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      Arsenal set to welcome back Matteo Guendouzi as Hertha Berlin ‘unable to afford £29m star’ after impressing in Germany

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      HERTHA BERLIN have accepted that Matteo Guendouzi will return to Arsenal in the summer, according to reports.
      The Frenchman has impressed in the Bundesliga with the capital club losing just two of their last nine as they push away from the relegation zone.

      Matteo Guendouzi is set to head back to Arsenal after enjoying a solid spell in GermanyCredit: AFP

      Under manager Bruno Labbadia, Guendouzi has even scored twice including the opener in a recent 3-0 demolition of Schalke 04.
      According to German outlet Bild, Hertha are putting together a plan to replace the midfielder in the summer.
      Wolfsburg star Yannick Gerhardt is said to be the name of the top of their shortlist.
      While there is no sense that Arsenal will recall the player this month, Berlin do not have a purchase option to make his loan stay permanent.

      Therefore, the club reportedly see it as a fact that Guendouzi will leave at the end of the season, unless they can find around £29million to secure his signature.
      The 21-year-old has been widely praised since heading to Germany, and Labbadia has been delighted with his impact.

      The coach said last month: “[Matteo] is very, very valuable to us. We are happy that we were able to sign him.
      “He’s a very, very good footballer, who has a good sense of space and is technically very strong.

      “Even though he’s young, he gives instructions. He is not at all interested in whether he speaks the language.”
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta fell out with Guendouzi last year, before sending him out on loan.

      And the Gunners are planning a mass clear out to trim down their large squad and wage bill, which may or may not include the youngster.
      Mesut Ozil is out of contract in June and expected to leave North London, along with Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
      The exits have already begun with Sead Kolasinac loaned to Schalke at the start of January.
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates

      Mikel Arteta says Emile Smith Rowe is becoming more and more important in the team after Arsenal’s eventual win against Newcastle More

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      Mesut Ozil happy to leave Arsenal this transfer window… if Gunners still pay him £68K A WEEK until summer 2023

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      MESUT OZIL will offer Arsenal the chance to get him out of the club this month – by spreading payment of the rest of his contract over the next three years.
      Ozil has options to leave the Emirates during the transfer window but the Gunners would need to cough up the remainder of his £350,000-a-week deal which still has six months to run.

      Mesut Ozil could be prepared to settle a long-term payment plan to stretch out his huge salaryCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The World Cup winner is in no mood to sacrifice the remaining £8.75million of the wages due to him just so Arsenal can get him off their wage bill with Fenerbahce and DC United both interested in his signature.
      But SunSport understands he would be prepared to help the club out.
      That would be by reaching a deal which would see them reduce their weekly payments to him to £68,000 until the summer of 2023.
      Though that would see Arsenal having to keep Ozil, 32, on their wage bill for another two-and-a-half years, it would reduce their immediate wage commitment to the midfielder by £1.2m-A-MONTH.

      With Premier League clubs being bitten hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, that long-term payment plan might be attractive to the bean counters at the Emirates.
      The other option would be to come up with a cash offer covering the vast majority of the six months left on the former Real Madrid star’s contract, otherwise he is likely to stay put until the summer.
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      Turkish club Fenerbahce are working hard to try to sign Ozil but an agreement is far from in place.

      That is despite Ozil falling victim to an online hoax which purported to be one of his charities seemingly announcing a deal had been done with Fenerbahce.
      The MLS is a possible next destination, with Wayne Rooney’s former club DC United making their interest known and opening talks over securing a deal to take him Stateside.    
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates

      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says that Mesut Ozil can talk to other clubs More

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      Gabriel Martinelli ‘in tears and a lot of pain’ as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirms ankle injury in Newcastle warm-up

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      ARSENAL star Gabriel Martinelli was left ‘in tears’ after getting injured in the warm-up of the 2-0 FA Cup win over Newcastle.
      The Brazilian striker, 19, went down as he was going through pre-match drills, before being replaced by Reiss Nelson for the FA Cup third round clash against Newcastle.

      This was the horror moment Gabriel Martinelli injured himself in the warm-up

      Martinelli had just made a successful interception when he collapsed to the floor in obvious agony.
      His team-mates, including Mo Elneny, appeared mystified as to how the 19-year-old had injured himself.
      But it was serious enough for Gunners boss Arteta to be forced to make a last-minute change to his line-up.
      After the game, Arteta said: “I am gutted.

      “I was in my office before the game and one of the medical staff came in and said he twisted his ankle.
      “He was in tears and in a lot of pain.”
      Martinelli is only just returning to the first-team fold after months out with a serious knee injury.
      Coincidently, he picked up that in training too.

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      The young Brazilian collapsed to the floor in pain – with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta later revealing he was ‘in tears’ after missing out

      Although it appeared that the striker turned his ankle, the strain it might have put on his knee will leave the Gunners sweating that it could be another serious injury.
      The teenager has helped turn Arsenal’s season around from what looked like it could turn into a relegation battle.
      And while Martinelli won’t be going anywhere, there are likely to be a few outgoings this month at the Emirates.
      Arsenal have a hefty wage bill with Mesut Ozil, whose deal expires in the summer, sitting on a huge contract after not being selected in their Premier League and Europa League squads this season.
      Arteta is determined to reduce the size of his squad by moving on players that are not involved in the first team.
      Defender Sead Kolasinac has rejoined Schalke on loan while Shkodran Mustafi is another player likely to head for the exit door.

      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed Martinelli is in ‘a lot of pain’Credit: EPA
      Arteta told the Arsenal website: “We’ve had some conversations around a few players and whether we can find some loans because the numbers we have in the squad at the moment are really big. Again, we cannot confirm anything yet.
      “We have a large squad, we knew that and a lot of things we wanted to do in the summer, we couldn’t accomplish for different reasons.
      “There are some players that are going to go on loan, they are going to leave, and that’s the priority at the moment. We cannot sustain the numbers that we have in terms of substitutions.
      “We are looking to do that and then we will see if we have the right opportunities in the positions that we need some more help. We are working with the club to find that.”
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates

      Nicolas Pepe shows off some impressive skills in Arsenal training More

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      Tottenham battling Arsenal for Marcel Sabitzer transfer but RB Leipzig won’t sell £30m-rated star until the summer

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      TOTTENHAM boss Jose Mourinho has earmarked Marcel Sabitzer as a major transfer target, according to reports.
      The RB Leipzig midfielder has emerged into the primetime with the club, having joined while they were second-tier in 2014.

      Marcel Sabitzer showed Tottenham his worth last season with two goals past them in the Champions LeagueCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      And his rise with last year’s Champions League semi-finalists has reportedly alerted Tottenham and Arsenal to his abilities.
      According to The Athletic, Mourinho is a big fan of Sabitzer and the midfielder is seen as ready-made for the coach’s setup.
      A role alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is thought to be perfect for the Leipzig captain.
      Mourinho was able to do his own scouting report on Sabitzer in March’s last-16 defeat to Leipzig in the Champions League, the second leg seeing him score twice.

      A January transfer is seen as unlikely given Leipzig’s Bundesliga title tilt.
      Julian Nagelsmann’s side are two points off leaders Bayern Munich ahead of the weekend’s games, which includes Leipzig hosting fourth-place Borussia Dortmund.

      The club have said that there would be no contract talks during the season. So I’m fully focused on playing a successful season.
      Marcel Sabitzer

      Mourinho has also discussed his pessimism at being able to improve his side in January.
      Therefore a summer switch is seen as most likely with Sabitzer’s contract expiring in June 2022, potentially reducing his fee as low as £30million.

      The player stated last month: “If I read my contract correctly, it expires in June 2022, which means it runs for another 18 months. We’ll have to see about everything else.
      “I’m just doing my job. We have a game every three days, that’s exhausting enough.
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      “The club have said that there would be no contract talks during the season. So I’m fully focused on playing a successful season and don’t think about what will happen later on at all.”
      Leipzig sporting director Markus Krosche has admitted that bids may soon be landing for the midfielder.
      He recently told Bild: “[Sabitzer] has made a great development.
      “It goes without saying that other clubs also notice this.”

      Marcel Sabitzer is being chased by Premier League clubs – here is why More

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      Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha talks for first time over failed Arsenal transfer and admits ‘they chose Pepe over me’

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      WILFRIED ZAHA has accepted that Arsenal chose Nicolas Pepe ‘over him’ following a failed move to the club.
      Following a summer transfer saga with Crystal Palace, the Gunners opted against signing the winger in 2019.

      Wilfried Zaha has revealed how his move to Arsenal fell throughCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The Gunners chose Nicolas Pepe instead but the Ivorian has struggled in North LondonCredit: PA:Press Association

      Instead, they paid Lille £72million for the club record capture of Pepe.
      And Zaha has opened up on the deal after missing out on a move to his boyhood favourites to his Ivory Coast international team-mate.
      He told Jamie Carragher’s The Greatest Game Podcast: “I had a conversation with the manager actually.
      “[Unai] Emery was just like, ‘We don’t really need to go through much’. “He said he’d seen me play, he knows I can change games at any time and stuff like that.

      “He was like, ‘Yeah we’d love to have you’ and I was just like, ‘Yeah I’d love to come’.
      “The conversation was rather straightforward because I played against him when he was manager of Arsenal.
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      It was up to the club who they chose. And they chose Pepe over me.
      Wilfried Zaha

      “He saw what I could do, saw my work-rate, and what I could add to the team.”

      He added: “Obviously, it was up to the club who they chose.
      “And they chose Pepe over me.”
      Emery failed to get the best out of Pepe and was sacked part way through the winger’s first campaign in North London.
      However, Mikel Arteta has also struggled with the 25-year-old and publicly lambasted his red card versus Leeds in November.
      Zaha, 28, remains with Palace and was also quiet last season before finding form again in recent months – hitting eight goals in 15 games.

      And he admitted his feeling that players from abroad are often favoured for big money transfers.
      The forward stated: “You’re seeing a player come from Brazil or another league – they’re always going to attract more attention.
      “But, I just think if there’s a player that plays in the Premier League, you see him week in, week out. You know what he does.
      “I feel like it’s a no-brainer. The other leagues are totally different.”
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates

      Piers Morgan rages at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and said the club should have signed Zaha More

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      Folarin Balogun close to quitting Arsenal on free transfer and signing pre-contract with foreign club amid Arteta plea

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      FOLARIN BALOGUN is reportedly close to signing for a team abroad despite Mikel Arteta’s plea for the Arsenal striker to sign a new contract.
      With his deal up at the end of the season, the 19-year-old is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of England.

      Folarin Balogun is wanted by Mikel Arteta for a longer stay at ArsenalCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      According to The Athletic, Balogun is on the verge of agreeing a move away from the Gunners in the summer.
      Playing time is thought to be the youngster’s reason for leaving North London, and the club he first joined at the age of eight.
      Arteta is yet to hand Balogun his full debut in the senior team, with just five outings off the bench in cup competitions this season.
      Fans have been impressed by the glimpses of the striker, who has scored twice in Europa League runouts.

      Speaking on Thursday, the Gunners boss insisted there is a clear path to the first-team for Balogun.
      But he claimed the player’s agent is obstructing negotiations over a new contract.
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      Arteta told reporters: “You need three parties to make a deal.

      “For sure, the club wants to make a deal, the manager wants to make a deal, the player wants to stay and I’m not sure about the agent.”
      When pressed on whether Balogun’s agent is behind the stalemate, Arteta insisted the players’ best interest will be served by keeping him at the club.
      The manager added: “I’m not saying he’s stopping [the deal].
      “I’m saying that we need to find an agreement with him.
      “We are negotiating with an agent, with a player that wants to stay at the club and we need to find an agreement.

      We are doing everything we can to keep him here and hopefully from the other part they are doing the same.
      Mikel Arteta

      “I’m telling you that we are doing everything we can to keep him here and hopefully from the other part they are doing the same.
      “They defend the same interests, which is the players’ interest, which is to stay at the football club and be successful with us.”
      Liverpool, Brentford and Sheffield United have previously been linked with Balogun, as well as Championship Swansea in a potential loan deal.
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates

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