ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed the club will open transfer talks with Real Madrid over a deal for Martin Odegaard ‘in the next few weeks’.
Elsewhere, Wilfried Zaha has insisted again he would leave Crystal Palace for a ‘top’ club with reports of Arsenal and Tottenhm interest.
And, there’s been a big change in the backroom with club legend and Under-23s coach Steve Bould dismissed.
Dennis Bergkamp has told Arsenal fans that Daniel Ek is STILL interested in buying the club off Stan Kroenke.
WIN £50,000! Play Dream Team Euros – our FREE fantasy football game
Get all the latest Arsenal news, transfer gossip and updates with our live blog…
AUBA AND UNDER
Arsenal are interested in a shock move for Leicester flop Cengiz Under, according to reports.
Under joined the Foxes on loan from Roma last summer, to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ forward line.
The temporary deal included a £20million option to buy.
But with the Turkish international having failed to make an impact in the East Midlands, he is set to be back on the market this summer.
His contract in the Italian capital still has another two years left to run.
But he is expected to be sold in the coming months.
According to Tutto Mercato, the Gunners are one of a number of teams interested in signing the winger.
ODE TO JOY
Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal will open transfer talks with Real Madrid over a deal for Martin Odegaard ‘in the next few weeks’.
He said: “We have a very clear and strong opinion on what we would like to do.
“He’s not our player. We’ll have discussions in the next few weeks, but first of all we need to respect that he’s a Real Madrid player.
“We’ll have those communications. We’ve tried to make everything that we could to get Martin performing for the team, which I think he’s done.
“He has adapted really well to our way of playing and to our football. Hopefully we have given him the hope and the feeling this could be a good place for him.
“[Confident Odegaard will stay?] I don’t know. It’s not in our hands, I don’t know.”
SO NEAR YET SO VAR
Arsenal would have finished FOURTH without VAR this season.
A SunSport study of all the decisions overturned by Stockley Park show the Gunners were the biggest “sufferers” from the system.
If all on-field original decisions had stuck, Mikel Arteta’s men would have earned four more points.
That would have been enough to take them above Spurs, West Ham AND Chelsea and steal the final Champions League spot.
Instead, Arsenal finished eighth and OUT of Europe for the first time since 1995-96.
ARTETA ON KROENKE CONVERSATION
Mikel Arteta has revealed what was said between himself and Josh Kroenke before Sunday’s game against Brighton.
The Arsenal boss said: “The same that he says every time that we’re on the phone, that he’s very supportive, very passionate about the club and he wants to take the club to a different level.
“That’s the ambition and that’s why he’s here.”
Credit: Getty DOWN TO BISS-NESS
Liverpool have reportedly received a huge boost in their battle with Arsenal for Brighton star Yves Bissouma.
The 24-year-old midfielder has enjoyed another stunning campaign with the Seagulls.
He won the most tackles during the 2020/21 campaign and his displays have attracted plenty of attention.
Brighton have reportedly placed a £40million price tag on his head amid interest from both Jurgen Klopp’s Reds and Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.
Now Fabrizio Romano appears to have indicated that it is Liverpool now leading the race for the Mali international.
The Italian football journalist said: “I’m told he’s not the hottest name for Arsenal, you know. They are looking for something different.”
PARTEY ON FANS RECEPTION
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey signed for the Gunners at the beginning of the season but has spent almost all of the campaign playing behind closed doors.
He finally got the opportunity to show what he can do in front of Arsenal supporters against Brighton on Sunday.
And Partey heaped praise on the fans of his new club.
He said: “I think we had their support today which was very beautiful.
“We were encouraged and we were down they supported us, they pushed us up and at the end this is what we need. We are very grateful.
“We had a good game and everybody gave their best, and at the end it’s part of the game, we have to keep working hard, we have to prepared, we have to end well and we did well, so we have to be prepared for the next season.
“[Missing out on Europe] is disappointing, but now we have the opportunity to come back next season and fight for everything we can.”
Credit: Getty GUNNERS MISS OUT ON EUROPE
Arsenal missed out on a European qualification place by one point in the Premier League.
And while Mikel Arteta is disappointed by that, he hopes his side will be able to capitalise on playing less games next season.
He said: “I’m sad because this club deserves to be delivered trophies and the Champions League. We haven’t managed that.
“It’s very challenging circumstances but we’ve tried to stick together and do our best. It’s not been enough.
“We have to be very critical of ourselves, of myself, and then prepare the best possible way for next season to take advantage of that.
“Hopefully we can have the pre-season that I haven’t had, and have time to work with those players and try to be a better team.”
Credit: PA ARTETA ON SUMMER PLANS
Mikel Arteta feels Arsenal need to strengthen in the summer in order to compete with the rest of the Premier League next season.
The Spaniard said: “They’re going to get better [other PL teams] and they’re going to strengthen, so we need to get better.
“First of all, we have to get our players better, more consistent and help them to improve. All our way of playing, our philosophy, I think is in place.
“They buy into that and now is the moment to take it to the next level, to improve that and improve our consistency because since December to now, we’ve shown that we’re the second or third-best team in the league.
‘It’s not enough. Six months, the level is high, so we need to do that for 10 months.”
PERFECT PEPE
Here is Nicolas Pepe’s goal against Brighton yesterday. It was the Ivorian’s 16th goal of the season.
KROENKE OUT
That’s what a section of returning Arsenal fans chanted at the Emirates during Arsenal’s clash with Brighton after the European Super League fiasco.
Supporters held signs demanding the Kroenke family’s exit from the club and some even threw balloons with the same message on the pitch.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, however, is pleased to have the fans back in the stands regardless of the circumstances.
He said: “Well happy with the performance the result, but most importantly having our fans back again.
“Thanks so much to them on behalf of myself the staff and all the players”
BELL’S HELL
Arsenal star Hector Bellerin has revealed how he turned to booze as he struggled to deal with his injury hell.
Bellerin said: “It was the first time that I had got injured like that, and I had friends and team-mates that had gone through it before, I had my family next to me, but I didn’t know exactly what was going to happen to me.
“I talk about an experience when I came back and I wasn’t really training, and I started going out a lot, I started drinking and all this stuff and you know for a footballer that’s not what you’re supposed to say but it’s the truth.
“We have our issues, we have our mental health problems. And when football, which is basically your identity gets taken out of you, we find it difficult.
“Obviously London is a town that offers a lot of distractions and it’s really easy when you don’t feel you have a responsibility – obviously I knew I had to recover, but I didn’t have to train or play – my mind kind of just went elsewhere.”
TOP 8 FINISH
Arsenal finished eighth in the Premier League table following their 2-0 win over Brighton.
A poor season, but given they faced a relegation battle after a few months, there are some positives for Mikel Arteta to take.
FANS BACK
It was great to see the fans back at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.
CHAMBERS ON PEPE’S IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY VS BRIGHTON
Arsenal defender Calum Chambers has praised Nicolas Pepe for his superb display against Brighton on Sunday.
He told the club website: “Brilliant. Brilliant. He was covering me defensively, which is amazing!
“I think he’s improved a lot, he’s a great player and we’ve seen it from the start in the first day of training, we’ve seen his quality, and I think now he’s really starting to show everyone what he can do.
“We’re all delighted for him.”
Credit: Getty KRO BARRED
Arsenal fans have continued their protests against owner Stan Kroenke ahead of their final game of the season – and son Josh is at the Emirates.
Around 10,000 supporters have been allowed inside the ground for their clash against Brighton, with Josh attending his first Gunners game in more than a year.
And thousands demonstrated outside the ground, setting off flares and chanting against their American owner.
Fans’ anger against Kroenke have been fuelled ever since the club announced they were planning to join the doomed European Super League.
Arsenal’s league position, stranded in ninth under Mikel Arteta in a disappointing campaign, has further added to the frustrations.
The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust have also launched the ‘Kroenke Out Fans In’ campaign designed to put pressure on the owner to sell up.
MAZZ ENOUGH
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal rebuild has continued behind the scenes with chief medic Bruno Mazziotti reportedly let go.
The Brazilian arrived less than a year ago following good reviews of his work with Paris Saint-Germain and his country’s national team.
However, according to Goal, the Gunners have informed him that his contract will not be renewed.
The news follows the departure of Steve Bould from the Under-23s.
DOWN TO BISS-NESS
Liverpool have reportedly received a huge boost in their battle with Arsenal for Brighton star Yves Bissouma.
The 24-year-old midfielder has enjoyed another stunning campaign with the Seagulls.
He won the most tackles during the 2020/21 campaign and his displays have attracted plenty of attention.
Brighton have reportedly placed a £40million price tag on his head amid interest from both Jurgen Klopp’s Reds and Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.
Now Fabrizio Romano appears to have indicated that it is Liverpool now leading the race for the Mali international.
The Italian football journalist said: “I’m told he’s not the hottest name for Arsenal, you know. They are looking for something different.”
ODE TO JOY
Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal will open transfer talks with Real Madrid over a deal for Martin Odegaard ‘in the next few weeks’.
Arteta said: “We have a very clear and strong opinion on what we would like to do.
“He’s not our player. We’ll have discussions in the next few weeks, but first of all we need to respect that he’s a Real Madrid player.
“We’ll have those communications. We’ve tried to make everything that we could to get Martin performing for the team, which I think he’s done.
“He has adapted really well to our way of playing and to our football. Hopefully we have given him the hope and the feeling this could be a good place for him.
“[Confident Odegaard will stay?] I don’t know. It’s not in our hands, I don’t know.”
DON’T LUIZ IT
ARSENAL defender Gabriel lost a TOOTH when he and his team-mates celebrated David Luiz’s final game for the club.
The Brazilian was elbowed in the face during the fun and spent several minutes searching the Emirates pitch for his missing tooth before giving up.
BERT BATTLE
Leicester are attempting to beat Arsenal in the transfer chase for Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand.
The left-back has confirmed he will be leaving St Mary’s once his contract expires on June 30 and a raft of clubs have reportedly shown interest.
West Ham and Crystal Palace are said to be keeping tabs on the star.
And the Gunners have been long-term admirers with manager Mikel Arteta desperate to bring him to North London.
Now a fresh report states Arsenal’s hopes could be about to suffer a blow.
TalkSPORT claim that Leicester have drawn-up a one-year contract and are preparing to offer it to Bertrand.
He will be offered a deal to join the FA Cup winners over the coming days.
ARTETA ON KROENKE
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta couldn’t lead the club to next season’s European competitions.
The Gunners endured a turbulent campaign that saw the fans clashing with the Kroenke family after the European Super League fiasco.
Arteta, however, defended Josh Kroenke and claimed he “wants to take the club to a different level”.
The Arsenal boss said: “He’s very supportive, very passionate about the club and he wants to take the club to a different level. That’s the ambition and that’s why he’s here”
GOOD MORNING ARSENAL FANS
Arteta has confirmed Arsenal will open transfer talks with Real Madrid over a deal for Martin Odegaard ‘in the next few weeks’.
The Norway international, 22, made his 20th appearance for the Gunners in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Brighton.
Arteta said: “We have a very clear and strong opinion on what we would like to do.
“He’s not our player. We’ll have discussions in the next few weeks, but first of all we need to respect that he’s a Real Madrid player.
Arsenal missed out on a European finish after their 2-0 win over Brighton but Arteta inists his side are moving in the right direction.
He added: “What I can say is that when I watch the team a few months ago and when I watch them now, regardless of the result, in my opinion we are in a much better place and we will be in a much better place.
“That’s the step but as well we now need to identify that the level is now so high that the only way to do it is to be much better next season, much more consistent and that’s the challenge ahead of us”
In a more bizarre tale, Arsenal’s Gabriel spent his afternoon searching for his tooth.
After their 2-0 victory against Brighton, the Arsenal players met in the centre of the pitch to greet David Luiz.
Willian then pointed at Gabriel, indicating one tooth had fallen out.
Gabriel spent the next 20 or so minutes looking for the missing tooth with a few members of staff, later calling it an evening.
DON’T LUIZ IT
Arsenal defender Gabriel lost a TOOTH when he and his team-mates celebrated David Luiz’s final game for the club.
The Brazilian was elbowed in the face during the fun and spent several minutes searching the Emirates pitch for his missing tooth before giving up.
After their 2-0 victory against Brighton, the Arsenal players met in the centre of the pitch to greet David Luiz.
The 34-year-old, who is leaving the club when his contract expires in the summer, did not feature against the Seagulls due to injury.
After making his way to the middle, Luiz was hugged by Gabriel before the rest of the squad joined the celebrations.
It all seemed like fun and games until the players began laughing, with ex-Chelsea star Willian pointing at Gabriel.
The 23-year-old defender then pointed at his teeth, indicating one had fallen out.
Gabriel spent the next 20 or so minutes looking for the missing tooth with a few members of staff, later calling it an evening.
ODE TO JOY
Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal will open transfer talks with Real Madrid over a deal for Martin Odegaard ‘in the next few weeks’.
The Norway international, 22, made his 20th appearance for the Gunners in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Brighton.
Arteta said: “We have a very clear and strong opinion on what we would like to do.
“He’s not our player. We’ll have discussions in the next few weeks, but first of all we need to respect that he’s a Real Madrid player.
“We’ll have those communications. We’ve tried to make everything that we could to get Martin performing for the team, which I think he’s done.
“He has adapted really well to our way of playing and to our football. Hopefully we have given him the hope and the feeling this could be a good place for him.
“[Confident Odegaard will stay?] I don’t know. It’s not in our hands, I don’t know.”
MORE FROM ARTETA
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is adamant that the team has significantly improved in recent months despite, missing out on Europe for the first time in 25 years.
The Gunners finished eighth after Tottenham defeated Leicester and beat their north London rivals to seventh place.
Arteta said: “What I can say is that when I watch the team a few months ago and when I watch them now, regardless of the result, in my opinion we are in a much better place and we will be in a much better place.
“That’s the step but as well we now need to identify that the level is now so high that the only way to do it is to be much better next season, much more consistent and that’s the challenge ahead of us”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
