Arsenal ready move to sign Petr Cech replacement for just £22m

By

-

06-03-2018

Arsenal have reportedly intensified their search for a new goalkeeper following the inconsistent performances of Petr Cech during the ongoing campaign.

The 35-year-old has been guilty of making unforced mistakes which have cost the club valuable points this term, and the club appear set to pursue a replacement.

According to Bild, the north London side are lining up a swoop for Bernd Leno, who has been with Bayer Leverkusen for the past seven years.

The 26-year-old presently has a release clause of £22m on his contract which expires during the summer of 2020, but this does not offer the Gunners with an easy route to his services.

As per Bild, Serie A leaders Napoli are also interested in the six-cap Germany international, and they see him as a probable successor to Pepe Reina, who is expected to leave on a free transfer during the summer.

Cech started his Gunners career in 2015 with a couple of top-notch performances including one versus Liverpool, but his reflexes are no longer the same, and this was evident during the weekend.

The Czech allowed Glenn Murray to score off a header which he should have gobbled into his grasp, but his poor handling allowed the 34-year-old to score a crucial goal which proved the winner.

Gunners’ back-up goalkeeper David Ospina has also inconsistent with his positioning in the Cup competitions, and his performances may come under focus during the two-legged Europa League tie versus Milan.

Arsene Wenger has stuck with the Colombian for most of the Cup and European duties this term, and the shot-stopper may need to be at the top of his game against the Rossoneri, who are unbeaten since the turn of the year.

Arsenal in three-way battle with Manchester clubs to sign Jorginho

By

Sri Aswin

-

06-03-2018

Arsenal are reportedly set to compete with Manchester United and Manchester City in the pursuit of highly-rated Napoli midfielder Jorginho in the summer.

The Italian footballer has stood out at the heart of the Napoli midfield this campaign, and his performances have enhanced the club’s chances of ending Juventus’ recent supremacy in the Serie A.

According to The Sun, the Gunners have joined the hunt for the former Verona man, whose agent has talked up the possibility of a Premier League move next term.

The Mancunian sides are likely to be the prime contenders for the £60m-rated star with their better spending capacity, but his representative has cited that the player may not be fond of the rainy weather, though it may not be a big concern.

Arsene Wenger’s side have struggled to find a solid midfielder, who can intercept play in defensive situations, and Granit Xhaka, in particular, has received plenty of stick for this reason.

Jack Wilshere is probably the best out of the lot when it comes to showing the urge to defend without the ball, but the Englishman’s future remains in question beyond the summer.

The 26-year-old has yet to prolong his stay beyond the current campaign, and a recent report has suggested that the midfielder is ‘miles apart‘ from penning an extension.

As a result, the Gunners would no doubt be searching for a new enforcer during the summer, and Jorginho should be a prime target, if he is made available.

The Italian is excellent with his ball retention from the base of the midfield, and he has also shown his capability of unlocking the opposition defence with long diagonal balls which may benefit a player of Aubameyang’s calibre on the counter.

Arsenal want Jose Gimenez from Atletico Madrid in a swap deal involving Koscielny

By

Sri Aswin

-

06-03-2018

Arsenal are reportedly looking at the possibility of recruiting Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez at the end of the season.

The Uruguayan has found himself back into the reckoning of Diego Simeone at Atleti following a muscular injury to Stefan Savic.

According to El Gol Digital, the Gunners could be prepared to part ways with Laurent Koscielny in a surprise deal to lure Gimenez to the Emirates Stadium.

Gimenez presently has a £57.3m release clause on his existing deal, and it is suggested that the Gunners will propose to offer Koscielny as a makeweight in order to reduce the overall fee.

Koscielny has shown signs of regression owing to his recurrent Achilles problem over the past 18 months, but he is nevertheless said to be rated highly by Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone.

The defence has been one of the Gunners’ negative points over the course of the season, and there is likely to be a major revamp during the next transfer window.

Aside from Koscielny, the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding have underperformed at the back, and the fans can expect movement with Raul Sanllehi and Sven Mislintat brought in to handle the incomings and outgoings at the Emirates.

Gimenez, 23, has been a credible performer for Atleti over the past four-and-a-half seasons, but the Uruguayan could be tempted by a fresh challenge, given he is likely to play second fiddle, when both Diego Godin and Stefan Savic are fit for the central defensive duties.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see whether the centre-back would prefer playing for a club without Champions League, which may be the case with the Gunners, unless they win the Europa League crown this term.

Arsene Wenger identifies his replacement, wants this ex-Gunner as his successor

By

Sri Aswin

-

05-03-2018

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reportedly identified former midfielder Mikel Arteta as the leading candidate to takeover the managerial reigns in the future.

The 68-year-old has come under immense pressure to quit after back-to-back defeats to Manchester City, which have since been followed with a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion on the road.

According to The Mirror, Wenger has lined up Arteta as the ideal person to succeed him once his contract expires at the Emirates in the summer of 2019.

Arteta, who is currently part of Manchester City’s coaching staff, has been taking plenty of information from manager Pep Guardiola, and his development under the Catalan tactician has not gone as unnoticed within the Arsenal ranks.

Nonetheless, it appears that they may face additional competition from Everton, who have been urged by their fans to replace Sam Allardyce with Arteta, who spent six seasons at Goodison Park.

The defeat at Brighton saw the Gunners lose their first four away league games for the first time since 1925, and as a result, they have attained just 13 points in 15 top-flight matches on the road this term.

Wenger’s position could perhaps be re-evaluated at the end of the season, but the focus for now will be on returning to winning ways after a rather dismal run since February which has included just one victory in the Europa League versus Ostersund.

Arsenal’s chances of claiming a top-four spot are pretty much over with a 13-point deficit to Tottenham Hotspur with just nine games left, and the chance to reach the Champions League may entirely lie on lifting the Europa League crown.

The Gunners face an in-form AC Milan side on the road in the first-leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie on Thursday night, and one can just hope that the players turn up after a rather dismal defensive performance on the south Coast.

Arsenal make transfer decision on Aaron Ramsey amid contract standoff

By

Sri Aswin

-

04-03-2018

Arsenal could part ways with Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey in the summer, if a report from The Mail is to be believed.

The 27-year-old has spent nearly a decade of his career with the Gunners, but it appears that he could end his association at the end of the season.

According to The Mail, the Gunners are yet to resolve the contract of the Wales international, whose present deal expires at the end of next season.

Ramsey is said to sought a significant pay-rise, considering the £170,000-a-week plus wages offered to the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and this seems to have led to a contract standoff.

Like Hector Bellerin, the midfielder believes the club have gone through a regression phase over the past 18 months, and he is alleged to be looking for a potential challenge elsewhere in the summer.

Ramsey has often come for criticism for his performances on the playing field, but he has popped up with key goals for the side, including the winners in the 2014 and 2017 FA Cup finals.

Nevertheless, he has managed to maintain his consistency over the course of a whole season, given his struggles with a muscular problem, which rarely avoids him in every campaign.

Arsenal are facing the prospect of missing out on the top-four for the second season on the trot, and this may see them fail to make the Champions League, unless they win the Europa League altogether.

As such, the club are said to have planned a major overhaul of the squad, and the futures of the likes of Wilshere, Ramsey and Danny Welbeck remain in doubt beyond the summer.

There has also been questions raised regarding the position of manager Arsene Wenger, and a final decision on his future may be left to the board, as the Frenchman has stressed that he won’t step down midway through his two-year contract in June.

Arsene Wenger won’t be Arsenal manager next season, club legend makes huge claim

By

Sri Aswin

-

04-03-2018

Arsenal legend-turned-pundit Paul Merson believes Arsene Wenger will end his two-decade long career with the Gunners once the season comes to a close.

The north London side have endured a difficult run since the turn of the year, and their lean form has seen them bow out of the FA Cup as well as lose the League Cup final to Manchester City last weekend.

The Europa League remains the only source of silverware this term, and Merson does not see Arsene Wenger staying put beyond the summer, unless they achieve European success come May.

He told Sky Sports: “No. As I sit here I say no. If they go to AC Milan and win next Thursday, and they go on and win the Europa League, for me that’s a great season for where Arsenal are at the moment. If they win a European trophy it would be a phenomenal feat.

“But I can’t see it. I don’t even fancy them to go and beat Brighton on Sunday. I feel [Wenger] would’ve gone if he didn’t have AC Milan on Thursday night. I feel he would’ve then gone if he got beat by Brighton.”

Arsenal suffered their second straight league defeat following a 3-0 thumping at the hands of City on Thursday night, and this sees them 10 points off the Champions League spots, which may be further extended.

The north Londoners take on Brighton on the road on Sunday afternoon, and based on their current form and confidence, the game could prove a tricky one for Wenger’s side ahead of their European commitments.

AC Milan were probably a favourable side to play prior to the turn of the year, but they have now turned into a strong unit under Gennaro Gattuso with a 13-match unbeaten streak in all competitions.

More so, their defence has been solid with nearly 10 hours with conceding a goal in any competition, and it will be interesting to see whether Danny Welbeck can find his goalscoring boots since August, where he was undoubtedly in the best form of his Gunners’ career.

Arsene Wenger continues to struggle and even a win can’t relieve the pressure

By

The Long Shadow

-

04-03-2018

Regardless of the score on Sunday against Brighton, Arsene Wenger finds himself with his head in a vice and it’s getting tighter by the second. A win will show that the North London club are able to beat teams fighting in the relegation zone, something that is almost expected.

It will also confirm that the Emirates club can overwhelm weaker opposition but when they come face to face with any of the other top sides in the division, they fall woefully short and are embarrassed in the process.

A draw or loss would compound Wenger’s issues and go some way to weakening his hold on the manager’s position, which looks precarious at best. If they scored 10 goals, the value of that win would be canceled out by the undeniable facts that they are a massive 30 points behind the Premiership leaders and 8 points behind Chelsea to be in contention for a champions league slot.

They have won one game out of the last five, conceded nine goals and scored just four goals, which is obviously part of the inherent problem with the side. Arsenals goal difference is plus 12, 50 behind City and is the worst of the top six clubs, this is all undeniable but sadly pointless.

It’s clear to everyone that Arsenal are a club in crisis, a crisis that is so bad, that if their current form had been at the beginning of the season, they would be in the bottom half of the table and looking at a relegation battle.

Brighton will no doubt be organised and they aren’t at the Emirates to relieve the pressure. They will see this as the ideal time to play the Gunners and will expect a draw at the very least. Arsenal have all sorts of problems, they are incapable of defending, unable to create opportunities and even more worrying, unable to score.

The nerves will be evident and if the opening goal were to go in Brighton’s favour it could have major repercussions for Wenger. It’s speculative to suggest the outcome for the Frenchman at the end of the season but one feels it’s over and it’s just a case of being told the unfortunate news.

I am sad that this disintegration has happened but in the last three or four seasons, Wenger has applied plasters to wounds that required stitches, he has made do, failed to plan in advance and allowed loyalty to cloud his judgment.

Some will just be happy to see the back of the manager but the transition is always difficult and there are no guarantees that a new appointment will fair any better with the same personnel.

It’s gone beyond a handful of terrible results, Wenger has lost the confidence of his players, his board and the fans. Hardly anyone feels that there is a case for him to stay and perhaps he would have been better advised to quit at the end of last season.

This whole saga is going to end unpleasantly for everyone concerned including the long-suffering fans, change is needed but what kind of change and how long will Arsenal be cast into the footballing wilderness.

Arsenal interested in summer deal for Real Madrid star Luka Modric

By

Sri Aswin

-

04-03-2018

Arsenal are reported to be interested in a summer deal for Real Madrid’s Croatian midfielder Luka Modric and have made contact.

The 32-year-old is presently contracted to Los Blancos until June 2020, but he is seemingly looking for a move elsewhere in the summer.

According to Don Balon, the Croatian is said to fancy a new challenge in the summer, and he has told Los Blancos president Florentino Perez of his apparent wish.

The report adds that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is aware of the midfielder’s situation, and he could potentially lure him to the Emirates Stadium, despite his former links with arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal are in need of a new midfielder with the ability to present better concentration in the defensive side of things, but going with Modric may surely be a backward step, considering his trailing age.

Moreover, Wenger’s future beyond the summer remains in question, though the long-standing manager has on numerous occasions suggested that he will honour the remainder of his contract, which expires in 2019.

Rather than Modric, the club’s hierarchy should look into a player with a better physical presence in the centre of the park, and someone like Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio will make the midfield appear a lot more solid.

At just 23, the Serbian is rated as one of the top box-to-box midfielders in Europe, and pursuing his signature would surely have the Gunners spend a record sum amid the vast competition, which includes Real Madrid, who have had a poor season by their standards at the domestic level.

Transfer speculation aside, Arsenal will seek to claim a first victory in four matches when they travel to the South Coast to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday.

Aubameyang, Iwobi and Xhaka start, 4-2-3-1: Strongest Predicted Arsenal XI vs Brighton

By

Sri Aswin

-

03-03-2018

Arsenal will look to claim their first Premier League win in three attempts when they make the visit to the south London to take on Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Gunners have gone on their worst run on the road under the Frenchman, and a victory on Sunday is essential to boosting the morale around the squad after recent results.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Lineup:

Petr Cech made a couple of fine saves against Manchester City on Thursday to keep the scores a little respectable. The veteran is expected to start in goal this weekend.

In defence, Hector Bellerin could once more slot into the right side of the defence, whilst we are fancying Ainsley Maitland-Niles to get the nod over Sead Kolasinac in the opposite direction.

Laurent Koscielny has tended to struggle with a recurring Achilles problem, and Wenger may make the choice of benching the club-captain for the Rossoneri trip next week.

Hence, we are anticipating a rare start for Rob Holding alongside Shkodran Mustafi at the heart of the backline, after Calum Chambers’s poor display in the League Cup final.

Granit Xhaka has been ever-present at the heart of the Gunners’ midfield, and he is probably an automatic change for Wenger. Alongside the Swiss, we are fancying Jack Wilshere to start, provided he passes a late fitness test.

Aaron Ramsey could not quite find the cutting edge to his play versus City, and Wenger may probably bench him, similarly to Koscielny, having recently recovered from a muscular injury of his own.

Further forward, Alex Iwobi may start on the left-wing ahead of Danny Welbeck with Mesut Ozil on the right, whilst Henrikh Mkhitaryan should take on the number 10 position.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ineligible for the Europa League, and hence he is certain to lead the line, where he may be looking to make amends for his penalty miss versus City.

Good news for Arsenal: Wenger provides key injury update ahead of Brighton game

By

Sri Aswin

-

03-03-2018

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has provided a key update on his first-team squad ahead of this weekend’s Premier League game at Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Gunners endured a difficult start to the month with a 3-0 league defeat at Manchester City on Thursday night, and the Brighton game is a must-win in order to build up confidence ahead of the Europa League tie versus AC Milan.

Speaking prior to the Seagulls game, Wenger admitted that he will assess the overall fitness around the squad, and this may see a couple of key players including Laurent Koscielny benched, considering his issues with a recurring Achilles problem.

Meanwhile, going on the individual basis, Wenger appeared to confirm that Wilshere is a 50/50 for the encounter, and he will have late fitness test on his ankle to determine his participation at the south Coast.

Other than this, there was not any update on the rest, and this suggests that Nacho Monreal is out for an extended period, which may include the upcoming matches versus Brighton and Milan on the road.

Wenger said on the team: “I don’t know, we will have to analyse that medically and see if I need to rest some players or not. I have until Sunday to make that decision, but of course we gave a lot [in the Carabao Cup final] and on Thursday night. I have to decide who I rest and who I keep going.”

And when asked on Wilshere, he added: “If he can practice tomorrow, then he will be in contention. He will not practice today, he will have treatment and then a test tomorrow.”

Arsene Wenger’s side are pretty much out of the running for the Champions League positions via the league phase, but they is still plenty of stake at Brighton after two successive away defeats.

The Gunners presently have a woeful away record of just 13 points in 14 league matches, which is comparable with the likes of Newcastle United, and the team will want to end on a high by winning the remaining outings, which is far easier said than done.