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    Arsenal optimistic Mohamed Elneny has not suffered serious injury but could be forced to sign emergency transfer

    ARSENAL are cautiously optimistic that Mohamed Elneny has not suffered a serious long-term injury which could force them into an emergency signing before Thursday’s transfer deadline.The 30-year-old Egyptian international incurred a hamstring problem during Saturday’s 2-1 win against Fulham and is definitely out of tomorrow’s visit of Aston Villa.
    Mohamed Elneny suffered an injury in Arsenal’s win over FulhamCredit: Getty
    Elneny completed the full 90 minutes against Fulham but complained about the pain after the match.
    The club’s medical staff are still assessing the full extent of the injury and are currently unable to say how long he will be out of action.
    But they are hopeful that Elneny will only be sidelined for a matter of weeks rather than months.
    And until they know the full extent of the damage they will not be plunging back into the transfer market to sign last-minute reinforcements.
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    Manager Mikel Arteta is anxiously awaiting updates on the situation as Thomas Partey is already ruled out by a thigh strain suffered in training last week.
    That leaves Arsenal light for tomorrow’s game, with Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga the only recognised central midfield players currently available.
    But Oleksandr Zinchenko can play in midfield and is in line to return to the squad tomorrow after missing the Fulham win with a slight knee issue.
    Partey is also expected to be available for selection again in a couple of weeks’ time, possibly for the home game against Brentford on September 18.
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    But his previous injury record does not exactly inspire confidence and Arteta will not want to take any chances with the transfer deadline now just a matter of days away.
    He had been looking at the possibility of signing another winger following Nicolas Pepe’s loan move to Nice but was not expecting to get anyone in this week.
    But if the prognosis on Elneny proves to be worse than anticipated, the club could be forced to move for another central midfield player as a last resort.
    They have been credited for months with an interest in Leicester’s Youri Tielemans but have yet to make an offer for the Belgian international.
    And Leicester’s stance on selling the player has changed now that they have just banked £70million from Chelsea for Wesley Fofana and have virtually no time to sign a replacement for Tielemans before Thursday’s 11pm deadline.
    With Arsenal currently top of the table with the only 100 per cent start to the season in the country, Arteta is naturally keen to maintain the momentum against Villa tomorrow.
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    He says: “Villa are a really physical team with a lot of presence and they are very dangerous in the box and on set-pieces.
    “They have a big squad, top quality players and a good manager, so we are expecting another difficult game.”
    Elneny’s injury could see Arsenal swoop for Youri TielemansCredit: Getty More

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    Pedro Neto ‘tempted’ by Arsenal and could make shock last-minute transfer from Wolves as Nicolas Pepe replacement

    WOLVES winger Pedro Neto is reportedly tempted by the prospect of a move to Arsenal.Mikel Arteta has spent the summer scouting a new winger to replace Nicholas Pepe, who joined Nice on a season-long loan last week.
    Neto is ‘tempted’ by the prospect of a move to ArsenalCredit: Getty
    The Arsenal boss has identified Portuguese forward Neto, 22, as one of his top transfer targets ahead of deadline day.
    And according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Wolves man could be easily persuaded to make the switch if the Gunners were to table a suitable offer before the window shuts on Thursday.
    When speaking on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast, he said: “Neto would be really tempted by Arsenal.
    “I am told the player is another factor in this story. He is not forcing anything, as of now, but he will be keen to move to Arsenal.
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    “Pedro Neto is their main target as the winger.”
    However, Arteta is reluctant to pay over the odds for Neto having already spent around £120million on signing Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer.

    Arsenal chiefs were prepared to table a £35m bid for the Portugal international, but Wolves made it clear that they would not entertain any offers of less than £50m.
    The Athletic now claim that a move is now highly improbable with Wolves reluctant to sell.
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    Romano also suggested that the Gunners have expressed an interest in signing Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen and Yeremi Pino from Villarreal.
    But, both players are expected to pen new deals with their respective clubs. More

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    Arsenal could make late Mykhaylo Mudryk transfer bid after turning down Marco Asensio from Real Madrid

    ARSENAL could explore a move for Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhaylo Mudryk after being offered Real Madrid ace Marco Asensio, reports suggest.That is according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who reports that the Gunners could consider a bid for Mudryk ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline day.
    Arsenal could consider a swoop for Shakhtar Donetsk star Mykhaylo MudrykCredit: Getty
    The winger has attracted interest from top Premier League, Bundesliga as well as Serie A clubs and the North Londoners could seize the opportunity.
    Romano told wettfreunde: “One of the names I wanted to mention is Mudryk from Shakhtar.
    “He’s one of the most interesting wingers in the market that many clubs are keen on signing on him, from England, the Bundesliga, from Italy too because he was one of the players followed by Juventus few months ago.
    “And now could be an opportunity, so let’s see what Arsenal decide to do.”
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    This is after Arsenal turned down the opportunity to sign Asensio, who was offered by his agent.
    The winger was also offered to Manchester United and is looking for a fresh start.
    Although the Gunners are in no “direct negotiation” with Real, they could still consider a “last minute” swoop for the Spain international.
    Romano added: “Marco Asensio has been offered by his agent to many important English clubs including Arsenal, Man Utd in the last two weeks.
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    “At the moment for Man Utd, he is not the priority. He was one of the options in case the Antony deal did not go through.
    “But now it is almost completed, so it’s not the case and I don’t see them signing one more winger at this point in the market.
    “For Arsenal, there is no direct negotiation with Real Madrid but the relationship with Jorge Mendes is always very good, so could be a last minute idea but at the moment it’s not a negotiation.
    Real Madrid ace Marco Asensio was offered to Arsenal by his agentCredit: Getty
    “For sure, Marco Asensio is looking for an opportunity and till deadline day, he will try to find a nice opportunity because he wants to play.
    “He wants regular playing time. But in case he won’t be playing, he will stay at Real Madrid and then next summer, big opportunity to leave on a free.
    “So, his agent is potentially working on a free transfer for next summer in case nothing happens this week.” More

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    Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe forfeits 25 PER CENT of wages – equalling £2.5m – to seal Nice loan transfer exit

    ARSENAL flop Nicolas Pepe has forfeited 25 per cent of his salary to secure a loan move to Nice, reports suggest.The Ligue 1 side have reached an agreement with with Gunners that will see them pay half of Pepe’s £140,000 a week wages.
    Arsenal ace Nicolas Pepe joined Nice on loan for the rest of the seasonCredit: Getty
    Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe has agreed to forfeit 25 per cent of his wages at NiceCredit: AFP
    According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, however, the North Londoners are paying only another 25 per cent until the end of the season.
    The winger has agreed to forgo the rest, which is around £2.5million out of his annual salary.
    The Ivory Coast international agreed to that pay cut because he was very eager to return to France and kickstart his career
    The 27-year-old joined the Gunners for a record £72million from Lille in 2019.
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    However, Pepe has struggled to live up to the hype in the last three years as he only managed a mere 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 appearances across all competitions.
    That led him back to France but Nice do not possess an option to make the move permanent.

    SunSport understands that Ligue 1 clubs are required to agree a contract with a player before a loan with an option to buy can be completed.
    With the Eaglets unable to offer Pepe what he earns at Arsenal, a loan deal without a permanent option is the simplest course of action.
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    The forward has two years remaining on his Emirates deal, meaning he will be expected back in North London next summer.
    With Pepe temporarily gone, technical director Edu could look to recruit a new winger. More

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    Piers Morgan wants Arsenal to seal last-gasp Declan Rice transfer from West Ham to boost midfield options

    ARSENAL should make a last-ditch attempt to sign Declan Rice, according to Piers Morgan.The SunSport columnist is delighted the Gunners are top of the Premier League and has admitted he is now a believer in Mikel Arteta.
    Declan Rice has a £150million price tagCredit: Reuters
    Piers Morgan wants Arsenal to sign the West Ham captainCredit: Rex
    But he has urged the Spaniard to make a bid for West Ham midfielder Rice.
    The England star, 23, has an asking price of £150million but with the Hammers at the foot of the table Morgan believes now is the time to strike.
    Arsenal have already spent heavily in the transfer window but some fans felt Thomas Partey’s absence was felt in the win over Fulham.
    One fan noted Arsenal struggled without the Ghanaian and suggested the club should try to sign Rice.
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    In response Morgan tweeted: “I endorse this message.”
    However, West Ham are adamant Rice is not for sale and told Chelsea to come up with £150m in order to rebuff their interest earlier this summer.
    Rice also two years remaining on his deal and West Ham have an option to extend it by 12 months – though he is reluctant to sign a new deal.
    He has been offered an eight-year contract worth £93m but he has turned it down.
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    Arsenal may also have to fight off interest from Manchester United to land the midfielder – though Erik ten Hag has signed a defensive midfielder in Casemiro this summer.
    Another potential issue Arsenal face is the fact they cannot offer Rice Champions League football.
    The Hammers captain has made no secret of his desire to play in Europe’s premier competition, nor his urgent need to win trophies.
    Rice said in March: “It is as urgent as possible. I feel like, not only for me, that’s for every young player as well.
    “We are really close with West Ham at the minute and last season it was gutting to lose out on it but we are pushing. We’ll keep going.
    “[The] Champions League is a big aim of mine and hopefully one day I can play in it and do well.” More

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    Arsenal transfer boost as Marco Asensio nears Real Madrid exit with Arteta desperate to add more firepower

    REAL MADRID have reportedly decided to cash in on Marco Asensio.The Spain international’s current deal at the Bernabeu expires next summer and talks over a new contract have yet to bear fruit.
    Marco Asensio wants to leave Real Madrid in the coming daysCredit: GETTY
    The Spaniard has grown frustrated with his lack of startsCredit: Getty
    Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is an admirer of the Spain internationalCredit: REX
    Asensio, 26, has opted not to commit his long-term future to the club due to a lack of starts, and Real are reportedly worried about losing the winger for nothing.
    That’s according to The Mirror, who claim Los Blancos want a swift resolution before the transfer window shuts on September 1.
    Real are said to have slapped a £25million asking price on the forward – who is a long-term target of Arsenal’s.
    Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is looking to add another winger to his squad following Nicolas Pepe’s season-long loan to Lille.
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    The Spaniard said: “If we can implement the plan that we have, we will try to do that. In the plan, that [Pepe’s loan move] was something that could happen.
    “Now it’s a reality and we’ve been preparing the last two months in order to achieve what we want.
    “Whether that’s possible or not, we will see.”
    Asensio has remained tight-lipped on his future this summer, although he recently confirmed to manager Carlo Ancelotti that he wants to leave the club.
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    Ancelotti said earlier this week: “Marco is looking at something to see if he can leave.”
    Asensio joined Real from Real Mallorca in January 2015 for a fee of £3.75million.
    The winger has scored 49 goals and provided 24 assists in 236 appearances for the club.
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    Real will be back in action this evening, travelling to Barcelona to take on Espanyol.
    Arsenal, meanwhile, will welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates on Wednesday.
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    Martin Odegaard puts in another excellent display and shows why Mikel Arteta made him permanent Arsenal captain

    WHEN Mikel Arteta announced Martin Odegaard would be made permanent Arsenal captain, a few eyebrows were raised.After all, the mercurial midfielder is only 23-years-old, and has only been at the club for a few seasons.
    Martin Odegaard put in another excellent display against FulhamCredit: Getty
    However, the Gunners boss has clearly seen something in him that optimises the way he wants to play.
    The Norwegian – skipper at international level – is direct and aggressive, battling but classy.
    He wants to take his team forward, but isn’t afraid to put in the hard yards for his team.
    All of this was on display in a breathless 2-1 win over Fulham at the Emirates on Saturday night.
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    When the Gunners needed him most in North London, he came up trumps once again.
    He knows he should be getting into double digit goals a season for the positions he gets himself into.
    He said that himself after scoring twice against Bournemouth last weekend.
    And when his side went behind against the Whites, and the first grumblings of the Gunners crowd could be heard, who was there?
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    He popped up with a all-so important equaliser, albeit via a deflection, before Gabriel Magalhaes scored the winner.
    If the goal itself wasn’t important enough, his performance overall was.
    The Gunners skipper was sensational yet again, finding gaps to penetrate and get his team up the field.
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    If Arsenal want to get in the Champions League this season, or dream of more, they need him to play like this every week.
    The penny has finally dropped for Odegaard, after breaking into football at such a young age.
    Maybe Arteta was right to make him captain after all. More

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    Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko OUT of Arsenal clash with Fulham as Mohamed Elneny comes into midfield

    THOMAS PARTEY and Oleksandr Zinchenko are OUT of Arsenal’s starting like-up at home to Fulham today.The Ghanaian midfielder was set to be in the Gunners XI for the fourth Premier League match in a row.
    Mikel Arteta would have hoped to have fielded an uncharged sideCredit: Getty
    Boss Mikel Arteta revealed yesterday how he had no injury concerns and was left with a fully fit squad.
    However, Partey is not included in his team or even in the bench for the clash with the unbeaten Whites.
    He is understood to have a slight sprain of his left knee.
    Meanwhile, Zinchenko has a tight right thigh and misses the Emirates showdown.
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    Outside of that, Arsenal look to continue their 100 per cent start to the season with the same side.
    Aaron Ramsdale continues in goal, along with Ben White, Kieran Tierney, William Saliba and Gabriel in defence.
    Mohamed Elneny comes in in place of Partey, while Granit Xhaka and captain Martin Odegaard make up the midfield.
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    Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli lead the attack either side of the in-form Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus.
    Meanwhile, Bernd Leno returns to the Emirates for the first time since leaving this summer.
    He plays in goal for Fulham, who have won one and drawn to so far in the league this season. More