Arsenal look certain to sign one player before end of the month.

by Sir Hardly Anyone

It has taken a little bit longer than we expected, probably because everyone was still drinking in the Toppled Bollard but we now have the first reports of Martinelli leaving.  These will reoccur with extra force in every single transfer window from now on, with occasional comments on the fact that he has gone back to Brazil or is so fed up at Arsenal that he is refusing to play, until eventually he leaves just to shut the journalists up.

And how do I know?  Because that’s how it always goes.  A new wonderful player is discovered and celebrated by the media, and then he is destroyed by the media.  It’s what they do.

Meanwhile the nonsense continues.  We have 36 players nominated to be coming to Arsenal and normally 3% of these stories are true so it looks like we have one incoming player.

Of course it may not be one of these 36, but these are the names we have seen mentioned by the bunch of jokers who like to call themselves professional journalists (and please do try to stop laughing).

Here is the list.  In what follows, as ever, FoLo = Football London.

And just as we closed the list ready for publication we had ”

“Arsenal are close to sealing the signing of former Manchester City defender Pablo Mari from Flamengo to bolster Mikel Arteta’s defensive options,” from the Star.  He’ll be added to the table next time.

No Player Currently At Position Source / Notes
??? ??? ??? Centre back HITC devote whole article to saying we are getting someone but we don’t know who.  https://tinyurl.com/quxj5ak  Red London now copying this approach.
1 Nathan Ake Bournemouth Centre back FoLo.  Chelsea want him
2 Max Aarons Norwich Full back £30m; Mail
Update Jude Bellingham Birmingham Striker Football London and Express; Liverpool also want him.  Birmingham Live say AFC now making their move.
Update Jerome Boateng Bayern Munich Centre back Gunnersphere, Football Fancast. Sempremilan says no deal.  TBR says it will be a loan.  Bavarian Football Works.
Update Hakan Calhanoglu Milan Attacking midfield Football fan cast say the “fans” have already turned against him. Express says Arsenal’s budget won’t stretch to it. It’s €20million
6 Edinson Cavani PSG Striker Edinson Cavani has handed in a transfer request, TBR Football
NEW Philippe Coutinho Bayern Munich Attacking midfield On loan from Barcelona. Arsenal is a possible destination, his agent is an Arsenal fan and is a friend of Edu, according to the Star
8 Yan Couto Coritiba Defender A teenager, no less!
9 Djene Dakonam Getafe Defender Centre back can play right back.  Talk Sport have this as a major possibility now!
10 Merih Demiral Juventus Defender £50m. Fotomc / Sport Witness
NEW Sergino Dest Ajax Full back Just Football.  Can play left or right.  He’s 19.
12 Firmino Liverpool Attacking midfield TalkSport. Even they say this is “Speculation”
Update John Fleck Sheffield Utd Midfield Football Insider, Burnley Express, Coventry Life.  Left Coventry on a free 2 years ago.  Shields Gazette say AFC bid £20m
14 Omari Forson Man U Attacking midield He’s 15; HITC
15 Bruno Guimarães Athletico Paranaense Midfield Benfica and Borussia Dortmund both want him – The Star
.16 Christian Kabasele Watford Defender NBC Reports.
17 Thilo Kehrer PSG Part swap for Lacazette; Bleacher.
NEW Franck Kessie Milan Central Midfield Mirror, Caughtoffside, Sun, Metro.  Sportsmole have Arsenal as favourites to sign him.
Update Layvin Kurzawa PSG Left back The Sun “according to reports” in France Football, say he’s signed a five year deal from next season.  PSG says no (Caught Offside).  Or yes, contract agreed (Caught Offside).  Free transfer in June (Mail). Or £4.2m now (FoLo).
Update Thomas Lemar Atletico Madrid Left Wing Read Arsenal. Team Talk says as part of Lacazette deal.  FoLo says its a loan deal. No Fo Lo says £33m transfer close! Star says Arsenal are at the front of the queue.  HITC says some fans don’t want him at Arsenal. FoLo says “All roads lead to Arsenal”. Sport Witness says “close to signing”
21 James Maddison Leicester Playmaker Football Insider
NEW Mykola Matviyenko Shakhtar Donestk Central defender or left back depending on source. 4th official, Metro.  He’s a Ukraine international, talks have begun.  Loan then purchase for £22m   (Daily Canon.) No, cash offer made!  (HITC).  Metro, Arseblog.  Sky Sports confirm and say cost is £30m.  Metro say Arteta was recommending player when he was at Man C.  “All roads lead to Arsenal” FoLo
23 Dries Mertens Napoli Striker or winger Metro, FoLo.  WHU want him also.
24 Thomas Meunier PSG Right back World Soccer Talk.
25 Thomas Partey Atletico Madrid Defensive midfield Express
26 Leandro Paredes PSG Central midfield Part Swap for Lacazette; Bleacher
27 Adrien Rabiot Juventus Midfield Star.  £25m
28 Boubakary Soumare. Lille Midfield Read Arsenal
29 John Stones Man C Central defence Sun, HITC
30 Dominik Szoboszlai Red Bull Salzburg No 10 FoLo
31 Samuel Umtiti Barcelona Centre back Sport Witness
32 Cengiz Under Roma Winger The Boot Room.  £34m
33 Dayot Upamecano Leipzig Central defence Express.  France u-21
NEW Jannik Vestergaard Southampton Defender TBR say Leicester are going for him but Arsenal could be interested.
35 Kevin Volland Bayer Leverkusen. Forward World Soccer Talk
36 Wilfried Zaha Crystal Palace Forward Football.London, who seem to be re-running the summer transfers to save them making up anything new.

Now the great news is that normally 3% of transfer rumours are correct and we have 36 rumours – which means Arsenal are going to sign one of these guys.

Five of those names are new in the last couple of days, so there is still a chance we might make 50 by the moment the window creaks on his hinges and ends up shut.

We’ll let you know.

One Reply to “Arsenal look certain to sign one player before end of the month.”

  1. Also this morning, Pablo Mari, (a defender) said een at airport with Edu.
    Said to have been at Man City 4 years ago but apart from loans, never played for City.

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