Arsenal transfer news

CRYSTAL PALACE have offered Wilfried Zaha a new contract — with their star man in the final year of his deal.But it is not clear if the forward will sign the deal because he will be able to speak to foreign clubs about a free transfer from January.
Crystal Palace are hoping to tie down Wilfried Zaha to a new contractCredit: Getty
Palace have held talks with Zaha’s camp for over a year as they try to keep their talisman at Selhurst Park.
The Ivory Coast international, 29, penned a five-year deal in August 2018.
And the Eagles have long rebuffed any interest in the ex-Manchester United man.
Chelsea considered a late move during this summer.

Meanwhile, approaches from Arsenal and Everton have been rejected in previous windows.
Zaha has never hidden his desire to play Champions League football during his career.
But Palace chairman Steve Parish has always held firm over his value to the club.
In 2019, Zaha said: “For me to be better, to achieve what I know I am capable of, I have to aim to play at the very highest level, to win trophies.
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“I’m blessed to have come this far in my playing career. But I feel like there’s so much more I have to offer.”
A move as a free agent could offer Zaha his dream of performing on Europe’s biggest stage.
However, the Eagles academy graduate is back to his best under Patrick Vieira and the manager will be desperate to keep him.
Zaha has four goals in five league games so far this season, including the opening goal at Liverpool in a 1-1 draw. More

BERND Leno has launched a stinging attack on Arsenal as he explained he left the club due to “politics not performances.”The goalkeeper left the club this summer for Fulham after 4 years at the Emirates.
Leno has revealed his frustration over how things ended for him at ArsenalCredit: Getty
He only made 8 appearances for the Gunners as he lost his first team place to Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal also brought in American stopper Matt Turner in during the transfer window as Leno’s place in the squad appeared more uncertain.
Now a regular starter at Craven Cottage, the keeper did not hold back when he explained why he left the club.
He told Sport Bild via Fussball Transfers: “When I realised that it wasn’t about performance or quality, I knew that I had to go.
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“In preparation, I saw that it is not about performance, but only about politics. It was clear to me: I had to get out of here.
“The most important thing for me is to find my rhythm again.
“Especially after I wasn’t actually able to train properly at Arsenal and had no preparation. It’s up to me to get the focus back on the national team.”
Leno has started all 4 games for Fulham this season as the newly-promoted club have enjoyed a surprisingly good start to the season.
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An opening weekend 2-2 draw with Liverpool was also followed by wins at home against Brentford and Brighton.
Leno did return to the Emirates only weeks after leaving as Fulham took the lead but lost to Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta had earlier played down Leno’s move when the transfer happened and said it was only due to the 30-year-old not getting regular football.

He said last month: “For Bernd at the end, it was just a professional relationship that he wanted to sustain because he’s a player that for the past 11 years has always started games and he’s so used to it.
“He’s an international player but then I spoke to him last night.
“It’s a man who will be remembered here and it’s been a privilege to work with him, but in football you have to make decisions and try to get the best out of your players to play the way you want to play, and Bernd has found a move that he and his family are really happy with, and we wish him all the best.” More

GARY NEVILLE has ripped into Arsenal for their dodgy transfer decisions late in the transfer window. In particular, Neville was critical of the club’s decision to wait until deadline day to bid for Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz.
Arsenal were frustrated in their pursuit of players in late in the windowCredit: EPA
Gary Neville was critical of The Gunners strategyCredit: Getty
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admitted in early August the club were still looking to do some more business, but they did not end up signing anyone else.
Following on from Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, Neville, appearing on The Overlap YouTube channel, questioned the strategy.
He said: “We asked Mikel Arteta on the first game of the season, we said to him ‘are you going to do any more business?’
“He said he did, in midfield. Why did they wait until transfer deadline day to bid for Luiz? Why did they wait that three, four weeks?
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“I thought midfield yesterday [against Manchester United] was the one area where United looked like they had more, at times, passing through the lines. 
“I know that Arsenal did really well in midfield, but when there was a moment to open up the game – I know Odegaard can do that – I felt they did lack a midfield player.”
Arsenal submitted three bids for Brazilian Luiz before the deadline passed.
They had also been linked with a move for Youri Tielemans throughout the window, but pulled out of the deal to sign him due to “losing belief” in the player.
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Fresh reports have also emerged which have revealed Arsenal were left frustrated in their pursuit of Pedro Neto by Nottingham Forest.
Forest’s purchase of Morgan Gibbs-White prompted Wolves to up their asking price of Neto to £50m, which was too high a fee for Arsenal. More

ARSENAL pulled out of the transfer race for Youri Tielemans over doubts that he would not be the right fit for the team, according to reports.The Gunners were heavily linked with a swoop for the Leicester midfielder throughout the summer transfer window, but a deal never materialised.
Arsenal lost interest in signing TielemansCredit: AP
Instead, Mikel Arteta looked to alternative midfield targets just hours before the transfer deadline.
Club chiefs attempted to pursue a deal for Palmeiras midfielder Danilo, but their £20million bid was rejected with the Brazilian club unwilling to sell.
Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz then became the priority target, however the Gunners had three offers turned down before the 11pm curfew last Thursday.
But, Arsenal’s third and final offer of £23m plus add-ons – which was rejected with less than one hour remaining in the window – would have been enough to sign original target Tielemans had they tabled a bid for him.
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That is according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who suggested that Arteta was “not interested enough” in signing the Leicester man.
He told Give Me Sport: “The offer of around £23m for Douglas Luiz would have been enough to land Tielemans – so I think we can take from this that Arsenal lost belief that he was the right fit for their team.
“They were interested but not interested enough.”
Tielemans has less than one year remaining on his Leicester contract, so he will be available to leave in a free transfer next summer.
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Leicester were prepared to slash their £38m asking price to just £20m before deadline day, but they did not receive any offers despite reported interest from Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal.
The Foxes only made one outfield signing during the transfer window in £15m Wout Faes from Reims.
Brendan Rodgers’ side have struggled so far this season – they currently sit bottom of the Premier League table with just one point. More

PER MERTESACKER wants to deliver a “world leading” academy system to support Mikel Arteta’s youth revolution at Arsenal.The former Gunners defender is now the Academy Manager at Hale End helping to prime north London’s best youngsters to make the step up to the first team.
Per Mertesacker wants to deliver a ‘world leading’ academy for ArsenalCredit: Getty
Arteta’s side has been transformed in recent years with a number of more senior players being cast aside for young and hungry replacements.
However, the majority of those replacements have been bought for a fee from other clubs.
Now, as Hale End open their doors for a behind-the-scenes documentary, Mertesacker wants more and more players coming from within the club.
Mertesacker said: “Players like [Albert] Sambi Lokonga who is playing, these are players who are fairly young and are part of the new generation of Arsenal Football Club which is getting younger.
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“I believe as an academy we should be in a position to provide those players for the first team in the future.”
“I am really conscious that alignment means as well that once we get more successful and get back into the Champions League, that is the level for our players to be at.

“With the tweaks we are making [in the academy] and becoming younger by acquiring talent from the outside to become younger, this is a message to the academy: we need to be world leading.
“To become that we are on a journey. How close are we? I’m not sure.
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“We’re competing with the best academies in England but also in Europe and the world. I think we’re in a good position, but ready to do more.”
The academy has already delivered two stars to Arteta’s first team in Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
The pair from Hale End were crucial in getting supporters behind the project under Arteta and it can breed inspiration within the academy.
Mertesacker adds: “I couldn’t be more pleased how aligned we are in terms of the first team and the academy, and the success rubs off each other.
“I’m in a super happy place right now.”
UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP
Arteta and Mertesacker have a unique relationship.
Both joined Arsenal on deadline day in August 2011 and car-shared on their way to training in their early days before going on to become captain and vice-captain together on the pitch.
Now, both are trying to use that connection to drive Arsenal back to the heights of old.
Mertesacker said: “Mikel took me from the Grove Hotel to the training ground for the first three or four weeks, so clearly from the start of it we had a certain bond which then ended up being captain and vice-captain.
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“Did I imagine being in that position? No, but if you are really responsible and want to do well for the club I guess you put yourself in a position where you might end up where we are sitting right now.”
Inside Hale End premieres on 6th September via Arsenal’s YouTube channel, with two new episodes airing weekly every Tuesday, concluding on the 20th September. For more information on Inside Hale End and the Arsenal youth academy, please visit www.arsenal.com
Per Mertesacker wants to help Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta create a top teamCredit: EPA More