Arsenal
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Arsenal’s latest summer signing is bad news for 21 y/o liked by Newcastle United [Opinion]
Arsenal confirmed the signing of Sambi Lokonga on Monday, revealing he’s agreed a long-term contract with the Gunners, but the news of his arrival won’t be welcomed by everybody. One teammate who could be directly affected by Lokonga’s signing is Joe Willock, as the two play in the same position. Willock has struggled for first-team football in the last 12 months, but Mikel Arteta has the midfielder in his pre-season plans this summer, so things are unclear. The 21-year-old has made 78 appearances in all competitions since rising through the youth ranks to Arsenal’s first-team, scoring 11 goals with four assists. His last outing for the Gunners came in 2020, however, as he fell down the pecking order and was loaned out to Newcastle United. Willock impressed at St James’ Park and turned thi...
‘Almost done’: Journalist confirms £100,000-a-week Arsenal star is close to summer exit
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is on the cusp of joining Serie A club Roma, Sky Sport Italy journalist Angelo Mangiante claims. The Switzerland international has already agreed personal terms with the Giallorossi, but the club have yet to finalise a transfer fee. The Gunners are looking for around €20 million for their former captain, and the Italian club have yet to meet their valuation. It is now reported that Roma manager Jose Mourinho is pushing for the transfer, and a deal is almost finalised between the clubs. The £100,000-a-week midfielder has been tipped to join Mourinho during Roma’s training camp in Portugal next week. Sportslens view: Mourinho tends to sign a central midfielder at every new club, and Xhaka has been identified as his prime transfer target this summer. ...
‘Heavily linked’ – The Athletic reveal Arsenal transfer stance on £110k-per-week star
Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Leicester City’s attacking midfielder James Maddison this summer. The Gunners are looking to bolster their midfield, with Mikel Arteta planning to add more creativity in the middle of the park. According to reports from The Athletic, Maddison is being well appreciated by his admirers at the Emirates, but the Gunners are not actively pursuing a deal at present. The 24-year-old has established himself as one of the finest attacking midfielders in the country since joining the Foxes from Norwich City. He has progressed immensely under Brendan Rodgers, and Arsenal will have to pay over £60 million if they are serious about landing him. Maddison has three years left on a £110,000-a-week deal. Manchester United are among a host of top Eu...
‘Baller’, ‘He wasn’t lying’: Some Arsenal fans react to 21-year-old’s display vs Rangers
A section of Arsenal fans on Twitter reacted to Nuno Tavares’ performance during the 2-2 friendly draw at Rangers on Saturday afternoon. The Portuguese remains the club’s only signing of the transfer window, and he made his non-competitive debut at the Ibrox Stadium. The left-back impressed with the attacking facet of his game, but he grabbed the equalising goal for the Gunners (1-1) in the first half. He took advantage of a poor control from James Tavernier and showed good composure to get into the box before unleashing a right-footed shot from a tight angle. In his presentation interview, Tavares highlighted that he can shoot with his weaker right foot, and some fans pointed out the same after he scored. Others were pleased with the goal from the 21-year-old, which was rather unexpected....
Report: Arsenal have submitted £38m bid for 23-year-old target
Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Manuel Locatelli this summer, but the midfielder would prefer to join Juventus. Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now reported that Juventus have stepped up the chase to sign the 23-year-old. He has claimed that the Old Lady have proposed a season-long loan for the midfielder with an obligation to buy for €30 million. Sassuolo have rejected the move, and rightly so. Locatelli impressed heavily during the European Championships for Italy and the club should demand a premium fee. The club are aware that Arsenal are willing to pay to meet their €40 million valuation for the midfielder. Italian media outlet Sportmediaset have claimed that the Gunners have bid around £38 million (€45 mil...
Arteta cannot afford Arsenal’s £50 million gamble to fail
The news that Arsenal will sign Ben White from Brighton & Hove Albion is a major statement by the club. According to The Athletic, the deal is subject to a medical and the fee will be around £50 million. SL View White is an excellent centre-back, but is he worth the huge outlay? He shone during his loan spell with Leeds United, helping the Yorkshire club win promotion to the Premier League. The 23-year-old subsequently nailed down a first-team spot with Brighton, playing an integral role as the Seagulls avoided relegation. His performances saw him called up to England’s squad for the European Championships, but he didn’t see any game time during the tournament. Arsenal desperately need to improve their defensive options, having missed out on European qualification last season. However,...
Saka responds to racist abuse with social media post, Ian Wright shares his two-word reaction
Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka was subjected to vile racist abuse on social media after he missed a decisive penalty against Italy in the final of the European Championships earlier this month. The winger stepped up to take the fifth penalty in the shootout against Italy, and it was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, which allowed the Azzurri to win the tournament. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were also attacked on social media for missing their penalties. The Arsenal winger chose to stay away from social media for a few days but has now returned with a response to the abuse dished out to him and his teammates. pic.twitter.com/KAibQRYH2T — Bukayo Saka (@BukayoSaka87) July 15, 2021 Saka also showed his gratitude for the love and support he has received from the fans. However, he urged t...
Tottenham Hotspur want to swap 24-year-old to sign long-term Arsenal target – report
Tottenham Hotspur have offered Lyon the chance to re-sign Tanguy Ndombele in a swap deal for Houssem Aouar, ESPN reports. Spurs recently joined Arsenal in the race to sign Aouar, who could be available on a cut-price deal of around €25 million. It is now claimed that the club are looking into an exchange deal for the midfielder, with Ndombele moving in the opposition. The Gunners are also interested in the France international, but they need to sell one more player before lodging a bid. Sportslens view: Ndombele was purchased from Les Gones for €60m in 2019, but he has failed to live up to the expectations with inconsistent performances. It is still unlikely that they could cut their losses on the 24-year-old. Spurs will want cash in addition to Aouar if Ndombele returns to Lyon....
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1 goal in 37 games, costs £10m-a-year in wages – Arsenal must sell 5ft 7in flop [Opinion]
Willian’s future at Arsenal is unclear this summer as he’s underperformed in the last 12 months and is eating up a large chunk of the wage bill. The 32-year-old is surplus to requirements under Mikel Arteta, but it’s not so easy to find a suitor as he earns more money than most players in Europe. Willian joined Arsenal in a three-year deal from Chelsea last summer and went on to make 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring just one goal with seven assists. The Brazilian international ended up losing his place to Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli, so the writing has been on the wall for some time. The biggest problem Arsenal face is Willian’s £192k-per-week/£10m-a-year wages. He earns an astonishing amount of money for a 32-year-old flop, so it’s hard to see many clubs queuing up to p...
Arsenal interested in signing West Ham United target with 18 goal contributions last season – report
Arsenal are interested in signing Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham this summer, The Telegraph’s Matt Law reports. Abraham was the Blues’ joint top-scorer with 12 goals last season, but he played just 16 minutes for them between March and May. It is quite clear that he is out-of-favour under manager Thomas Tuchel, and the Blues are prepared to offload him for around £40 million. West Ham United have been heavily linked with his services this summer, but the London outfit are not in a position to afford the price tag. A move to Leicester City has been ruled out with their recent acquisition of Patson Daka. It is now claimed that the Gunners are keen on signing him. Abraham would reportedly relish the prospect of joining the Gunners as he was a boyhood Arsenal fan, and could secure regular ...
Newcastle finalizing the transfer of 8-goal ace, Steve Bruce keen on 21-yr-old as well
Newcastle United are keen on signing Joe Willock on a loan deal. According to the Telegraph, the Magpies believe that they are close to finalizing the transfer for the 21-year-old midfielder. The Arsenal midfielder was on loan at St James’ Park last season and he was outstanding for the Magpies. The 21-year-old scored eight goals in just 14 appearances before returning to his parent club and it is no surprise that Newcastle are looking to bring him back once again. The report from Telegraph adds that the player wants to return to Newcastle next season and he has an excellent relationship with head coach Steve Bruce. The youngster will need regular first-team football in order to continue his development and he is unlikely to get the opportunity at Arsenal. A move back to Newcastle on loan ...
Bordeaux star is Arsenal’s perfect replacement for Martin Odegaard
With the return of Martin Odegaard to Real Madrid, Arsenal have a creative hole in Mikel Arteta’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system. The Gunners could try and re-sign the Norwegian, but a move seems unlikely at the moment. An attacking midfielder is the key to Arsenal’s ability to get the ball into dangerous areas and create chances. Although there are still question marks around Arteta’s tactical style, it needs someone who can dominate the space between the opposition’s midfield and defensive lines and weigh in with goals. Such a player would allow the dynamic wide runners like Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe to use their pace and exploit space behind opposition defences. SL View Arteta desperately needs to replace Odegaard, and Bordeaux’s Yacine Adli is the ideal man for the ...
