By Sir Hardly Anyone
There is a certain extra caution in the air at the moment what with Smith Rowe re-signing for Arsenal, and an increasing edginess that the tales of the amazing Arsenal recovery in the last two thirds of last season are actually true, and there clearly is no intent to replace the third best defence in the whole league across the whole of last season with others.
I think a few of our recent statistical pieces have helped a bit to settle things down, and indeed there is a greater calmness in the air – not least because a few more people have realised just how bonkers the notion that 116 players have now been tipped as coming to Arsenal.
When we come to do the totting up as the window finally shatters as the glass falls on the ground, and it turns out that as ever 95% or more of the rumours are untrue, and then we highlight who got the most wrong, there might be some red faces. Or at least their ought to be.
Here we go with the first 58. The remainder of the list follows shortly
| No | Player | Current club | Position | Reported by |
| 1 | Patrick van Aanholt | Ex Palace | Left Back | HITC; Hardtackle. Backup for Tierney |
| 2 | Max Aarons | Norwich | Full back | Daily Express. Express running story again – as if new! WhoScored – AFC interest |
| Up date | Tammy Abraham | Chelsea | Striker | TBR. New Thierry (Foot Fancast). HITC – fans will stop supporting AFC if he signs. AFC close(TBR). HITC – looking possible. Player keen (Football Talk) (TBR). AFC OK with wages. (London Football). Lacaz being sold to fund deal (Sport Review) |
| 4 | Abdul Abdulmalik | Millwall | Forward | Mail. Swansea have made a bid. Express says Millwall trying to hold him |
| 5 | Tyler Adams | Leipzig | Midfield | FoLo |
| 6 | Tosin Adarabioyo | Fulham | Centre back | Daily Express. Just £10m (Daily Cannon) until 1 month before new season. Top Flight: Arsenal interested. Centre back£10m release clause. The Athletic |
| Up date | Amine Adli | Toulouse | Forward | TBR: Leicester also interested. Player has rejected new contract. SportWitness, no he’s staying put. Sports Lens: replaces Odegaard. He will certainly leave HITC |
| 8 | Nathan Ake | Man C | Centre or left back | Express; AFC close link with Man C cited. |
| 9 | Yuri Alberto | Inter | Forward | 20 year old Brazilian. Inter need the money |
| 10 | Joachim Andersen | Lyon | Centre back | Replacement for David Luiz. £20m. FFC. |
| 11 | Houssem Aouar | Lyon | Midfield | Football.London (FoLo). Negotiations at advanced stage Back on (FoLo). A bargain (HITC). Going well (Arsenal station). Bid Tabled (Give me sport). It’s off (Express). AFC favourites (Canon) |
| 12 | Loic Bade | Lens | Defender | Boot Room. £22m Leeds also want. |
| NEW | Leon Bailey | Bayer Leverkusen | Winger | Caught off, Sun, Mirror, Bleacher, 365. Football Insider: Arsenal pulled out as his attitude is not right. |
| 14 | Folarin Balogun | Arsenal academy | Striker | All Nigeria Soccer says he is in the party going to USA for pre-season. |
| 15 | Dominico Beradi | Sassuolo | Winger | €50million (Arsenal Fever). |
| 16 | Nicolo Barella | Inter Milan | Centre midfield | Anfield Central |
| 17 | Andrea Belotti | Palermo | Striker | Man U, Liverpoool, Chelsea, Everton also interested. 101 great goals. Decision about to be made TBR |
| Up date |
Sander Berge
|
Sheffield Utd | Midfield | HITC; Express – he was seen out with Odegaard, Arsenal not willing to pay the asking price. Caught offside: Price dropped. VG says Arsenal interested, so does FoLo. Insidefutbol says AFC not willing to pay the price asked. Caught Office: Arsenal reaching agreement. Sportsmore says no go. Napoli & Atalanta want him (Star). AFC circling (FL World). Price too high (FFC). TBR: he’s available. |
| 19 | Ryan Bertrand | Soton | Left back | Mirror |
| NEW | Mika Biereth | Fulham | Striker | Arsenal youth; TBR |
| 21 | Yves Bissouma | Brighton | Midfield | Africa Football, Express, TBR, HITC, FoLo. No he’s going to Liverpool (Express) – it’s a swap deal with Nketiah. “Fans in meltdown” FoLo. He’s wanting a move (Rousingthekop). Anfield Cental: Liverpool will regret this. £50m quoted. Star: AFC / Liverpool “head to head”. SportReview: he has a chequered past. No its Liverp. TBR. TBR – no its Arsenal with R Nelson in part ex. |
| 22 | Josip Brekalo | Wolfsberg | Winger | Just Arsenal |
| 23 | Emiliano Buendia | Norwich | Playmaker | Daily Mail, Metro, FL, Boot Room, Sportslens, HITC, TBR, Teamtalk, Telegraph, F365, FoLo, HITC. Told to forget AFC and sign for Villa (Birmingham Live). Arsenal have offered £35m (Star). Caught offside say its on. And HITC. No – he went to Villa |
| 24 | Hakan Calhanoglu | AC Milan | Midfield | Out of contract this summer. HITC – “exceptionally talented” |
| 25 | Dominic Calvert-Lewin, | Everton | Forward | Express: Arsenal weighing up options. Hard Tackle: Arsenal “keeping tabs”. Man U trying to beat Arsenal. Football Talk, Sports Lens |
| 26 | Eduaro Camavinga | Rennes | Midfield | Will cost around €50million, Caught offside. TBR say he is compared to Vieira. HITC its on. SportsMole: he’s the main target. Arsenal tracking him (Mail). Caught Offside: Man U about to muscle in. 4th Official: Talented anchorman who can spray passes all around the park. AFC, Chelsea, Man U fighting it out (442) |
| 27 | Luis Campos | Lille | Sporting director | Would handle transfers. Charlie Watts says good idea |
| 28 | Zeki Celik | Lille | Right back | Standard, Just Arsenal, Sports Lens, Sport Review Man U, Totts also interested. HITC say it would be a bargain fee. Mail says interest is still on. |
| 29 | Nathan Collins | Stoke City | Defender | Sun, TBR. (Arsenal buying an “uncompromising” Stoke defender????). The 72. |
| 30 | Jesus Corona | Porto | Right back or wing | Metro. Signing this week. HITC – he’s refusing to sign a new contract. Still a target (Express) |
| 31 | Joaquin Correa | Lazio | Forward | TBR £30m. Offer is now Torreira plus cash (TBR). One offer rejected already |
| 32 | Philippe Coutinho | Barcelona | Midfield | Just Arsenal, FoLo: Arsenal will have to wait. Winterburn says “don’t”. Just Arsenal says Arsenal interested. Express says still on. Mirror says AFC want report on his injury. PSG have made a bid: The Lazalai. HITC: Arsenal make contact |
| 33 | Patson Daka | RB Salzburg | Striker | TBR Football; Leicester want him so Arsenal no chance Express |
| 34 | Moussa Dembele | Lyon (At. Madrid) | Striker | Daily Express, HITC. FoLo: “Fresh Arsenal links”. Just Arsenal: he can leave |
| 35 | Sergino Dest | Barcelona | Right back | Bleacher claims he has £343 million release clause. HITC says could be on at lower price! HITC now says it is on. AFC make approach – FoLo. He turns AFC down – JustArse. New approach – Football Tallk |
| 36 | Amadou Diawara | AS Roma | Defensive midfield | Moving to Arsenal as part of the Xhaka deal: Hard Tackle |
| NEW | Matchoi Djalo | Pascos de Ferreira | Winger | Canon. Available for £1m |
| Up date | Josh Doig | Hibs | Left back | The Scotsman. £5m. FoLo say Arsenal desperate to buy a new left back. Inside Football: AFC not interested. Hibs told to lower price (Edinburgh news) |
| 39 | Oddsonne Edouard | Celtic | Striker | Daily Star. FoLo says Leicester and Milan want him. Now FoLo say he’s staying at Celtic! |
| 40 | Nabil Fekir | Real Betis | Forward | HITC: wants to move to Arsenal. FoLo says it is on. TBR says he wants to join. Arsenal made an offer (Canon). Still on Team Talk, Just Arsenal. Star: bid far too low. 101 says most realistic transfer. Talks with player’s rep (TBR) |
| 41 | Ferreira | Grêmio | Winger | 23 years old (Caught offside) |
| 42 | Jack Grealish | Aston Villa | Wing/ midfield | Football fan cast; Athletic |
| 43 | Florian Grillitsch | Hoffenh’m | Midfield | Only one year left on contract HITC |
| 44 | Matteo Guendouzi | Arsenal! | Midfield | He’s been in disgrace so long it seems like he’s already gone but Metro is saying he will be given a contract extension & return. Just Arsenal now re-running that story |
| 45 | Miguel Gutierrez | Real Madrid | Full Back | The Athletic; Hard Tackle; TBR – Arsenal still interested. Sport Witness says “surprising claims”. Arsenal made off (TBR) |
| 46 | Achraf Hakimi | Inter Milan | Right Back | Daily Express, HITC |
| 47 | Alexander Isak | Real Sociedad | Forward | The Athletic says Arsenal interested. HITC re-running it. And FoLo. Cesc says his the top man at the Euros. Others agree. HITC raving. Chelsea & Liverpool also want him. (Sports Mole). Tottenham also want him HITC. Arsenal met the asking price. Star agrees. Release clause £60m – Media Referee. Teamtalk: nearly there. HITC – price has just gone up. |
| 48 | Isco | Real Madrid | Midfield | Mirror. Milan & Totts also keen. It’s a bargain (Just Arsenal). |
| 49 | Sam Johnstone | WBA | Goal | If Ramsdale won’t come (Star). Arsenal’s new focus (Mirror), (Footballleagueworld) |
| 50 | Joan Jordan | Sevilla | Midfield | TBR says Sevilla don’t want to sell. |
| 51 | Kaio Jorge | Santos | Forward | Wolverhampton also interested (Caught offside). Available on a free (HITC) |
| 52 | Kyle Joseph | Swansea | Forward | Wales online: Swansea, Rangers, Celtic also want him |
| 53 | Vinicus Junior | Real Madrid | Winger | Brazilian. Hard tackle says AFC enquiring |
| Up date | Glen Kamara | Rangers | Midfield | Rangers News. Watford News says he’s going to Watford. Teamtalk: back on. Sportslen: very likely. Alternative to Neves (HITC) |
| 55 | Thilo Kehrer | PSG | Defender | TBR – AFC looking into… PSG Talk ditto, TeamTalk also. |
| 56 | Jonjoe Kenny. | Everton | Right Back | Mail / TBR. We need a right back??? Celtic Star calls him “Celtic flop”. |
| 57 | Franck Kessie | AC Milan | Midfield | £42m (HITC). Arsenal out front (Mirror). Insidefutbol “Arsenal sniffing around” |
| 58 | Tenu Koopmeiners | AZ Alkmaars | Midfield | 23 year old playing for Netherlands. HITC – he’s tempted. Teamtalk. |
Part 2 follows in a moment.
