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    Arsenal ‘offer West Ham chance to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ as they look to offload midfielder in transfer window

    ARSENAL have offered West Ham the chance to snap up utility man Ainsley Maitland-Niles.The Gunners youth product has only one year left on his contract, so the club are keen to cash in while they still can.
    Ainsley Maitland-Niles is all smiles but could be ready to head for Arsenal exitCredit: Getty
    The 24-year-old has been used at both wing-back and in midfield but Arsenal are now keen to move on him.
    Maitland-Niles has struggled to nail down a first-team spot at the Emirates since making his debut in 2014, aged just 17.
    He also has five caps for England, but none since 2020.
    And has already been farmed out on loan to Ipswich, West Brom and Roma as he toiled to grab a starting place at the Gunners.
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    However, the Hammers have their eye on other midfield targets, such as Club Brugge ace Hans Vanaken.
    They are also keen on Chelsea and England star Conor Gallagher.

    But they face a battle with Everton to land Gallagher, who was on loan at Crystal Palace last season.
    West Ham boss David Moyes is likely to first see how those other deals progress before turning his attention to Maitland-Niles.
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    The club are also eyeing up an ambitious swoop for Lyon and Brazil striker Lucas Paqueta.
    Struggling Hammers are currently bottom of the table with no points from three games, so Moyes needs to act fast. More

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    Arsenal starlet Eddine Oulad M’Hand joins Hull on season-long loan transfer with option to buy 18-year-old

    ARSENAL youngster Salah-Eddine Ouland M’Hand has joined Hull City on loan for the remainder of the season.M’Hand joined the Gunners from Feyenoord as a free agent in the summer of 2020 and went straight into their Under-21s squad.
    Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand has impressed in Arsenal’s Under-21sCredit: GETTY
    The teenager has been snapped up by Hull City for the remainder of the seasonCredit: HULL CITY
    And the 19-year-old’s impressive displays – which earned him a spot in the first-team matchday squad nine times last season – has prompted Championship outfit Hull to swoop for his services.
    An Arsenal statement read: “Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand has joined Championship side Hull City on a season-long loan.
    “The 19-year-old midfielder joined us in the summer of 2020 from Eredivisie side Feyenoord as a free agent.
    “Salah made 21 appearances last season in all competitions for our U-23s, scoring six goals and assisting three times.
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    “The Dutch attacking-midfielder also featured in the first-team matchday squad nine times in the 2021/2022 campaign.
    “We wish Salah all the best for his loan spell with Hull City and look forward to seeing his continued development.”
    Hull will have the option to buy the teenager at the end of his loan spell at the KC Stadium.
    An excerpt of a Hull statement read: “Hull City are delighted to announce the loan signing of attacking midfielder Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand until the end of the season.
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    “The 19-year-old joins from Premier League side Arsenal on a season-long loan deal, with the option to make the move permanent.”
    M’Hand is looking forward to helping the Tigers return to the Premier League.
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    He wrote on Instagram: “Excited to start a new chapter of my career at @hullcity. Let’s make it a memorable one. Up the Tigers.”
    M’Hand could make his Hull debut on Saturday when Shota Avarveladze’s troops welcome Coventry City to the KC.
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    Chelsea ready to continue transfer splurge with £59m swoop for Porto winger and Arsenal target Pepe

    CHELSEA are considering a transfer swoop for Porto winger Pepe.But the Blues have been told that the Brazilian is not available for anything less than his £59million release clause.
    Chelsea are reportedly considering a bid for Porto’s Pepe who was the target of a rejected bid from ArsenalCredit: EPA
    The 25-year-old attacker has previously been the subject of a £25.3m bid from Arsenal.
    And now Portuguese outlet Record claim London rivals Chelsea have sent inquiries to the Primeira Liga side.
    Pepe was given a shot in the first team at Porto last season after Luis Diaz was sold to Liverpool.
    He made 40 total appearances last term, netting six goals and laying on five assists.
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    The Gunners declared their interest in the winger earlier this summer with the £25m bid.
    The offer was instantly rejected by Porto, who continued to hold out for over double that, and there have been no further bids since.
    Arsenal are said to have promised to be “attentive” to the player’s performances in the Champions League this season.
    Chelsea’s interest in Pepe may depend on the chase for Everton winger Anthony Gordon.
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    He has reportedly told the Toffees that he wants to join the West London club.
    The winger, 21, is eager make the move as he wants to play Champions League football.
    He also believes this will help him break into Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of the Qatar World Cup, which kicks off in November.
    Reports claim that Chelsea are prepared to launch a £60 offer for Gordon.
    The Blues are set to submit an official bid worth £50m PLUS up to £10m in add-ons. More

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    Arsenal in Youri Tielemans transfer boost with Leicester ‘set to slash £38m asking price and accept sale’

    LEICESTER are set to slash their £38million asking price for Youri Tielemans, according to reports.Tielemans, 25, has been heavily linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium this summer.
    Leicester are expected to lower their asking price for Youri TielemansCredit: Getty
    He has less than one year remaining on his current deal, so the Foxes are expected to cash in on him while they still can.
    And, according to Dutch outlet Het Nieuwsblad, as per Sport Witness, Leicester will now demand a smaller fee to get a deal done.
    Club chiefs had been eager to earn £38m from the sale, however, many potential suitors deemed the fee unrealistic.
    Tielemans is now expected to be sold for as little as £20m.
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    Last week, Brendan Rodgers hinted that the midfielder had become distracted by the prospect of a transfer.
    He left Tielemans out of Leicester’s starting line-up ahead of the club’s 2-1 defeat to Southampton on Saturday.
    He claimed that the Belgian was “not in the right mindset” to play.
    A number of Premier League clubs have been linked with a potential swoop for the midfielder including Manchester United and Liverpool.
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    But, Arsenal are claimed to be winning the transfer race.
    The Gunners have reportedly been working on a deal for Tielemans over the past year, but no official offer has been made yet.
    Mikel Arteta may be tempted to pull the trigger on a bid if the Belgian is available for a cut-price fee. More

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    Arsenal open talks with Gabriel Martinelli over new long-term deal on huge pay-rise after stunning start to season

    ARSENAL have reportedly opened talks with Gabriel Martinelli over a lucrative new long-term deal.Martinelli, 21, is set to receive a huge pay rise as he continues to impress at the North London club.
    Gabriel Martinelli has impressed so far this season and talks have begun on a lucrative new contractCredit: AFP
    His existing contract expires in the summer of 2024, with an additional option for the Gunners to extend by a year.
    However, PA Sport report that discussions have started to ensure the Brazilian stays at the Emirates for many years ahead.
    Mikel Arteta’s side have started the season in flying form, gaining nine points from their first three games.
    They opened their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace with Martinelli scoring after just 20 minutes.
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    The winger got on the scoresheet once again when Arsenal swept past Leicester at the Emirates.
    And Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has compared the youngster to a former South American icon, striker Luis Suarez.
    When speaking on his channel, Rio said: “Martinelli, if he stays fit, this guy, I’ve told you this before what Arteta told me, he could be the next Suarez-type player.
    During a scene in Prime Video’s All or Nothing Arsenal series, first team coach Steve Round gushes about the forward’s prospects.
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    He tells sporting director Edu: “I love him, honestly, I love him.
    “Martinelli just needs time, that’s all. He’s a great kid.
    “He trains every day like it is his last day on earth. He is a diamond, he really is.” More

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    Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko hails powerful message as football returns to war-torn Ukraine

    OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO will be watching as football resumes in Ukraine today – proud, defiant, but also a little worried.Arsenal star Zinchenko believes staging matches in his homeland for the first time since the Russian invasion in February will send an important message.
    Oleksandr Zinchenko says restarting football in Ukraine will show the country’s defiance.Credit: Getty
    But he acknowledges the danger that his compatriots will face simply by stepping on to the pitch.
    Ukraine international Zinchenko said: “It’s difficult for me to imagine how it’s going to be. 
    “If there are air-raid sirens, they are going to have to stop, so it’s going to be difficult. 
    “People are still suffering. We need to fight every single day. 
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    “I will be watching as many games as possible on TV.
    “It’s so important to show to the rest of the world that the Ukrainian people don’t give up, that in any situation they carry on.”
    No fans will be allowed and at least half of the 16 top-flight clubs in Ukraine will be unable to play at home, in some cases sharing stadiums in “safer” cities.
    But wherever they play, regulations require there to be an air-raid shelter for players, staff and match officials to escape to in the event of an attack.
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    And that is a very real danger: today is Ukraine’s National Flag Day and Russia is believed to be planning military action on such a symbolic occasion.
    Shakhtar Donetsk players are accustomed to being away from Donetsk. The club has been exiled from the eastern city since pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region proclaimed independence in 2014.
    But the current situation is on a new, horrifying level as the club prepares to contest the opening match of the new season against Metalist 1925 in the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv. at 11am UK time.
    Shakhtar striker Lassina Traore, a Burkina Faso international and cousin of Aston Villa forward Bertrand, is one of only two overseas players not to have left the club since the war began.
    Sometimes we were under shelling. Certainly, it was terrifyingYuriy VernydubHead coach of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
    Traore said:  “Of course, I worry like everyone else, no one knows what is going to happen in the future. 
    “Now it is a little bit calm compared to the beginning, but the war is still going on.”
    No-one knows that better than Yuriy Vernydub, head coach of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.
    This time last year Vernydub was about to lead Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol into the Champions League group stage for the first time.
    His side would go on to pull off one of the competition’s great shocks by beating Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
    But when Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Vernydub left his team preparing for a Europa League match in Portugal to return home and join the army.
    Vernydub was sent to an artillery unit on the frontline in the south of Ukraine.
    He said: “It was tough work from dusk till dawn.
    “Sometimes we were under shelling. Certainly, it was terrifying, especially the first several times, but as time went on it became commonplace.
    “Currently I combine serving in the army and coaching. 
    “But If I receive an order to go back, I will immediately do it.”
    Yuriy Vernydub went from coaching in the CL to fighting on the frontline.
    Overseas football has shown solidarity with Ukraine, with foreign-based players like Zinchenko receiving strong support from crowds.
    And the resumption of the game in the country itself will make a powerful statement at home and abroad.
    Dynamo Kyiv vice captain Viktor Tsygankov said: “As football players, we have to accept the risk of playing when any minute a missile can be launched by Russian forces and land anywhere. 
    “At the same time, I know that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers at the front line are football fans. They protect our lives at the expense of their health, their lives, therefore we have to support them from our side.
    “I’ll be happy if football becomes the thing that helps the Ukrainian people to forget even for a couple of hours about the terrible things that are happening in our country. 
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    “People in other countries are also struggling because of the consequences of this war. 
    “We must remind them that we are fighting not only for our freedom, which nobody can take from us, but probably for their future, too.” More

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    Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe ‘wanted by Leicester in shock transfer’ as they look to pull off first major signing of summer

    LEICESTER are reportedly lining up a shock swoop for Arsenal outcast Nicolas Pepe.The 27-year-old is surplus to requirements at the Emirates and will be allowed to leave before the transfer window shuts.
    Nicolas Pepe seems certain to depart Arsenal before the transfer window closesCredit: Getty
    Ligue 1 side Nice have been heavily with bringing the winger back to France – three years after he left Lille to join Arsenal in a £72million deal.
    Pepe was left out of Mikel Arteta’s matchday squad on Saturday that beat Bournemouth 3-0 due to his talks with Nice over a loan deal.
    But it has now been claimed that the Ivory Coast international is a shock target for Leicester.
    According to Media Foot, the Foxes could look to hijack Nice’s move for Pepe as boss Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his attack.
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    Though they fail to state whether the Midlands outfit are eyeing up a loan or a permanent move.
    Still, it is understood that Nice are in pole position to sign Pepe.
    There has also been talk that Arsenal will allow Pepe to join the French side on loan with a £15m option to buy clause.
    Commenting on the player, Arteta admitted that it is “possible” he could be heading out the door.
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    He recently said: “Until the end of the window, it’s possible that anything can happen with any player.
    “What we can communicate we always do when it’s the right moment.
    “We discussed that we have a big squad and we’ve made some decisions and allowed some players to leave.”

    Arsenal have already identified his replacement, with the club in talks with Wolves over wide man Pedro Neto.
    It is understood that Arsenal are prepared to offer as much as £35m for Neto.
    But Wolves are looking for at least £50m for the 22-year-old. More

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    Arsenal in talks to sign Pedro Neto and willing to offer £35m but Wolves want £50m for transfer

    ARSENAL are trying to negotiate a deal for Wolves winger Pedro Neto but will not be held to ransom for the Portuguese international.Manager Mikel Arteta has been looking to replace Nicolas Pepe all summer and has identified Neto as a potential signing.
    Pedro Neto has admirers at Arsenal who could bring him in to replace Nicolas PepeCredit: Getty
    But after being priced out of a deal for midfielder Ruben Neves earlier in the summer, Arsenal are wary of Wolves’ demands for their 22-year-old wide player.
    It is understood that Arsenal are prepared to offer as much as £35million for Neto, who arrived at Molineux in an £18m double transfer with Bruno Jordao when he joined from Lazio three years ago.
    But Wolves are looking for at least £50m despite just signing a ready replacement in £27.5m Goncalo Guedes.
    And that is a price which Arsenal are reluctant to pay after already spending £120m this summer on Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos.
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    They are also resigned to taking a massive hit on Pepe, the £72m club record signing who is set to join Nice on loan with an option to buy next summer for around £15m.
    And Pepe’s imminent departure leaves Arteta short on competition for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli with the extra demands of the Europa League this season.
    But Neto only signed a new Molineux five-year contract in March after missing most of last season with a serious knee injury.
    And boss Bruno Lage has made it clear that he wants to keep the player unless someone makes the kind of offer which the club cannot refuse.
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    With only ten days remaining before the transfer window closes, Arsenal do not want to get sucked into any last-minute buying.
    After winning their opening three games to top the Premier League for the first time in six years, Arteta says: “We know where we are short and where we have to add more firepower.
    “If we can do something we will do it, but it has to be the right player.
    We only want top quality, otherwise it’s not worth it.
    “If we don’t get anyone, I’ll be totally happy with the squad I have.”

    Arteta’s biggest issue right now is keeping everyone he already has on board happy after naming an unchanged team for their first three games.
    With Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu all now fully fit, Arsenal are almost spoiled for choice.
    And Arteta admits: “The first weeks of the competition are tricky because we’re only playing once a week.
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    “There’s no Europa League and no cup ties, so we’re going to have to manage the frustrations of players who sometimes are not even going to be in the squad.
    “But it’s a long season and everyone will have their opportunities.” More