Bendtner Releases Arsenal Statement

By Nick Lander

Nicklas Bendtner has released a statement on his failure to secure a transfer away from the club over the summer. The Dane was understood to be very close to a move to Crystal Palace yesterday, but the club's failure to bring in an alternative meant that the move did not get sanctioned. You can read all the details of yesterday here.

His statement confirms that Arsenal had instructed him to find a new club, but "reserved their right to not sanction any deal" as they had not managed to bring in a replacement. Last week Arsene Wenger told Arsenal.com "If [Bendtner] does not leave and prepares well, and is fit, really fit, then I will use him.

"He is not training [with the first team] at the moment because he is coming back from injury and is not ready to integrate into the training sessions." 

Having been somewhat frozen out of the club over the past couple of seasons, with loan spells at Sunderland and Juventus, Bendtner's recent history has also been marred by some off the field problems. His refusal to lower his wage demands also scuppered moves much earlier in the summer to the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt, Malaga and Hull.

Whilst being "disappointed" not to leave, the striker describes Arsenal as "a fantastic environment for any professional to apply their trade." Before going on to say: "I still feel very strongly about Arsenal Football Club and following positive talks with the Manager, I am looking forward to working hard to regain full fitness and doing my very best to help to the team and the Manager fulfil our objectives and ambitions this season."

Bendtner concluded his statement by saying: "I will give everything I have to contribute to what I believe will be a successful season for the club." You can read his full statement here.

Whilst Bendtner is far from the ideal player to have as back up to Olivier Giroud, he is a reasonably talented striker, who will score goals. The problem lies with his mentality, believing he is far better than he is. For me his Arsenal career is summed up nicely by a 4 day spell back in 2009/10 when Bendtner missed a hat-full of chances on the Saturday against Burnley, before then bagging a hat-trick on the Tuesday against Porto in the Champions League. 

If he finds some consistency  he may yet end up having an important impact on Arsenal's season. Assuming he is selected ahead of Park Chu-Young that is...

Follow me on Twitter - @nlander94 - and like the N5 Blog on Facebook.

Deadline Day - LIVE BLOG

By Nick Lander

This page needs manually refreshing.

23:50 - Well, that's the live blog over for this window. Thank you for joining in the ride through an historic day for Arsenal as the club transfer record was smashed by a colossal £27m with Mesut Özil's arrival from Real Madrid. Arsenal have now paid the 2nd most for a player (within the Premier League), after Chelsea's £50m for Fernando Torres. The club also brought in goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano from Palermo.

The rest of the season awaits and with a midfield of that quality, who knows what it will bring!

23:32 - Özil also turned down PSG. The French champions made a larger offer than the Gunners, but the Wenger effect was a bigger pull and brought the German international to the Emirates.

23:25 - Sounds like United managed to sneak Fellaini through and possibly Coentrao too...

23:19 - Harry Redknapp is giving his first interview from the window of a car this deadline day. Likely to say something about having tried to sign Özil any minute...

23:00 - THE TRANSFER WINDOW IS NOW SHUT

Have there been any late deals snuck through under the radar? Did Manchester United manage to complete the signing of Marouane Fellaini?

22:57 - Jack Wilshere bills Özil as the "signing of the summer," tweeting: "Signing of the summer! Easily! Fantastic player, plays the 'Arsenal way'. Welcome @MesutOzil1088 absolutely buzzing!

22:53 - Özil takes the number 11 shirt.

22:51 - Many Arsenal players have Facebooked or Tweeted their welcome to Özil already, Santi Cazorla said: "Welcome @MesutOzil1088 such an amazing player"

22:47 - That will almost certainly be the end of Arsenal's transfer dealings for the summer, unless we've a massive surprise on the way in the next 13 minutes.

Are we happy with the summer then?

22:45 - Mesut Özil's message to Real Madrid fans from his official Facebook page: "Dear fans of Real Madrid,

"Thank you very much for three wonderful years with all of you. My time at Real Madrid was unique and special for me. Sometimes things develop differently, than I would have expected them to a few days ago. Although I’m leaving Real Madrid I wish you and the team the very best for the future.

"Now I’m looking forward to my new club: THE GUNNERS!"

22:34 - Özil quotes from Arsenal.com "I am thrilled to be joining a club of the stature of Arsenal and am looking forward to playing in the Premier League. It will be great for my own personal development as a player and I am particularly looking forward to working with Arsène Wenger.

“From our negotiations it is clear the Club has huge ambition and I look forward to being part of an exciting future.”

22:32 - Everton now apparently in pole position for Lukaku... (SkySports)

22:26 - A little bit more on Demba Ba too... He apparently refused to move anywhere other than Arsenal, which Jose Mourinho refused to allow. That's forced him to allow Romelu Lukaku to move to West Brom on loan.

22:23 - He's spoken. There's a new German in the squad.

22:20 - David Ornstein now saying that Özil will be announced inside the next half an hour.

22:15 - John Cross says that Özil is definitely done and dusted, just not yet been announced.

22:00 - JUST ONE MORE HOUR NOW

21:48 - The Daily Express are reporting that Arsenal have been in touch with PSG about Javier Pastore. Slight possibility that he would be allowed to leave if they manage to bring Mata in, but that doesn't sound particularly likely.

21:40 - Some suggestion that Arsenal have had an enquiry over Javier Mascherano knocked back by Barcelona, must say I think that's an unlikely sounding move.

20:44 - As it stands Nicklas Bendtner will stay at Arsenal as back up to Giroud, that is unless Wenger manages to secure an alternative to Ba before 23:00 tonight.

20:28 - David Ornstein (BBC Sport) and John Cross (Daily Mirror) both reporting that Demba Ba to Arsenal is dead. Arsenal seen as too much of rival to loan to.

Can't say I'm too disappointed, but Arsenal now need to move fast for alternative targets, another striker is a must. No real depth there were Giroud to get injured.

See 20:10 for who I'd like...

20:13 - BBC Sport reporting that Özil's signing is "is being processed. Essentially done and dusted."

20:10 - Spurs apparently not interested in Ba.

I still think we should be aiming higher, either Torres or Rooney.

19:46 - Developments on the Demba Ba front. SkySports reporting that Chelsea have agreed terms with an unnamed Premier League club for his loan. They did however say that the club is not Arsenal or Tottenham, who have both made offers.

19:26 - Arsenal.com have Wenger saying that: “Viviano is a player that we have rated for some time and we are very pleased to have signed him on loan. He’s experienced and has proved himself at a high level, and provides us with excellent cover to our existing goalkeepers.”

19:12 - Emiliano Viviano has been officially annouced by Arsenal now though...

19:05 - Still no announcement on Özil, but Pitch Invasion TV now reporting that Arsenal have returned to Manchester United with a new offer for Wayne Rooney.

18:25 - So, are you happy with another keeper being brought in? Tweet me, @nlander94, message the N5 Blog on Facbook and use the comments below. And of course don't forget to use #N5BlogLive when you're tweeting!

18:22 - Palermo have confirmed that Emiliano Viviano has joined Arsenal on loan for the season.

The Gunners have paid a £1m loan fee and have the option to buy for £5m at the end of the season.

18:01 - Also when I said official conformation of Özil in the next half hour an hour and a half ago, I lied.

18:00 - FIVE HOURS OF THE TRANSFER WINDOW REMAINIG

16:48 - It does sound like Juan Mata is on his way out of Chelsea, but not going to Arsenal. BBC Sport reporting that he's in talks with PSG.

16:31 - Still waiting on official conformation on , but in the meantime, his Twitter account (@MesutOzil1088) has more followers than Arsenal's...

Anyone would think there wasn't very much happening...

16:18 - Arsenal are expected to announce Mesut Özil's signature inside the next half hour or so.

16:14 - Less than seven hours to go and Twitter says that the Danish press have said Bendtner's on the verge of that move to Palace.

15:17 - All quiet at the moment. Suspect things may get a bit busier this evening.

To recap, Demba Ba on loan is a distinct possibility, but Chelsea are demanding a £3m loan fee. Seems high, not only that, Chelsea aren't keen on letting him go to a direct rival and there's a fair bit of competition for him, from the likes of Napoli, Valencia and Newcastle.

Mesut Özil and Emiliano Viviano both seem to be on the verge of being announced. Özil coming for €50m and Viviano initially coming in on a season-long loan.

14:45 - Sounds like Nicklas Bendtner may indeed be on his way. Apparently spotted at Crystal Palace's training ground.

Be slightly surprising if that one comes off and I'm sure selling him elsewhere in the Premier League may well come back to haunt us.

14:11 - The size of the loan fee for Ba is making the deal sound less and less attractive...

13:51 - SkySports now running the Ba story. You're after the wrong striker Arsenal, THE WRONG ONE!!

13:15 - Must say, I cannot see why Chelsea would go through with a loan deal for Demba Ba. Were anything possible, surely that would have to be a permanent deal.

Still some mutterings about Angel Di Maria too. If we're in for a winger though, I think I'd prefer Barcelona's Cristian Tello.

13:11 - Possible that there will also be exits today. Club still trying to offload Park Chu-Young and Nicklas Bendtner. Unlikely, but you never know.

12:50 - Sounds like Özil's medical may well be done... Will absolutely smash Arsenal's transfer record. Forced out of Madrid, good signing for the Gunners.

12:46 - There are now a few mumblings appearing on the blogosphere and Twitter about Fernando Torres to Arsenal... Definitely to be taken with a pinch of salt, but they apparently originate from the print edition of La Marca. Don't know if anyone can confirm?

But get involved anyway!! Tweet me, @nlander94, message the N5 Blog on Facbook and use the comments below. And of course don't forget to use #N5BlogLive when you're tweeting!

12:34 - Plenty of chants of "Where's your monkey gone?" at the Emirates yesterday, and Gareth Bale has now been presented as a Real Madrid player.

Elsewhere, Liverpool have been busy, signing Mamadou Sahko, Victor Moses (loan) and Tiago Ilori.

12:23 - Being reported now that Özil has agreed a £115,00 per week contract. Fee of £42.4m.

Guillem Balague says on SkySports that it was all agreed on Friday.

12:00 - JUST ELEVEN HOURS LEFT

11:55 - The Mirror's John Cross is reporting that Arsenal have persuaded Özil to join. Likely ends any interest in Newcastle's Cabaye, much to their relief.

It does sound then, like Viviano and Özil will soon be announced.

11:53 - FranceFootball are reporting that Arsenal have made a move for Demba Ba.

I still maintain that Torres would be a far better buy. We can afford him, why not do for it?!

11:47 - One player Arsenal definitely won't be signing is Josuha Guilavogui he's joined Athletico Madrid. He had been linked with a move to N5 over the last couple of weeks.

11:20 - All quiet on the transfer front really. SkySports saying that Arsenal are 'confident' on Özil, but that any deal will be signed in Germany, where the 24-year-old is with the national team.

11:00 - TWELVE HOURS OF THE TRANSFER WINDOW REMAIN

10:54 - Away from transfers for a moment, Olivier Giroud won the Arsenal.com man of the match for yesterday. Can't argue with that. Possibly his best performance in an Arsenal shirt?

10:46 - Worth pointing out also, you will need to manually refresh this page. Sadly I can't set this up to auto-refresh, so make sure you do to keep up with what's going on!

Just as importantly, get involved! Tweet me - @nlander94, use the hash-tag #N5BlogLive, comment on the Facebook page wall or in the comments section below.

10:41 - BBC Sport are reporting that Manchester United are definitely not in for Özil. If he will leave Madrid, it seems the Gunners have a pretty free run to sign him. United's focus is on raiding Everton for Marouane Fellaini.

10:32 - So far of course, Arsenal have only brought in Yaya Sanogo and Mathieu Flamini on free transfers.

What do you think of my Torres idea and who do you want to see come in? Get involved by tweeting me(@nlander94), using the hash-tag #N5BlogLive, commenting on the Facebook page wall or through the comments below. 

10:17 - Also possible that Arsene Wenger is interested in bringing in some of Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Abel Hernandez, Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye.

If Arsenal are going in for a Chelsea striker though, I'd much prefer Fernando Torres. Perhaps a deal could be done around the £20m mark...

10:09 - As well as Özil the Gunners are widely expected to complete a season-long loan deal for Palermo goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano, with a medical said to be scheduled for this morning.

10:03 - All the speculation last night in the wake of the North London Derby was about Mesut Özil joining from Real Madrid. Arsenal are believed to have had a £42.5m bid accepted, but is the player keen on leaving Los Blancos? That remains to be seen, with La Marca reporting this morning that the move was stalling...

There have also been reports of rival interest from Manchester United and free-spending PSG.

09:58 - Welcome to the first ever Live N5 Blog. I'm going to be taking you all the way through deadline day, complete with all the rumours and done deals coming out of the club and the best from elsewhere.

Get involved by tweeting me, @nlander94, by commenting on the Facebook page wall and through the comments below.

After a brilliant victory yesterday in the NLD, can Arsenal make it two memorable days in a row? It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy the deadline day ride!!

Gunners Handed Tough Champions League Draw

 

By Nick Lander

 

Arsenal have been handed a tough Champions League qualifying tie against Turkish side Fenerbache. The Gunners will travel to Turkey first, playing the away leg of the tie on 21st August, with Fenerbache visiting the Emirates a week later on 27th August.

Fenerbache's involvement in the competition however is subject to a CAS ruling. Banned by UEFA for two years from European competitions because of domestic match fixing, Fenerbache have appealed that decision, but no verdict has yet been delivered. UEFA have not yet decided what they will do if Fenerbache's appeal is unsuccessful.

There was also trouble at their Europa League semi-finals last season, with 'fan actions' prompting UEFA to force them to play two significant games behind closed doors and consider handing them a one year ban.

The Turks reached the fourth qualifying round by overcoming Red Bull Salzburg 4-2 on aggregate. Fenerbache's squad includes the likes of Dirk Kuyt, Raul Meireles, Michal Kadlec and Joseph Yobo.

Keep up to date with the latest Arsenal news by following me on Twitter (@nlander94) and by liking the N5 Blog on Facebook.

Arsenal Assess Trialists

Perez (R) tweeted a picture with Thomas Vermaelen during his trial

By Nick Lander

 

In amongst all the speculation over big name signings, Arsenal have also invited a number of players for trials with the club. Colombian midfielder Sebastian Perez and Moroccan Alharbi El-Jadeyaoui, also a midfielder are understood to currently be training with the first team squad and United Arab Emirates international Omar Abdulrahman is believed to be wanted for a trial by Arsene Wenger.

 

20-year-old Perez currently plays for Atlético Nacional. He made his senior debut in 2011 and has gone on to make more than 50 appearances for them, also winning the Colombian top flight this season. Mostly deployed as a defensive midfielder, he is described on the Atlético Nacional website as being a good passer of the ball with good vision and as adept at taking long shots. Valued by his club at around £5m, a deal is very possible for the Colombian U20 international, who would likely go straight into the first team squad.

 

El-Jadeyaoui would represent Arsenal's second capture from the French Ligue 2 this summer, the 26-year-old is a centre midfielder for Angers. The Moroccan weighed in with 10 assists and four goals last season and is said to be at London Colney with Perez on trial at the moment. A full international, L'Equipe report that El-Jadeyaoui will be with Arsenal for two days. The left-footed playmaker is reportedly valued at £3m by Angers, who withdrew him from their squad to face Istres over the weekend so he would be fit for his trial.

 

It has also been reported that Arsenal are in a race with Barcelona and Shalke to secure Omar Abdulrahman. The UAE international was supposed to be on trial with the Gunners this week, but his club Al Ain pulled him out. Deputy chairman of Al Ain, Rashid bin Mubarak Al Hajri, said, "Have we had an offer from Arsenal for him to come to train? Then yes. We've also had offers from Spanish teams, and other teams also, but the player will decide ultimately. We got a lot of offers for Omar. If he finds the right environment, then we will be very supportive. It's a package that will have to be right, where he can improve his football. I'll leave that for Omar - that's for him to decide."

It remains to be seen if Arsenal will manage to negotiate a trial for the 21-year-old, who impressed many at last year's Olympic games.

Whilst activity in the transfer market will undoubtedly placate many Arsenal fans, none of these players really represent the big name signing that Gooners so crave, with any move for Luis Suarez still seemingly stalled and with some sizeable obstacles to overcome were Wenger to decide to move for Wayne Rooney.

You can keep up to date with the window by following me on Twitter (@nlander94) and by liking The N5 Blog on Facebook.

Should Arsenal move for this keeper?

 

By Nick Lander

 

In 2011/12 Wolverhampton Wanderers had a disastrous season, relegated amidst managerial turmoil, few players had seasons to remember. One player impressed however, goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

 

The Welsh international only managed 3 clean sheets on the way to the Championship, but made 165 saves, 69.3% of all the shots taken at him. Sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury at the latter end of 11/12, Hennessey missed the entirety of last season, but is now back from injury and languishing in League 1. Talking after his return to action in pre-season a couple of weeks ago, Hennessey told Wolves' Official website "I fell perfect, touch wood. I haven't felt any discomfort whatsoever. I've told the physios it's the best I've ever felt and I've felt really good in the games as well."

 

There has been much talk of Arsenal brining in a new goalkeeper to truly challenge Wojciech Szczesney for the number 1 jersey, with QPR's Julio Cesar the name most frequently mentioned, I think that it would be well worth Arsenal's while taking a chance on the 26-year-old, who would surely be available for less than £1m.

 

Whilst some might question the ambition of the signing, he would surely be an improvement on Lukasz Fabianski, who continues to have serious question marks over his ability.

 

I would certainly like to see Arsene Wenger make a move for the Welshman, would you?

 

You can follow me on Twitter (@nlander94) and like the N5 Blog Facebook page here.

Vietnam 1-7 Arsenal

 

By Nick Lander

 

Arsenal bagged seven goals in successive matches, as they romped to a comfortable victory in Vietnam. Playing a team ranked 145th in the world by FIFA, there was only going to be one outcome, but it was a momentous occasion for Vietnamese football, as the Gunners became the first Premier League team to visit the country.

 

Olivier Giroud opened the scoring on five minutes, as he took his shot early, having made a good run. Fifteen minutes later, Lukas Podolski almost doubled Arsenal's advantage, as he headed narrowly over from Serge Gnabry's cross. Podolski had another chance soon after. He took on the Vietnam defence in the penalty area, beating two players (much like Samir Nasri against Fulham a couple of seasons ago) but tried to set Giroud rather than taking the shot himself.

 

Podolski then spurned a third chance before the break, hitting the post after a through ball split the Vietnamese defence, with the goalkeeper saving well from Gnabry's follow up.

 

Just when it was beginning to look like Arsenal might only head into the break one goal to the good, up stepped Giroud. Vietnam only half-cleared Carl Jenkinson's cross and the big Frenchman curled it home from inside the D.

 

Three minutes later, he completed his hat-trick, sumptuously lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's through ball again split the Vietnam back line. Three-nil at half time then.

 

A raft of changes at the break followed, but it was one of the few surviving players from the first half who got the next goal, as the Ox slammed Theo Walcott's cut back into the top left corner from just outside the box.

 

Chamberlain was not finished there, moments later he surged forward and played Chuba Akpom in, but the young striker could not quite shape his shot around the goalkeeper. On 55 minutes though, Akpom made no mistake. Vietnam tried to spring the offside trap, but Aaron Ramsey's through ball for Akpom was perfectly timed and this time the ball did curve around the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Five-nil.

 

Akpom's second was created by 16-year-old Gedion Zelalem who had great vision to pick out Oxlade-Chamberlain's run. The Vietnam defence again beaten by a through ball, Chamberlain squared the ball back to Akpom, who fired the ball home with the outside of his boot.

 

Akpom could have had a hat-trick too, Zelalem unselfishly cut the ball back for the Englishman, who tried to put the ball in the top corner, but it deflected over for a corner. Walcott took the resulting set piece and Mertesacker's header was well saved by Tran Buu Ngoc in the Vietnam goal.

 

The Gunners' last of the game was one of the best worked, Ignasi Miquel interchanged well with Thomas Eisfeld on the left wing and coolly slotted home.

 

The stadium erupted soon after though, as Tran Manh Dung excellently turned home. A cross came in slightly behind him but he still managed to superbly loop it over Damien Martinez's head. A brilliant finish.

 

That was not the end of Martinez's work either, Le Cong Vinh struck a good free kick minutes later, which the Argentine goalkeeper saved well. His opposite number's night would not end so glamorously however, as Buu Ngoc was shown red when he saved one-on-one with his hands outside of his area. He had to walk, friendly or not. A substitute himself, Vietnam had no 'keeper left on the bench and had to give gloves and a bib to one of their outfield players, who, perhaps ironically, was the only Vietnam goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on the night!

 

There were to be no more goals though and Arsenal recorded another comfortable victory. The game however, is unlikely to be the most remembered part of Arsenal's time in Vietnam. That honour is more likely to go to 'The Running Man' who chased the Arsenal team bus on foot for around 5km, before being allowed on board! You can view the video here.

 

The squad are now in Japan, as their Asia tour continues with games against Arsene Wenger's former club Nagoya Grampus and then Urawa Red Diamonds.

 

You can keep up with all the action by liking the Facebook page and by following me on Twitter - @nlander94.

Indonesia Dream Team 0-7 Arsenal

By Nick Lander

Arsenal romped to a comfortable seven-nil victory in the opening game of this year's Asia Tour.

Theo Walcott got the gunners underway in the first half, slotting home with composure from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's pull back. Kieran Gibbs then spurned a golden opportunity to double the Gunners' lead scuffing his shot into the side netting when he really should have scored.

Ignasi Miquel then almost let Boaz Solossa in for the home side, but the Indonesian captain struck tamely into Fabianski's arms.

Despite dominating possession and the having many more chances, Arsenal could only take a 1-0 lead into the break, but everything changed after half-time.

Chuba Akpom bagged Arsenal's second of the night on 54 minutes, deftly finishing a move he started, turning home Serge Gnabry's low cross.

Five minutes after his second half introduction, Olivier Giroud turned home fellow substitute Bacary Sagna's cross, netting his second minutes later, with an excellent turn in the box.

Four-nil Arsenal, but the Gunners were not finished there. Podolski hammered the ball home for number five just a few minutes later, after some good link up play with Tomas Rosicky. A minute after that, Kris Olsson poked home Rosicky's delicious deep cross.

Thomas Eisfeld then got Arsenal's seventh, slamming home left footed.

A good evening's work for the Gunners, who will now embark on the next leg of their tour, when they will be playing the Vietnam national team on Wednesday.

Keep up to date with all the latest Arsenal new by following me on Twitter - @nlander94 - and liking The N5 Blog Facebook page.

Mannone Joins Sunderland

 

By Nick Lander

 

Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone has today finalised a move to the North East to join Paolo di Canio's Sunderland.

 

The 25-year-old has signed a two year deal for an undisclosed fee, said to be around £2million. Mannone, who made 23 appearances for the Gunners, will be a replacement for Simon Mignolet, who joined Liverpool at the end of last month.

 

The move brings to an end an eight year association with the club he joined as a 17-year-old from Atalanta. He impressed many, with a sterling performance at Fulham back in 2009, winning Arsenal the game, on just his third Premier League appearance. However, that was his peak, and some uninspiring performances, most notably as a substitute against Olympiakos in 2011/12, signalled that an exit was nearing. Mannone also experienced loan spells with Barnsley and Hull (twice).

 

As Arsene Wenger's clear-out continues, it is widely expected that Nicklas Bendtner will also depart this week, with Eintracht Frankfurt on the verge of agreeing a £4m deal.

 

Keep up to date with Arsenal's transfer window dealings by liking The N5 Blog on Facebook and by following me on Twitter - @nlander94.

Hamburg Secure Djourou Loan

 

By Nick Lander

 

Arsenal defender Johan Djourou will be spending the season on loan at Hamburg.

 

The Swiss played the latter half of last season on loan with Hamburg's Bundesliga rivals, Hannover 96, and will be returning to Germany for at least another year, after Hamburg secured an option to buy the centre back at the conclusion of his loan deal in June 2014.

 

Talking to Hamburg's website, Djourou had this to say about his motives for moving: "It was a perfect fit. The sporting perspectives were very enticing. I could have earned a lot more money in London but that was not the main thing. I want to play as often as possible and I think I can do that in Hamburg."

 

Djourou joined the Gunners back in 2003 and has made 144 appearances for the club, scoring one goal. In addition to Hamburg and Hannover, the 26-year-old has also spent time on loan with Birmingham City.

 

He is the second central defender that Arsenal have parted company with since the end of last season, with Sebastien Squillaci having also departed the club, after his contract expired.

 

Keep up to date with all the latest Arsenal news by following me on Twitter - @nlander94 - and by liking The N5 Blog on Facebook.

Transfer latest: Gervinho, Rooney, Nani, Garcia, Williams & others

 

 



By Nick Lander

 

 

At the Back

It is being reported that Arsene Wenger's interest in Swansea's Ashley Williams has cooled, after the Welsh club demanded more than £10m for the centre half. It is however understood that the Gunners would be very much interested if the Swans would consider parting with their Captain for less than that £10m figure.

Another centre back that Arsenal have been linked with is Valencia's Adil Rami. The French international is likely to leave La Liga this summer, with Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Napoli all being linked with moves too. Valencia are understood to rate the 27-year-old at around £10m.

Midfield Shields

With many fans having spent most of 2012/13 screaming out for a more defensive minded midfielder following Alex Song's departure to Barcelona, links to Everton's Marouane Fellaini have been welcomed.

The Belgian's £24m buy-out clause is said to be a big stumbling block to Arsenal's interest, who do not value him that highly. The 25-year-old has been on Merseyside for the last five years, but is reported to be keen on a move to London in order to secure Champions League football.

It has also been suggested that Wenger is considering expanding his Spanish contingent yet further, by bringing in Real Sociedad's Asier Illarramendi. The 22-year-old has just won the Euro u21 Championships with Spain, and has a release clause of €30m. Real Madrid are interested in him too, but feel that his release clause is too high and Arsenal will likely feel the same. It is possible that a fee might be agreed far lower than this though, with a number of sources quoting a figure closer to £10m.

With both Illarramendi and Fellaini being expensive options, Arsenal decide to look elsewhere. Whilst the club have not been linked with a move, and he is not a defensive midfielder, I understand that Japanese international Keisuke Honda is out of contract with CSKA Moscow, and would surely be worth a move. Wenger praised the 27-year-old widely during the 2010 World Cup and the Gunners were linked with a move at the time.

On the Wings

Arsenal have emerged as favourites to land Nani from United, with Galatasaray having announced that their interest in him is over. The Portuguese winger is understood to be available for around £8m, with just a year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford. Largely frozen out of the United side by Ferguson last season, because of contract disputes, the Gunners were reported to have been considering a move back in the January window, and could return this summer.

Nani is not the only winger who has recently been linked with a move to N5 though, with speculation still existing with regards to an £8.5m move for Levante winger Ruben Garcia. The 19-year-old chalked up an impressive 41 appearances last season, also bagging 4 La Liga goals, as Levante finished 11th. He has also previously been quoted as saying he is "interested in joining Arsenal."

Lille's Dimitri Payet has also been linked. The 26-year-old managed 10 goals and 10 assists last season, and Lille are said to be willing to consider offers of £15m, with Marseille understood to have already failed with an £8m bid. His record last season, however, is worse than that of Gervinho's over his last season at Lille, so perhaps the club should proceed with caution!

 

In a transfer that would likely be closely related to any move, it has also become increasingly likely that Arsenal winger Gervinho will be headed back to France, after two disappointing seasons in North London, with Marseille having confirmed their desire to take him back across the Channel.

Personally, out of those four wingers, I would prefer to see Garcia in the Arsenal squad next season. Despite being young, the Spaniard has already amassed good experience in the Spanish top-flight, and would slot nicely into the growing Spanish contingent at Arsenal. He would also likely be the cheapest option, both in terms of wages and transfer fee, something which would almost certainly appeal to the Gunners, despite their greater financial flexibility this summer.

Up Front

Speculation has been mounting over the past few weeks over Arsenal preparing a move for want-away Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who, according to his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, has submitted his second transfer request inside of three years.

Rooney is said to be available for just £20m and both Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis have passed comment on him in recent weeks. Wenger expressed his admiration for the Englishman, whilst Gazidis emphasised the club's ability to pay a transfer fee of that magnitude and meet his £200,000 per week wages.

Alternatively, Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain could be on the verge of joining the club, with some sources reporting that personal terms have been agreed. The deal is said to be worth in excess of £130,000 per week and Arsenal are trying to push it through before they depart on their 2013 Asia Tour in around three weeks. A fee of around £22m is reportedly close to being finalised with Real Madrid.

 

On Their Way Out

Danish flop Nicklas Bendtner is set to finally make a permanent move away from Arsenal, having spent the past two seasons on loan at Sunderland and then Juventus - where he scored a magnificent zero goals. Despite this he is said to have at least five offers on the table, with La Liga side Malaga and Eintracht Frankfurt of the Bundesliga both extremely interested in a cut price deal at around £2m.

Another striker who may not be at the club next season is Costa Rican Joel Campbell. Ian Holloway's Crystal Palace have been reported to be interested in taking the 20-year-old on a season-long loan. Having racked up 60 appearances on loan at Lorient and Real Betis over the last two seasons, along with 24 international caps, a work permit should no longer be a problem, but it remains to be seen if Arsene Wenger will decide that a third season spent on loan would be more beneficial than a season spent warming the bench, especially if one of Higuain or Rooney arrives.

In what promises to be an exciting summer, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@nlander94) and like The N5 Blog Facebook page.

Could Fabregas be set for Gunners return?

 



By Nick Lander

 

Cesc Fabregas' Barcelona future has become the subject of intense speculation over the past few days, with new Manchester United boss David Moyes said to have made him one of his top priorities.

 

Any possible move from Barcelona for the former Gunners captain is made significantly more complicated by the terms of his move to the Camp Nou in August 2011. It is understood that Arsenal inserted clauses in the deal to have first option were he to move on from Barcelona and also a sell-on clause of 50%.

 

As a part of the first option, or buy-back, clause, it is understood that Arsenal agreed a fee of between £20-25m to buy him back. Combined with the 50% sell-on fee this means that it would be difficult for Barcelona to sell Fabregas to anyone other than the Gunners. Having paid somewhere in the region of £35m to secure his signature two years ago, Barca must sell to the likes of Manchester United at £70m to even be able to break even, let alone make any sort of profit.

 

Since the 26-year-old left, Arsenal have signed midfielders Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla, which could have an impact on Arsenal's desire to sign the Spaniard. However, it was heavily rumoured that Wenger made a £30m move for Borussia Dortmund's (or should that be Bayern Munich's) Mario Götze back in January, so the club's desire to sign another midfielder (of an attacking mindset) is evident, despite those already at the club.

It has been reported by some reliable sources on Twitter have said that Arsene Wenger and his staff are working on a deal to bring Fabregas back to Arsenal. Because of the player already at the club and because of the clauses in place, any deal is likely to be highly complex and will take time to complete.

 

The Catalan club are also believe to still owe Arsenal £10m for the transfer of Alex Song last summer. This could mean that Arsenal would be able to resign their former talisman for less than £15m over the summer, and were he to re-join, Fabregas would surely remain with the Gunners for the rest of his career.

 

He is due to hold talks with Barcelona officials next couple of weeks with regards to his future, following the conclusion of the Spanish league season.

 

Keep up to date with the latest Arsenal news by following me on Twitter (@nlander94) and by liking The N5 Blog on Facebook.  

Giroud Happy with his Arsenal Stats

 

By Nick Lander

 

Olivier Giroud has come in for some stick since the start of the season. Accused of being an inadequate replacement for Robin van Persie, the Frenchman has quietly knuckled down and got on with the job of scoring goals; 14 so far this season for the Gunners, along with 11 assists.

 

When speaking to French paper L'Equipe, ahead of France's clash with Germany tonight, the 26-year-old revealed that he is content with his start to life in N5; "when I arrived at Arsenal, there were concerns [over how long it took to score], but they were quickly sorted." Since netting his first goal against Coventry City in the Capital One Cup, the 6' 3" striker has not looked back, "for the first season, [my stats] are better than Robin van Persie when he started, even if when he arrived at Arsenal he was younger."

 

Whilst hinting that he is a better player than van Persie may be stretching the stats a little, it is undeniable that Giroud has made a solid start to life in London, and looks set for a 20-odd goal season, which is nothing to be sniffed at. It is also worth noting the number of different scorers the club now has, Giroud's contributed 14 goals, Theo Walcott 18 and Lukas Podolski 12. The team finally seem to have managed to rediscover the art of sharing the goals around, something which should be a real positive as the Gunners look to put together a run of consistent performances and results to cement a top four finish.

 

You can follow me on Twitter - @nlander94 - and like the Facebook page here.