ARSENAL are still reeling from a shock defeat to Aston Villa before the international break.
Off the field, Gilberto Silva has talked of his admiration for Jack Grealish while Jerome Boateng is being eyed on a free transfer.
Follow ALL of the latest Gunners updates below…
- Jake Lambourne
GOOD MORNING GUNNERS FANS
Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has called on his former employers to bring Aston Villa ace Jack Grealish to the Emirates.
He told The Invisible Wall Show: “Grealish, amazing. It seems like he could be a player that Arsenal missed.
“With his ability, he was one of the guys in the middle who can play beautiful football. He controls the ball, assists and can score goals.
“He is slightly different from Dennis Bergkamp, but he could be somebody for the future at Arsenal.”
Arsenal are showing an interest in Lille playmaker Yusuf Yazici, according to The Daily Mail.
The Turkey international joined Lille from Trabzonspor in a £15million deal last summer but his first season in France was disrupted by an ACL injury.
This term, Yazici has been involved in eight goals in 12 matches – including two hat-tricks in the Europa League.
The Gunners have also joined the race to sign Brazilian starlet Brenner, according to the Daily Mail.
The Sao Paulo striker, 20, has a £45million release clause in his contract but could be allowed to leave his boyhood club for much less.
- Daniel Brookes
DOM DEAL
Real Madrid are battling Arsenal to snap up highly-rated RB Salzburg midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
Szoboszlai's last-minute heroics secured Hungary a spot at the Euro 2020 finals, after he netted the winner to knock out Euro 2016 surprise package Iceland.
The midfielder is out of contract in 2022.
He could be available for £23million in January, with Los Blancos ready to test the water with a bid, report Madrid newspaper AS.
Szoboszlai, 20 last month, has been at the heart of Salzburg's rise to the top table in Europe.
AC Milan and RB Leipzig also want the talented youngster.
- Daniel Brookes
ALL THAT YAZ
Arsenal are showing an interest in Lille playmaker Yusuf Yazici, according to The Daily Mail.
The Turkey international joined Lille from Trabzonspor in a£15million deal last summer but his first season in France was disrupted by an ACL injury.
This term, Yazici has been involved in eight goals in 12 matches – including two hat-tricks in the Europa League.
- Daniel Brookes
ARSENAL EYE BRENNER
Arsenal have joined the race to sign Brazilian starlet Brenner, according to the Daily Mail.
The Sao Paulo striker, 20, has a £45million release clause in his contract but could be allowed to leave his boyhood club for much less.
The youngster has 17 goals in 27 appearances in 2020 and is attracting attention from clubs all over Europe.
- Daniel Brookes
WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT
Chelsea and Arsenal will go head-to-head in the race to sign Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng.
The ex-Manchester City defender will become a free agent next summer after the European champions refused to offer him a new contract.
Boateng, 32, will be free to negotiate terms with other clubs from January.
Sport Bild reports Tottenham are also interested in the former Germany international.
- Daniel Brookes
SILVA CALLS FOR GREALISH MOVE
Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva wants the Gunners to target Aston Villa star Jack Grealish.
Silva told the Invisible Wall podcast: “Grealish, amazing. It seems like he could be a player that Arsenal missed.
“With his ability, he was one of the guys in the middle who can play beautiful football.
“He controls the ball, assists and can score goals.
“He is slightly different from Dennis Bergkamp, but he could be somebody for the future at Arsenal.”
Grealish penned a new long-term deal with Villa in September, tying him to the club until 2025.
- Daniel Brookes
ARSENAL CLEAR-OUT
Arsenal are hoping to offload Alexandre Lacazette, Sead Kolasinac, Sokratis and Matteo Guendouzi, according to the Mirror.
Technical director Edu is hoping the quartet's exits can raise around £90million in transfer funds.
Kolasinac came close to leaving Arsenal in the summer and could join Bayer Leverkusen in a £10m deal when the transfer window reopens.
Sokratis also came close to leaving the Emirates in the summer and has yet to play for the Gunners this season.
Guendouzi and Lacazette would likely command the highest fees, with the latter valued at around £40m by the north london outfit.
- Joe Brophy
ICYMI
Gabriel Magalhaes – who spent time on loan at Troyes and Dinamo Zagreb after leaving Brazilian club Avai for Lille – has claimed moves around Europe helped develop his game.
He told Arsenal's website: “It was very hard at the start when I arrived at Lille [in 2016] because I was in a city where I didn’t speak the language and was very young, so it was tough.
“I learnt so much there.
“After my loans at Troyes and Dinamo Zagreb, I really matured. When I went back to Lille, I was more mature and was more familiar with Europe and the style of play.
“When I started playing, thank God I was able to do so regularly and put in good performances, helping Lille reach the Champions League. That was very fulfilling for me.”
- Joe Brophy
S-MART CHOICE
Former Aston Villa striker Alan McInally has claimed the club stole Emiliano Martinez from Arsenal.
“I cannot believe we have horse-shoed him out of London“, He told Footy Accumulators.
“Emiliano Martinez is now the goalkeeper at Aston Villa and Arsenal will be thinking who in God’s name sanctioned that.
“He is a really good goalkeeper.
“I think you have already seen, even defensively, Villa are looking a little bit… not a little bit better, much better.
“What Aston Villa have not had for a long time is a top goalkeeper, genuinely.
“With great respect to some of them who have been there, for me, they weren’t top goalkeepers, they genuinely weren’t, and I think Martinez is.
“And with a bit of luck, he is going to prove that we have basically stolen him for £20m from Arsenal.“
- Joe Brophy
AUBA THE MOON
- Joe Brophy
XHAK ATTACK
Cesc Fabregas has revealed that he considers Granit Xhaka to be among Arsenal’s best players.
He told 90min: “Listen, it’s a transition period. Mikel has his ideas, but it takes time. The problem for a coach nowadays is that you have no time. You lose three games, everyone is asking for your head.
“I know it’s very, very difficult because you want to implement your ideas, and it’s a process. Sometimes, it’s difficult because football is moving very quickly, everyone wants to win, there’s pressure from the board, from the fans, from the players. You’re on the spot every single day.
“He’s trying to find his team. They have [Dani] Ceballos, they have [Granit] Xhaka, now they’ve added Thomas Partey from Atletico, who’s a very good player as well. They have Willian, they have [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang – top, top players, that’s 100 per cent sure.
“Maybe they still need a little bit more time.”
- Joe Brophy
NO NO NUNO
Sporting Lisbon have reportedly increased the release clause fee for teen whiz-kind Nuno Mendes in a bid to fend off outsider interest.
Sporting and the player's representatives have agreed to raise his initial release fee from £40million to £62m, according to Record.
This would be the second-highest clause in the club's history, only topped by former Sporting star Bruno Fernandes whose fee was £89.7m
Arsenal are said to have made an enquiry about Mendes but are set to face competition from rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.
- Joe Brophy
FAB JACK
Cesc Fabregas has said that former Arsenal team mate Jack Wilshere was good enough to play for Barcelona and Real Madrid.
“Jack was such a good talent, one of the most talented players I’ve ever played with,” Fabregas told the Daily Mail.
“He was just 16 when he first came to train with us and I was like 'wow this guy is good, strong, sharp.'
“It’s a big shame what has happened to him, I feel sorry because he could have been a proper English legend of the game.
“We always talk about how British players would adapt to teams in Europe – I always believed that Jack was one of the few Brits who could have made it big time at Real Madrid or Barcelona.
“Same with Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale. These guys are so talented, without injuries they could have done much more.”
- Jake Lambourne
NIK OF TIME
Mikel Arteta has called up summer signing Nikolaj Moller to train with the first-team at London Colney.
The 18-year-old, who has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, signed for the Gunners from Swedish club Malmo.
He has proved his potential after scoring three goals in three games for Arsenal's Under-23 side.
With several players away on international duty, Arteta wants to take the time to take a closer look at Moller.
- Jake Lambourne
MATT'S YOUR LOT
Matteo Guendouzi has no future at Arsenal, according to ex-Gunners striker Kevin Campbell.
The 21-year-old has joined Hertha Berlin on loan this season after falling out of favour under Mikel Arteta.
Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell said: “I do not think he will play for Arsenal again.
“He doesn't have a future at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta put him in detention after the Brighton game last season, that is what it was – detention.
“A manager like Arteta wants to see that you can toe the line, take your punishment, keep your trap shut and get working. Guendouzi could not do it.”
- Jake Lambourne
FAB ADVICE
Cesc Fabregas believes Mikel Arteta should adopt a similar approach to former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho at Arsenal.
He told 90min.com: “That’s they key nowadays, especially from what I’ve seen in the last four or five years with coaches that I’ve had.
“They come with an idea, they try to start with that idea, but as soon as something goes wrong, they become a little bit… not scared, but they prefer to get results and get confidence, rather than keep going with their philosophy or their ideas and lose.
“Like [Jose] Mourinho always used to say, you need to be pragmatic. Maybe at the beginning nowadays, you do need to get results first, I don’t deny that, but you have to have the personality.
“For example, someone like Patrick Vieira at Nice. I followed him at New York City and now at Nice for a few years.
“He has a young squad but he goes with his philosophy no matter what. He likes to play. He knows that the kids will make mistakes, but he says ‘If you make a mistake, it’s on me’. He has the personality to not change.
“You will not see Vieira going 4-4-2 in a defensive way or something like that because he always believes in his players and his methodology. It’s very nice to see coaches like this.”
- Jake Lambourne
GREAL DEAL
Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has called on his former employers to bring Aston Villa ace Jack Grealish to the Emirates.
He told The Invisible Wall Show: “Grealish, amazing. It seems like he could be a player that Arsenal missed.
“With his ability, he was one of the guys in the middle who can play beautiful football. He controls the ball, assists and can score goals.
“He is slightly different from Dennis Bergkamp, but he could be somebody for the future at Arsenal.”
- Jake Lambourne
NOT GUNNER SIGN
Charlton have admitted that Arsenal ‘were probably right’ not to send one of their players to The Valley.
The club's director of football Steve Gallen told London News Online: “The Arsenal lad, Reece John-Jules, was someone we wanted to sign. But at that stage we had £1,300 [a week] to spend.
“And I think Arsenal probably looked at the stuff behind the scenes at our club – to the outside it is in disarray and the fans are talking about we could be days away from administration and being kicked out of the league.
“They could’ve been right but internally you don’t always know those things; you go tunnel vision and focus on convincing Arsenal to send their player to us because we’re going to make them a better player – like we did with Conor Gallagher, Jay Dasilva and Josh Cullen.
“I think Arsenal felt we weren’t in the right position at that time, and they were probably right.”
- Jake Lambourne
NERF HERDER
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- Jake Lambourne
HOUSS OF CARDS
Lee Dixon believes Lyon playmaker Houssem Aouar would be an astute signing for Arsenal.
The club failed to land the French midfielder in the summer as they continue to fail to create chances.
Dixon said: “You’ve got to chip away at those little things.
“Does he want those types of players? Where’s the creativity in midfield?
“A player like Aouar would’ve been somebody that would’ve helped.”
- Jake Lambourne
GUNNER NEED SOMEONE
Arsenal legend Lee Dixon believes the club have to sign a player in the similar mould as Chelsea ace Mason Mount.
Addressing the Gunners' lack of creativity, Dixon told the Handbrake Off Podcast that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can't carry the burden of scoring alone
He said: “That is a huge, almost total reliance on one player to get you a goal.
“No goals from anywhere else, although Lacazette has three in six he seems to have gone off the boil.
“No goals from midfield at all. No breaking midfield player that forces teams back like a Mason Mount or somebody running through the middle like that and breaking into the box.
“So, already the way that you can play with that, and I haven’t even mentioned the back four or five, then you’re limited in what you can achieve.”
- Jake Lambourne
NO TRAIN NO GAIN
- Jake Lambourne
WORK OF ART
Former Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas believes there are positive signs at the club despite their poor form.
He told the Daily Mail: “They have a new project, I believe what Mikel [Arteta] is doing is nice.
“The players are fascinated by how he came in and changed the training ground, the methodology, how he prepares for games.
“He makes it easier for his teams to understand how to attack, how to defend – I like his ideas, all I'm hearing is positive.”
- Jake Lambourne
DOM DEAL
Real Madrid are battling Arsenal to snap up highly-rated RB Salzburg midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
Szoboszlai's last-minute heroics secured Hungary a spot at the Euro 2020 finals, after he netted the winner to knock out Euro 2016 surprise package Iceland.
The midfielder is out of contract in 2022.
He could be available for £23million in January, with Los Blancos ready to test the water with a bid, report Madrid newspaper AS.
Szoboszlai, 20 last month, has been at the heart of Salzburg's rise to the top table in Europe.
AC Milan and RB Leipzig also want the talented youngster.
- Jake Lambourne
JACK THE LAD
Cesc Fabregas has revealed Jack Wilshere could have made it at Real Madrid or Barcelona if it wasn't for his repeated injury problems.
He told the Daily Mail: “Jack was such a good talent, one of the most talented players I've ever played with.
“He was just 16 when he first came to train with us and I was like 'wow this guy is good, strong, sharp.'
“It's a big shame what has happened to him, I feel sorry because he could have been a proper English legend of the game.
“We always talk about how British players would adapt to teams in Europe – I always believed that Jack was one of the few Brits who could have made it big time at Real Madrid or Barcelona.
“Same with Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale. These guys are so talented, without injuries they could have done much more.”
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