ARSENAL are closing in on the crucial signing of Martin Odegaard -and he could even face Chelsea this Sunday.
The Real Madrid star has completed his medical with the Gunners and is expected to be announced imminently.
Meanwhile Hector Bellerin is keen on a move away from Arsenal and could be swapped for Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier.
And goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is closing in on a move to the Gunners despite being sent vile abuse by a tiny minority of supporters.
And finally, Mikel Arteta is listed at evens to be the first Premier League manager to get the sack this season.
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Get all the latest transfer news, gossip and updates below…
- Dylan Terry
'WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOODBYE'
- Dylan Terry
WELCOME BACK MARTIN
- Dylan Terry
ODE TO JOY
Arsenal have announced the permanent signing of Norwegian playmaker Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid.
The 22-year-old has joined until 2026 in a deal rising to £34million, with the exciting youngster to wear the No8 shirt in his second spell at the Emirates.
Odegaard impressed during his loan stint in North London last term where he chipped in with two goals and as many assists in 20 outings.
Though the player will not make his second debut in the London derby against Chelsea on Sunday with Arsenal still waiting for visa clearance.
- Dylan Terry
COVID CHAOS
Arsenal have confirmed strike duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette miss their opening day loss to Brentford after a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.
Aubameyang and Lacazette were late absentees as the depleted Gunners were stunned 2-0 by the Premier League new-boys last Friday.
At the time, Arsenal announced the pair were out due to illness.
However the club has now revealed the attackers were laid low with Covid, with keeper Alex Runarsson and playmaker Willian also missing after contracting the virus.
And they confirmed skipper Aubameyang, 32, is the only one of the four to have since tested negative.
The Gunners said on their website: “Aubameyang tested positive for Covid-19 and was unavailable for last Friday’s match at Brentford.
“Auba is now negative on Covid-19 testing, is well and following all protocols for return to play. He will return to training and be assessed prior to Sunday’s match.
“Alex (Lacazette) tested positive for Covid-19 and was unavailable for last Friday’s match at Brentford. Alex is still recovering and will not be available for Sunday’s match.”
- Thomas Blow
GOOD MORNING GUNNERS FANS
Arsenal have been handed a boost in the pursuit of Lyon playmaker Houssem Aouar.
Aouar has reportedly been put on the transfer list, with RMC Sport reporting that Director of sport Juninho is looking to resolve an attitude problem in the dressing room.
Arsenal flop Shkodran Mustafi has been thrown a career lifeline by Torino, according to reports.
The Gunners paid Valencia £35million for the German international in 2016.
However centre-back Mustafi, 29, failed to live up to expectations and made a series of high-profile blunders.
He was released in February and joined Schalke, but the German club let him go following their relegation from the Bundesliga.
Arsenal face a race against time to complete the signings of Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale if they are to make the squad for this weekend’s clash with Chelsea.
The Gunners are on the brink of completing £30million deals for the attacking midfielder and goalkeeper from Real Madrid and Sheffield United respectively.
Ramsdale has been forced to limit who can comment on his Instagram posts after receiving a torrent of vile abuse from Arsenal ‘fans’.
The England stopper, 23, is expected to sign his contract at the Emirates on Thursday after the two clubs agreed on a fee on Wednesday evening.
The move has been widely panned by pundits in recent weeks.
But a small section of sick Arsenal supporters have gone too far, trolling and even appearing to threaten Ramsdale on Instagram.
In a stomach-churning thread, one fan wrote: "Burn in motherf***ing hell you piece of s***, stay far away from Arsenal."
- Joshua Mbu
LUC-ING TO MOVE
Arsenal ace Lucas Torreira is back in London but he could soon be on his way to Italy, according to reports, writes KEALAN HUGHES.
The midfielder, 25, has been on an extended holiday following his participation in the Copa America with Uruguay over the summer.
And on Friday Torreira posted a snap of him and his friends enjoying themselves at a theme park in Madrid, Spain, while Arsenal were losing to Brentford in their opening Premier League match.
Now Torreira has shared a photo of himself back in a London gym on Instagram, but he could be on the move again soon.
According to Calciomercato, Roma are interested in the Arsenal man with Jose Mourinho keen to upgrade his midfield options.
- Joshua Mbu
MART IN THE MAKING
Mikel Arteta has hinted that Gabriel Martinelli could play as a No9.
The young Brazilian is one of Arsenal's most versatile squad members as he's able to operate out wide and up front.
Arteta said: "Time will tell [if he’s a number 9].
"But I would like to develop him in both positions because I think he’s got the potential to do both."
- Joshua Mbu
READY TO GO
Arsenal are looking to bounce back this weekend after losing their Premier League opener against Brentford 2-0.
They face London rivals Chelsea on Sunday.
- Joshua Mbu
GUNNING FOR GLORY
Will Arsenal add anymore silverware to the trophy cabinet this season?
- Joshua Mbu
COVID CASES
Arsenal duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette missed the 2-0 defeat to Brentford due to testing positive for Covid-19.
As a result, Lacazette will miss this weekends game against London rivals Chelsea.
Arsenal have also confirmed goalkeeper Alex Runarsson and winger Willian missed the Brentford game due to positive Covid-19 tests being returned.
Credit: Getty - Joshua Mbu
HOUSS THAT
Arsenal have been handed a boost in the pursuit of Lyon playmaker Houssem Aouar.
Aouar has reportedly been put on the transfer list, with RMC Sport reporting that Director of sport Juninho is looking to resolve an attitude problem in the dressing room.
Aouar, who began his career in Lyon’s academy at 11, notched up eight goals and four assists across all competitions for the Ligue One side last season.
However, the player had problems with a thigh injury in November last year which kept him out of international action for France.
- Joshua Mbu
LUC AT THAT
Lucas Torreira's Arsenal nightmare could finally come to an end.
Serie A duo Roma and Lazio are tracking the midfielders situation and could make a move.
According to Football.london, a decision hasn’t yet been made on which outfit he will join.
- Joshua Mbu
TRIO TROUBLE
Arsenal are reportedly desperate to ditch three senior stars before deadline day, writes ANTHONY CHAPMAN.
Fabrizio Romano claims Willian, Hector Bellerin and Lucas Torreira have all been transfer listed by Arsenal.
But there are no takers as of yet, with the Gunners ‘looking for bids’ after the trio were made redundant by Mikel Arteta.
Brazilian winger Willian, 33, only joined the club on a free transfer from Chelsea last summer.
But he failed to impress at the Emirates and no longer has a future under Arteta.
Romano claims links with top Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli were ‘completely fake’.
- Joshua Mbu
GUNNING FOR GLORY
Arsenal have spent their fair share of money under boss Mikel Arteta.
Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale look to be the next two to come through the doors at the Emirates.
- Joshua Mbu
GUNNING FOR HIM
Aaron Ramsdale has been targeted with a torrent of vile abuse by 'pathetic' Arsenal 'fans', writes DAVE FRASER.
It's forced the Gunners' transfer target to limit who can comment on his Instagram posts.
The England stopper, 23, is now just hours away from signing for the Gunners in a £30million move from Sheffield United.
Ramsdale is expected to sign his contract at the Emirates on Thursday after the two clubs agreed on a fee on Wednesday evening.
The move has been widely panned by pundits in recent weeks.
Jamie O'Hara claimed selling Emiliano Martinez for £20m and signing Ramsdale for £30m a year later was a mistake.
The talkSPORT star is not alone either, with others suggesting spending £30m for a 'backup' goalkeeper is paying over the odds.
But a small section of sick Arsenal supporters have gone too far, trolling and even appearing to threaten Ramsdale on Instagram.
- Joshua Mbu
DEAL TO BE DONE
Former Arsenal player Kevin Campbell believes there's a deal to be done should Barcelona come calling for club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
It is believed that the cash-strapped LaLiga giants are willing to offer Philippe Coutinho as part of the deal.
But Campbell would rather see the Gunners sign others from Barca.
He told Football Insider: "Coutinho has suffered a lot of injuries.
"On his day he’s world-class, the problem is there haven’t been many of those days in the last 18 months.
“That’s a big risk. If Aubameyang wants out, Barcelona want to use trades.
“Even if it’s not Coutinho, Barcelona have a good right back, they have a good goalkeeper in Ter Stegen.
“I don’t think Coutinho is the answer but there are plenty of other players who we could take.
“If Barcelona come in for Aubameyang, there is a deal to be done. Arsenal hold the cards.
“But another attacker? No, not for me.”
- Joshua Mbu
NEXT FIVE
Arsenal face London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates next, before facing West Brom in the cup.
The Gunners could be pointless after three league games as they face defending Premier League champions Man City at the Etihad.
- Dylan Terry
TOR BLIMEY
Arsenal flop Shkodran Mustafi has been thrown a career lifeline by Torino, according to reports.
The Gunners paid Valencia £35million for the German international in 2016.
However centre-back Mustafi, 29, failed to live up to expectations and made a series of high-profile blunders.
He was released in February and joined Schalke, but the German club let him go following their relegation from the Bundesliga.
Reports in Italy and Germany now claim Mustafi's father – who acts as his agent – has held talks with Torino officials.
The former Everton youngster is understood to be seeking a three-year deal worth around £5m.
Serie A Torino are seeking a new central defender after French stalwart Nicolas Nkoulou's contract expired.
- Dylan Terry
RACE AGAINST TIME
Arsenal face a race against time to complete the signings of Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale if they are to make the squad for this weekend's clash with Chelsea.
The Gunners are on the brink of completing £30million deals for the attacking midfielder and goalkeeper from Real Madrid and Sheffield United respectively.
Mikel Arteta is hoping to bolster his squad following his side's shock Premier League opening day defeat the hands of newly-promoted Brentford.
But Arsenal next go up against rampant Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday.
And should Arteta want Odegaard and/or Ramsdale to make the match-day squad, they must be registered by midday on FRIDAY.
- Dylan Terry
TAKING THE MIK
Ex-Arsenal ace Mikael Silvestre has predicted where he thinks his former club will finish in the Premier League this season.
In an interview with the MyBettingSites, reported by the Metro, he said: "When a team like Arsenal see the top teams spending a lot of money and bringing in quality players, it will worry them quite a bit.
"They already had a tough task with having to improve from last season and closing the gap.
"But this has made it extremely hard for Mikel Arteta and his team to break into the top six this season.
"That must be their main aim this season – to break back into the top six."
- Dylan Terry
IN-SAN-ITY
The details of how Arsenal and Manchester United concocted the swap deal for Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have been revealed by a former Gunners chief.
Dick Law led the North London club's transfer negotiations for eight years before his departure shortly after the surprise trade was pulled off.
Law told The Athletic: "The first part is, ‘Man United, what would you pay for Sanchez?’. The answer was nothing.
"So then we say, ‘Nothing means he stays here. Something means we can talk’. And that’s when they suggested Mkhitaryan going the opposite way.
“At this time, Ivan [Gazidis] was really dealing directly with Manchester United, on a CEO to CEO level.
"But I was dealing with Mino [Raiola] and we were trying to sort out exactly where Mkhitaryan stood.
"It was pretty clear from Mino that Mkhitaryan was ready to leave Man United and would come to Arsenal.
"We knew that Sanchez wanted to leave Arsenal, his preference was Manchester City but that train had already left the station.
"It was clear that anywhere but Arsenal was fine with Sanchez, so that’s how the beginning of these conversations happen: Mkhitaryan surplus to their needs, Sanchez just basically forcing his way out."
- Dylan Terry
FAN OF RAM?
Arsenal are close to signing Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in a deal worth up to £30million.
The proposed move has divided opinion among Gunners fans, with many not seeing him as an upgrade on current stopper Bernd Leno.
Arsenal have been chasing Ramsdale for weeks and have reportedly agreed an initial £24m fee with the Blades, rising to £30m with add-ons.
The former England youth international was left out of United's squad for their 4-0 Championship defeat to West Brom on Wednesday evening.
SunSport considers whether Ramsdale is an improvement on Leno – Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper for the last three seasons.
- Dylan Terry
FER REAL
Rio Ferdinand would have left Arsene Wenger with a big selection headache, had he signed for Arsenal in 2014.
The transfer was on the cards after the defender left Manchester United and approached the Gunners about a potential move to North London.
Alas, Wenger rejected the opportunity and Ferdinand has admitted that he would have struggled to help the club's pursuit of silverware.
He told his YouTube channel: "The maddest thing is I thought about [joining] Arsenal.
"I said, 'Arsene, listen, I am leaving Man United and if you want, I will come and try and help the dressing room etc. because I think you need help in that department'.
"'I will obviously play but, more importantly, I will come for the culture'.
"He didn't take me up on the offer and he was right because my performances at QPR weren't up to the levels.
"But in the changing room, I believe I could have helped him, because that is where a lot of the culture derives from."
- Dylan Terry
RAMSDALE HELL
Aaron Ramsdale has been forced to limit who can comment on his Instagram posts after receiving a torrent of vile abuse from Arsenal 'fans'.
The England stopper, 23, is now just hours away from signing for the Gunners in a £30million move from Sheffield United.
Ramsdale is expected to sign his contract at the Emirates on Thursday after the two clubs agreed on a fee on Wednesday evening.
The move has been widely panned by pundits in recent weeks.
But a small section of sick Arsenal supporters have gone too far, trolling and even appearing to threaten Ramsdale on Instagram.
In a stomach-churning thread, one fan wrote: "Burn in motherf***ing hell you piece of s***, stay far away from Arsenal."
Another sick troll said: "F*** off man. We don't want you at Arsenal. Trust me you'll be getting abuse every day."
- Dylan Terry
GUNNAR CHANGE?
Brendan Rodgers is favourite to replace Mikel Arteta at Arsenal again.
Rodgers was momentarily replaced by Eddie Howe as the leading contender with the bookmakers this week.
But the Leicester boss is back to into top spot at Evens with Betfair.
Howe has moved out to 3/1 while Antonio Conte, who left Inter Milan after winning Serie A, is 6/1.
Other contenders include Ralph Hasenhuttl, Roberto Martinez and Gian Piero Gasperini.
Arsenal next manager
Betfair odds
- Brendan Rodgers Evens
- Eddie Howe 3/1
- Antonio Conte 6/1
- Ralph Hasenhuttl 11/1
- Roberto Martinez 14/1
- Gian Piero Gasperini 14/1
- Paulo Fonesca 14/1
- Freddie Ljungberg 16/1
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