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Arsenal were humiliated by Liverpool at Anfield on Monday night, showing that Mikel Arteta’s journey is just beginning and that reinforcements are needed for the Gunners before the October 5 deadline. The midfield is the priority area to strengthen with the long chases of Atlético de Madrid Thomas Partey or Lyon Houssem Aouar.
However, sales are needed to finance these movements, with the difficulty of extracting value from the sale of Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi or Mesut Ozil, given the lack of suitors. A cheaper alternative midfield option could be Boubakary Soumare, with Lille set to sell out imminently.
Elsewhere, Reiss Nelson and possibly Emile Smith Rowe could get loan moves to develop further with more playing time unavailable with Arteta, and Premier League clubs are believed to be interested. And on defense, Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis and Calum Chambers also appear to be on hand, as the Gunners look to downsize their squad.
TRANSFERS FROM ARTETA TALKS
Mikel Arteta was asked about possible transfers after the Gunners’ loss to Liverpool last night. He said:
Michael Jones29 September 2020 10:03
‘SHY’ OFFER TO AOUAR REJECTED BY LYON
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed that Arsenal made a ‘timid’ second offer for Houssem Aouar which was rejected by the French club.
Arsenal is rumored to have made an initial £ 30 million offer for Aouar last week and Aulas has revealed that a slightly upgraded offer was submitted, but that it was still too far from the £ 45 million asking price.
“There was a shy offer [from Arsenal]”he told Telefoot.” We are sorry that they did not consider the fact that this is a player for the French national team.
“So it was an offer that didn’t even make us consider making a sale.”
When asked if Lyon were looking for between 40 and 50 million euros for the 22-year-old, Aulas replied: “It certainly is more than the first number you mentioned.”
Michael Jones29 September 2020 09:57
‘ARSENAL NEEDS TO REBUILD’ BELIEVE BERGKAMP
Gunner legend Dennis Bergkamp says Arsenal can no longer attract stars with the quality of Thierry Henry or Robert Pires.
He explained that finishing eighth in the league, as Arsenal did last year, is not good enough to attract big signings and the club should look to rebuild itself.
“They can’t just go out there and sign big names in every position, but they have a lot of talent on the way.
“They have to be resourceful if they want to succeed, but the club seems to be on the rise again and I think that if the fans can see the progress they don’t mind having to wait.
“They will need that patience too. Whether it’s Arsenal or anyone else, if you don’t spend a lot of money, it takes time to build something.
“When you finish eighth, like they did last season, it’s a great challenge to get players at the level of Thierry Henry or Robert Pires. You have to try something different, trust the coach a little more, his philosophy and his style of play and, yes, get stronger.
“Part of that is developing the players that you already have. There are a lot of coaches who think they can change the players by 40% or 50%, but I don’t believe in that.
“I think that even with youth players, they can only be changed by a small percentage, but that’s enough, especially in high-level football.”
Michael Jones29 September 2020 09:51
AOUAR ALREADY THINKING OF LONDON
Arsenal’s transfer target, Houssem Aouar, has been mentally registered in London ahead of a possible move to the Emirates, according to beIN SPORTS host Hafid Derradji.
Aouar is one of Mikel Arteta’s main targets for this summer’s transfer window, but Lyon remain firm on their £ 45 million valuation.
The Gunners have already seen at least one offer rejected by the 22-year-old, but it was reported last week that Arsenal had agreed personal terms with the midfielder.
Arsenal will reportedly return with an upgraded offer to Aouar this week worth up to £ 45m, including add-ons.
Derradji now claims that a deal is coming up between the Gunners and Lyon, and Aouar believes he will move to London.
He tweeted: “Houssem Aouar is London in the lead, a little effort from both clubs and the transfer will materialize.”
Michael Jones29 September 2020 09:39
‘PARTEY AND AOUAR ARE SUITABLE FOR ARSENAL,’ SAYS WINTERBURN
Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn says that Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar are the right kind of names to bond with the club.
After some stagnant seasons for the Gunners, Winterburn believes Mikel Arteta has renewed the team and is confident that the coach will strengthen the midfield.
“Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar are the right kind of names to link with Arsenal,
“Sometimes, for long periods, Arsenal have good ball possession. But when teams prepare defensively, they fight to take down the opponent,
“Last weekend [against West Ham] it was actually a bad performance by Arsenal, but I’m happy with the result because last season would have been a game that Arsenal would have lost,
“I have said for the last two seasons, that the Arsenal squad needs to be changed and renewed,
“Mikel Arteta has come in, he has tackled the defensive issues and, looking at Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey, it seems that he is starting to address the issues in midfield as well.”
“The big problem with Arsenal is that they have so many midfielders that they probably need to get rid of some before they can bring in more,
“However, players like Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar are players that I am pleased to see linked to Arsenal. They are different types of players who can strengthen a midfield.”
Michael Jones29 September 2020 09:14
AUBA REVEALS BOAT OFFER
One of the most intriguing news of the transfer this week has been Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s admission that he turned down Barcelona to extend his contract with Arsenal.
The club captain put pen to paper on a new deal earlier this month, ending a summer of speculation about his future to the delight of Gunners fans.
Alex pattle29 September 2020 08:48
LILLE READY TO SELL ARSENAL TARGET
Lille are ready to sell to Arsenal goal Boubakary Soumare, club president Gerard Lopez told France Bleu.
Soumare is seen as an alternative to Thomas Partey, who is proving to be an expensive option for Mikel Arteta as Atlético de Madrid insists on the £ 45m buyout clause.
Jack Rathborn29 September 2020 08:08
LAST AOUAR OFFER
Arsenal’s problem with Lyon for Houssem Aouar is not so much about reaching a discouraging asking price as negotiating with OL.
The latest offering is believed to be £ 36.5 million plus £ 9 million add-ons.
But Lyon is still holding out around £ 50 million.
Jack Rathborn29 September 2020 08:05
ATHLETIC DEMANDS COMPLETE CLAUSE FOR THOMAS
Atlético de Madrid will not sell Thomas Partey to Arsenal for a penny less than his release clause.
That’s according to The Athletic, with the Gunners now deciding whether they want to activate the £ 45 million clause.
The Ghanaian was just a substitute in the second half of a 6-1 win over Granada at the weekend.
Jack Rathborn29 September 2020 08:04
