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      Arsenal ‘face competition from FOUR clubs to sign £70m-rated wonderkid Ousmane Diomande, 19, after summer bid rejected’

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      ARSENAL are reportedly up against fierce competition from four clubs to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande in January. The Gunners had a £30million approach for the 19-year-old defender turned down during the summer transfer window.
      Arsenal are aiming to sign Ousmane Diomande in JanuaryCredit: Getty
      But despite being turned away, Mikel Arteta is said to be really keen on returning for Diomande in January.
      The Ivory Coast international joined Sporting last January from FC Midtjylland for just £6.1m, but has already caught the attention of big clubs across Europe.
      He played 13 matches in the Portuguese top flight last term and managed to help Sporting finish fourth in the league.
      But unfortunately for Arsenal his impressive campaign seems to have had a pretty big impact on his price tag.
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      Sporting will only be willing to sell Diomande if a club was to activate his £70m release clause.
      Arsenal are alone in the race for his signature with “three or four clubs” also keeping their eye out for Diomande, according to Fabrizio Romano.
      Romano adds that Arsenal would have struggled to sign the teenager last summer as he wasn’t up for sale and his Sporting contract runs until 2027.
      Juventus, Manchester City and Monaco have all previously been linked with the Ivorian and could consider a move.
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      Arteta already has a depth of high-quality centre-backs in his squad but is considering signing defensive cover after new recruit Jurrain Timber’s ACL injury.
      The Dutch ace is set to be sidelined for several months meaning a new addition may be of interest at the Emirates.
      Arsenal will travel to Everton on Sunday for their next Premier League match before beginning their Champions League campaign against PSV Eindhoven next Wednesday.  More

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      Arsene Wenger and David Seaman reveal how England team ‘killed’ Arsenal after Gary Neville spied at lunchtime

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      ARSENE WENGER and David Seaman have revealed how the England team “killed” Arsenal’s tactical advantage under the Frenchman.Wenger, 73, was interviewed by Seaman as part of his podcast and the two traded tales from yesteryear.
      Seaman and Wenger spoke of the team’s cutting edge dietCredit: credit / Seaman says podcast
      But Gary Neville was there to spy on the Arsenal players’ foodCredit: Rex
      One of those consisted of Seaman’s time with the England squad in the early 2000s when Gary Neville “spied” on the Arsenal team.
      Arsenal and England shared the same nutritionist, Dr John Crane, who was at the cutting edge of sports science and nutrition.
      Dr Crane had the Arsenal players following a specialist diet at the time, and this continued while the players were on England duty.
      Seaman said: “We went to England and we were on our special diet.
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      “We were eating it and, I’ll always remember this boss, Gary Neville looked over to our table and was like ‘What are they eating over there? Why aren’t they eating the same as us? We’re a team! We should be eating the same!’
      “So that’s how he found out about what we were eating and then he took it back to Man United.”
      Wenger then moaned: “They copied us! The English national team killed us!”
      Arsenal and Manchester United became one of the fiercest rivalries in English football after Wenger took over Arsenal in 1996.
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      Arsenal won three Premier Leagues between his takeover in 1996 and 2004 and four FA Cups between 1996 and 2005.
      In that period, Manchester United, under Sir Alex Ferguson won five Premier Leagues, a Champions League, two FA Cups and a League cup.
      The two’s fierce rivalry was most famously symbolised by 2004’s “Battle of the Buffet” which saw police called to break up a fight between the two squads and a slice of pizza thrown at Sir Alex Ferguson by Cesc Fabregas.
      The two clubs’ duopoly at the top of the Premier League was only really broken by Chelsea’s takeover by Roman Abramovich in 2003.
      The financial implications of the construction of the Gunners’ Emirates stadium also heavily affected Arsenal’s ability to compete with Manchester United towards the end of Wenger’s tenure.
      However, his reign did end with a flurry of success, with the club winning the FA Cup three times between 2014 and 2017. More

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      Arsenal announce 25-man Premier League squad including little-known youngster as fans are left asking ‘who?’

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      ARSENAL have confirmed their 25-man squad for the first half of the new Premier League season.The Gunners were busy in the transfer market this past summer, splashing out a whopping £201million of four new additions.
      Mikel Arteta has named his 25-man Arsenal squad for the first half of the seasonCredit: Getty
      Gunners fans have been left stumped by the inclusion of 22-year-old keeper James HillsonCredit: Getty
      Mikel Arteta bolstered his squad with Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya in a bid to improve on last season’s second-place finish.
      And, as is customary this time of year, the North Londoners have announced their squad for their long and arduous domestic campaign.
      The club’s four summer arrivals are part of the 25-man squad, even the crocked Timber.
      There have been no surprise omissions, although fans have been left stunned by the inclusion of rookie goalkeeper James Hillson.
      The 22-year-old has been promoted to the senior squad following a string of impressive displays for the Under 21s last season.
      The Emirates faithful were stunned to see Hillson’s name in the list, with one tweeting: “Who TF is James Hillson?”
      Another said: “Who is James Hillson? ”
      And another said: “Who’s James Hillson?”
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      Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League squad
      Mohamed Elneny Kai HavertzJames Hillson*Gabriel JesusJorginhoJakub KiwiorGabriel Magalhaes Gabriel Martinelli Reiss Nelson*Eddie Nketiah*Martin OdegaardThomas ParteyAaron Ramsdale*David Raya*Declan Rice*Bukayo Saka*William Saliba*Emile Smith Rowe*Cedric Soares Jurrien TimberTakehiro TomiyasuLeandro TrossardFabio Vieira Ben White*Oleksandr Zinchenko
      * Denotes home-grown player

      One remarked: “Who the hell is James Hillson?”
      Another chimed in: “Hopefully, he is another breakout star.”
      One seemingly irate Gooner said: “FFS, man. Who the hell is James Hillson as well?”
      Hillson will be hoping to get some game time in cup matches along with new signing Raya, who has been brought in to keep current No.1 Aaron Ramsdale on his toes.
      He’s also been included in the Gunners’ 25-man Champions League squad – which was announced on Tuesday.
      The Emirates faithful were also perplexed by the inclusion of Cedric Soares, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Fulham.
      Arsenal will be back in action on Sunday, travelling to Goodison Park to take on struggling Everton.
      Arteta’s troops travel to Merseyside on a high following a last-gasp victory over Manchester United earlier this month. More

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      Jermain Defoe reveals Arsenal legend who used to PINCH him during matches as ex-Spurs ace says ‘I loved it

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      JERMAIN DEFOE claims Arsenal legend Martin Keown “pinched” and “headbutted” him – but the ex-Tottenham striker “loved it”.Defoe has revealed his shock at the “mad” baptism he revealed as a teen breaking into the Premier League against no-nonsense defenders.
      Jermain Defoe punched above his weight as a West Ham kid but fears other players could have been ruined by the same treatmentCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Martin Keown was named by Defoe as one of the harsh defendersCredit: Getty
      The former England star, 40, only quit playing last year after a second spell with Sunderland.
      But he vividly remembers the unexpected suffering he endured during his early days with first club West Ham.
      Defoe says he was “buzzing” with excitement but soon “stinging” with pain.
      Buzzing – from playing against greats like Thierry Henry amid the Gunners’ peak years under Arsene Wenger.
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      And stinging – from the treatment he got from ex-Three Lions centre-back Keown.
      He told BBC podcast Defoe & Deeney Football Firsts: “He’d be standing behind me.
      “He’d pinch your back or he’d headbutt the back of your head – mad stuff like that.
      “Remember, you’re not getting this in the youth team.
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      “So when he started doing it I was like, ‘what is going on here?'”
      Defoe thinks Keown’s behaviour actually inspired him – but wonders if other personalities would have buckled.
      He said: “It fuelled me. But if you are a different sort of character you are done.
      “In a funny sort of way I loved it because I’m buzzing anyway.
      “I’m playing at Highbury – Thierry and that all that lot playing there. I was buzzing, so when he (Keown) did it I loved it but it was mad.
      “The pinches would hurt, you know. It felt like someone had punched me – the sting and the little headbutts.”
      More than just grin and bear it, Defoe reckons Keown’s actions fired him upCredit: Getty More

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      William Saliba reveals Mikel Arteta’s new mealtime rule and says ‘it really helps when you’re on the pitch’

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      WILLIAM SALIBA claims a new eating rule from boss Mikel Arteta has brought Arsenal’s players closer together than ever – even on the pitch.The France defender believes Arteta’s clever meal deal has boosted friendships and communication within the title-challenging squad.
      Mikel Arteta brought in a new eating policy to unite playersCredit: Getty
      The Spaniard unveiled the core of his plan in the Big Apple during the Gunners’ pre-season tour of the USA.
      Arsenal rolled out promising displays in New York and Los Angeles as Arteta introduced his meal-time trick.
      Saliba explained how the manager strengthened the unity of the travelling party by making them sit next to someone new at every food break.
      The 22-year-old told Arsenal’s media team: “We do a lot of things to be closer and closer and to learn about each other.
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      “The coaches will speak to us about how important it is to be a unit and to be together, not just with the fans, but as a team as well. 
      “An example is when we were on tour in America. For every meal we mixed the tables. We don’t choose the table where we sit at lunch or dinner.
      “We get to speak to the coaching staff, to other players and I really like that. 
      “There might be a player there who you speak to less and it’s a chance to know them more, to be together.
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      “That all helps as a team when you are on the pitch too. It really helps when you are on the pitch.”
      Judging by the Gunners’ unbeaten start to the season, they certainly look hungry to compete for each other.
      The biggest cherry on the cake so far came last time out – a 3-1 home win over Manchester United to send Arsenal into the international break fifth-placed in the Premier League. More

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      Arsenal fans beg Mikel Arteta to drop Kai Havertz as Gunners benchwarmer scores STUNNER on international duty

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      ARSENAL fans have begged for Kai Havertz to be dropped after Leandro Trossard’s impressive showing for Belgium tonight.Belgium went 2-0 up against Estonia with Trossard scoring their second goal.
      Leandro Trossard scored the fine solo goal against EstoniaCredit: AP
      The winger is playing on the left of a front three completed by Romelu Lukaku and Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku.
      And his 18th minute strike to make it 2-0 was a fine one indeed.
      The winger received the ball on the edge of the area before beating three men and finishing with a rasping knuckle ball strike.
      Trossard impressed in pre-season for the Gunners but has barely featured in the Premier League so far.
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      He has made just two appearances from the bench in games against Nottingham Forest and Fulham for a total of 62 minutes across both games.
      And Gunners fans have contrasted Trossard’s fine form for Belgium with the struggles of Havertz in an Arsenal shirt – and demanded that the Belgian is given a chance.
      One fan on Twitter said: “This guy was cooking in preseason can’t believe we haven’t seen more of him, great finish.”
      Another wrote: “But Arteta would leave him stuck on the bench and play Havertz no matter what.”
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      A third commented: “Need to unleash this at Arsenal. Must be best ball striker in the team currently.”
      And a fourth added: “Great goal by Trossard. Need to get him in the team, either for Havertz or Martinelli. Can’t take out Saka or Odegaard and don’t think the middle of the front 3 is right for him either.”
      In contrast to Trossard’s star-turn for Belgium tonight, Havertz has been dropped by his national side.
      The midfielder was left on the bench for tonight’s friendly against France.
      Rudi Voller is in temporary charge of the German national team after Hansi Flick’s dismissal this week. More

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      Arsenal starlet who once infuriated Thomas Partey agrees Middle East transfer as fans moan ‘another talent lost’

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      ARSENAL youngster Tim Akinola has left North London to sign for Qatari side Al-Bidda.The 22-year-old leaves the Gunners having failed to make a first-team appearance for Mikel Arteta’s men.
      Tim Akinola was a regular for Arsenal’s Under-21sCredit: Getty
      Akinola did train with the first team on occasion, however, and even upset senior player Thomas Partey.
      During a session in November 2021, Akinola reportedly went flying into a 50-50 challenge with the Ghanaian.
      Partey is claimed to have initially reacted angrily towards the over-exuberant youngster.
      But the 30-year-old’s stance later softened, going on to describe Akinola as the “strongest” player he’d played with.
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      The midfielder joined Arsenal from Huddersfield in the summer of 2020.
      He became a regular for the Gunners’ Under-21s, and twice went out on loan.
      Akinola played one game for Dundee United in 2022.
      He then featured 31 times for National League side Chesterfield last term.
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      Arsenal chiefs approved a move to Qatar for Akinola.
      Al-Bidda play in the Qatari second tier and are based in Doha.
      Some Arsenal fans were upset to see Akinola go.
      One tweeted: “Another talent gone.”
      While a second wrote: “Talents are finished in England.”
      A third pointed out: “Arsenal keeps on selling their youngsters.”
      Another added: “Best of luck to Tim Akinola at his new club! He is a talented player and I am sure he will be a success.”
      Academy graduates Folarin Balogun and Ainsley Maitland-Niles left the Emirates over the summer.
      While fellow youngsters Marcelo Flores, Ryan Alebiosu, Matt Smith and Nikolaj Moller also departed.
      Folarin Balogun left Arsenal during the summer transfer windowCredit: Getty More

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      How £72m Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe is STILL costing Gunners money despite joining Trabzonspor after contract ripped up

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      NICOLAS PEPE is still set to cost Arsenal a further £10million, despite joining Trabzonspor earlier this week.The Gunners agreed a deal to fork out a then club-record £72m for Pepe in 2019.
      Nicolas Pepe played 112 times for ArsenalCredit: Reuters
      To do the deal, Arsenal pledged to pay the transfer fee in instalments.
      Mikel Arteta’s side are understood to still owe Lille the final £10m of the fee – with Pepe’s absence not changing the structure of the initial deal.
      Right winger Pepe fell down the pecking order at the Emirates soon after the emergence of Bukayo Saka in the same position.
      The Ivorian hasn’t played for the Gunners since May 2022, scoring 27 goals in 122 appearances in total.
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      After being left as an unused sub in their first two matches of last season, Pepe was sent out on loan to Nice.
      He played 28 times for the Ligue 1 side, scoring eight times.
      Arsenal boss Arteta refused to re-integrate Pepe into his first team squad during pre-season, despite no suitors emerging.
      After failing to secure a transfer fee for their former record signing, the Gunners agreed to terminate his contract in order to let him join Trabzonspor for free.
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      Pepe, 28, has signed a one-year contract with the Turkish side.
      He has become the latest Arsenal outcast to have their contract terminated during Arteta’s reign.
      The winger follows in the footsteps of Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Shkodran Mustafi, Sead Kolasinac, Willian and Hector Bellerin.
      Arsenal spent over £200million on new signings this summer, including a club-record for £115m for Declan Rice.
      They only managed to recoup around £57m, however, with Folarin Balogun joining Monaco and Granit Xhaka moving to Bayer Leverkusen.
      Pepe, 28, spent last season on loan at LilleCredit: Getty More