THE Kroenke family HAVE put Arsenal up for sale despite publicly insisting they want to stay, according to reports.
It is also claimed that Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote could have bought the club for £1.7bn two years ago.
That price is around the valuation Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has of the club.
Ek publicly declared his interest in buying Arsenal following fan protests against the Kroenke family outside the Emirates before the 1-0 defeat to Everton.
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Stay up to date with every twist and turn from North London in our live blog…
ARTETA ON LUIZ’S INJURY
Arsenal defender David Luiz was forced off with an injury after 53 minutes of today’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
On the Brazilian, boss Mikel Arteta said: “He felt something in his hamstring which is not good.
“It’s a real shame.”
David Luiz was forced off with a hamstring injuryCredit: EPA ARTETA SPEAKS
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has had his say on this afternoon’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
He said: “Apart from David’s [Luiz] injury, that’s all we wanted.
“We wanted to keep the team fresh and with the right attitude to play this game.
“We dominated the game and got the three points.”
Mikel Arteta has had his say on this afternoon’s winCredit: Reuters FULL TIME: NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 2
Returning skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang marked his Premier League comeback with a second-half goal, adding to Mohamed Elneny’s early effort to seal a comfortable three points for the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta will be delighted at the boost, ahead of Thursday night’s crunch clash with Villarreal in North London.
We’ll have some of the Spaniard’s thoughts here.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it 2-0Credit: Paul Currie Telegraph Media Group Mohamed Elneny gave Arsenal the leadCredit: Reuters
ARSENAL WIN 2-0
Three points for the Gunners!
Goals from Mohamed Elneny and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were enough to defeat Newcastle at St James’ Park.
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2-0 ARSENAL
No Alexandre Lacazette? No problem!
Skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored Arsenal’s second after getting on the end of a lovely cross from Gabriel Martinelli.
The Gunners will move up to ninth if they can hold on for the final 12 minutes.
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SECOND HALF BEGINS
The second half at St James’ Park has begun with Arsenal 1-0 up against Newcastle.
The Gunners took a fifth-minute lead through Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny.
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WORK OF ART
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed he has been left ‘encouraged’ by the club’s summer plans after chief Josh Kroenke spoke of his excitement.
Despite the risk of being without European football next term, the Gunners are already looking at potential signings with Brighton’s Yves Bissouma being eyed up.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the Kroenke’s ambitions, the Spaniard said: “I’ve been really encouraged.
“I feel really positive about what we are going to do.”
Credit: Getty ARSENAL LEAD
The Gunners have taken a fifth-minute lead through an unlikely source.
Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny has scored his first Premier League goal.
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KICK-OFF
We’re underway at St James’ Park as Newcastle host Arsenal.
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Newcastle vs Arsenal – Watch LIVE, channel info and kick-off time
TEAM NEWS
The team news from St James’ Park is in.
Matt Ryan starts in goal and David Luiz is back in defence.
There are starts for skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and ex-Chelsea star Willian.
Here’s the team: Ryan, Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Xhaka, Elneny, Ceballos, Willian, Odegaard, Martinelli, Aubameyang
THE R£D$
Liverpool have risen above Manchester United in the Premier League wage bill standings – but still sit miles adrift of Manchester City.
The official salary totals for the 2019-20 season have been confirmed.
Arsenal and Tottenham ran the tightest ship wage-wise, spending just £225m and £181m respectively last term.
Click here to read the detailed list.
ARSENAL’S RUN-IN
After today’s match against Newcastle, the Gunners will play West Brom, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Brighton in the Premier League
Five wins will ensure they finish in the top half – and that has to be their aim.
Arsenal are currently 11th in the table.
More importantly, though, they must overcome Villarreal in the Europa League semi-final on Thursday if they want to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Mikel Arteta’s side are currently 2-1 down in the tie.
Should they overcome the Spanish side, they will face either Manchester United or Roma in the final on May 26.
WILL NOT TO PLAY
Arsenal loanee Joe Willock is ineligible to play against his parent club today.
Boss Mikel Arteta has been impressed with the 21-year-old’s progress, telling Arsenal’s official website: “It was a difficult decision to let him go because we really like the player.
“He needed more game-time and needed this type of experience. He has stepped in at big moments for them and scored some crucial goals so that is really good news because it is great for his development.
“From the position [Newcastle are] in, they’re going to come at us. They’re a really organised team, they’ve been playing much better recently so it will be tough.
“The amount of games that we are playing, every team has the capacity to make it difficult for you.”
SOUMA SIGNING
Arsenal are reportedly confident of fending off competition from other clubs to prise Yves Bissouma away from Brighton for £30million.
The North London giants are known to be admirers of the Mali international, who is understood to be a ‘huge fan’ of the Gunners.
It was reported in March that Mikel Arteta’s side asked to be ‘kept informed’ of the 24-year-old’s situation at the Amex Stadium ahead of a potential summer swoop.
Liverpool have also been heavily linked with the ex-Lille midfielder as a potential replacement for Barcelona target Georginio Wijnaldum.
Reds legend John Barnes has urged his former employers to nab Bissouma, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United.
And according to the Daily Star, Tottenham, Everton and West Ham have all made inquiries to Brighton over a potential move for the player.
But they state that it is Arsenal that are winning the race to sign Bissouma with the FA Cup holders confident of securing his services.
Credit: Getty ARTETA HOPING TO RECONNECT WITH FANS
Mikel Arteta is hoping to reconnect with the disillusioned fans who want owner Stan Kroenke to leave Arsenal.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta said: “We really need them; to be with the team, to believe in the team, to support them.
“With them closer, we are much stronger.
“That’s what we ask them and we promise them we’ll give everything we can to fulfil their expectations, to give them some joy and some special moments.”
Credit: PA
EURO GLORY
Kelly Smith is backing Chelsea to steal Arsenal’s limelight by ending their spell of being the only women’s football club from England to conquer Europe.
And the Gunners’ icon believes ‘energiser’ Hayes will have her players ‘riled up’ to knock Bayern Munich out of the Champions League.
Smith told SunSport: “Emma was a young coach and still learning the trade when she was at Arsenal.
“But you could see she was hungry, passionate and a real energiser coach who really loved being out on the field.
“She got massive amounts of experience coaching in America after leaving the club and really developed Chelsea’s game. They are very lucky to have her.
“I hope they can perform, get to the final and try and take away Arsenal’s mantle of being the only team to lift the trophy.
“And I’m sure Emma’s going to get them riled up and ready.
“It’s a huge opportunity for them to get to the final and they’re going to believe that they can do it being at home with that home advantage.”
INJURY UPDATES
The Gunners have given an update on the fitness of Alexandre Lacazette, David Luiz and Kieran Tierney on their official website.
Lacazette is out of today’s match with a hamstring injury but is hoping to be in contention for Thursday’s crucial Europa League clash with Villarreal.
Luiz has a knock to his right knee but may still feature today.
Tierney has resumed full training following a knee injury and could be involved against Newcastle.
There are no other injury concerns and all other first-team players are available for selection.
UP FOR SALE
The Mail on Sunday are reporting Arsenal have gone up for sale.
Unpopular owner Stan Kronke is believed to want £1.7BILLION for the London club.
Spotify CEO and Arsenal fan Daniel Ek, believed to be worth more than £3bn, has expressed an interest in buying the Gunners.
The fans want Kronke to leave the Emirates following the European Super League scandal and the team’s decline in recent years.
The newspaper are also reporting Arsenal have effectively been on sale for two years – but Kronke is yet to receive the right offer.
ARSENAL STATS
Let’s take a look at Arsenal’s Premier League season so far.
As they sit in 11th, it’s fair to say it hasn’t been a great year for boss Mikel Arteta.
It appears Granit Xhaka has been his main man this season, making the most passes, tackles and fouls for the Gunners in the Prem.
Alexandre Lacazette has been delivering the goods in front of goal, scoring 13 in the league.
Here’s an overview of their Prem campaign so far…
TODAY’S OPPONENTS
Newcastle are 17th in the Premier League, nine points above Fulham in the relegation zone having played a game less.
While they may already have enough points to stay in the top flight, a win today would all but guarantee their safety – and could propel them up to 13th in the table.
A win for Arsenal, meanwhile, would see them jump back into the top half.
Steve Bruce’s side will be desperate to get three points today and secure their place in the Premier League for another year.
GOOD MORNING ARSENAL FANS
Bukayo Saka has upset neighbours by leaving piles of earth outside his home.
The 19-year-old Arsenal and England star is having a football pitch with changing room installed at the £2.3million mansion he bought only last year.
He called in bulldozers to level off the back garden — but they left what residents call a mountain of mud.
Arsenal are among the clubs interested by the news that Bayern Munich are open to selling Corentin Tolisso.
According to Kicker, the German giants will consider bids ahead of his contract expiring in 2022.
The Gunners are set to rival Manchester United, Napoli, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid
HERO
John Lennon once caused outrage by saying The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus”. And George was a rock ’n’ roll footballer with his long hair, his swagger and his anti-establishment attitude.
In the weeks, months and years after the 1971 FA Cup Final, kids from North London to Newcastle copied the celebration.
For young fans, it was the football equivalent of David Bowie’s seminal appearance on Top Of The Pops a year later — and George became a 1970s icon.
The man himself enjoys the pop-idol description. Now 70, George said: “Why not? I think it’s great. As a youngster, I loved all the Tamla Motown but the Rolling Stones were my favourites.
“And I scored the winning goal with my long hair. I didn’t know I was going to do it — it wasn’t planned. I just thought it was a great thing at the time.
What are you going to do? You’ve got to celebrate. Be different! I like to think I was different.”
DEMAND MAR
Pablo Mari has called for Arsenal to get right in the faces of Villarreal in next week’s second leg.
He told club media: “I think it’s not a really bad result thinking about that we’re 2-0 down with one player less, I think a really good reaction from the team.
“But for me I think for me we don’t have to wait to go into that situation to react. I think we have to learn about that and we have to put all the effort starting from minute zero next week to go to the final.
“I don’t know [why we made a sluggish start]. At the end you’re on the pitch and I try to help everybody, but we did some mistakes and I think this is key because they like to play football and they know when you do a mistake to go on that side and take the goals. So at the end we have to learn from that.
“We have to go full gas from minute zero and go with everything to win the game.”
DIRTY PLAYER
Bukayo Saka has upset neighbours by leaving piles of earth outside his home.
The 19-year-old Arsenal and England star is having a football pitch with changing room installed at the £2.3million mansion he bought only last year.
He called in bulldozers to level off the back garden — but they left what residents call a mountain of mud.
One of his neighbours near Hatfield, Herts, said: “The building work is causing a real eyesore.
“It’s a horrendous sight and a lot of the neighbours aren’t at all happy.
“The area has a lot of very well-to-do people who don’t expect this sort of thing.”
But another said; “If he keeps scoring for Arsenal, I’m not bothered.”
CHANGE OF TOON
Here’s how Arsenal could line up against Newcastle on Sunday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
