Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin is expected to return from injury ahead of schedule

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10-07-2019

Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin is expected to return to action sooner than it was first expected, according to reports in the Guardian.

The Spaniard who injured his cruciate ligament in January was one of the most important members of the Arsenal squad before his injury. Bellerin is targeting a return by the end of September.

The defender underwent surgery in Spain and the prognosis given to him was in the region of nine months but now his recovery is going faster than what the medical staff anticipated.

The 24-year-old could well return in time for the game against Aston Villa on the 22nd of September. The youngster was in fine form for the North London club before his untimely injury against Chelsea in a 2-0 home win on the 19th of January.

He was instrumental in Arsenal’s excellent mid-season form and with him in the side, the Emirates club would have had a better chance of finishing in the top four. His absence showed how crucial he was to the way manager Unai Emery had set up the team.

A lot of the Arsenal attacks were through the right-hand side and Bellerin’s pace and passing was key to what the club was trying to achieve on the pitch. The Gunners were lucky that Ainsley Maitland-Niles was able to replace Bellerin and perform quite well but it is clear that right-back is not the youngster’s preferred position.

Arsenal start their pre-season tour of the USA on the 16th of July and it will give the manager a chance to see how the squad is shaping up for the upcoming season. Emery is sure to give a lot of youngsters a run out especially due to the fact that many players are away on international duty.

The North London club will have to do without Bellerin in the initial stages of the season and that is a blow for sure. But the good news is that the Spaniard will be back soon and he is sure to shore up the Arsenal defense.

Arsenal will be trying their best to get back into the Champions League as this will be their third consecutive season in the Europa League. And Bellerin will definitely have a big role to play in the team’s success.

Arsenal agree 5-year contract with William Saliba

By

Nithyanand

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09-07-2019

Arsenal have reportedly completed the signing of talented young French center back William Saliba from Saint-Etienne.

Though the news has not yet been confirmed by any of the clubs involved, Yahoo Sports France have tweeted about the deal. This is what they had to say:

https://twitter.com/YahooSportFR/status/1148555396841447424

‘William Saliba (ASSE) will commit to Arsenal. 5-year contract. Ready for Sainté next season.’

But fans will have to be a little patient in order to see Saliba turn out for Arsenal as he will be sent back on loan to Saint-Etienne for the next season.

This news was given further credence with Mohamed Boufasi who works for RMC Sport giving more details about the move for the youngster. He said:

“William Saliba to Arsenal is essentially complete. #Arsenal and ASSE have reached an agreement of around €30M. Whilst both clubs are still discussing transfer bonuses, the player has already agreed with Arsenal.’

William #Saliba to Arsenal is essentially complete. #Arsenal and ASSE have reached an agreement of around €30M. Whilst both clubs are still discussing transfer bonuses, the player has already agreed with Arsenal. #RMCsport

— Mohamed Bouhafsi (@mohamedbouhafsi) July 8, 2019

The fee seems a little high for a player who turned 18 earlier this year but given the amount of potential that Saliba has, it is understandable why Saint-Etienne were holding out for so much.

The French side wanted their man back on loan for another season and the North London club have begrudgingly agreed to that. One good thing about the current deal is that Arsenal will only have to pay a small fee this season as he will not be coming to the Emirates.

According to reports in Evening Standard, the bulk of the £25m fee will have to be paid next season when Saliba will actually turn out for the Gunners. The youngster is thought to be one of the most exciting defensive talents to come out of France in the recent past. There are some suggestions that he could develop in the same way as Raphael Varane.

Saliba becomes the second signing for the Gunners after they recently confirmed the arrival of another exciting talent in Gabriel Martinelli. While fans of the club will surely be happy with such arrivals, they will be hoping that the Gunners are also looking at more experienced players who can immediately make an impression for the first team.

The logic behind sending Saliba back on loan would be to let him develop in an atmosphere where he is comfortable. Hopefully, Arsenal get a more rounded player and one that can help their defense immensely.

Arsenal to pay part of Ozil’s salary, desperate to offload star this summer

By

Nithyanand

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09-07-2019

Fenerbahce are ready to make a move for Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil as per latest reports coming out of Turkey.

As per reports in Turkish outlet Fanatik(via Mirror) it is said that the Turkish giants are confident that they can secure the signing of the German on a loan deal.

It further claims that Fenerbahce are will be willing to pay £8m of the £13.5m that the midfielder earns annually. The North London club will be paying the remaining amount of his wages and that should facilitate the deal and push it over the line.

Ozil did not seem to be much in the plans laid out by manager Unai Emery last season as he ended up playing in only 24 games throughout the season.

The plan that has been thought of by the Turkish club has one complication and that is the fact that the German loves his life in London and is not keen on moving from there. But there is a suggestion that the Emirates club will be looking at moving him on as his contract is one that puts a lot of pressure on the financial resources of the club.

Ozil who recently got married to Turkish beauty queen Amine Gulse will be looking to prove many people wrong and show that he can still perform at the highest level. Arsenal will want to get back into the Champions League as soon as possible and it will be a big help if they have someone like Ozil firing on all cylinders.

Manager Unai Emery has a tough task ahead of him especially given the way the season ended for Arsenal. Three consecutive defeats in the Premier League and adding to the Europa League final loss to that makes for grim reading.

But fans will be hoping that if the manager chooses to put his faith in a player like Ozil, it will bring Arsenal back into the European elite.

The German has shown in the past that he can be highly influential and it is time for him to showcase that once again. If he were to move away on a loan deal, fans will surely wish him the best of luck but it would be nice to have some clarity as soon as possible.

Arsenal scout £14m Kieran Tierney alternative after failing to reach an agreement with Celtic

By

Nithyanand

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08-07-2019

Kieran Tierney the 22-year-old left back who plays for Celtic has been linked with a move to Arsenal for a long time now but it appears that a deal may not be happening.

As a result of that, the London club have turned their attention to Ricardo Rodriguez who plays for AC Milan, according to reports in the Express.

The report further states that Tierney was being chased by the North London club but they are not too happy with the price tag that has been set by Celtic as it is around £25m. The club will now look at Rodriguez who would be a cheaper alternative, without completely closing the door on Tierney.

The Swiss international could be signed for a deal in the region of £14m and that is one that will suit the Emirates club given the current state of their financial affairs. Rodriguez is an exceptional full back who is good in attack as well as defense. He is also particularly well known for his set-piece prowess.

Arsenal will be looking to get back into the Champions League and that means that the squad will have to be enhanced with the signings of a few talented players. Rodriguez has shown during his time in Germany with Wolfsburg and with AC Milan that he is a solid and dependable player.

Tierney is the younger player and would have been perfect for the future but if a deal cannot be reached with Celtic, then it makes sense for the Gunners to be looking elsewhere to get the players they want.

The Swiss left back would be a very good alternative and one that would certainly benefit the club in their quest to return to the Champions League. The area of defense is one that has caused the club and its fans a good deal of distress and it is upon manager Unai Emery and those in charge to sort it out.

It is time to get over the Europa League final defeat to Chelsea and look forward to the new season. Fans will be hoping that the club will be able to perform better this time around and the signing of a player such as Rodriguez will certainly help in that regard.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang challenges Arsenal to “aspire” for more than just the FA Cup

By

Nithyanand

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08-07-2019

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, the Arsenal frontman has challenged the club to compete for more than just the FA Cup. The Gunners last won the competition in the year 2017 but since then, they have not won a single trophy.

In an interview with FourFourTwo(via Goal), the striker was speaking about the targets for next season and he said:

‘A club like Arsenal has to be playing in the Champions League every season.

‘This is a great club, which has a very long history of winning important trophies, so it’s time we won something big again.

‘There was the FA Cup a couple of years ago, but now we have to aspire to more. We have a strong mentality to always move forward after any setback.’

Aubameyang ended last season as the top scorer for the Gunners as he got a very impressive 31 goals. And to add to this, he ended up sharing the Premier League Golden Boot with Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane for scoring 22 goals.

The North London club had a good chance last season to win a trophy in the Europa League but that final ended in a very disappointing manner as they ended up losing 4-1 to Chelsea in an embarrassing defeat.

This resulted in the club having to play in the Europa League for the third consecutive season. Though the tournaments is one of Europe’s biggest competitions, it does not have the prestige that the Champions League does.

Going into the new season, the primary objective would be to get back into the Champions League and Aubameyang is well aware of this. In the same interview, he also added:

‘That has to be the main target of every Arsenal season. You come back to training and that’s what everyone is thinking about. We’re hungry to hear that song once again. It’s time.’

If there is one area that Arsenal are gifted in, it is the attacking department that they have two genuinely world-class players in Aubameyang and Lacazette. With these two leading the attack, there is a good chance that the Gunners will be able to get back into the European elite.

A club of the stature of Arsenal does not deserve to be outside the Champions League and it is good to know that the players are aware of this. All the fans will be hoping that the performances in the new season will push the club into the premier competition of Europe.

Mustafi drops a cryptic hint over his Arsenal future

By

Nithyanand

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08-07-2019

Shkodran Mustafi, the Arsenal center back has dropped a hint that he could be moving away from the Gunners by removing the Arsenal part from his Instagram bio, according to reports in Metro.

This comes on the back of reports that said that manager Unai Emery was keen on selling the defender. Mustafi who earns around £90,000 per week has not yet gotten any significant interest from another club.

In the picture which was shared by Metro, the defender apart from removing Arsenal from his bio, has also changed the display picture that had him wearing an Arsenal jersey.

With the Gunners having a smaller budget due to their failure to qualify for the Champions League, the club is looking to sell a few players to raise funds.

The German was signed in the summer of 2016 from Valencia and was initially impressive as he became an important member of the defense. But his Arsenal career since then has not always been rosy.

This culminated last season when he was involved in a string of high-profile errors that ended up costing the Gunners the chance to qualify for the Champions League. But the player has also spoken about his desire to stay with the Gunners and when he was asked by German outlet Kicker, this is what he had to say:

‘It is odd that there are always transfer speculations. I am an Arsenal player and have a contract until 2021.’

If Arsenal are to get back into the Champions League, then the defense will have to function at a very high level. Perhaps manager Unai Emery thinks that Mustafi is not the person to take the club in the direction it should be going.

At times, the club has to be ruthless and make some tough decisions. If that results in certain players leaving the club then that should happen for the benefit of the club.

The good news for Arsenal is that Rob Holding will be returning from a long-term injury very soon and the chances of Mustafi playing might be less. Nevertheless, if the German was to make a move away from the Gunners, it stands to reason that he will be able to command a reasonable fee.

£30m bid submitted, Arsenal launch second offer to sign William Saliba

By

Nithyanand

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08-07-2019

Arsenal have submitted another bid in their quest to sign William Saliba from the French club Saint-Etienne, according to reports in the Sun.

This latest offer from the North London club is said to be in the region of £30m. The 18-year-old has caught the attention of both Arsenal and Tottenham but it is the former that is leading the race to sign him.

This was confirmed by Manu Lonjon of Yahoo Sports who said that the new bid was close to what the French club have been asking for Saliba who plies his trade as a center back.

It has been a breakout season for Saliba as he made an impression for the Saint-Etienne side and ended up making 16 appearances for the first team. His impressive performances have captured the attention of those in charge of the Emirates club and that has led to them making a bid for the youngster.

Arsenal have already agreed terms with the youngster, but what has made this deal take some time to be completed is the fact that Saint-Etienne are willing to let Saliba go only under the condition that he be loaned back for the 2019/20 season.

It appears that the Gunners would like to keep him but they will be forced to send him back to the French club to get the deal over the line. Signing a player such as Saliba is very much in line with the way the Gunners have been targeting players in the recent past.

This was most exemplified by the success of new players such as Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi. By getting such young and talented players, the Gunners are trying to lay the foundations for a successful future.

It is no secret that Arsenal’s back-line is one that needs a lot of work to be done as it has often been the club’s undoing. Getting back into the Champions League will be the priority for the club and having a stable and settled defense is going to be key for that to happen.

Saliba is one that is for the future but if the London club are somehow able to convince Saint-Etienne to not send him back on loan, it will be very beneficial for the club.

[Photos] Arsenal new signing trains with Ozil and Aubameyang as training begins

By

Nithyanand

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07-07-2019

He has been the only signing that Arsenal have made so farin the transfer window and it is one that has excited a lot of Gunners fans.

Gabriel Martinelli an 18-year-old winger was signed from Brazilian club Ituano and if the latest photos from Arsenal are any indication, he might feature in Emery’s plans at the start of the season.

Martinelli was signed in a deal that is said to be worth £6m and is considered to be one of the highest rated up and coming talents to make a name in Brazil. This was shown as he was called up to train with the Brazilian Copa America squad.

It was initially expected that he will be a part of the U-23 squad but given that he has been training with the first team, it is a good sign for the player. The North London club have been missing an exciting presence on the wings and players such as Martinelli can certainly fill that void.

His presence in the team along with exciting youngsters such as Bukayo Saka and the returning Reiss Nelson will be one to look out for in the upcoming season. The Gunners start their pre-season tour of the USA on the 16th of July and training has started to get them ready for it.

This session saw the return of players who did not have any international commitments and this included players such as Mesut Ozil and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang. There were some welcome returns to the training ground with the presence of Rob Holding who was out for a long time with an injury.

Here are some pics:

Embed from Getty Images

Getting a good pre-season under their belt is going to be key for every member of the squad. And this is especially true for a young player such as Martinelli who needs to get as much playing time as possible.

The upcoming season is a crucial one for the Emirates club as they will once again look to get back into the Champions League. Having such an exciting talent will surely be a boost for the team. Fans will be hoping that he can show his talent and prove that the club made the right choice by bringing him to the Emirates.

Arsenal reignite interest in Ryan Fraser as Wilfried Zaha deal stalls

By

Nithyanand

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07-07-2019

Arsenal have been trying to sign Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace but their efforts haven’t been fruitful so far and it seems talks have hit a dead-end.

As a result of this, the North London club have now reignited their interest in Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser, according to reports in the Mirror.

The report in Mirror states that the 25-year-old caught Unai Emery’s eye after having a breakout season with Bournemouth last season as he ended up scoring 7 goals and assisting a further 17.

It further states that Bournemouth would like to keep their speedy winger but the youngster is refusing to sign a contract extension and he only has a year left on his existing contract.

The Dorsel club will have little choice but to sell Fraser probably for around £20m rather than let him leave for free in 12 months time.

Crystal Palace rejected the initial £40m bid that the Emirates club had made for Zaha as they deemed it to be much lower than what they were looking for. This development has ensured that Fraser has come back into the Arsenal picture.

A big reason for the Gunners being unable to afford Zaha was their failure to qualify for the Champions League and that was confirmed after they ended up losing the Europa League final to Chelsea.

Due to that, the club only has £45m to spend in the transfer market unless they are able to sell some of their other players. What makes the Fraser deal an attractive proposition for the Gunners is that he could be got for half of what Arsenal had bid for Zaha.

Added to this is the fact that he has proven himself in the Premier League given that his Premier League assist tally was only second to Eden Hazard which shows that he can prove himself at the highest level.

The North London club are desperate to bring in a speedy winger and Fraser would be a perfect option at an affordable price.

Kieran Tierney’s agent star speaks out on Arsenal transfer links

By

Nithyanand

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07-07-2019

Arsenal have been linked with Kieran Tierney of Celtic for some time now and it appears that he could be on his way to the Emirates.

Allan Preston of the Stellar Group that represents Tierney told BBC Sport:

‘It is all down to Celtic – if they get a price that they believe is the correct value for Kieran Tierney he could possibly be on his way.’

‘No one has hit that price yet. As the guys say, he loves Celtic. He absolutely loves Celtic. Will there be a time for Kieran Tierney to go? I think that there will be.

‘If it’s just now it will be up to the clubs that are involved – Arsenal, Napoli or whoever – to then put the money on the table and make Celtic think about this.’

The Scottish club are looking to get a fee in the region of £25m but the North London club feel that they can get their man for a slightly lower fee. And to make matters seem more in favor of Arsenal, Celtic have gone ahead and signed a left back in the form of Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo who is thought to be a replacement for Tierney.

The left-back who can also play as a center back is still only 22 and has become one of the most important members of the Celtic team at such a young age. He has firmly established himself as the starting full back over more experienced players.

Arsenal are looking at getting a left back into the team and they think that the Scot could be the right man for the job. He is extremely quick and this will help the Emirates club build their attack at a rapid rate. When you add an excellent reading of the game to this, his defending skills come to the fore.

A combination of these qualities make him the ideal modern full back and it is clear to see why Arsenal manager Unai Emery is so keen on getting him into the London club.

Based on what we have heard so far, it seems to be a matter of when and not if regarding a deal for Tierney. It will be beneficial for the Gunners if they can get a player that is as talented as the Scot. His versatility is another factor that makes him an attractive proposition.