Holtby Speculation Resurfaces

By Nick Lander

There has been renewed speculation linking Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby with a move to North London.

The 21 year old has just a year remaining on his current deal, and has not yet agreed an extension. The German (who is half-English) has been capped twice by Germany. A creative midfielder - who has been compared to Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil - has previously stated "my aim is to come to the Premier League" and it is understood that he would prefer to sign for either Arsenal or Everton, having grown up as a Toffees supporter.

MirrorFootball have suggested that Holtby could arrive in N5 as a Theo Walcott replacement, as speculation continues over his future, but that is one thing that the German hopes to avoid, he said, "I just want to focus on playing football. I like it at Schalke. I will give my best in training and the manager will decide if I am a first team player." It is believed that Arsenal are one of a host of clubs interested, including Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United.

With only a year to run on his current deal, and still largely unproven, a sub-£10m fee is probable and would represent very good value for whoever does manage to secure his services.

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Gunners Enter Milo Chase

Egyptian left-back Milo has claimed in an interview with FilGoal that he is being tracked by Arsenal. The 21 year old currently plays for Haras Al Hodood in his homeland, and is a part of the Egyptian football squad at the London Olympics. He says that "Arsenal officials have been following me since... 2009." When he impressed in the Toulon tournament in France, where he impressed Arsenal scouts again in the 2012 edition. He believes that "the Arsenal scouts will watch me closely at the London Olympics. My participation at London 2012 is what will determine my next step, and I hope to come to a European club."

SkySports claim that Lyon, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon all also have an interest and that the Gunners have made some form of approach to the youngster's club. A relative unknown, Milo is unlikely to carry a significant fee but could be a traditional Wenger signing - though the club already has good competition for the left-back role.

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Arsenal linked with Huntelaar move

Robin van Persie and his replacement?



By Nick Lander

Arsenal were today linked with a £17m move for Shalke and Netherlands striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Current Arsenal captain and talisman, Robin van Persie confirmed yesterday that he has no plans to extend his time in North London, and his Dutch teammate is an early suggestion as to who might replace him - assuming that they are not part of the squad already.

Caught Offside claim that Huntelaar has a £17m release clause, a figure which Arsenal would be capable of offering (if not overly willing to) in any move or the striker, if van Persie is sold for the £20m the club have apparently set as minimum price - an ambitious figure for someone who is already 28 years old.

With a staggering 52 goals from 67 appearances for club and country in 2011/12 Huntelaar is as prolific as van Persie, although playing in a marginally less competitive league. Huntelaar has been linked with Arsenal in the past, before he moved to Germany, during a largely fruitless spell with Real Madrid. The Dutchman also struggled with Milan in Italy before, but has set the Bundesliga alight, probably the league that is most comparable with the Premiership in Europe, Huntelaar has the assets to achieve in England.

Whilst it is more likely that Arsenal will opt not to sell a striker rather than bringing a  new one in if Robin van Persie does depart, Huntelaar is an extremely viable option if Arsene Wenger chooses to explore that avenue.

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Hull Close on Mannone Capture

Vito Mannone is set for a permanent move to Hull

By Nick Lander

Steve Bruce has confirmed that he plans to speak to Arsenal about taking Vito Mannone to Hull on a permanent basis. The Arsenal stopper has enjoyed two loan spells with the Tigers, in the second halves of seasons 2010/11 and 2011/12. The Italian amassed 23 appearances in amber and black in 11/12 and impressed then manager Nick Barmby greatly. His chances of a permanent move seemed to have vanished when Bruce replaced Barmby in June, but after Brad Guzan chose to stay on at Aston Villa, Hull are back in for the Arsenal 'keeper.

Speaking to the Hull Daily Mail, Bruce said "we'll speak with Mr Wenger... next week." The Gunners are believed to be after a fee of around £1m. Mannone would be the second goalkeeper to leave Arsenal this summer, following Manuel Almunia's release at the end of June. Lukasz Fabianski is also hankering after a transfer having made just five appearances in 2011/12, after compatriot Wojciech Szczesney usurped him as Arsenal's #1 the season before. Arsenal fans can reasonably expect to see at least one new goalkeeper join this summer, possibly Lyon's Hugo Lloris who has been heavily linked this week (though his club refute the claim that the Gunners have already bid for the French #1).

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Arsenal Duo Set for Loan Moves

By Nick Lander

Both Joel Campbell and Denilson are set to spend a second successive season away from the club.

Campbell enjoyed a fruitful loan spell in France with Ligue 1 side Lorient last season, where he found the net 4 times, despite being used mostly as a substitute (Lorient's top scored only bagged 6). He also broke into the senior Costa Rican squad with quite an impact, scoring 6 goals in 14 caps. Despite these successes, Campbell has again been refused a work permit, has has confirmed on his official Twitter account that he will be heading to Real Betis for a season, although he has since deleted the Tweet. He also told Fox TV that the move is a "great opportunity for [him] to grow." The Costa Rican is also hopeful of getting more game time than in France, saying, "I want to play. I want to show what I am capable of." With Robin van Persie set for the Arsenal exit door, Campbell could well have had an impact for Arsenal during 2012/13, but this loan move could open the door for Benik Afobe to increase his involvement in the first team, although he too is likely to head out on loan.

Arsenal were seeking to offload midfield flop Denilson in a permanent deal last summer, but could only manage to agree a season long loan back to his former club Sao Paulo. He has made 44 appearances for them in that time, getting sent off twice, but he did not manage to score. Arsenal had been trying to negotiate a permanent move at the end of his current spell, but Sao Paulo were unwilling to spend the £4m the Gunners were after, as well as Denilson's large wages. The clubs now seem set to agree a further 12 month loan with a permanent transfer looking unlikely. Arsenal may insert a clause stating that a certain number of appearances forces Sao Paulo to make the move permanent, but as Liverpool have found with Alberto Aquilani's loan moves over the last couple of seasons, that is still no real guarantee.

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Van Persie Rejects Arsenal - including club response

By Nick Lander

Robin van Persie has today confirmed that he will not be extending his stay at Arsenal, in a statement released through his official website.

Arsenal's Captain says that he has made his decision due to differing visions between himself and Arsene Wenger over how the club should move forward. He had a meeting with Wenger and Ivan Gazidis just before Euro 2012, based on which "it has again become clear to [him] that [they], in many aspects, disagree on the way Arsenal should move forward."

Van Persie has confirmed that he will have further meetings with Gazidis in the near future, but he will not sign a new deal, having "thought long and hard about it." The striker also says that he has not discussed a contract with the club "financial terms or a contract have not been discussed" as those are something which are "not [his] priority at all." His full statement is available here.

Arsenal could hold van Persie to his contract, but are likely then to miss out on receiving a transfer fee for the striker, although success in 2012/13 could convince him to extend his stay. Arsenal's other option is to sell him this summer. Manchester City are definitely interested and are believed to be considering a £20m, £200k per week offer. Abroad, Italian side Juventus have reportedly already tabled a miserly offer of £8m. It has also been suggested that Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are interested too.

The club has responded to their Captain's statement, saying that they "are confident that he will fulfil his commitments to the Club." They go on to say that they are preparing for next season with "Arsenal's best interests in mind." A statement which does not really say anything, and which suggests that the Gunners' talismanic captain may be sold for the right price. The full statement can be found here.

For Arsenal fans, it will be a very bitter pill to swallow if van Persie opts to follow in the footsteps of Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri and join Premier League champions City, and if he does he is unlikely to be remembered with much fondness. The wounds caused by Samir Nasri's protracted transfer there last summer are still very fresh.

If he decides to move abroad, van Persie will be remembered more fondly, but a move to Serie A is likely to be seen as a step down, and neither Barcelona or Real Madrid have shown firm interest as yet. Were RVP to move to Catalonia, it would have to be questioned whether he could get into the Barcelona team on a regular basis - although the same was asked of Fabregas last summer and he has done alright.

What actually happens remains to be seen, but any move is unlikely to be made in the next couple of weeks, with van Persie, Wenger and Gazidis all still believed to be on holiday. After the debacle of last summer, Arsenal fans will be hoping that an outcome (whichever way it goes) is reached sooner, rather than later, enabling the club to get on with preparations for the new season without any uncertainty.

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Chelsea set to force Arsenal's hand



By Nick Lander



Is youngster Luke Shaw set for London?



It has been reported that Chelsea are on the brink of making a £4m bid for Southampton youngster Luke Shaw. Valued somewhere in the region of £8m, the Champions League holders would be bidding below the price the Saints will be willing to sell at.



The 16 year old left back made has only made one senior appearance, as a substitute in the FA Cup. Southampton describe him as talented at taking set pieces, and as an "attacking" full back. Capped at Under-16 level by England, Shaw is a bright prospect, and with the left back slot at Arsenal far from certain, it is expected that they too will be involved in the bidding. The Gunners have an established relationship with Southampton and have a much better track record of giving young players opportunities, factors which may count in their favour with both player and club.

Shaw cannot sign a professional contract until July 12th and it is expected that the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea will start proceedings at that juncture.

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