, the club is looking at 18-year-old midfielder Ramires who plays for Bahia in the Brazilian League.

Though the interest of Arsenal was not all that well known, there seems to be some form of confirmation of their interest. This is coming from the agent of Ramires who admitted that the Gunners are looking at the player.

It has to be noted that though the club is interested in Ramires, there has been no signs of talks happening as of now.

Bahia vice president Vitor Ferraz has spoken to Rádio Metropole, and despite confirming the player has been watched, he’s claimed that no bids have been made. He said:

“Its a period when evaluations are constantly made and it’s normal for this type of approach to arrive, that scouts come here and evaluate the athlete more closely and we are aware of all this.”

If a bid is to be made, it has to be around the €10-15m mark for a deal to be struck. Despite being at a young age in his career, Ramires has gone on to establish himself in the Bahia team this season. This has not gone unnoticed by the scouts of Arsenal and they have earmarked him as someone for the future.

The current Arsenal team has a very good young core and if a talent such as the Brazilian is added to that, it will be beneficial to the club. Brazil has always been a hotbed of footballing talent and every year, there is someone or the other making a move to Europe.

If Ramires does indeed join the Gunners in January, it will give them an opportunity to get him settled. He can use this period to become accustomed to a new country and style of play as well. The Brazilian is particularly good at creating chances for his teammates and that is something which is definitely appreciated at the Emirates.