8 more players heading for Arsenal and 3 more leaving. Plus coaching shake up.

By Sir Hardly Anyone

We often report that 3% of all transfer rumours end up being correct – but this number would be far lower than this were it not for the fact that we include rumours that suddenly emerge en masse just a few days before an actual signing.   One such event looks like being Saliba who is said to be about to make a move by numerous “outlets” (or “drainpipes” if you prefer a more accurate description).  Indeed he may have signed by the time you read this, as this report is being written some hours before publication.

So if we were to take the last minute excitement stories out of the reckoning then the number of signings correctly predicted would be less than one in 100.

The story that I think no one called in advance is that Freddie Ljungberg will become Arsenal’s new assistant first-team coach, while Steve Bould takes charge of the under-23 team.

This is not unknown territory for Steve Bould; he ran the academy before being promoted to assistant manager in 2012.   He will now work with the under 23s and under 18s, alongside Per Mertesacker.

So, as I say, no one spotted that.   What they have spotted are 54 players we are trying to sign (according to the sites) but almost certainly will not.

Mind you, the window is not yet open.

In what follows “Foot Lond” means Football London – the Daily Mirror’s endlessly repetitive site that publishes 40 Arsenal stories a day.  The names added to the table for the first time have the word “NEW” next to them.  Just to make it easy.

Part 1: The Players coming to Arsenal this summer

No Player Current club Source Notes
1 Toby Alderweireld Tottenham H TBR Football, Sun He’s 30 years old
2 Joachim Anderson Sampdoria Calciomeracto and Tuttosport £37m for him and Praet.  Anderson is a centre back.
NEW Angelino PSV But Man City want him back- he was with their youth team He’s a left back
4 Antony Sao Paulo Media Ref (they say it would be a waste of money) Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Lyon and Monaco are also interested
5 Gareth Bale Real Madrid She wore a yellow 87% of RM fans want him out
6 Eric Bailly Man U Transfer Market £27m, for 25 year old centre back
7 Ismael Bennacer Empoli HITC, Pain in the Arsenal Ex Arsenal youth player
8 Jerome Boateng Bayern Foot Lond, Talk Sport “He’s played his last game for us”
9 Marcelo Brozociv Inter Milan Transfer Tavern citing CalcioMercato £40.5m; a “tough midfielder”
NEW Yannick Carrasco Dalian Yifang (China) Sport, Sport Witness and elsewhere in Spanish press.  Sun says it is 1/10 he will sign.  TeamTalk however say we have missed out on him Winger aged 25
11 Samuel Chukwueze Villareal Foot Lond Nigerian forward
12 Alexis Claude-Maurice Lorient Arsenal have made a £6m bid.  FootLond, Sun France under 20 forward and friend of Guendouzi
13 Djene Dakonam Getafe Daily Express Central defender / RB.  Will cost £13.5m
14 En-Nesyri  Leganes Fox Sports Asia, HITC. Borussia Dortmund and Schalke also want him He will be the first signing and will cost £10m
15 Bruno Fernandes Sporting O Jogo, Sport Witness Chelsea, Man C, Juventus want him, £100m release clause
16 James Forest Celtic Media Referee We should sell Iwobi and get him.
17 Ryan Fraser Bournemouth Express, Mirror One year left on contract
18 Jean Philippee Gbamain Mainz Read Arsenal; Soccer Souls On his way
19 Ander Herrera Man U Express PSG also interested
NEW Presnel Kimpembe PSG Foot Lond, Soccer Link He’s a centre half
21 Isco Real Mad Transfer Market. Attacking midfield.  Price is £54m
22 Danny Loader Reading FootballLeagueWorld Chelsea want the 18 year old striker.
23 Marcos Llorente Real Mad Transfer Market, HITC 24 year old defensive midfield.  £13.5m
24 Malcolm Barcelona Sport Witness, FootLond Totts, Milan, Inter and Lille also after him
25 Ruslan Malinovskyi Genk Daily Canon Ukraine Midfielder
26 Kostas Manolas Roma FootLond He’s a centre back
27 Thomas Meunier PSG right back TBR Football, Arsenal Station, Mail, Sports Review Arsenal fans don’t want him (TBR)
28 Gabrielle Martinelli Ituano Metro according to reports in Brazil, also Express 17 year old winger, equivalent of Son Heung-min FootLond
29 Harry Maguire Leicester HITC 26 year old centre back
30 Paul Mitchell Leipzig Sports Mole; 90 min, Football 365, Sky; Talksport Man U and Chelsea interested
NEW Neymar PSG Foot Lond go bonkers with “Excited Arsenal fans react as Neymar is linked with PSG exit”
32 N’Zonzi Roma HITC £19m; he’s considered a flop at Roma where he plays midfield
33 David Neres Everton Telegraph, Foot Lond £34.5m; talks held. Liverpool want him
34 Christopher Nkunku PSG Foot Lond, Le Parisien, Star Midfield; he’s turned down a contract renewal. We tried in Jan
35 Thomas Partey Atletico Madrid Talk Sport Midfield with a £43.5m release clause
36 Nicolas Pepe Lille 101 Great Goals, Telefoot, FootLond Star striker.  Man U also interested. “He’s on the way” (FL)
37 Ayoze Perez Newcastle Mad about EPL Inter also want him; forward or attacking midfield
38 Ivan Perisic Inter Milan Spursweb, Gazzetta dello sport Tots and WHU interested
39 Dennis Praet Sampdoria Corriere dello Sport , Sport Witness, Calciomeracto and Tuttosport Midfielder or winger; package deal with Anderson
40 Benito Raman Fortna Dusseldorf Express WHU, Burnley, Everton interested
41 Ismaila Sarr Stade Rennais Metro He will cost over £40m.  A 21 year old winger
Update William Saliba Saint Etienne Le 10 sport says he’s off to Man U.  Shoot, Sport Witness and Metro say Arsenal.  Mirror and its “outlet” Foot Lond says it is a done deal. Read Arsenal say terms agreed Centre back.  L’Equipe says he has signed a 5 year deal
NEW Matt Targett Southampton Sun, Teamtalk Liverpool also want this left back.
44 Nicolas Tagliafico Ajax Mirror – “he’s a target for Arsenal” £17.3million release clause and he gets half!
NEW Kieran Tierney Celtic Foot Lon tell is he is a left footed full back
NEW Leandro Trossard
Genk €20m according to Inside Futbol He’s a winger
NEW Saliba Saint Etienne Metro, Foot Lond, Sport Witness, Taste of Football and Sun all have Arsenal having reached agreement to take him. Defender whom St E want to loan to Arsenal.  He’s 18 years old.
NEW Dorukhan Tokoz Beşiktaş He’s 23
49 Samuel Umtiti Barcelona Foot Lond running just about the most unlikely story of them all. The most expensive centre back in the world!
50 Upamecano Leipzig Daily Express – who say we will sign him and Anderson! Central defender
Update Jordon Veretout Fiorentina Metro.  Player says he is moving “to a big club” 25m euros for Ramsey II
52 Wesley Club Brugges Sun, Calciomercato, Daily Cannon, LaLazio Forward, 22 years old
53 Wilfried Zaha Crystal Palace Sun, FootLond Palace want £80m; plays right wing
54 Hakim Ziyech Ajax Foot Lond Attacking midfielder

Part 2: The Players Leaving

No Player Going to Source Notes
1 Aubameyang Real Madrid; China FootLond; Playing for 90 Caught Offside FL cite Calciomercato.  The China story cites Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG.  Caught offside say he has removed all traces of Arsenal from his social media sites
NEW Krystian Bielik ??? Sun Sun says he is not going back to the under 23 team
3 Chambers ??? FoodLond Off to Tottenham (HITC) no Everton (TBR)
4 Cohen ??? Untold Contract ended.
5 Elneny Roma Daily Cannon
Update Jenkinson Celtic FootLond; The Sun The Sun says he is going to Celtic
7 Kolasinac FootLond No explanation – just Arsenal want to get rid of him according to FootLond
8 Lacazette Barcelona At Madrid Express; The Week, Ev Standard He has admitted he is flattered to have been linked with a switch to Barcelona this summer.  Metro says he’s being offered a new deal.  Foot Lond says no it is not happening.
NEW Macey Daily Canon Been told he can leave
10 Mkhitaryan Star, Mail Star blames the Mail for the story.
11 Mustafi Roma Daily Cannon, “He’s up for sale” Express
12 Eddie Nketiah Star He will go on loan if we buy another forward
Update Ospina Napoli FootLond; Caught offside Daily Cannon  “He’s up for sale”  HITC says player himself says he wants to go. Napoli want to keep him and will pay €4.8m
14 Ozil FootLond “He’s up for sale”
15 Smith Rowe Leipzig Foot Lond “He’s staying” exclusive from FL, but others say he’s off.
16 Sokratis Foot Lond He wants Champs Lge football
17 Suarez Chelsea Read Arsenal He’s not really an Arsenal player but he was on loan
NEW Torreira AC Milan All Arsenal Rumours A rather clever editorial ploy of creating a rumour and then denying it all in one article.
19 Welbeck Daily Cannon Now recovered from injury but out of contract, although Foot Lond had him as a possible player in the Uefa Cup Final
20 Xhaka Inter Milan Sund Express, BT Sport, Caught offside Player says he wants to move. Inter wants him.  But Suburban Gooners say he is going nowhere.

The Manager

Can Unai Emery survive as Arsenal manager beyond Christmas?” asks Just Arsenal, suggesting that a poor start to the campaign could see him removed not least because the crowd might get on his back.  Who would replace him we are not told.  Could it be Freddie?

9 Replies to “8 more players heading for Arsenal and 3 more leaving. Plus coaching shake up.”

  1. We dont need stories, we need really business. Who is going to come in and who is going out?

  2. I agree we don’t need stories – but the only way I can think of to make this point is through making fun of the stupidity of those who spend their summers concocting these stories.

  3. I know – why dont we swap everyone for the Spud squad then come out disguised as each other yet play in the same stadium. To all these outlets /drainpipes this would of course make perfect sense.
    But hey it would be irresponsible of me to make these facts known to an unsuspecting public damn! Did I just write this and get it published ?
    Oops

  4. I like these updates it shows us all how futile following the press during the balmy summer months can be. Keep up the good work.

  5. Arsenal haven’t been linked to M’bappe this must be an oversight surely.

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