Arsenal negotiating terms with club to agree transfer deal for €40m star

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24-07-2018

It is a little surprising to see the Gunners be linked to so many players given that they have signed five players so far.

Arsenal have been very quick and efficient in the transfer window getting members to fill in crucial gaps that exist in the squad.

And one of the names that they are being linked to as per the Mirror is the French midfielder Steven N’Zonzi who plays for Sevilla.

The only thing that is preventing the deal from being completed is the asking price that Sevilla have fixed. It is much higher than what the Gunners are willing to pay for N’Zonzi.

The Frenchman is said to have a release clause that is worth €40m but Arsenal have deemed it to be too much for the 29-year-old midfielder. They are trying their best to get the price down to a level where the Gunners feel comfortable.

N’Zonzi was a part of the French team that won the World Cup in Russia and was good whenever he was called upon. He, of course, has a history with the current Arsenal manager Unai Emery having played under him at Sevilla where the both of them won the Europa League.

It is possible that this is the reason that Emery seems to be keen on signing the Frenchman. Perhaps he feels that the familiarity he has with the player will serve him well in the setup that he has for the Gunners.

Arsenal have not given any indication as to whether they are looking to sign the player which is understandable given how secretive they are about their own transfer dealings.

But, it will not be a surprise if N’Zonzi does indeed become a player for Arsenal by the end of the transfer window. This is due to the fact that the window works in mysterious ways. It must be mentioned that Arsenal are not crying out for a midfielder to be signed so perhaps there may be some outgoings.

£26.5m midfielder confirms he will join Arsenal team-mates next week for pre-season training

By

Nithyanand

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24-07-2018

Arsenal have been very busy in this transfer window having signed five players so far. One of them is Lucas Torreira who was brought in from the Italian club Sampdoria.

Given that he was with Uruguay at the World Cup and was given a holiday and as a result, he has not yet joined with the Gunners squad.

But reports from the Mirror seem to suggest that Torreira will be joining the rest of the players as early as next week.

He was very impressive at the World Cup where had a starring role for his national team. Arsenal have done really well to get a player with a profile such as his and one that the team really needs at the moment.

Speaking to the club’s website after the move for Torreira, manager Unai Emery had this to say:

“In Lucas Torreira, we have signed a young player who is a very bright talent in the game. A midfielder with great quality, I have enjoyed watching his performances for Sampdoria in the past two seasons, and we all saw him do very well for Uruguay in the World Cup.

“He is a young player already with good experience, but who wants to keep on growing. We welcome Lucas to Arsenal and look forward to him joining us soon for pre-season.”

The £26.5m midfielder is expected to be part of the shakeup that Emery has in mind for the Arsenal team. A midfield three of Torreira, Xhaka and Ramsey seems to be well balanced and capable of providing a platform as well as support for the forward line.

The Premier League will get underway in a few weeks time so it is essential for the squad to start playing together as only then, they will be able to build a rapport with each other. This is especially true when there is a new manager in town and he is doing his best to impart his philosophy on the players.

The Arsenal players have responded positively to the way in which Emery has been conducting the training so it is entirely possible that Torreira is itching to be a part of the team.

There are suggestions that Arsenal are looking to bring in more players before the end of the transfer window so it will be interesting to see the way the squad shapes up. We will have to wait just a little longer to see how Torreira links up with his new teammates.

Arsenal make €50m bid to agree transfer deal for forward, 22-year-old wants to join

By

Nithyanand

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23-07-2018

When a club makes five signings in a transfer window, it is generally assumed that they are done with their business.

But that does not seem to be the case with Arsenal who are said to be looking at bringing in more players. And if reports from France are to be believed, one of them would be Kingsley Coman from Bayern Munich as they have made a bid worth €50m. The report also states that the 22-year-old star wants to join the North London club.

This seems a little unlikely given the fact that the Gunners do not have a huge budget to play around with. Though the consistency of the reports makes one wonder if a move is really on the horizon.

Coman is an exceptionally talented player who has all the ingredients to succeed at the Emirates. And with Franck Ribery becoming older, there is every chance that he will become a crucial member of the Bayern Munich squad in the near future and also, he will play in the Champions League this season.

The prospect of a player leaving a club in the Champions League to play in the Europa League seems a little far-fetched to be honest. But the transfer window works in mysterious ways so we will have to wait and see what happens.

Coman himself has added some fuel to the speculation due to his activity on social media. Using his Instagram profile, he ‘liked’ a photo that linked him with a move to the Gunners. This has naturally gotten fans very excited about the prospect of seeing the Frenchman at the Emirates.

The 2017-18 season was very good for the Frenchman but it ended in disappointing fashion as he got injured and also, he was not called up for the French team at the World Cup.

If the Gunners do manage to get Coman, he will add another dimension to their attack as he provides a more direct and dynamic option upfront. But to get him, Arsenal might have to sell a few players to generate the necessary funds to convince Bayern Munich.

22-year-old midfielder has agreed terms with Arsenal, will sign new four-year deal

By

Nithyanand

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23-07-2018

Given that Arsenal have now bought quite a few players this transfer window, the focus has been shifted to who will be leaving the club.

There are certain names that we expect to be part of this list such as Carl Jenkinson but there are others that we do not expect to be sold.

As per reports from the last couple of days, Alex Iwobi is someone that the Gunners are looking to sell. But, now the Mirror is reporting that he will not be sold and that his contract will be extended. It further states that the 22-year-old midfielder has already agreed terms with the club.

His current deal is said to run until the summer of 2020 but the extension will take his deal to the year 2022. Iwobi is someone who has shown flashes of the potential that he has but he has never been able to do it on a consistent basis.

You could always see that he was capable of doing much more and that has made some fans become a little frustrated with him. As far as the reports of him being sold are concerned, it is suggested that there was concrete interest coming from Italy.

When this kind of news filters through, fans become braced for the departure of a player and that seemed to be the case with Iwobi as well.

Due to his involvement with the Nigerian team at the World Cup, he came back at a later date than the rest of the squad. At the moment, he is traveling with the rest of the Gunners team to play preseason games in Singapore.

Iwobi has been with the club for a very long time and it is safe to say that he has a real connection with the Gunners. So, it would be nice to see him establish himself in the team although that will be a little difficult given the wealth of midfield options that Arsenal have.

It is going to be interesting to see what Unai Emery will want to do with Iwobi as he is surely a very valuable member of the squad.

Shkodran Mustafi trolls Arsenal’s new summer signing on social media

By

Sri Aswin

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22-07-2018

Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has taken his free time to troll summer signing Bernd Leno after the goalkeeper turned up with a phone charger which appears to have aged more than his compatriot himself.

To date, Leno has featured in two friendlies behind closed-doors for Arsenal but the game against Brentford, in particular, has raised some doubts over his ability after he made the mistake in the lead-up to the Bees’ winner in a 2-1 defeat.

Amidst this, Arsenal have been linked with a surprise move for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Yann Sommer and there are suggestions that the club are in advanced negotiations for the Swiss footballer.

Initially, it had been expected Petr Cech could stay put as the back-up shot-stopper with only David Ospina making way from the Emirates but there is now the realistic possibility of the pair heading through the exit door.

Ospina has not quite translated his international form at club level and his departure could come to fruition in the coming days with Besiktas seemingly leading the race for his signature.

On the other hand, Cech has iterated that he is content with the Gunners but the arrival of a second goalkeeper this summer may push him for a new challenge elsewhere.

Premier League rivals Chelsea have been tipped to re-sign Cech in recent days and the deal may become a reality, should the Gunners make their breakthrough in signing Sommer.

Unai Emery’s side are presently making their way to Singapore where they are scheduled to face Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in two friendly games as part of the International Champions Cup.

22-year-old striker on the verge of agreeing transfer deal, will complete Arsenal exit

By

Nithyanand

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22-07-2018

The name Chuba Akpom is one that many Arsenal fans will be familiar with as he is someone who has been at the club for a long time.

He has not really made an impression on the first team but he has somehow managed to hang around. That appears to be coming to an end if reports in Independent are to be believed as Akpom is set to join Belgian side Sint-Truiden in a deal that is said to be worth £2million.

It makes sense that the player will want to leave the Gunners as it looks like he may never be able to make mark at Arsenal.

He has spent quite a few seasons out on loan and some of them have been at foreign clubs. This shows that he is not averse to playing for a team from another country.

Akpom made very appearances for the Gunners as he was nowhere close to the first team. The reason for the Belgian side being interested in him stems from the fact that he spent some time on their books. He did not enough to impress them to make an offer for him to take him to Belgium.

When this season or rather the preseason began, it was a little surprise to see Akpom be a part of the squad. It looked like after many years he would his chance at the club. But as fate would have it, the club seems to have other plans as far as he is concerned.

His contract will get over next season so it is the right time for him to make the move. Though he has spent time in England, his best time as a player came when he has played for a foreign team.

Perhaps this is what made Akpom choose to make a move at this point in his career. It is a pity that his career never really took off as it would have been nice to see him blossom here.

Arsenal in ‘very advanced talks’ to agree transfer deal for sixth summer signing

By

Sri Aswin

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22-07-2018

Arsenal are reportedly close to securing their sixth recruit of the summer transfer window with negotiations at an advanced stage to sign goalkeeper Yann Sommer from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Unai Emery’s side have already recruited a shot-stopper in the form of Bernd Leno to provide competition but with both David Ospina and Petr Cech appearing likely to leave the Emirates, the club appear on the verge of securing another keeper.

According to Marca, the Gunners are close to acquiring the services of Sommer from Monchengladbach and the 29-year-old could compete with Leno for the number one role next term.

Earlier this week, Cech’s agent clarified that the veteran is focused on his duties with the Gunners but based on the speculation, the 36-year-old could be leaning towards a probable exit.

Cech has been associated with a possible return to Chelsea to replace Thibaut Courtois and this may end up as a probable case, should Sommer make the switch to the English capital.

On the other hand, Ospina appears set to follow the same route after experiencing another frustrating season last term where he was the second-choice shot-stopper.

The 29-year-old has never really got his chance to establish himself between the sticks and it is only a matter of time before the Colombian parts ways with the club.

Arsenal have recently made the trip to Singapore where they take on Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in the International Champions Cup.

The Gunners have so far picked up comfortable 8-0 and 9-0 friendly wins over Boreham Wood and Crawley Town respectively before succumbing to a shock 2-1 defeat to Championship side Brentford.

Journalist reveals Arsenal have ‘genuine’ interest in agreeing transfer deal for £45m midfielder

By

George

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21-07-2018

The news that Arsenal are interested in a transfer move for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has been backed up by reliable journalist Dean Jones.

The rumours that the Gunners will make a bid for the player has been circulating around the football community in the last week or so and has been met with heavy skepticism due to the lack of funds left in the club’s transfer budget.

Dean Jones said in his tweet, that:

‘Interest in Kingsley Coman is genuine. Not sure it’ll happen though’

Interest in Kingsley Coman is genuine. Not sure it'll happen though

— Dean Jones (@DeanJonesSoccer) July 20, 2018

Arsenal fans could take this in different ways, either that the deal has been given validation and a transfer is really on the table or that it looks to be an unlikely one to take place. We can remain hopeful that it could take place, but do Arsenal really need to sign a winger?

It is obvious Coman is a talented winger, making 35 appearances for Bayern Munich this season, but many as a substitute and still being directly involved in a goal via scoring it or assisting it every 109 minutes.

As well as this, the French forward is only 22 years old and looks to be nowhere near his potential yet.

With all his positives, the argument could still be made that with attacking options of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Lucas Perez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil that another attacker would serve no purpose for estimated £45m price tag.

We can only wait and see whether there is any solid moves happening behind the scenes with the young player.

Coman may not be the last signing of the transfer window either, with growing interest in the deal for French midfielder Steven N’Zonzi from Sevilla.

Fans and pundits are starting to wonder where the money will be coming from, and with David Ospina linked to Fenerbache, the goalkeeper may be the source of cash for the next few deals.

Arsenal already in talks to agree transfer deal for £26m star, Player wants to join Gunners

By

Nithyanand

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21-07-2018

From the outside it appears to look like Arsenal are still not done with their transfer business. Many people thought that the Gunners would be done after they signed five player so far, in this transfer window.

Two of those players happen to be midfielders but it appears that Arsenal are looking to another one to that mix.

That would be Andre Gomes from Barcelona who according to reports from the Spanish media seems to be heading to the Emirates on a loan deal.

The Gunners are not willing to match the price that has been quoted by the Catalan giants as they deem £26m to be too much. This is understandable as Arsenal have just spent a substantial amount of money to get those five players. And by the looks of it, the Gunners would prefer to take Gomes on a loan deal.

When new manager Unai Emery was talking to the media before his first match against Boreham Wood, he had this to say about potential signings:

“Normally, in my career the big clubs don’t close the [door] or the moment to sign a new player. Today, we are OK. Maybe we can bring in one if there’s a very good possibility for them to help us, but the club has done a great job of signing new players and I am happy.”

This is an indication that they are open to getting a player in provided that the opportunity arises. But, the arrival of Gomes is dependent on how many players leave the club during this transfer window. If the Gunners are to do this, it will provide the necessary funds to complete the deal.

Whatever happens, it promises to be a very important stage in the reign of Unai Emery. He is under pressure to deliver after a very disappointing last season under Arsene Wenger. Arsenal have done really well to make these moves in the transfer window and perhaps there is another up their sleeve for Gomes.

Done Deal: Arsenal announce that midfielder has agreed terms to join another club

By

Nithyanand

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21-07-2018

Much of the focus on Arsenal has been on the players that the Gunners have brought in. Not a lot has been said about the players that have left the club.

There have been a few high profile departures that have happened this season with the most prominent being that of Jack Wilshere.

Despite this, there is one deal that has gone under the radar and that would be the deal that takes Kelechi Nwakali to Porto on loan as it was by confirmed by the Arsenal’s official website.

This confirmation comes a little after the one that the Portuguese club had given. There was this belief that Nwakali would be a part of the Gunners squad this season.

It must be that the club decided that the player would be better off if he got some playing time elsewhere. Porto are known for their ability to nurture young talent so it makes sense that the Nigerian chose this club as his destination.

He is quite highly rated by those at the club and he was able to showcase his talent during his two loan spells in the Netherlands. Though he has not played a game for Arsenal, there is a belief that he will make his mark on the Gunners squad at some point in the future.

Nwakali himself had a lot to say about the move and the reason behind it. After the move was confirmed by the Portuguese side, he said:

“My main goal is to develop and evolve as a player. Improve my qualities and the other aspects that I know I need to correct to help me grow in the way I play.

I think FC Porto is the right place to evolve as a player. There are good players, young people, and I think I’ll grow up here.

I know FC Porto very well, because one of my football idols has played here: Deco.

He was a midfielder that I loved to watch play and I really hope to be able to meet him one day and tell him the importance he had in my desire to be a football player.”

Arsenal will feel very happy if he comes back to the club as a much better player and that is very much a possibility given the atmosphere that exists at Porto.

Nwakali has always been able to impress wherever he has played as he has shown his talents on the national stage as well. Everyone at Arsenal would surely wish him the best of luck for his loan spell.