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‘Delighted to have signed’, Calum Chambers officially confirms he has signed Arsenal contract

By
Nithyanand
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Among the transfer activity of Arsenal this summer, there has not been much focus given to the situation of contracts at the club.

Today, the Gunners have announced that one of the players has gotten an extension and that happens to be Calum Chambers. The center back who joined the club in 2014, has decided to extend his stay at the club by a few more years.

The defender took to Twitter to reveal his delight on signing a new deal:

“Delighted to have signed a new deal at ! I want to give my very best to this great club. Thanks to the new manger for showing faith in me and I’m looking forward to the big season ahead! I promise to repay the fans back for the support they’ve given me! ”

Chambers is one the players to have caught the eye of new manager Unai Emery, who has been impressed with the defender.

Emery sees him as someone who is going to be crucial to the success of the team. Speaking to Arsenal’s official website, this is what he had to say:

“I’m delighted Calum has extended his stay with us. He played an important role last season and will be part of my plans this season.”

Although the contract of Chambers had some years remaining in it, the club has chosen to extend it. This is a show of faith by the Gunners as it shows the place that he has at the club. And with the retirement of Per Mertesacker and the injury suffered by Laurent Koscielny, he will be expected to play a bigger role this season.

In the matches that Chambers did play, he showed his ability in defense as well as with the ball. His ability to play forward passes was a particular feature of his performances. Perhaps this season will be the one where he goes on to become a mainstay for the Gunners.

When news came that Chambers was going to sign an extension, not everyone was happy as shown by the reaction of former Arsenal player Perry Groves. But, the overall perception is that, he is sure to reach greater heights.

The defense is one area where Arsenal need to focus a lot on if they are to succeed. With the signing of Sokratis, they have gone some way in plugging that gap. And when you add young talents such as Chambers and Rob Holding to the mix, there is something there to be genuinely excited about.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reacts as Arsenal complete signing of another player

By
Nithyanand
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Aubameyang

Arsenal announced their third signing of the summer when they confirmed the arrival of center back Sokratis from Borussia Dortmund.

This gave the Greek defender the opportunity to reunite with his friends from his days as a Dortmund player. Aubameyang being one of them, took to social media to extend his welcome to a returning friend.

This is what he had to say:

“Papaaaaaa welcome #sparta.”

The opportunity to play with his friends again was clearly a motivation in him coming to join the Gunners. Sokratis had the following to say about conversations with his buddies:

“I spoke [to them] a lot times, he said. They said to me the best things about this club, that it is one big family and of course they also called me not every day but a lot of times telling me to come here.

“Yes it’s a little bit [strange] but it’s also very beautiful that I’ve come to one team but I also have two players who I was together with for a lot of years. I know them both very well and I’m very happy.”

Though the announcement took some time, it is good that Arsenal have focused on their defense and brought in someone with real quality. He joins Stephan Lichtsteiner and Bernd Leno to continue with the restructuring of the squad.

Last season found the Gunners being very weak in the defensive department. As a result of this, the club went on to lose many matches that they should have won. And under the management of Unai Emery, the club has decided that it is important to focus on the defense.

The Greek is expected to provide guidance to some of the younger center backs at the club such as Calum Chambers and Rob Holding. Arsenal fans will be hoping that Sokratis will go on to become a colossus at the back. If he can replicate his Dortmund form, the Gunners will be very happy with what they have.

Arsenal conducting early transfer business

By
admin
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Arsenal Stadium

With a new dawn on the Arsenal horizon, we enter something of the unknown this season. Arsene’s Wenger stint in charge of the club came to an end in May and whoever took over the role as manager of the Gunners would have incredibly big shoes to fill.

The man tasked with the job of returning Arsenal to the top end of the Premier League table is former Paris Saint-Germain manager Unai Emery. The Spaniard, who won three successive Europa League trophies with Sevilla between 2014 to 2016, has now traded the French capital city for that of the English one.

And the fact that the 46-year-old comes to London with such a trophy-winning pedigree is something that has given Arsenal fans cause for optimism as the 2018/19 campaign looms large. A feeling that has been further reinforced when you look at the club’s off-season transfer dealings.

Looking at the most recent Betfair soccer betting tips, the price of 33/1 for Arsenal to win the Premier League next season may well be a step too far, but at just 9/4 to finish in the top four, this could well represent a good value bet.

Although the current focus is on the World Cup, Emery is not waiting for events in Russia to conclude before business can be done this summer. Three new names have already been announced at the Emirates and the hope is that there will at least be a couple more to come.

It’s been fair to say that over the past couple of years, Arsenal as a defensive unit have been suspect at times and it is this area of the pitch in which reinforcements have been sourced. In between the posts, German goalkeeper Bernd Leno has joined from Bayer Leverkusen.

This will add extra competition in this particular department, but at the same time, the feeling is that three into one will not go, with the question being, who out of Petr Cech or David Ospina will be departing the Emirates this Summer?

In addition to the arrival of Leno, two new defenders can now call the Emirates home. The first of those is Switzerland international Stephan Lichtsteiner. The right-back, who won an impressive haul of trophies with Italian giants Juventus, will add much experience to the Gunners’ backline.

While the addition of Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from German outfit Borussia Dortmund will add much-needed solidity to the centre of the back four. Something that will especially be needed what with Laurent Koscielny’s long-term absence.

There’s no doubting that Arsenal have some impressive attacking talent and it could well be that the midfield and final third of the pitch are areas that new boss Unai Emery feels are ones that won’t need all that much of a change.

However, with Jack Wilshere’s decision to find a new club, there is still scope for another centre midfielder to come in and bolster the ranks. A brief that could well be fitted by the arrival of Uruguayan international Lucas Torreira.

The 22-year-old, who currently plies his trade for Sampdoria in Italy, has caught the eye of many this summer and is believed to be very close to a move and the deal should be completed once Uruguay’s participation in this year’s World Cup comes to a halt.

He could well prove to be the missing link in Arsenal’s midfield, offering the tenacity that has been missing as of late. Should this piece of business come to fruition then you would have to say it has been a very impressive transfer window for the club, and something that bodes well for the start of next season.

Steven N’Zonzi wants to join Arsenal this summer, hands in a transfer request

By
Sri Aswin
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Steven N'Zonzi

Arsenal have received a huge boost in the pursuit of Sevilla midfielder Steven N’Zonzi amid reports that he handed in a transfer request.

The France international has been linked with the Gunners since the summer of 2017 and the speculation has only intensified with former Sevilla boss Unai Emery succeeding Arsene Wenger at the helm.

Earlier last month, Sevilla director of football Joaquin Caparros stressed that the Gunners may not sign N’Zonzi unless they trigger the £35m buy-out clause written into the contract but The Mail has now brought a fresh twist to the story.

As per the publication, the midfielder is said to have handed in a transfer request in order to seal a reunion with Emery in London and this may potentially tempt Sevilla to accept a cut-price worth £22m for his services.

Arsenal have focused on strengthening the defensive side of the game since the start of the summer and N’Zonzi would unquestionably be a top addition alongside Lucas Torreira, who is seemingly close to an Emirates move.

Despite this, there could be negatives related to the move, considering the arrival of the pair may hamper the gametime of one of Aaron Ramsey or Granit Xhaka.

Ramsey, in particular, has yet to extend his stay beyond the summer of 2019 and the next couple of weeks could give a clear indication on his future with the north London giants.

The Wales international is said to have been handed a fresh four-year extension at the Emirates with a significant wage rise but he has yet to commit his long-term future.

Deal agreed, Medical planned: Lucas Torreira expected to finalise Arsenal move soon

By
Nithyanand
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Lucas Torreira

Arsenal have already completed three signings with Stephan Lichtsteiner, Bernd Leno and Sokratis joining the Gunners this summer.

The fourth player who is said to be adding to that list soon is Sampdoria midfielder, Lucas Torreira. And according to reports in Football Italia, the €30m deal should be completed once the World Cup campaign of Uruguay is done.

This was even confirmed by the player’s father who confirmed that the negotiations between the clubs went without a glitch and the midfielder is expected to undergo his Arsenal medical after the World Cup. He said:

“I want the best for my son and I also know that Arsenal showed a lot of interest in him,” Ricardo Torreira told Radio Crc.

“It’s not done, neither is it official, because he hasn’t signed anything, but there’s a great chance that Lucas’ future will be in England.

“There was no problem in the negotiations, and the latest is that as soon as the World Cup ends, he’ll go to London for a medical.”

Torreira has been very impressive for Uruguay in the last couple of matches and he was particularly good against Portugal. In the Round Of 16 he helped keep Cristiano Ronaldo and company at bay. He will now be expected to repeat his heroics against the much more favored French team.

Signing Torreira will be seen as a statement of intent that the Gunners are trying to make, given the disappointing end to last season. It is important for Arsenal to get back into the Champions League as soon as possible. Getting players with the caliber of the Uruguayan is sure to help with that cause.

As we have known for some time now, the announcement is expected to arrive soon and fans have been getting really excited seeing the midfielder play so well.

A midfield three of Xhaka, Torreira and Ramsey is as strong as any in the Premier League and the signs point to him doing well. Though moving to a new country and new league is difficult, fans will be hoping that he will be hitting the ground running soon.

Gary Neville raves about £26m Arsenal target after top-class performance

By
Sri Aswin
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Lucas Torreira

Manchester United legend-turned-pundit has praised the qualities of Lucas Torreira following his top-notch showing in Uruguay’s 2-1 win over Portugal.

The South American nation managed to oust Portugal from the World Cup after his impressive brace from Edinson Cavani in the round of 16 but Neville levied special praise on the central defensive partnership of Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin.

Meanwhile, the ITV pundit added to point to the qualities of Torreira, who had made a number of critical interceptions in the penalty box during the course of the game.

“Torreira, the boy in midfield, he gets back in – I don’t know how many times he got back in as the ball was pulled back behind the two centre-backs and he was there to clear it,” he said.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with the Sampdoria man over the past month but a recent tweet from BBC’s David Ornstein has suggested that a deal has yet to be finalised.

Nevertheless, the north London side are deemed to be in pole position to acquire the midfielder’s services with the Italian club’s president recently confirming that Torreira has been sold in a deal worth £26m – the same sum Arsenal are said to have offered.

Torreira’s Uruguay have now progressed into the quarter-final stage of the World Cup where they are scheduled to face France, who beat Argentina by a 4-3 scoreline.

The 22-year-old has been in impressive form for Uruguay after securing back-to-back starts for the first time in his international career and the next game will be relishing to watch with Torreira facing off against one of the best holding midfielders in the business in N’Golo Kante.

‘Always been my dream’, Young midfielder officially confirms he has signed Arsenal deal

By
Nithyanand
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Arsenal Stadium

Every year, it is interesting to see which youngster will be able to make the step up from the youth teams. Last season, we saw the emergence of talents such as Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

This season we could see another exciting talent do well in the form of Robbie Burton who has signed professional terms with the Gunners.

The 18-year-old who has been at the club since the age of six had this to say after the contract was signed:

“From the age of 6 when I first joined, it’s always been my dream to sign a professional contract @arsenal Thank you to all my family and all the people that have helped me along the way. Looking forward to the future.”

There is going to be a lot of competition for places in the Arsenal squad but if Burton is able to showcase his talent, he may get a few opportunities.

The Gunners have always been a club to encourage young talent as there are countless examples of this happening. How much game time he will get is entirely dependent on the way he plays. Maybe the club would feel that Burton will be better served with a loan away from the club.

It is going to be interesting to see the way in which new manager Unai Emery plans to use these players. Arsenal will compete in four competitions so some of them may end up getting a chance. The best bet for a player like Burton would be getting a game in the Carabao Cup.

Most of the players that Arsenal have signed or are targeting tend to belong to the more experienced category. This should not discourage a player like Burton as there will be chances, if not today, sometime later.

The important thing is that he focuses on improving his game and he will be playing sooner than many think. Arsenal fans would love to see a youngster like him make a big impression on the team, in the upcoming season.

 

Official: Arsenal confirm third summer signing, Sokratis Papastathopoulos signs

By
Nithyanand
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By all accounts, Arsenal have had the deal for Sokratis wrapped up for quite some time now and the North London club have finally made an official announcement today on their website.

The announcement has been delayed as a result of the way in which the financial year in Germany is conducted. Evening Standard are reporting that Sokratis will join the Gunners in a £16m deal and the defender will sign a 3-year deal.

German publication RuhrNachrichten confirmed earlier in the day, that the deal is set to be announced today. This was made even clearer when Sokratis was spotted traveling and it is thought that he was on his way to London.

Getting Sokratis is a good deal for the Gunners as he is a strong defender who is quite tough. You need players like that when you are trying to reestablish yourself like the way Arsenal are trying to do. The Greek will arrive in London after a successful career in Germany where he has played for teams such as Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund.

Today being the day that new manager Unai Emery takes charge, it would be nice to see a signing being announced by the club. Arsenal need to sort out their defense as it was one of the weak links in the season that just got over.

Sokratis will become the third signing for Arsenal after the arrival of both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Bernd Leno. Another player that is expected to join the trio is the Uruguayan Lucas Torreira.

On the contract front, there has been talk of Calum Chambers being offered a new deal. This has led to some interesting reactions such as the one from former Arsenal player Perry Groves who had this to say, as per Talk Sport:

“Most Arsenal fans would say they don’t think at the moment Calum Chambers is good enough.“If you’re going to give a player a chance, surely you bring him in and say I really rate you, I’m going to give you a chance in pre-season, beginning of the season.

If you do well, then I’ll put your money up. Why would you put someone’s money up first if you haven’t proved yourself?”

Perhaps Chambers will be able to reach new heights under a new manager. And if he is able to learn a few tricks of the trade from a player such as Sokratis, it is only going to benefit Arsenal.

Arsenal keen on Mexican wonder kid

By
Nithyanand
-

Arsenal have been quite busy in this transfer window as they have already bought a couple of players in Stephan Lichtsteiner and Bernd Leno.

They are also looking at adding to their youth teams and one player that they have identified is the Mexican wonder kid Marcelo Flores, according to reports in Mirror.

Flores currently plays for Ipswich Town and he is highly regarded at the club. His playing style is said to be a combination of both Eden Hazard and Lionel Messi.

While these comparisons may be lofty, it goes to show just how talented the youngster is. He has already expressed his desire to play in the bigger leagues.

Flores said:

“One of my ambitions is to play professionally in the Premier League”

This has caught the attention of the bigger teams with Chelsea set to rival Arsenal for the player’s signature. When he signed for Ipswich, they beat teams such as Liverpool and Barcelona to get him. When asked about his role models in the game, this is what he had to say:

“Internationally, my favourite is [Lionel] Messi, Flores added. Whilst in the Premier League, I like watching Hazard – I try to model my game on them both.”

It would be a coup of sorts for Arsenal if they managed to get the player as it shows that they care about the long-term future of the club as well. Though it may be some time before Flores plays for the first team, it is a nice feeling to have young players that are highly regarded.

Arsenal and their new Head Of Recruitment Sven Mislintat are said to have been really impressed with the Ipswich player. This is the catalyst that has prompted the Gunners to make a move for Flores.

The transfer activity of Arsenal this summer is far from over and we could see further signings be made. If one of them happens to be Flores, it would not be too much of a surprise. But to do that, they will have to move ahead of other clubs.

Petr Cech makes key future decision, confirms Napoli interest

By
Sri Aswin
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Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has stressed that he won’t be leaving the club this summer despite the apparent interest from Serie A side Napoli.

The Naples outfit have expressed a keen interest in the 36-year-old after witnessing Pepe Reina’s exit to AC Milan but Cech has made his mind up to stay put at the Emirates.

Speaking to reporters in his native Zruc, Cech highlighted that he has another year left on his Gunners deal and he is prepared to fight for the number one spot next term.

Meanwhile, the veteran confirmed that there was indeed interest from Napoli but he has declined the approach to prolong his stay in north London.

He said: “My contract with Arsenal still has a year to run. The only thing I’m preparing for is the fight for the No.1 spot in goal.  Napoli were interested but my future is at Arsenal. I didn’t think of changing clubs.”

As things stand, Leno appears the likelier candidate to start between the sticks for Arsenal next term but any mistake made by the Germany international may bring Cech back into the mix.

Meanwhile, Cech’s decision to stick with the club will most certainly witness the departure of David Ospina, who has genuinely played a back-up role during his time at the club.

Turkish club Fenerbahce are said to have already held talks over a potential move for the former Nice man and the deal is likely to advance once Colombia returns from the summer World Cup in Russia.

Elsewhere, Emiliano Martinez has returned to the Gunners after an unfruitful loan spell with Getafe and Emery may have a choice to make between the Argentine and Matt Macey for the third-keeper role at the Emirates.

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