By Sir Hardly Anyone
In the ongoing struggle to find players who by a very long stretch of the imagination might actually come to Arsenal, the media have, since we last looked, found another 10, thus taking the total so far to 46. And remember the transfer window isn’t even slightly ajar as yet.
But still, the fantasists are alive with their wild tales, 97% of which will be untrue (at least if last year’s totals are to be followed).
And there is one little technical thing to note as these stories emerge. The Mirror owns Football.London which churns out around 40 Arsenal stories a day, all generated by computer to the same format, each consisting of six one line paragraphs of introduction and then a one line story. Now the Mirror is upping the output of its own football transfer site rivalling its own FootLond football transfer site. And any moment now they are going to start citing each other as a source for the stories.
Here are the rumours…
ARRIVING
1: Thomas Meunier
Arsenal fans don’t want to sign Belgian international defender Meunier this summer according to TBR football. But apparently we are still going to do it as Arsenal Station and the Daily Mail say Arsenal are talking with PSG in order to sign the full-back for around £30m. TheSportsReview also has Arsenal actively trying to get the man.
2: Ruslan Malinovskyi
The Daily Canon tells us that 26-year-old Ruslan Malinovskyi is likely to leave Genk this summer and Arsenal are one of a number of clubs interested in his services. He is a Ukraine midfielder.
3: En-Nesyri
Foxsportsasia announce that Arsenal are about to make this player the first signing of the summer. A bold statement and we shall of course hold them to it. He will cost in the region of €10m. Real Betis also remain interested in the player but HITC have the story as well. Youssef En-Nesyri scored nine times in his debut season, is 21 years old and a Moroccan international. He plays for Leganes, and Borussia Dortmund and Schalke are both expressing interest while Betis have offered around £9 million.
4. Marcos Llorente
He is 24, and plays defensive midfield for Real Madrid. In 2016/17 he went on loan to Alaves and has not played a league match for Real Mad since then although on 22 December 2018 he played and scored for Real Mad in the Fifa Club World Cup and was named player of the match. Transfer Market say he will cost £13.5m. TM cite HITC.
5. Eric Bailly.
Here we have a 25 year old centre back from the Ivory Coast currently with Manchester United and said to be worth £27m. TransferMarket think he is on the way.
6. Isco
Isco plays for Real Mad, is an attacking midfielder and in 2017, he was selected as one of the 30 best players in the world for that season. He played 27 games for them last season and is valued at £54m which I would have thought is a bit out of our reach, but Transfer Market has him listed as an Arsenal possible
7/8: Joachim Anderson and Dennis Praet
This story pops up in various places including Calciomeracto and Tuttosport with Arsenal offering £37m to get both of the players in one go from Sampdoria. Anderson is a centre back who played 39 times for the club last season; Praet is a 25 year old attacking midfielder who played 34 games last time around. Talk Sport say the deal is on and that it will use up virtually the entire transfer budget. The Mirror says that the story that Praet has a release clause is not true.
9: Upamecano
He is a centre defender from Leipzig and the Express claim that we are going to get him and Anderson (see above) which raises the question of how many central defenders we want. Mind you the Express also say that Arsenal’s transfer budget is confirmed and that it is “about £50m” – a story they get from the Daily Star! Talk about the blind leading the bland.
10: Danny Loader
FootballLeagueWorld and Goal are both saying that Arsenal and Chelsea want the 18 year old Reading striker.
LEAVING:
Aubaumeyang
The Times are reporting that Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG are working on getting Aubameyang to China for a salary of £15.6m a year – and it seems they are encouraged by the fact that for Mr Emery to have money to buy players he has to sell players.
Aubameyang has two years left on his current contract and the reports say if he won’t sign a new deal he will go. Caughtoffside say that Auba has removed all traces of Arsenal from his Instagram site – further proof that he is leaving.
Xhaka
Caught offside (again) say that Xhaka is close to moving to InterMilan. Although we should add that Suburban Gooners say that neither is going because both are needed by the manager. Which seems fair enough.
David Ospina
Napoli have opted to keep Ospina according to Caught Offside.
Lacazette
TheWeek say that Atletico Madrid are seeking to buy him as are Barcelona. They put the blame for this tale on the Evening Standard.
Coaching
Arseblog has Freddie Ljungberg leaving the under 23s and joining the first team coaching staff for the coming season.
And that for the moment is that.
I think the Arseblog story on Freddie Ljungberg leaving the Arsenal U23 team squad before the start of next season as the head coach for the Gunners coaching team as the 2nd assistant coach to Unai Emery, the Gunners head coach is from all indications a true story. And Steve Bould, the former defence legend at Arsenal FC that remained unbeaten throughout the 2003-2004 season in the PL who was on the Emery coaching team last season but reported to have been transferred to the club’s U23 squad as head coach to replace Freddie Ljungberg and link up with Per Mertesacker, the manager of the Arsenal Academy School should also be another true story I would think.
But irrespective of these in-house transfer of these 2 coaches at club during this summer break, the Arsenal 3 man hierarchy bosses and the Gunners boss Emery should all make sure that they get it very right for Arsenal at the transfer market this summer as they make the necessary effort to rebuild the Gunners team squad that they preferred to have next season at the Emirates Stadium. And will want it to be in their own image squad. Which to the Gooners should be able to win both the PL and the ELC major titles next season. Otherwise, what will this rebuilding of the Gunners team squad be for? To finish below 4th in the table next season? That not what the Gooners want the bosses at the club to achieve for Arsenal next season after might have sold some Gunners this summer and brought in some new players. But the Gooners will want to see the rebuilt Gunners team squad wins the 2 major titles of the PL and that of the ELC next season. For, they may not accept the saying of blah blah blah to them by the club’s hierarchy bosses and the head coach Emery as a tenable excuse if they fail to deliver to Arsenal these 2 major titles at the end of next season. But what I wouldn’t know is if Arsenal don’t win these 2 major titles next season but win the Carabao Cup and finish in the top-four the Gooners will be consoled to accept it and temper their anger with patience but I for one cannot say if they would. For, the Gooners may not take the blah blah blah saying under any pretence as consolation to them to console them if the club miss out on the 2 major titles or on a top-four place finish and a domestic Cup win but finish in the top-five or top-six to end up playing in the Europa League Cup competition for the 4th straight season running. That I think won’t be acceptable to the Gooners for which I can put my money on it.
I think the Arseblog story on Freddie Ljungberg leaving the Arsenal U23 team squad before the start of next season as the head coach for the Gunners coaching team to become the 2nd assistant coach to Unai Emery, the Gunners head coach is from all indications a true story. And Steve Bould, the former defence legend at Arsenal FC that remained unbeaten throughout the 2003-2004 season in the PL who was on the Emery coaching team last season but reported to have been transferred to the club’s U23 squad as head coach to replace Freddie Ljungberg and link up with Per Mertesacker, the manager of the Arsenal Academy School should also be another true story I would think.
But irrespective of these in-house transfer of these 2 coaches at the club during this summer break, the Arsenal 3 man hierarchy bosses and the Gunners boss Emery should all make sure that they get it very right for Arsenal at the transfer market this summer as they make the necessary effort to rebuild the Gunners team squad that they preferred to have next season at the Emirates Stadium. And will want it to be in their own image squad. Which to the Gooners should be able to win both the PL and the ELC major titles next season. Otherwise, what will their rebuilding of the Gunners team squad be for? To finish below 4th in the table next season? That not what the Gooners want the bosses at the club to achieve for Arsenal next season after they might have sold some Gunners this summer and brought in some new players to do a rebuilding of the Gunners team squad. But the Gooners will want to see the rebuilt Gunners team squad wins the 2 major titles of the PL and that of the ELC next season. For, they may not accept the saying of blah blah blah to them by the club’s hierarchy bosses and the head coach Emery as a tenable excuse if they fail to deliver to Arsenal these 2 major titles at the end of next season. But what I wouldn’t know is if Arsenal don’t win these 2 major titles next season but win the Carabao Cup and finish in the top-four, the Gooners will be consoled and accept it to temper their anger with patience. But I for one cannot say if they would. For, the Gooners may not take the blah blah blah saying under any pretence as consolation to them to console them if the club miss out on the 2 major titles or on a top-four place finish and a domestic Cup win but finish in the top-five or top-six to end up playing in the Europa League Cup competition for the 4th straight season running. That I think won’t be acceptable to the Gooners to which I can put my money on it.
OT: Womens World Cup
Pauline only made the bench today. France was ahead 3-0 part way into second half.