Arsenal set to make £9million transfer offer for Manchester United winger Nani

Arsenal are ready to make an offer to lure Nani (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal are set to make a £9million bid for Manchester United winger Luis Nani, according to reports.
The Portugal international has been strongly linked with the Gunners in the last 12 months with Arsene Wenger said to be a big fan.
And now the Daily Star says Arsenal are ready to firm up their interest with a £9million bid in the coming days.
Nani has reportedly been told he can leave Old Trafford by new boss Louis van Gaal, as he has no place for him in his new 3-4-3 formation.

Nani doesn’t fit into United’s new formation (Picture: Getty)

That’s good news for Arsenal who now hope to be able to grab the 27-year-old with minimum negotiation on price.
Signing Nani would likely see the end of Joel Campbell though, with AC Milan ready to pounce if he becomes available.

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Arsenal offered Mario Balotelli transfer for just £7.9million plus Joel Campbell

Arsenal can sign Mario Balotelli in exchange for Joel Campbell (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Mario Balotelli for just £7.9million plus Costa Rica winger Joel Campbell.
According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport, AC Milan are looking to offload Balotelli this summer, as he is one of their highest earners, and hope to do business with Arsenal.
The paper says Milan have offered Balotelli to the Gunners for just £7.9million but want them to hand over Campbell as a sweetener.
Milan were already in talks with Arsenal over a deal to sign Campbell when the idea came of trying to sell Balotelli as part of a package.

The news as revealed in Tuttosport (Picture: Twitter)

Arsene Wenger has denied that he wants to sign a new striker but that could change with Balotelli now being at such a bargain price.
Wenger is yet to be fully convinced by World Cup star Campbell and wouldn’t see it as a big loss if he let him move to Milan.
Arsenal are yet to respond to Milan’s offer, with the ball now firmly in their court.

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Arsenal ‘make £8million transfer offer for Hoffenheim star Roberto Firmino’

Arsenal are in for Brazilian sensation Roberto Firmino (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have reportedly made a surprise £8million bid for Hoffenheim sensation Roberto Firmino.
The Brazilian attacker, who scored 16 goals and picked up 11 assists last season, is rated as one of the most exciting players in Europe.
Chelsea and Liverpool were linked with him in January, but now the Daily Express says Arsenal have joined the race and slapped in a £8million offer.
A No.10 who can play as a striker or on the wing, he boasts incredible dribbling and shooting abilities, but was widely tipped to stay at Hoffenheim for the next 12 months.

Firmino is a superb footballer to watch (Picture: Getty)

However, Arsenal have apparently been alerted to move for the 22-year-old after Inter Milan approached the Bundesliga side to discuss his availability.
The suggestions are that Wenger would consider moulding Firmino into a striker, if a deal could be agreed to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.

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Sami Khedira ‘still hopeful’ of Arsenal transfer as Lukas Podolski urges him to join

Sami Khedira still wants to join Arsenal, say reports (Picture: Getty)

Sami Khedira is still hopeful of sealing a move to Arsenal this summer despite suggestions that the Gunners have given up trying to sign him.
Khedira looked all but certain to move to the Emirates Stadium two weeks ago when his agent held talks with the Gunners over a transfer.
However, the deal has since stalled because of the German’s wage demands, and Arsenal are now apparently looking at other options, including converting Jack Wilshere into a defensive midfielder.
But reports today suggest the 27-year-old has not given up hope of joining Arsenal and is still confident of linking up with the club’s contingent of Germany internationals.

Lukas Podolski wants to work with Khedira at Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

One of those, Lukas Podolski, seemed to confirm the story by telling reporters in an interview that Khedira knows how good a move to Arsenal would be.
‘I didn’t have to try to [convince Khedira to join Arsenal],’ he said.
‘Sami knows how much fun he could have with me, Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker at Arsenal.’

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Arsenal close on Iker Casillas transfer after offering him £100,000-a-week deal

Iker Casillas is edging closer to a switch to Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal are said to be close to signing Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas after ‘making him an offer that he can’t refuse’.
Casillas has been heavily linked with a switch to the Gunners in the last few months and reports emerged yesterday that the club had made an offer to sign him.
And now Sport newspaper says the deal is close with the 33-year-old being told that he can leave Madrid in the coming days, or face the prospect of being third-choice.
The paper says Arsenal’s offer is ‘too good to refuse’ and the only major detail left now is for Casillas to have his Madrid contract terminated, making him a free agent.

Arsene Wenger is said to be a long-term fan of Casillas (Picture: Getty)

Arsene Wenger is said to be offering him a deal worth £100,000-a-week that could run for the next five seasons, meaning he would be 38 by the time it expires.

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Podolski urges Khedira to sign for Arsenal

The 29-year-old wants his international team-mate to join him at the Emirates Stadium, with the Gunners battling with Chelsea for the Real Madrid midfielder's signature

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski has urged Germany international team-mate Sami Khedira to join him at the Emirates Stadium.

The Real Madrid midfielder is set to be offloaded by the Spanish giants in the summer window, with Goal revealing on July 17 that Chelsea have edged ahead of the Gunners in the race to sign him.

And while Podolski, who shared an apartment with Khedira at the World Cup, insists he did not try to convince the 27-year-old to make the switch to Arsene Wenger's side during the duo's time in Brazil, he is keen to see him move to north London.

"I didn't have to [try to convince Khedira to join Arsenal]," he told Sport Bild.

"Sami knows how much fun he could have with me, Mesut [Ozil] and Per [Mertesacker] at Arsenal. We had a great time together at the World Cup and I would like it very much if he comes to London."

Goal understands that Khedira's £200k-a-week wage demands have put off the Gunners, clearing a path for Jose Mourinho's Chelsea to seal a deal, with Juventus having placed a £60 million valuation on the Blues' top target Paul Pogba.

Khedira played five of Germany's World Cup matches in Brazil but missed the final against Argentina through injury.

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Arsenal sign exciting midfielder Georgios Spanoudakis from Barcelona

Arsenal have signed Germany youth star Georgios Spanoudakis (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have raided Barcelona to sign exciting Germany youth international Georgios Spanoudakis.
The 15-year-old, who was highly-rated in Barca’s famed La Masia academy setup, rejected a host of other offers to seal a move to the Emirates Stadium this week.
A cultured central midfielder with an eye for a pass, Spanoudakis joined Barca in 2009 from Eintracht Frankfurt and has since played for the Catalan club’s various youth teams.
He has been capped for Germany at Under-15 and Under-16 level but is also eligible to play for Greece, with some suggestions that their FA has already been in touch about

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Lionel Messi ‘asked about Arsenal transfer before signing new Barcelona contract

Lionel Messi was seriously interested in a switch to Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Lionel Messi was allegedly interested in a shock transfer to Arsenal before he signed a new contract with Barcelona just two months ago.
The Argentine superstar eventually penned his extension with Barca in May having previously rejected fresh terms, following a row over bonus payments.
And Spanish newspaper Vozpopuli, who broke the news of Arsenal’s deal for Alexis Sanchez, says Messi was seriously considering a switch to the Emirates before sorting out an arrangement to stay at the Nou Camp.
The paper claims that Messi had spoken to close friend Cesc Fabregas about his time at Arsenal, and also sounded out other acquaintances about a switch to London.

Messi apparently spoke to Cesc Fabregas about a move (Picture: Getty)

He had apparently already instructed his agent to discuss with the Gunners whether a transfer could realistically take place, before Barca quickly moved to sort out his future.
Messi had an opportunity to move to Arsenal before joining Barcelona’s academy as a kid, and he is said to be a huge admirer of Arsene Wenger and his methods.

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DONE DEAL: Ospina agrees to four-year Arsenal contract

The Colombia goalkeeper has finalised a €4.4m move to Emirates Stadium and will undertake a medical and sign for the club when he returns from holiday next week

David Ospina has agreed a four-year Arsenal contract and will join the club after their tour of the United States.

The Colombia goalkeeper will complete his move from Nice, which is worth €4.4 million including add-ons, when he returns from holiday next week.

Arsenal were keen for Ospina, 25, to undertake his medical this week and then link up with the squad ahead of their friendly against New York Red Bulls on Friday, the only match of their US tour.

But the Gunners will have to wait to officially wrap up the deal for the keeper, who performed so impressively during the World Cup.

Nevertheless, there are only the formalities to be completed after Ospina agreed the terms of a four-year contract worth £60,000 (€76,000) per week.

The keeper has also spoken to Arsene Wenger about his role next season, when he will be given the opportunity to challenge Wojciech Szczesny for the No.1 spot

The imminent capture of Ospina follows the arrivals of Alexis Sanchez and Mathieu Debuchy this summer and takes Wenger’s spending towards the €57m mark.

Arsenal have opened talks with Southampton about a £15m move for midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, although they face strong competition for him from Tottenham.

Wenger has also held extensive discussions with Atletico Madrid over a loan deal for Javier Manquillo, but the deal for the Spanish right-back is currently on the backburner and they are ready to pursue alternatives.

With a second right-back set to sign for Arsenal, Carl Jenkinson is expected to be sent out on loan to West Ham for the forthcoming season in order to play regular first-team football.

The expected signing of another senior international keeper will also provide strong competition for Szczesny, who was regularly the No.1 choice in both the Premier League and Champions League last season but was overlooked for the club's successful FA Cup campaign.

Wenger moved for Ospina after Arsenal failed to agree a fee for David Marshall during talks with Cardiff City.

Ospina is regarded as good value given his experience and the Gunners were able to negotiate a lower fee as he only has a year remaining on his Nice contract.

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Views. Comment. Opinion. How Arsene Wenger is masterminding a perfect transfer window for Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has taken a different approach this transfer window (Picture: Getty Images)

Arsene Wenger appears to have taken a more ruthless approach to this summer. I’d say this is possibly the most ruthless window of his Arsenal tenure.
Last season had many positives, but it was also littered with many negatives. We didn’t have a squad big enough to compete for the full season. Our injury record was the worst in the league. Tactically we were naive and embarrassingly predictable. We lacked core attributes like power and pace.
Wenger signed on for three more years. The worry was that he’d throw more of the same at the summer. Well, the good news, is that it appears some serious soul searching has taken place as well as perhaps a bit of corporate leaning on his approach to the way the club is run.
The first major move of the summer was to bring in more expertise to the fitness side of the business. Shad Forsythe is a 100 per cent improvement on what we have at the club in Tony Colbert.
He’s young, full of ideas (this is more hopeful than factual) and experience of the modern game and he’ll have practically a zero baseline to work from. Our current fitness approach leaves players broken and fatigued leading to dull lethargic performances.

Colombia’s goalkeeper David Ospina has been linked with a move to Arsenal (Picture: AP)

The second change has been the pace of acquisitions. We’ve only made two, but Alexis Sanchez and Mathieu Debuchy mark a step change in addressing core issues early. Sanchez gives us the power and pace we lacked up front last year. Debuchy swaps in a like for like signing.
With right-back Javier Manquillo and Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina set to come in and the massive press around our big centre midfield signing, you feel like we’ve learnt the lessons of the past when it comes to recruitment.
The final test will ultimately come when the season starts. Has Wenger accepted that his style of play is too predictable? Will he start using more video analysis, will he take more time to study opposition, will he have the balls to play a system that is more about the win over playing a beautiful game?
That’s the real test because great fit players will only get you so far. At the highest level, it about your approach to planning and how well you can innovate.
This is a big year for Wenger. Has he still got what it takes? Time will tell.

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Sami Khedira ‘to be unveiled as new Arsenal player on Monday

Sami Khedira’s future at Real Madrid is uncertain (Picture: REUTERS)

Sami Khedira is set to be unveiled as a new Arsenal player on Monday, according to reports.
The Real Madrid midfielder has been linked with a move to The Gunners this summer after recent stories in the Spanish media suggested that Los Blancos had agreed a £19.8m fee with the north London club.
Despite Khedira’s agent insisting that his client was not in talks with Arsenal, CaughtOffside has now claimed that the Emirates Stadium outfit have agreed personal terms with the Germany international and will confirm the midfielder’s capture on Monday.
Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, was asked about Khedira following the club’s 2-0 win over Boreham Wood in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, but, refused to reveal which players he was targeting in the coming months.
‘I can’t give you any names,’ Wenger told reporters.
‘We are still active. Sometimes the players you want are available very late. You do the deals when they are possible.’

Sami Khedira is reported to be close to moving to Arsenal this summer (Picture: Getty Images)

Khedira’s future at Real Madrid has been the subject of much talk – with the World Cup winner out of contract at the Spanish giants next summer – which has resulted in the player being linked to Arsenal and Chelsea in recent weeks.
Despite the stories, though, Khedira’s agent confirmed that his client was negotiating a new contract at the Santiago Bernabeu outfit – but admitted that nothing would be decided until the 27-year-old returned from holiday.

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Views. Comment. Opinion. Arsenal have £24million bid for William Carvalho rejected by Sporting Lisbon

William Carvalho is apparently an Arsenal transfer target (Picture: Getty Images)

Reports coming out of Portugal are claiming that Arsenal have had a €30million (£24m) bid for the  defender William Carvalho turned down.
It is believed that his club are holding out for an offer closer to the €45m release clause he has in his current contract.
With Arsenal being Arsenal, an opening bid of €30m probably means that they won’t go as high as €45m, but it is reassuring to see them continue to shop at the top end of the market rather than where we have become used to seeing them – in the £10m or less bin.
Don’t get me wrong, while Arsenal operated under severe financial restrictions after they moved to the Emirates Stadium, that bin has served Arsenal well. Sure, there’ve been a few duds that have fallen out of the bin and had to be shoved back in, but on the whole, Arsenal have shopped well given how much their hands were tied.
With the signing of Mesut Ozil last summer and Alexis Sanchez this, those shackles seem to have been released. The new commercial deals, including those with Emirates and PUMA, mean that Arsenal finally have the cash to step out of the bargain basement and see what is on offer on the upper levels where the fancy people shop.
Carvalho would be a great addition to the Arsenal squad. Not only is he young but he is able to play in central midfield, as a holding midfielder and as a centreback, positions Arsenal could do with strengthening before the window shuts.
He had been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United for the early part of the summer, but after they allegedly sent a delegation to Portugal at the end of June, not much more has been heard of them. Perhaps they stopped off somewhere to enjoy the sunshine for a bit and forgot what they were there for.
Regardless, Arsene’s ability to spot a player plus Arsenal’s ability to actually pay for them now means that by the end of this window Arsenal will likely have the strongest side they’ve had in this post-Highbury era.
None of this means that Wenger has lost his mind and will start paying over the odds for players as if he was Chelsea or City, but it does mean that when we hear news of €30m bids being turned down, we get to believe that they could actually be true rather than laughing uncontrollably at the absurdity of the notion that we’d be able to pay that much in the first place.
It all makes a rather nice change.

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Why ‘Arsenal’s £15.8 million bid for Mario Balotelli’ is not to be trusted

Italy’s Mario Balotelli has been linked with a move to Arsenal (Picture: AP Photo)

Reports abound today that Arsenal have agreed a £15.8m fee for former Manchester City man Mario Balotelli.
The player, a tortured genius who has struggled to settle himself at any of the clubs he has played for so far, has been linked with Arsenal for the entirety of the summer so far.
Of course, I have no inside knowledge and it’s quite possible that Arsenal have made a bid, but I doubt very much that the only source to have the details of that would be ‘CaughtOffside’ which is where the main reports all seem to have stemmed from.
Balotelli also does not seem like a Wenger-type signing. For the first time in the last decade the Arsenal squad is a beautiful beacon of harmonious friendliness. There appear to be no drama queens amongst the squad upsetting others or causing ructions simply to salve their egos. Signing Balotelli would disrupt all of that and could end up offsetting any benefit the player would bring to the squad.
It is claimed that personal terms have already been agreed with the player but I just don’t see this being a deal Arsenal are looking to complete. Like the links with Loic Remy, who seems destined to move to Liverpool, it could very well be that this is more a case of the press producing the links than any genuine interest from Arsenal.
Arsenal were said to have walked away from trying to sign Remy as the striker was demanding £80k per week, a sum too rich for Arsenal’s tastes. Odd then that he is believed to have signed a deal for around £60k per week with Liverpool.
Obviously, should I be proven wrong, I’d have faith that Wenger would be able to handle Balotelli’s eccentricities. I’m just not entirely convinced that he will want to have to in the first place.

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Boreham Wood 0-2 Arsenal: Ramsey features in Gunners stroll

The Welshman, Wojciech Szczesny, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini all played in an otherwise youthful XI as the Gunners played for the first time since winning the FA Cup in May

Kris Olsson and Benik Afobe both scored as Arsenal began their pre-season preparations with a tame 2-0 win over Boreham Wood on Saturday.

In their first fixture since lifting the FA Cup in May, Arsene Wenger named a youthful starting XI before making wholesale changes at half-time.

Substitute Olsson opened the scoring with an impudent dink from inside the area eight minutes after the hour before Afobe doubled the lead from the spot late on.

However, Wenger will likely be more pleased to see the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Wojciech Szczesny and Mathieu Flamini all come through the friendly unscathed against the Conference South side.

Yaya Sanogo spurned an early chance for the visitors when he shot straight at Boreham Wood goalkeeper James Russell.

Wenger's men continued to dominate possession with Ramsey next to go close with a low drive that flew marginally wide half an hour in.

Jon Toral should have scored shortly after following a well-worked move, but he sidefooted his shot wide.

The hosts enjoyed a late spell of pressure close to half-time, but both sides were goalless at the break.

Wenger made a host of changes at the break, with the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Tomas Rosicky, Flamini and Abou Diaby all getting a taste of the action.

Chuba Akpom, 18, was another introduction at the interval and he was quickly among the action, going close twice early in the second half.

Two substitutes then combined to end Arsenal's frustrations as Rosicky dinked a throughball into Olsson's path, with the Swedish midfielder chipping the ball over Russell.

The lively Akpom was fouled in the box four minutes from time, allowing Afobe to convert the second, with Arsenal now due to gear up for their next friendly against the New York Red Bulls in the United States.

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Arsenal and Liverpool target Karim Benzema set to sign new Real Madrid contract

Karim Benzema was wanted by Arsenal and Liverpool (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal and Liverpool target Karim Benzema looks set to snub the Premier League duo and sign an extended deal with Real Madrid.
The France international has been linked with a move to England, with both the Gunners and Liverpool said to be keen on his signature.
But Madrid and Benzema are set to put the rumours to rest as he signs a new deal until 2019, according to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.
The 26-year-old scored 22 goals for Carlo Ancelotti’s side last term and is believed to be a firm favourite of the Italian, who pushed the club into offering hima new contract to ward off interest from elsewhere.
The news will lead both Arsenal and Liverpool to pursue other options, as the Reds continue to search for a replacement for Luis Suarez, while Arsene Wenger looks to bolster his attacking options.

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Ramsey targeting 'a few' trophies with Arsenal in 2014-15

The Gunners midfielder believes that the club's FA Cup triumph over Hull City has helped relieve the pressure and is adamant that they can push on and win more silverware

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey insists that the Gunners will be giving their all to win "a few" trophies in the 2014-15 campaign.

Arsene Wenger's side claimed their first piece of silverware in eight years by winning the FA Cup back in May, with the Wales international scoring the clinching goal in a dramatic 3-2 extra-time triumph over Hull City.

And, with Mathieu Debuchy and Alexis Sanchez having arrived at the Emirates Stadium, Ramsey is convinced that the north Londoners can compete for multiple trophies in the new season.

"I think we have a great opportunity," he told the club's official website.

"Hopefully all the people that have played at the World Cup come back strong and fit and we can hit the ground running when the season starts.

"The feeling we got after winning the FA Cup was something special and I'm sure that everybody wants the same thing again this season. We'll be giving it everything to win a few things this year.

"The media were always saying things like 'Arsenal haven't won a trophy for this many years'. The number kept getting higher so it was important to win something to take that burden away. It takes the pressure off us.

"I think the team has come on a long way in the last couple of seasons. We've grown a lot - there's a great team spirit here, everybody wants to work for each other so we'll give it a good go."

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Arsenal star Alexis didn't want to live in Liverpool, reveals Rodgers

 Brendan Rodgers claims Alexis Sanchez opted to join Arsenal over Liverpool because he wanted to live in London.

The Chile international completed his €40 million move to Arsene Wenger’s side earlier this month, although Liverpool were in the running for the forward’s signature.

Liverpool have already completed moves for Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Emre Can and Lazar Markovic this summer and Rodgers’ insists his side have no problem when attempting to attract high-profile players.

“I don’t think so,” Rodgers told reporters.

“That was one [Sanchez] where geography dictated where he wanted to go - simple as that. It’s been the other way.

“Lots of players are really impressed by what we are doing as a club and really excited about coming to Liverpool.

“It wasn't due to a lack of ambition by the club. It was about where the player and his family wanted to choose to live.

“He’s a fantastic player and would have suited us. His profile would have been great but it was not to be and we move on.”

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Arsenal open talks over Schneiderlin move

The Gunners are lining up the France international, who is valued at €22.5 million, with a deal for Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira looking unlikely due to his wage demands

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey

Arsenal have opened preliminary talks with Southampton over a move for Morgan Schneiderlin.

Arsene Wenger has identified the France international to fill the midfield anchorman role at Emirates Stadium next season.

The Gunners have been in contact with Real Madrid about a €25 million move for Germany World Cup winner Sami Khedira but a deal is considered unlikely unless the midfielder reduces his demand for a €250,000-a-week basic salary.

There is also interest from Arsenal in Bayer Leverkusen's Lars Bender but the club regard Schneiderlin as a more realistic target. The Gunners rate the 24-year-old in the €19m bracket, while Southampton value him at around €22.5m.

The Saints want to play hardball over any deal following the departures of Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert this summer, as well as former manager Mauricio Pochettino.

It is an exodus that has encouraged others to consider their options and Schneiderlin went public last month with his eagerness to try a new challenge.

"I've been there for a long time now," said Schneiderlin when asked about his future. "We'll see how things go, but the directors know my position and what my intentions are.

"Everyone has ambitions, everyone has his own future in his hands, so we’ll see. Every player wants to play on big occasions."

Schneiderlin has been closely trailed by the Gunners over the last two seasons since Southampton were promoted to the Premier League.

He has been a key performer for the Saints following a move from Strasbourg in 2008 and was drafted into the France squad for the World Cup as a late replacement for the injured Clement Grenier.

Arsenal were weighing up a double swoop for Schneiderlin and his team-mate Dejan Lovren, as the Croatian has asked Southampton for a transfer to a club who can offer Champions League football, but Liverpool now lead the race to sign the centre-back.

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Why Debuchy is the perfect replacement for Sagna at Arsenal

The 31-year-old's departure was a blow but the Newcastle star's experience, defensive qualities, aerial ability and winning mentality mark him out as a worthy successor

ANALYSIS
By Liam Twomey

In previous years, the departure of a club stalwart might have sparked talk of crisis at Arsenal. But Arsene Wenger has acted quickly in the wake of Bacary Sagna's defection to Manchester City, with Newcastle right-back Mathieu Debuchy unveiled as the club's latest signing on Thursday in a deal believed to have cost around €10 million.

Setback though it was, the protracted nature of Sagna's departure from the Emirates Stadium afforded Wenger ample time to plan for a future without him. Sebastian Jung of Eintracht Frankfurt became a target as far back as January, while talks with Toulouse over Serge Aurier reached a very advanced stage.

But as Debuchy prepares to link up with his new Arsenal team-mates, Wenger can be confident that he has secured a very proficient footballer and proven Premier League performer who is capable of filling the void left by Sagna immediately.

At 28 it is hard to present the former Lille man as a long-term replacement, even if he is three years younger than Sagna, but if Wenger still harbours genuine hope that Carl Jenkinson can one day be that man – and, given the Arsenal manager's traditionally unshakable faith in his youngsters, it would be no surprise – then Debuchy's age and experience will be seen as a positive rather than a problem.

One suspects that for a club and a manager under increasing pressure to win now, Debuchy's track record in the Premier League played a key role in him rising to the top of Wenger's wishlist. For 18 months in England, the 28-year-old sparkled more frequently and brightly than most in a talented and temperamental Newcastle team fatally undermined by a maddeningly unambitious owner.

Debuchy made 3.3 successful tackles per match last season, a figure only bettered among right-backs in the Premier League by Jon Flanagan, Pablo Zabaleta and Cesar Azpilicueta (who played most of the campaign on the left). He also made 2.4 interceptions per game, a number that puts him above anyone else in the Newcastle squad and 14th in the entire division.

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Hinting much? Mario Balotelli poses with Arsenal logo amid transfer talk

The striker will certainly set transfer tongues wagging this week after posing with the Arsenal badge whilst on holiday in New York.
He was snapped with girlfriend Fanny Neguesha posing with the logos outside the official Puma shop after doing a bit of shopping.
Balotelli has been strongly linked with a switch to Arsenal in the last few months, with the Gunners on the lookout for another quality striker – to partner Olivier Giroud.

Balotelli has been linked with a switch to Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

And despite Arsene Wenger ruling out the deal recently, AC Milan have since cut his price tag to just £14million, and the suggestions are that he’s set for a move to England.

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Sami Khedira ‘could reject Arsenal and Chelsea transfers for Real Madrid stay

Sami Khedira is reportedly considering rejecting interest from Arsenal and Chelsea to stay at Real Madrid this summer.
Khedira has emerged as a key priority for both the Gunners and the Blues, and despite his agent denying a deal is close, he remains on their list of targets.
However, with neither club yet to reach his £150,000-a-week wage demands, Spanish newspaper El Confidencial says Khedira is now considering staying at Madrid.
The 27-year-old rejected a new contract offer two weeks ago but these new reports say he is considering re-opening talks over a fresh deal.

Khedira has previously made no secret of his interest in Premier League football, but his family are happy in Madrid and he wants big money to move away.
Madrid want a resolution on the player’s future this summer – as he only has 12 months left on his current contract and could leave for free at the end of the new season.

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Arsenal complete Mathieu Debuchy deal while Newcastle land Daryl Janmaat as replacement

Arsenal have completed the long-mooted signing of Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle United for a fee of around £10m.
Alan Pardew’s team have wasted no time in replacing him though, with Holland’s World Cup star Daryl Janmaat with the two deals being confirmed by the clubs almost simultaneously.
Debuchy was at St James’ Park for 18 months, following a move from Lille, where he had spent all of his previous career.
At 28, he is now in his pomp and was a key player in France’s run to the quarter-finals of Brazil 2014.

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Walcott nearing full recovery from knee injury

The flying winger missed the second half of the season after sustaining a cruciate injury in Arsenal's FA Cup win over Tottenham but insists he is on the road to return soon

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott remains upbeat over his recovery from a serious knee injury, hinting that a first-team return is around the corner.

Walcott suffered the cruciate knee injury against Tottenham in a 2-0 FA Cup win in January and subsequently missed the remainder of the Premier League season, as well as the World Cup.

And although the 25-year-old is happy with the recovery process, he chose not to put a timeframe on when he will back in action.

"The knee is going really well, I am doing some good stuff with the physios and fitness coaches and we have worked really hard throughout the summer," he told the club's official website.

"Things are looking really good and I have worked very hard for the last five months now. Things will be fine.

"The most important thing is getting the strength back and it has pretty much nearly healed - it is just about building up that stability and strength again.

"Hopefully I'll be back out on those pitches soon. It is coming along nicely and I am really pleased."

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Cazorla: Arsenal want the Premier League or Champions League next season

The Spaniard, speaking at the PUMA kit launch, believes the Gunners can build on their FA Cup win in 2014-15 if they can keep key players like Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey fit

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla wants the Gunners to build on their FA Cup triumph by winning the Premier League or the Champions League next season.
Arsene Wenger’s side ended their nine-year run without a trophy by beating Hull at Wembley in May and have made a splash in the summer transfer window by signing Alexis Sanchez.
With the likes of Mathieu Debuchy and Sami Khedira also linked with a move to north London, Cazorla is confident Arsenal can hit new heights in 2014-15.
“We hope to win more trophies - I want to win the Premier League or Champions League,” he said at the launch of the club’s new PUMA kits.
“Of course we can win. We have a good team and with the support of the fans it's important for us.
“We have high expectations to go better than last year. We won a trophy last year and we want to do it again. Hopefully we'll make some great signings to support the squad and if so, it'll be good.”
The Spaniard hopes the Gunners’ chances will be boosted by the returns to fitness of Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey, who both missed spells of last season due to injury.
“I'm very happy to have Ozil next to me,” Cazorla said. “We have a very special relationship. He makes it very easy for me. Obviously he'll help the team to improve next season.
“It wasn’t a surprise to see Ramsey developing into his role - I trained for two years with him and saw him develop. He’s a great player and we have big expectations for him.
“We had a couple of injuries and it was hard to keep up with Manchester City but we have a stronger squad and deeper team now, with more players to use, and hopefully not as many injuries individually.”

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Coman: I snubbed Arsenal & Liverpool

The 18-year-old made four appearances in all for Paris Saint-Germain before moving to the Italian giants and says he rejected offers from London and Merseyside

Kingsley Coman claims he rejected offers from Arsenal and Liverpool before joining Juventus.

Coman completed his move to Italy from Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week, signing a five-year deal with the Serie A champions.

And the 18-year-old claims he had a number of offers from England – as well as Germany and France – before he eventually opted to move to Antonio Conte's side.

“Juventus has a history with French players,” he told L'Equipe. “Some of them did very good. So I told myself, why not me? I thought about it a lot. I had to take a decision regarding PSG.

“Then there was Arsenal, Liverpool, Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Bordeaux. I've hesitated a lot about Bordeaux and I talked with Willy Sagnol, I knew him from French U21 and he promised me playtime.

“But this process came a little too late. I was already thinking about Juve.”

Coman made his PSG debut aged 16 – which saw him become the club's youngest ever player – and went on to make four appearances in all for the French giants.

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fficial: Arsenal sign Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona

The former Udinese playmaker will join up with his new team-mates in late July following a post-World Cup holiday, with his debut set for the Emirates Trophy in early August

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona in what Goal understands is a €40 million [£32m] deal.

The Chile international forward, who underwent a medical on Thursday afternoon, becomes the second-most expensive purchase in the Gunners' history.

After scoring two goals at the World Cup in Brazil and impressing in his three seasons at Camp Nou, where he scored 39 times in 88 appearances, the Gunners have beaten off competition from Liverpool and Juventus to land the forward.

The former Udinese star will join up with his new team-mates at the end of July after spending time on holiday following the World Cup and is expected to make his first appearance for the North London club during the Emirates Cup in early August.

"I'm so happy to be joining Arsenal, a club which has a great manager, a fantastic squad of players, huge support around the world and a great stadium in London," Alexis told the club's official website.

"I'm looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to be playing for Arsenal in the Premier League and Champions League. I will give my best to Arsenal and want to make all the supporters happy."

Manager Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, is hopeful that his new signing can replicate his fine performances for his national team in Brazil when he begins his Premier League career.

"As many people have seen during the World Cup this summer, Alexis is a fantastic footballer and we are delighted that he is joining us at Arsenal," the veteran boss enthused.

"Alexis will add power, creativity and much quality to our squad and we are all looking forward to him joining up with us in a few weeks. He has consistently produced top-quality performances at the highest level for a number of seasons now and we are all excited to see him integrate into the Arsenal squad."

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Germany WC win can help Arsenal - Arteta

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