Six Arsenal departures this summer, 19 arrivals plus a new manager spotted.

by Sir Hardly Anyone

Our Rutland resident with a rundown on reality

Since our last flip around the players coming to Arsenal this summer (according to the media who know a thing or two, or well, a thing anyway) the list of new arrivals has slowed down this week, although we still have four new faces.

But the big excitement is in the departures lounge which is already overcrowded and could replicate last summer when everyone was tipped to leave.

And it must be no surprise that Bellerin is going because the press said that every day until 30 August last year and clearly someone has found last year’s note book left under a cushion in the pub and thought it was a tip list rather than a sodden oldie.  So yes we’re off again because they’re all off again.

But let us retain tradition and start with the incomers…

1: Leon Bailey

Apparently “Leon Bailey has emerged as Arsenal’s next big target for this summer.”   He is a winger with Bayer Leverkuzen and this season has scored 10 and given five assists.  Talk Sport say Arsenal will need to pay £100m for him.

Does such a transfer seem likely after all this January’s activity? Leon Bailey developed in the youth ranks of Phoenix All Stars Academy, FC Liefering and Trencin. He was signed by Genk in 2015 and after a couple of promising seasons with them, German Bundesliga side, Bayer Leverkusen took him.

He has played 25 games for Bayer L. and scored eight.  Interestingly there is a warning notice on his Wiki site which suggests some info about him might be wrong.  Hmmmm.  Beware the Wiki Police.

2: Lozano

It is noted that he is 22, has scored 10 goals in 15 appearances for PSV who are top of the Eredivisi.  It is also said that Lozano has a tendency to cut inside to pick out a man, while he also possesses outstanding composure when goal bound.  I couldn’t possibly comment.

3: Pablo Monreno

Now we are down to the child snatching list looking at the 15-year-old forward Pablo Moreno, according to Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo.  Although obviously he couldn’t move until he is 16, and once the UK leaves the EU that will be 18.  (Strange how none of the pro-leave newspapers actually focus on this fact.  It’s going to give Man City and Liverpool a problem).

Along with other English clubs, Arsenal would try to sign the player at the end of the season, when his contract with Barcelona expires – if he doesn’t re-sign.

4: Jorginho.

This one looks like more of a wish list than hard information, but since most of the others don’t have any hard information to back them up I don’t see why we shouldn’t include it. Jorginho is similar to the likes of Santi Cazorla, or Marco Verratti of PSG. “He would be a great Cazorla replacement, which the club is definitely looking for, especially with Xhaka’s struggles as of recent.”

Mind you some people compare him to Xhaka which won’t please the Xhaka haters.   Here’s the list…

No.	Player	From	Source	Information
Update	Leon Bailey	Bayer Leverkusen	Talk Sprout; Football London	Cost £100m, he’s a winger or a midfielder who gives assists.  Chelsea more likely
2	Karim Benzema	Real Mad	EPR Scouts, Football Transfer Tavern	Deal agreed £35m
3	Kerem Demirbay	Hoffenheim	TalkSport. Liga Financial, Star, AFC Fever	Midfielder, AFC price agreed, Liverpool want him. Price agreed
4	Fred	Shakhtar	Gibfootballshow	Arsenal to get him for £30m
5	Goncalo Guedes	PSG	Liga Financial	PSG must sell because of FFP, Arsenal have announced interest
NEW	Jorginho	Napoli	Hot Stepanovs	Faster and smaller than Xhaka
7	Thomas Lemar	Monaco	ArsenalNewsHQ; Mirror; TalkSport	Deal confirmed; has rejected a new contract
NEW	Lozano	PSV	Sport 360, Arsenal mania	Winger who can cut inside
9	Malcolm	Bordeaux	FootballBible, Sport Review, Gunnerspheree	Winger; everyone is interested; he says he goes in the summer.  But might go to China
10	Lautaro Martinez	Racing Club de Avellaneda	Gunnersphere	Striker.  Inter have offered €20million
11	Max Meyer	Schalke 04.	Football London, The Guardian, Talk Sport	Attacking midfield or playmaker
NEW	Pablo Moreno	Barcelona	Mundo Deportivo	He’s 15 and his contract runs out at the end of the season
13	Jan Oblak	Atletico Mad	FootballBible; Gibfootballshow	Goalkeeper also wanted by Chelsea and Liverpool.  100m euros.
14	Richarlison	Watford	EPL Scouts	Midfield, Chels & Tots also; Arsenal miss out & Arsenal to hijack deal, both on same site!!!
15	Daniele Rugani	Juventus	Whoscored	Defender.  Agent confirms
16	Wilfried Zaha	Crystal Palace	Liga Financial	Arsenal making a bid of £25m
17	Andrija Zivkovic	Benfica	Football Facts, EatSleepSports ArsenalStation, Telegraph, Giants, Tribal Football	21 year old striker

But now let us move on because we have two new sections for the transfer season…

Arsenal’s new manager

1: Conte

The Daily Express says it is Conte, and their source is of the highest repute: Paul Merson.  Except to be fair to the pundit, what he actually said was “If I was on the board I’d go straight for Conte.  He upsets people.”

2: Sarri

According to our old friend “Reports” it is current Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri who is lined up for the Arsenal top job and who is certainly not going to Chelsea.   That is according to his agent Federico Pastorello.  The Express, Football Italia, Mail, Daily Cannon and all the hangers on are peeking into this one.

“According to Italian agent Federico Pastorello, Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri would prefer the Arsenal job rather than the one at Stamford Bridge. It’s reported that the 59-year-old has a release clause in his contract that would allow him to discuss contractual terms with other clubs.”  That is from the most amusing Hot Stepanovs website.

Oh yes and there is wild celebrating in Untold’s HQ with the Guardian adopting one of our words: “Wengerian.”  Only taken six years to get it on their approved list.

The departure list.

Looks like our third table – the one listing all the players who are leaving – also needs to be started, and what with it being this early we could have a repeat of last summer in which every single first team player was said to be leaving, one way or another.

No	Player	Going To	Source	What’s the story
1	Bellerin	Barcelona	Star	Star readers have a memory span of less than 1 minute
2	Holding	Burnley	Mail, Mirror, Sun	£15m
3	Lacazette		Arsenal Fever, Sun	Manu Petit says he will go.
4	Ramsey		Mail, Mirror, Star, Sun	Out of contract; and because of gross financial mismanagement AFC can’t afford him because of Ozil
5	Welbeck		Arsenal Mania	Leaving at end of season
6	Wilshere	Liverpool	Football London	Wenger says how much he wants Jack to stay, but this doesn’t stop the suggestions that he his going.  Arsenal Mania has him closing in on a new deal.

Finally here are two leaving snippets to keep you amused…

“Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger is only willing to permit centre-back Rob Holding to leave the Emirates for £15m, according to a story.”

“Burnley manager Sean Dyche is allegedly keen on signing the 22-year-old, however, the club made no offers for the centre-half in January.”

“Bellerin is said to want out of Arsenal and would be interested in a move to the La Liga giants.The 22-year-old came through Barcelona’s youth system before making a switch to the Gunners in 2011.   Bellerin was linked with the Catalan club last year but Ernesto Valverde opted to sign Nelson Semedo instead.”  That’s in the Star.  Well it would be wouldn’t it.

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