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.

Bradford City 1-1 Arsenal

By Nick Lander

Arsenal slipped to another disappointing result on Tuesday evening, suffering a penalty shootout defeat at the hands of a club 65 places below them in the league ladder.

Turning in a lacklustre display, a strong Arsenal side, who were also strongly tipped to win the tournament, slumped to defeat in the Capital One Cup.

Arsenal dominated proceedings throughout, but never much looked like scoring - despite their 28 efforts on goal. Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla both hit the woodwork as the Gunners strove to find an equaliser after the Bantams scored an early, and avoidable, goal, Gary Thompson volleying home after the away side failed to deal with a free kick from one side of the penalty area, after Thomas Vermaelen felled Nahki Wells.

In truth, despite dominating possession and the shots tally, Wojciech Szczesney was by far the more tested of the two 'keepers, saving well on a number of occasions. The Londoners lack composure and creativity when in possession and all too often failed to make the most of promising opportunities.

Olivier Giroud was out injured and manager Arsene Wenger took the decision to start Gervinho through the middle. It did not work out. Arsenal frequently managed to work the ball into good crossing positions before being thwarted by a lack of options in the box. Marouane Chamakh's introduction on the hour was too little, too late. Equally the Moroccan should not have replaced the lively Coquelin rather the ineffective and wasteful Gervinho. In all likelihood, that would also have meant that the Gunners would still have had German striker Lukas Podolski on the pitch come the penalty shootout.

Vermaelen got a late equaliser, heading home Cazorla's cross to take the tie to extra time, but in reality it should have been over long before then.

In extra time, Arsenal continued to have the majority of the play, but were unable to score a crucial second, allowing Bradford to take the tie to penalties. Cazorla, Chamakh and Vermaelen all missed, and whilst Szczesney saved well from Stephen Darby and Ritchie Jones, it was not enough to prevent the Yorkshire side from winning 3-2 on penalties.

There were chants of "Wenger out and sack the board" as the Arsenal fans filed out, but that is far from the solution. There is only so much a manager can do, sometimes the players have to look at themselves and take responsibility for a shocking performance.

Summer 2011 proved that panic buying in the transfer window is a flawed tactic, but Arsenal will need to be a serious player in the January market, or they risk falling far behind in the race for fourth. With just one win in their last six games, I believe that around £40m of investment will be needed in January alone in order to keep the squad competitive.

Arsenal are understood to be considering adding 4 or 5 new players in the transfer window, and you will be able to keep track of everything by following me on Twitter - @nlander94 - and by liking the Facebook page.