The 75 players (yes really, 75) we are buying with at least 3 NOW (or so I’m told)

By Sir Hardly Anyone

Now the distraction of getting a new manager is over the fantasists (or “football correspondents as they like to be called) are back in operation throughout the public houses of central London and docklands.  Below is a list of players were are apparently signing so far, including some interesting recent additions including…

Mario Balotelli who as been found by Football London as a viable additional centre forward for Arsenal, presumably as an addition to Auba and Laca.  Oh yes and Danny.   Do we call that option “interesting” I wonder.  We were, after all, about to sign him last summer, and the summer before that, and the summer before that.

Gunnersphere blame the Sun for the story that Arsenal are after “Roma powerhouse” Radja Nainggolan, who is expected to cost around £45m.  “Powerhouse” means “midfielder” in English.

Jose Gimenez of Atletico Madrid is another player who has just been discovered with pen poised in hand ready to sign a new deal, but immediately we are told that no Real Madrid have outbid us – we get interested in a player and lose out all in one day.  But elsewhere we are still on the  list of suiters.

The Lichtsteiner story came in just a moment too late for our last chart so he’s now been added and we now also have news of Radja Nainggolan.  And if that is not enough we are also signing Lucas Torreira.

But you know I would have a little more faith in all these crazy tales if the bloggettas and newspapers that publish them had the decency to accept responsibility for the story – but each and every one lays the blame at someone else’s door.  Indeed the phrase “According to” is just about the most used phrase in football journalism these days.

So instead of calling them journalists, I think we should called them “Accordingto’s”

Oh yes, and there is a new goal keeping coach (allegedly).  We’ve tucked him in at the foot of the list.  Here we go with the full list…

No.	Player	From	Source	Information
Update	Yacine Adli	PSG	Sport Review.  Talk Sport says the deal is certainly on for a mere £250,000.  Mirror says it is for sure.	Barcelona Manchester City,  Bayern Munich and Juventus want him.  He’s a wonderkid.  All set to sign NOW (DZ)
2	Marco Asensio	Real Madrid	Guardian	Liverpool will pay up to £131m, Chelsea also keen.
3	Álvaro Odriozola Arzallus	Real Sociedad	Football London	Mainly right back can also play on the wing
4	Leon Bailey	Bayer Leverkusen	Talk Sprout; Football London	Cost £100m, he’s a winger or a midfielder who gives assists.  Chelsea more likely
NEW	Mario Balotelli	Nice	Football London (who else?), Mirror, La Gazetta dello Sport	“He’s rebuilt his reputation in France”
6	Ever Banega	Sevilla	Daily Star	Argentine player, central midfield
7	Jack Butland	Stoke	The Sun, 101 Great Goals	Liverpool also after this keeper
8	Karim Benzema	Real Mad	EPR Scouts, Football Transfer Tavern, Diario Gol,	Deal agreed £35m.  No €60 million,
9	Emre Can	Liverpool	Fourth Official	Liverpool won’t give him an extension
10	Jasper Cillessen	Barcelona	Mundo Deportivo, Daily Cannon	A keeper.
11	Doucoured	Watford	Football London	Play next to Ramsey to bring “much needed brawn and steel to a weak midfield.”
12	Ousmane Dembele	Barcelona (joined from Dortmund for £96m)	Express, Don Balon, Arsenal News, Gunnersphere, Telefoot	Swap deal with Bellerin even though we don’t need any more forwards and he is injury prone, but is a friend of Aub’s. Says he’s not moving
13	Kerem Demirbay	Hoffenheim	TalkSport. Liga Financial, Star, AFC Fever	Midfielder, AFC price agreed, Liverpool want him. Price agreed
14	Leander Dendoncker	Anderlecht	Fourth Official	Defensive midfield, creative midfield…
15	Abdoulaye Doucoure	Watford	Hertfordshire Mercury	Goalkeeper.  Watford want to keep him. Tots want him
16	Johnny Evans	WBA	Daily Mirror, Football London	He’s the key man we need. £3m from WBA if they go down
17	Nabil Fekir	Olympique Lyonnais	Mail	Arsenal’s number 1 target; attacking midfield
Update	Emil Forsberg	RB Leipzig	Sportwitness and Calcio Mercato.  £47m.	A replacement for Alexis Sanchez.  He’s going to be the first signing
19	Fred	Shakhtar	Gibfootballshow	Arsenal to get him for £30m
20	Willem Geubbels	Lyon	Football London	16 years old forward, Barce, Leipzig and Chelsea also want him
21	Alex Grimaldo	Benfica	Read Arsenal	Left back. Man U, PSG & Monaco fancy him
NEW	Jose Gimenez	Atletico Madrid	Marca, TalkSport, SportsReview	£53m but no sooner is it announced than we are set to miss out on him.  That hardly seems fair
23	Goncalo Guedes	PSG	Liga Financial	PSG must sell because of FFP, Arsenal have announced interest
24	Kai Havertz	Bayer Leverkusen	Metro, Mail, Tribal Football	AFC and Liverpool want him.  Midfielder; B,L’s youngest ever player
25	Dean Henderson	Man U; Shrewsbury	Mirror, Football London	Wants to leave to get 1st team football.  He’s a keeper
26	Ahmed Hegazi	West Brom	Transfer Tavern	Defender
27	Lorenzo Insigne.	Napoli	CalcioMercato.it.  Football fancast	An attacker, aged 26, Italian international
28	Jakub Jankto	Udinese	Teamtalk	It’s either Arsenal or AC Milan
29	Jorginho	Napoli	Hot Stepanovs	Faster and smaller than Xhaka
30	Kalidou Koulibaly	Napoli	Daily Mirror, Gunnersphere, Guardian, Corriere Dello Sport, Tribal Football	Centre back; top priority, Chelsea, Man C and Liverpool want him
31	Layvin Kurzawa	PSG	Sportsmole, the Week,	To replace Bellerin
32	Alban Lafont	Toulouse	Arsenal Mania, Daily Canon	Goalkeeper, Boyhood supporter of Arsenal.  “Set to leave”.  But he’s only 19.
33	Thomas Lemar	Monaco	ArsenalNewsHQ; Mirror; TalkSport. Star, Different League	Deal confirmed; has rejected a new contract. All go!!!  Or he has “become available”
NEW	Stephan Lichtsteiner	Juventus	Just about everywhere	Right back, available free, he’s 34 and he will be the first signing.  “It’s done” (Football London)
35	Matthias De Ligt	Ajax	Football London, Mirror	Centre back; Tots and Man C also want him.  Has handed in a transfer request
Update	Bernd Leno	Bayer Leverkusen	Football London, Daily Express (they are certain), Bild	A keeper available for just £22m.  The story has popped up again after a month of silence.He will be first signing.
37	Diogo Leite	Porto	A Bola (which is a Portuguese “outlet” not a virulent disease; Guardian	Centre back
38	Joel Lopez	Barcelona	Sports Lens	21 year old left midfield
39	Lozano	PSV	Sport 360, Arsenal mania	Winger who can cut inside
40	James Maddison	Norwich	Mirror, Sport Review, Birmingham Mail says it is about to happen	Midfield playmaker; Tottenham, Everton, Brighton Southampton & Man C also want him
41	Harry Maguire	Leicester	Sky Sports	Centre half.  Man U also want him.
42	Malcolm	Bordeaux	FootballBible, Sport Review, Gunnerspheree, Football London	Winger; everyone is interested; he says he goes in the summer.  But might go to China.  No will play in a 3 man line behind the number 9.
43	Joao Mario	Inter on loan at WHU	Fourth Official	Midfield, and said to love London
44	Lautaro Martinez	Racing Club de Avellaneda	Gunnersphere	Striker.  Inter have offered €20million
45	Anthony Martial	Man U	Sun, 4th Official	Signed by United from AC Monaco in 2015, the £75.7m
46	Max Meyer	Schalke 04.	Football London, Daily Canon, Guardian, Talk Sport, Express.  Contract ends this season	Attacking midfield or playmaker. Liverpool battling with Arsenal  New Santi Cazorla
NEW	Radja Nainggolan	Roma	The Sun, Gunnersphere	He’s a powerhouse midfielder and will cost £45m
48	Keylor Navas	Real Madrid	Don Ballon, HITC,	A goalkeeper looking for work.  He’s 31
49	Robert Navarro	Barcelona	Daily Mail, Canon	He’s 15 and plans to leave on his 16th birthday.  Arsenal have made an offer
50	Wilfred Ndidi	Leicester	Mad About PL, Goonertalk, African Football, Sun	Midfielder, Man U want him too
51	Saul Niguez	At Madrid	Mirror, Arsenal Station	£130m will get him.  Midfielder
52	Abulkadir Omur	Trabzonspor	Turkish football says Ozil recommends him	Central midfield
53	Oguzhan Ozyakup	Besiktas	Mail.  Football London says Wenger obsessed the transfer	Arsenal to bring back their ex-player at the end of his contract
54	Danilo Pereira	Porto	O Jogo	Defensive midfield, currently injured
55	Pablo Moreno	Barcelona	Mundo Deportivo	He’s 15 and his contract runs out at the end of the season
Update	Jan Oblak	Atletico Mad	FootballBible; Gibfootballshow, Star	Goalkeeper also wanted by Chelsea and Liverpool.  100m euros.  At Mad “expect him to leave”
57	Panagiotis Retsos	Bayer Leverkusen	Goal, 4th official	Greek South African defender
58	Ivan Rakitic	Barcelona	Star	Attacking midfield
Update	Sokratis Papastathopoulos	Borussia Dortmund	Birmingham Live, Gazzetta dello Sport, Football London, Evening Standard, Read Arsenal	Man U, Junventus, Chelsea interested in 29 year old defender.  Arsenal now favourites.  He’s going to be 1st signing.  Final details being arranged
60	Richarlison	Watford	EPL Scouts, 4th Official	Forward, Chels & Tots also; Arsenal miss out & Arsenal to hijack deal, both on same site!!!
61	Daniele Rugani	Juventus	Whoscored	Defender.  Agent confirms
62	Jean-Michael Seri	Nice	Mentioned on Arsenal.com.  From the Mirror and Metro, Star, Mail, Standard, Hard Tackle	Midfielder but Arsenal have been too slow and Chelsea have got him, just as they lost out last window.
63	Andre Silva	Milan	Mad about EPL	Attacking midfield “sensation” but failed to show his attributes this year.  Wolverhampton also interested.
64	Chris Smalling	Man U	Daily Canon, Sport 360, Daily Star, Guardian	£25m will get him
Update	Caglar Soyuncu	Freiburg	Football Whispers, Arsenal Station, Sky Sports, Telegraph.  Price about £35m	Central midfield.  Liverpool, Man C, Dortmund “in race”.  He wants a guarantee of 1st team footie. He’s going to be the first signing
66	Anderson Talisca	Benfica on loan to Besiktas	O Jogo	Brazilian attacking midfield
NEW	Lucas Torreira	Sampdoria	TuttoMercatoWeb	A defensive midfielder and he’s going to be first
67	Cengiz Ünder	Roma	Tuttomercato; he’s a goalscoring winger	£26m offered £40m demanded
68	Josha Vagnoman	Hamburg	ESPN (2nd youngster player in the German league ever)	Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton all want him
70	Timo Werner	Leipzig	Arsenal mania, Sun	21 year old who has scored a multitude of goals
71	Ben Wilmot	Stevenage	Sportsmole, Gunnersphere. The 72	18 year old played a dozen or so games.  Totts also interested. Price is £2m
72	Wilfried Zaha	Crystal Palace	Liga Financial	Arsenal making a bid of £25m
73	Cristian Zapata	Milan	Giants Football News	Defender
74	Piotr Zielinski	Napoli	The Mirror	Midfielder: “An essential signing”
75	Andrija Zivkovic	Benfica	Football Facts, The Record, EatSleepSports ArsenalStation, Telegraph, Giants, Tribal Football, Sport Witness	21 year old striker. Man U also want him  Price is £52m

And now… Javi Garcia.

Now this is trickery because he is not a player at all but PSG’s goalkeeping coach.  This story splashed around the highly reliable Sun (!!!) says Arsenal are almost there.   This is called a game changing signing by the Daily Canon.

Elsewhere

Changes to the Women’s game for 2018/19

Does having the best players in your team always bring success?

Attacking players: have the top clubs already mopped up the talent?