Arsenal transfer news

SPOTIFY CEO Daniel Ek claims he has secured the funds to take over Arsenal from unpopular American owners the Kroenke family.But the Swede is said to only value the club at £1.8bn while a bid of £2.5bn would be the minimum needed to get Stan Kroenke talking.
And other reports suggest the protest at the Emirates have actually made the Kroenke family more determined to stay at the helm.
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MART SLAMS ART
Martin Keown has claimed that Mikel Arteta’s tactics during the defeat to Villarreal could have got him sacked.
He wrote in his column for the Mail: “Mikel Arteta’s tactics and decision-making on Thursday should have sent Arsenal crashing out of Europe and possibly ended his managerial career at the club.
“However, remarkably and thanks to that late penalty won by Bukayo Saka, Arsenal find themselves still very much in this tie against Villarreal.
“Arteta is being afforded the rare commodity of time and now he’s the beneficiary of an even rarer occurrence: a second chance. And this is one he really has to take.
“Arteta experimented with a false nine on Thursday, lining up without a recognised centre forward.
“Playing with that new formation for the first time in the biggest game of the season was a big ask of the players and a huge gamble. It didn’t pay off.”

DEMAND MAR
Pablo Mari has called for Arsenal to get right in the faces of Villarreal in next week’s second leg.
He told club media: “I think it’s not a really bad result thinking about that we’re 2-0 down with one player less, I think a really good reaction from the team.
“But for me I think for me we don’t have to wait to go into that situation to react. I think we have to learn about that and we have to put all the effort starting from minute zero next week to go to the final.
“I don’t know [why we made a sluggish start]. At the end you’re on the pitch and I try to help everybody, but we did some mistakes and I think this is key because they like to play football and they know when you do a mistake to go on that side and take the goals. So at the end we have to learn from that.
“We have to go full gas from minute zero and go with everything to win the game.”
SPOT OF BOTHER?
Here’s who could oust KSE from Arsenal and bring the fans onside in the wake of the Super League debacle.

MART SLAMS ART
Arsenal icon Martin Keown has claimed that Mikel Arteta’s tactics during the 2-1 defeat to Villarreal could have got him sacked.
The Gunners were facing Europa League heartbreak after they went 2-0 down inside 30 minutes in the first leg of their semi-final this week.
And club legend Keown admitted that Arsenal’s comeback after their manager’s line-up gamble backfired may have saved the Spaniard’s job.
He wrote in his column for the Mail: “Mikel Arteta’s tactics and decision-making on Thursday should have sent Arsenal crashing out of Europe and possibly ended his managerial career at the club.
“However, remarkably and thanks to that late penalty won by Bukayo Saka, Arsenal find themselves still very much in this tie against Villarreal.
“Arteta is being afforded the rare commodity of time and now he’s the beneficiary of an even rarer occurrence: a second chance. And this is one he really has to take.
“Arteta experimented with a false nine on Thursday, lining up without a recognised centre forward.
“Playing with that new formation for the first time in the biggest game of the season was a big ask of the players and a huge gamble. It didn’t pay off.”
SIGN EM UP
Mikel Arteta hinted Emile Smith Rowe has done enough to earn a bumper new contract at the Emirates.
The Croydon De Bruyne has broken into the first team this season and is currently contracted until 2023.
Arteta told Sky Sports: “We are going to have that discussion.
“I think Emile has earned the right to look at that situation because of the performances that he has produced.
“He’s very much engaged and wants to continue with us, that’s for sure.”
Credit: Getty
FINE ART
Mikel Arteta called on Arsenal’s doubters to wait until he’s had a normal full season without a pandemic before judging his work in North London.
The Spanish boss told Sky Sports: “I will say there’s still a long long way to go to get to where we have to get. [The timeframe] will depend on what we do.
“We’ve shown in big moments against big teams that we can beat anybody but the reality is that we haven’t showed that consistency every three days.
“We’ve faced many challenges, some we didn’t expect, some of them completely unprecedented in the outside world and at this football club. To manage all that is pretty difficult. It’s created unsustainability and instability.
“People will judge what we do today but lots of elements are contributing. I haven’t had a normal season yet.
“Without a proper pre-season, we had some instability, and [we need] our fans back in the stadium… I cannot wait for that.”
PUSH AND PAUL
Arsenal legend Paul Merson believes the Gunners are stuck with Stan Kroenke regardless of how serious Spotify’s Daniel Ek is about taking over.
Merse told the Daily Star: “Is Daniel Ek serious about buying Arsenal? I’m always dubious of things like this. Who would put on Twitter that they want to buy a football club? I can’t imagine if you wanted to buy JP Morgan you’d do it on social media…
“But everyone’s heard of Spotify now, haven’t they? Call me a cynic but it’s great free advertising for them. If he buys Arsenal I’ll say fair play to him. But I find it very strange. If you really wanted to take over the club you wouldn’t do it like this.
“I can’t see any way in a million years that Stan Kroenke sells anyway. Arsenal makes him money.
“It’s not like he lives here and the fans can make his life a misery and hound him out. He never goes to the games.
“He’s under no pressure to sell and I don’t see why he would. He’s not fussed about the fans. If he was, he wouldn’t have signed up for the Super League.
“I would say Arsenal are stuck with him. Will all this heat convince him to spend some money on players? Let’s see. But I doubt it.”
Credit: PA
ARTWORK
Mikel Arteta has pleaded for the Arsenal fans to get behind his team despite a shocking Premier League season.
The Gunners are tenth in the league and are relying on the Europa League to salvage something from their campaign.
They lost 2-1 to Villarreal in the semi-final first leg on Thursday.
Arteta told Sky Sports: “We really need them; to be with the team, to believe in the team, to support them. With them closer, we are much stronger.
“That’s what we ask them and we promise them we’ll give everything we can to fulfil their expectations, to give them some joy and some special moments.”
Credit: Getty
MAD WORLD
Lucas Torreira reportedly faces an uncertain future with Atletico Madrid unwilling to turn his loan spell into a permanent stay.
The Arsenal midfielder has failed to make an impression at the Wanda Metropolitano after joining the Spanish side on deadline day in October.
Despite making 19 LaLiga appearances for Diego Simeone’s men, the 25-year-old has started just three top-flight games.
And according to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico are not looking to keep the player at the club.
They state that the LaLiga leaders have no intention of signing Torreira on another loan deal or a permanent move.
It has been claimed that the Gunners are willing to accept a cut-price fee of £15million for the player – £11m less than what they paid for him from Sampdoria in 2018.
A stunning first season in North London saw Torreira appear in 50 matches, but his form tailed off last year where he had to settle for a bit-part role under Mikel Arteta.
Torreira has made no secret of his desire to return to South America to play for his boyhood club Boca Juniors.
CHANGE OF TOON
Here’s how Arsenal could line up against Newcastle on Sunday.

SPOT ON
Here’s how the Arsenal takeover by Spotify giant Daniel Ek could look.

STAN HIS GROUND
Arsenal’s protests about owner Stan Kroenke may have had the opposite effect – with the American reportedly more determined to hang onto the club.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein explained: “What if the protests which are at the highest they’ve ever been among the Arsenal fan base right now, added to by the presence of legends, which has built some real momentum continues to gather momentum?
“What if those issues in the USA can take even more of their focus away from Arsenal.
“Now, my hunch, from speaking to a number of people is that events of recent weeks – the protests and the Super League that never was – has actually emboldened or is likely to embolden and strengthen Kroenke’s resolve to keep hold of Arsenal.
“You wouldn’t imagine he would sell now, you might imagine he would have sold a couple of years ago when he took full ownership or he might sell in better times.
“What we’re hearing from Daniel Ek is that he’s here to stay, he’s not going anywhere despite the statement.”
Credit: PA
WRIGHT’S BATTLE
“I remember him having her up against that wall,” recalls an emotional Ian Wright as he relives the horror of watching his mum being throttled by his violent stepdad when he was just nine years old.
Former football hero Ian, 57, sobs as he returns to his single-room childhood home in South London for the first time in almost 50 years in a bid to heal the lasting scars which saw him and his mother suffer horrendous violence at the hands of his twisted and cruel stepfather.
Tearfully, he adds, “He grabbed my mum by the neck and she was so small. It just made me feel so helpless. She was trying to say sorry while he had his hand around her throat.
“When I was going to bed I just could not get the memory (out) of how helpless, she was.”
Fifty years on and Ian still frequently has “vivid” flashbacks to the violence that left him “anxious and scared” every day of his childhood.
But it wasn’t his stepdad’s brutality that cut the deepest – Ian’s mum abused him in turn, physically hitting him before cruelly telling him she hated him and wished she’d had him terminated.
New documentary Ian Wright: Home Truths sees married dad-of-eight Ian admit that his can’t stop getting “dragged back to some very negative and horrible feelings” which often ruins family occasions for everyone because he can’t stop worrying his now “perfect and wonderful” life is about to crumble.
GOOD MORNING ARSENAL FANS,
Martin Keown blasted Mikel Arteta for hanging Granit Xhaka out to dry by exposing him at left-back against Villarreal.
The Gunners were 2-0 down inside 30 minutes in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final with both goals coming from the Arsenal left.
Pundit Keown fumed on BT Sport: “Keep it simple, you have to have a specialist left-back at this level. And that was always going to be a problem as it was against Everton.
“It’s the actions of a player that is not comfortable in that position and it’s the manager that has put him there.
“It’s about the decisions of the manager. It’s not Xhaka’s fault by the way. I do believe he’s the most improved player we have.
“He’s still had a difficult time but to play him at left-back leaves him exposed for me.”
Meanwhile, Freddie Ljungberg revealed the three ways Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe stood out in the Arsenal academy including ‘not trying to cheat’.
He told BT Sport: “I have been with them Saka and Smith Rowe since they were 15, I know most of their parents. They’re amazing players.
“I always thought they had it in them. They’re very different as individuals, but they’re clever boys, they listen and they have a good understanding of football. I always believed in them.
“When you do youth there’s so many players, but they were training very, very hard, not trying to cheat. They of course had talents that not many other players had.
“You see so many talents that don’t make it, [they need] that little extra drive.”
And finally, on the transfer front, Newcastle want to keep Arsenal loanee Joe Willock after his fine start to life on Tyneside.
Steve Bruce has questioned reports of a £20million fee but praised the player ahead of the clubs’ meeting this weekend.
He said: “We’d love to keep him, but that’s obviously a conversation we have to have and respect Arsenal too. He’s 21 years old, so he ticks all the boxes as far as I’m concerned.”
And Bruce added: “I don’t know where the supposed £20m price tag has come from.
“The most pressing thing is that we have to have a conversation with Arsenal, and we have to respect the fact that he’s an Arsenal player, and he’s a young player too.
“We don’t even know if he’s available yet. Until we have those conversations with Arsenal, there’s nothing really else to say. I do know that Joe’s enjoyed it here – why wouldn’t he?”
XHAK ATTACK
Alternatively, Mikel Arteta could persist with Granit Xhaka at left back despite Martin Keown’s public criticism.

CHANGE OF TOON
Arsenal could welcome skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and defender Hector Bellerin back to the starting line-up for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle.

KARREN BRADY
“The refereeing itself has been poor this season, possibly the worst I have seen in the Premier League.
“No doubt there will be statistics that prove me wrong but, subjectively, I can remember no time when the whistle was so out of tune with the game.
“VAR was sold to us as a way of perfecting decisions.”
Read more HERE.
HOT ROD
Arsenal are reportedly increasing their efforts to land Real Betis star Guido Rodriguez this summer.
El Desmarque claim that the LaLiga side might be forced to cash in on the central midfielder who has a £70million release clause in his contract.
And the report adds that Arsenal are set to make every effort to sign Rodriguez at the end of the season.
CASE FOR THE DEFENCE
Arsenal could sign both a centre-back and right back this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
He reports Hector Bellerin could leave the club in the summer and a replacement for the Spanish right-back would be needed.
And the Gunners are also said to be poised to add a central defender to the squad.
Brazilian veteran David Luiz could also leave, freeing up the former Chelsea man’s spot in Mikel Arteta’s playing strength.
GRAB NAB
Arsenal target Nabil Fekir has boosted his Premier League admirers by confirming his Real Betis future is uncertain.
He told AS: “For now I am happy at Betis.
“We are going to do everything possible to go to Europe. It’s what I think about now.
“In football we can never know the future. We must look at season after season.
“It is always important to play in Europe. I was playing the Champions League and Europa League and I want to play there again.”
GUNNER SPEND
Securing Champions League football next season by winning the Europa League may allow Arsenal to add to this list.

DEMAND MAR
Pablo Mari has called for Arsenal to get right in the faces of Villarreal in next week’s second leg.
He told club media: “I think it’s not a really bad result thinking about that we’re 2-0 down with one player less, I think a really good reaction from the team.
“But for me I think for me we don’t have to wait to go into that situation to react. I think we have to learn about that and we have to put all the effort starting from minute zero next week to go to the final.
“I don’t know [why we made a sluggish start]. At the end you’re on the pitch and I try to help everybody, but we did some mistakes and I think this is key because they like to play football and they know when you do a mistake to go on that side and take the goals. So at the end we have to learn from that.
“We have to go full gas from minute zero and go with everything to win the game.”
ART NEW LOW
SunSport’s David Seager says: “I think before I launch into some forthright opinions on last night’s debacle, I should reiterate that this is a ‘Fan’s Column’.
“As such, it is hard to be an Arsenal fan emotionally invested in the manager, because I hugely admired Mikel Arteta as a player and feel he too, feels the same attachment to our club.
“As such I have wanted him to succeed and perhaps given him more latitude personally than I gave his predecessor and opposite number last night.
“Despite all that, I was, after 60 minutes, at the point I had reached with Unai Emery, after a cold night watching a 1-0 defeat to newly promoted Sheffield United in 2019.
“Nicolas Pepe’s calm penalty and Etienne Capoue’s rashness, to equal that of Dani Ceballos, may have bought our manager a last drink at the Europa League saloon, but in truth he got so much wrong last night.”
Click HERE for the eight things Mikel Arteta got wrong last night!
HEAVY TOLL
Arsenal are among the clubs interested by the news that Bayern Munich are open to selling Corentin Tolisso.
According to Kicker, the German giants will consider bids ahead of his contract expiring in 2022.
The Gunners are set to rival Manchester United, Napoli, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid
Credit: Alamy
MORE FROM LJUNGBERG
He told BT Sport: “I’m so happy, when you have a connection with the players and their families, it’s amazing. To see them succeed is a special feeling.
“I just hope the club believes in them and lets them play, make mistakes when they do and don’t drop them.
“You can’t just trust the young players, you need leadership. It is important for them to see the pathway otherwise they’ll go somewhere else where they get the chance to play.”
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SPOTIFY CEO Daniel Ek claims he has secured the funds to take over Arsenal from unpopular owners the Kroenke family.But the Swede is said to only value the club at £1.8bn while a bid of £2.5bn would be the minimum needed to get Stan Kroenke talking.
Meanwhile the Gunners – who face Villarreal in the Europa League tonight – have reportedly put Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin up for sale as they look to raise £120m for new signings.
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ARTETA REACTS
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is satisfied with the result, based on how things transpired, praised Bernd Leno for his performance between the sticks and is confident the Gunners will go through.
He told BT Sport: “Yeah, of course we didn’t want to come here and lose but after the way the game developed you have to take the result. We started to be us, in the first half there were so many moments where we weren’t us.
“Yeah he [Leno] was very good when we needed him at 2-0. He saved us and at the end we had a big chance with Auba [Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang] but we weren’t able to equalise.
“I am confident if we are us we are going to have a chance to win.”
PEPE GLOW
Ten-men Arsenal fought back dramatically in defeat to leave this Europa League semi-final well poised for the Emirates return.
Manu Trigueros and Raul Albiol put Villarreal 2-0 up inside the opening half-hour from the Spaniards’ first two proper chances.
And despite Dani Ceballos seeing red on 57 minutes for his second booking, Nicolas Pepe notched what could be a vital away goal from the penalty spot.

VILLARREAL 2 ARSENAL 1
A huge moment in the tie as the ten-men visitors grab the priceless away goal with a penalty after Bukayo Saka was brought down in the box.

GRAB NAB
Arsenal target Nabil Fekir has boosted his Premier League admirers by confirming his Real Betis future is uncertain.
He told AS: “For now I am happy at Betis.
“We are going to do everything possible to go to Europe. It’s what I think about now.
“In football we can never know the future. We must look at season after season.
“It is always important to play in Europe. I was playing the Champions League and Europa League and I want to play there again.”
PAIN IN SPAIN
Arsenal have had a horror start to their semi-final with Villarreal two goals to the good in the first-half.

WHITE HOT BEN
Exclusive by Charlie Wyett: Borussia Dortmund have joined the race for Brighton defender Ben White.
Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Arsenal remain interested in one of the Premier League’s most talented young central defenders.
Brighton will demand about £35million for White, having turned down three bids from Leeds last summer – with the final offer totalling £25m.
White spent a successful season on loan in the Championship with Leeds last term and has gone from strength to strength on the south coast this year.

VILLARREAL VS ARSENAL
Ten minutes until kick-off for the first-leg of the Europa League semi-final.
For minute by minute action, click HERE for SunSport’s Live Blog!!!
POLE POSITION
Arsenal are preparing early for the Europa League final – with hopes of a coronavirus-secure bubble to fly 1,900 fans to Gdansk.
The Gunners must first overcome Villarreal in the two-legged semis, while Manchester United take on Roma.
UEFA and Polish authorities hope to host around 10,000 supporters at the final on May 26.
And it is thought Arsenal are proposing a single travel option for their potential date in Poland – a flight package run by the club.
That tightly-controlled measure, to combat the risk of Covid-19, would reportedly be followed by a coach from the airport to the ground.
And there would be no travelling around the large Baltic coast city of Gdansk itself.
The stadium, home to Lechia Gdansk, has a capacity of 41,000.
ODE TO JOY
Martin Odegaard starts for Arsenal tonight while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is only fit enough for the bench.
📋 Tonight’s team is in…🇳🇴 Odegaard starts🇨🇮 Pepe leads the line🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Holding partners Mari#️⃣ #UEL— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 29, 2021

BUILD A FUTURE
Alex Song has laid the foundations for a new career… by setting up a construction company.
The ex-Arsenal star recently captained his new club AS Arta Solar to the Djibouti national title.
But less than a month after lifting the Premier League, midfielder Song is already building for his retirement after founding his property empire in Cameroon.
The 33-year-old posted pictures on Instagram of building work and artists’ impressions of his planned apartment block in home town Douala.
He captioned them: “Nokay 17 Residences, number two,” and added three hourglass emojis.

MORE FROM ORNSTEIN
The Athletic’s Arsenal correspondent shed some more light on the Gunners failed Super League plans and the proposed takeover.
He said: “My hunch & from speaking to a number of people is that events of recent weeks – the protest, the Super League that never was for now – is likely to embolden & strengthen Kroenke’s resolve to keep hold of Arsenal.
“What we’re hearing from Daniel Ek is that he’s here to stay, he’s not going anywhere just because of the [Kroenke] statement, Arteta’s public compliments towards the ownership of Arsenal. Ek is here, he’s going to play the long game.”
WHAT THE EK
Daniel Ek’s Arsenal takeover is in doubt following reports that the Spotify co-founder will need to stump up way more than he’s currently offering.
Matt Slater told the Athletic: “The number getting to Daniel Ek has been suggested that he thinks Arsenal is worth £1.8b.
“I’m sorry – that’s not going to get Kroenke out of bed. If he came at him with £2.5b, there’s a starting point for a conversation.
“Ek, I’ve learnt, has been thinking about football for a while. Could Ek, or other guys afford Arsenal, afford the type of offer Kroenke would take seriously? Yes. Is it going to happen soon? No.”
WALC THIS WAY
A stunning finish from former Arsenal star Theo Walcott on the last time the Gunners faced tonight’s opposition.

FORCE OF NATURE
Simon Jordan has expressed his doubt that Daniel Ek will convince the ‘Darth Vader of English football’ into selling Arsenal.
He told talkSPORT: “Daniel Ek can’t lose this conversation because the awareness of him as an individual has accelerated ten fold over the last week.
“He’s chosen to start that fire. There is a lack of dignity because it’s a shameless grab of awareness.
“He can write a cheque to Stan Kroenke. Stan Kroenke is not going to buckle to public pressure.
“If you think Stan Kroenke is going to take a billion less because x amount of fans in London are screaming at him then you’re dafter than you look.
“He is only going to take one deal, which is the deal he’s prepared to take.
“If Daniel Ek is a media guy, the one thing he’s going to use is the media. It’s interesting to say it’s a long game.
“He can’t lose because he’s always got this dark force, the Darth Vader of English football Stan Kroenke that’s going to sit there, say nothing and send his son out to do his dirty deeds for him.
“So with the greatest will in the world, it’s an interesting play, I just can’t see it [happening].
“I don’t think it’s a play that happens and not at £1.8bn, which is what he’s currently offering.
“I’ll tell you what compelling is, when Stan Kroenke tells you it’s compelling, not when someone who wants to buy the football club tells you it’s compelling.”

REINFORCEMENTS AT THE BACK
Arsenal could sign both a centre-back and right back this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
He reports Hector Bellerin could leave the club in the summer and a replacement for the Spanish right-back would be needed.
And the Gunners are also said to be poised to add a central defender to the squad.
Brazilian veteran David Luiz could also leave, freeing up the former Chelsea man’s spot in Mikel Arteta’s playing strength.
JOURNEY SO FAR
Remind yourself how Arsenal got to the Europa League semi-final where they face Villarreal tonight.
Getting ready for tonight’s semi-final? 🤩Recap our quarter-final progress with 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 ⏩⚽️ Goals😂 Memes📲 Tweets🔜 #UEL pic.twitter.com/P7QnmfobpF— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 29, 2021

REAL DEAL
Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze is dreaming of winning the Europa League and revealed he isn’t scared of Arsenal ahead of tonight’s semi-final first leg.
LaLiga ambassador Chukwueze, speaking at an event for LiveScore, said: “When the time comes, it will be up to the coach and the tactics he chooses – all I need to do is just enter the field using the skills I have practiced and give everything I have.
“We are going to play our football as normal. We are not scared or anything, we are just going to play our football as a team.
“I’d like you to tell me that I am going to win the Europa League, just tell me that! I want to win the Europa League, thanks!”

CHANGE OF LUC
Lucas Torreira will not play for Arsenal this year, according to his father.
The midfielder is on loan at Atletico Madrid but has made multiple impassioned pleas to be allowed to join boyhood sign Boca Juniors.
The Uruguayan wants to return to South America to be closer to his family after the death of his mother from Covid-19.
Dad Ricardo told TNT Sports: “I do not think Lucas will play for Arsenal this year. If it’s not Boca, his destiny will be Italy or France.
“We are left with the desire, instead of generating joy we generate an inconvenience to Boca’s leadership.”
Credit: AFP
IN WITH THE OLD
Arsenal face Villarreal and Mikel Arteta goes head to head with his predecessor Unai Emery in the Europa League tonight.
How Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta compared after 50 Premier League games
HARSH WINTER
Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn claimed it is the young players propping up Mikel Arteta’s flops and the boss would be lost without them.
Winterburn told Bookmakers.co.uk: “Points wise they’re not a million miles off but the performances suggest, to me, that we’re still way short of the mark.
“We still don’t know who our best centre-half pairing is, the right-back position looks as though it will need to be filled, we don’t know about the futures of [Martin] Odegaard and [Dani] Ceballos.
“And then there’s [Alexandre] Lacazette closing in on the end of his contract, [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang has had a poor season.
“Really, when you look at it, the young players have kept everything going this season as far as I’m concerned.
“The young players coming through and performing to a high level have enabled the fans to be slightly more patient than they would be under normal circumstances.”
SPAIN AGAIN
Arsenal have tasted success in Spain before…
Tonight the Gunners face Villarreal in the Europa League semi-final first leg.

ROUD AWAKENING
Former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is reportedly set to depart Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer as he is reluctant to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
The 34-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and while the Blues would be open to extending his stay, the striker is claimed to be close to departing.
According to Goal, the French World Cup winner is unlikely to sign a new deal in West London after falling down the pecking order.
Giroud – who has started just eight Premier League matches this term – has played just once in the top-flight since the 0-0 draw against Manchester United in February.
And it has been said that the ex-Gunners ace is considering his options regarding his next club as he looks for regular game time.
Credit: Reuters
FEEL THE BURN
Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn says the Gunners are unrecognisable amid a turgid season on the pitch.
Mikel Arteta’s men have the chance to take something from their campaign and face old manager Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the Europa League semi-final tonight.
Winterburn told Bookmakers.co.uk: “They’re going to have to make a few more changes to the squad. How much they’ll do, I don’t know.
“If I’m honest with you, I think there’s still a huge amount of questions to be asked about the team and Mikel Arteta would probably say so himself if he was asked at the end of the season.
“There are times when you see glimpses of how good Arsenal can be, and then there are times when you feel as though it’s just not the club we all recognise.
“The levels can vary from week to week and that inconsistency is a big problem for me. Until they find a solution, Arsenal are going to struggle to get back into the top four.”
Credit: Getty – Contributor
LES MISERABLES
Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger slammed ‘stupid’ PSG’s ‘mental collapse’ after Man City turned things around to win the Champions League semi-final first leg 2-1.

CROWN JUL
Arsenal are ready to pursue a bargain £17.5million deal to land Borussia Dortmund ace Julian Brandt, according to reports.
The Gunners are in the market for a creative midfielder this summer with Martin Odegaard heading back to Real Madrid.
Boss Mikel Arteta has been told by Zinedine Zidane that they will not entertain any offers of extending Odegaard’s stay in North London.
The Norwegian is seen as fundamental to Zidane’s plans and wants him to compete in midfield alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Arteta is being forced to look elsewhere and a deal for Brandt fits the bill.
Bild write how Dortmund are willing to accept just £17.5m for the 24-year-old following a difficult season in the Bundesliga.
Brandt has been on the edges of the first team with two goals in 16 league starts.

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SPOTIFY CEO Daniel Ek says he has secured the funds to take over Arsenal from unpopular owners the Kroenke family.And he says he is prepared for his takeover bid to be a long journey if the Americans are not keen to sell immediately.
Meanwhile the Gunners – who face Villarreal in the Europa League tonight – have reportedly put Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin up for sale as they look to raise £120m for new signings.
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Stay up to date with every twist and turn from North London in our live blog…
WALC THIS WAY
A stunning finish from former Arsenal star Theo Walcott on the last time the Gunners faced tonight’s opposition.

FORCE OF NATURE
Simon Jordan has expressed his doubt that Daniel Ek will convince the ‘Darth Vader of English football’ into selling Arsenal.
He told talkSPORT: “Daniel Ek can’t lose this conversation because the awareness of him as an individual has accelerated ten fold over the last week.
“He’s chosen to start that fire. There is a lack of dignity because it’s a shameless grab of awareness.
“He can write a cheque to Stan Kroenke. Stan Kroenke is not going to buckle to public pressure.
“If you think Stan Kroenke is going to take a billion less because x amount of fans in London are screaming at him then you’re dafter than you look.
“He is only going to take one deal, which is the deal he’s prepared to take.
“If Daniel Ek is a media guy, the one thing he’s going to use is the media. It’s interesting to say it’s a long game.
“He can’t lose because he’s always got this dark force, the Darth Vader of English football Stan Kroenke that’s going to sit there, say nothing and send his son out to do his dirty deeds for him.
“So with the greatest will in the world, it’s an interesting play, I just can’t see it [happening].
“I don’t think it’s a play that happens and not at £1.8bn, which is what he’s currently offering.
“I’ll tell you what compelling is, when Stan Kroenke tells you it’s compelling, not when someone who wants to buy the football club tells you it’s compelling.”

REINFORCEMENTS AT THE BACK
Arsenal could sign both a centre-back and right back this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
He reports Hector Bellerin could leave the club in the summer and a replacement for the Spanish right-back would be needed.
And the Gunners are also said to be poised to add a central defender to the squad.
Brazilian veteran David Luiz could also leave, freeing up the former Chelsea man’s spot in Mikel Arteta’s playing strength.
JOURNEY SO FAR
Remind yourself how Arsenal got to the Europa League semi-final where they face Villarreal tonight.
Getting ready for tonight’s semi-final? 🤩Recap our quarter-final progress with 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 ⏩⚽️ Goals😂 Memes📲 Tweets🔜 #UEL pic.twitter.com/P7QnmfobpF— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 29, 2021

REAL DEAL
Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze is dreaming of winning the Europa League and revealed he isn’t scared of Arsenal ahead of tonight’s semi-final first leg.
LaLiga ambassador Chukwueze, speaking at an event for LiveScore, said: “When the time comes, it will be up to the coach and the tactics he chooses – all I need to do is just enter the field using the skills I have practiced and give everything I have.
“We are going to play our football as normal. We are not scared or anything, we are just going to play our football as a team.
“I’d like you to tell me that I am going to win the Europa League, just tell me that! I want to win the Europa League, thanks!”

CHANGE OF LUC
Lucas Torreira will not play for Arsenal this year, according to his father.
The midfielder is on loan at Atletico Madrid but has made multiple impassioned pleas to be allowed to join boyhood sign Boca Juniors.
The Uruguayan wants to return to South America to be closer to his family after the death of his mother from Covid-19.
Dad Ricardo told TNT Sports: “I do not think Lucas will play for Arsenal this year. If it’s not Boca, his destiny will be Italy or France.
“We are left with the desire, instead of generating joy we generate an inconvenience to Boca’s leadership.”
Credit: AFP
IN WITH THE OLD
Arsenal face Villarreal and Mikel Arteta goes head to head with his predecessor Unai Emery in the Europa League tonight.
How Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta compared after 50 Premier League games
HARSH WINTER
Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn claimed it is the young players propping up Mikel Arteta’s flops and the boss would be lost without them.
Winterburn told Bookmakers.co.uk: “Points wise they’re not a million miles off but the performances suggest, to me, that we’re still way short of the mark.
“We still don’t know who our best centre-half pairing is, the right-back position looks as though it will need to be filled, we don’t know about the futures of [Martin] Odegaard and [Dani] Ceballos.
“And then there’s [Alexandre] Lacazette closing in on the end of his contract, [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang has had a poor season.
“Really, when you look at it, the young players have kept everything going this season as far as I’m concerned.
“The young players coming through and performing to a high level have enabled the fans to be slightly more patient than they would be under normal circumstances.”
SPAIN AGAIN
Arsenal have tasted success in Spain before…
Tonight the Gunners face Villarreal in the Europa League semi-final first leg.

ROUD AWAKENING
Former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is reportedly set to depart Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer as he is reluctant to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
The 34-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and while the Blues would be open to extending his stay, the striker is claimed to be close to departing.
According to Goal, the French World Cup winner is unlikely to sign a new deal in West London after falling down the pecking order.
Giroud – who has started just eight Premier League matches this term – has played just once in the top-flight since the 0-0 draw against Manchester United in February.
And it has been said that the ex-Gunners ace is considering his options regarding his next club as he looks for regular game time.
Credit: Reuters
FEEL THE BURN
Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn says the Gunners are unrecognisable amid a turgid season on the pitch.
Mikel Arteta’s men have the chance to take something from their campaign and face old manager Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the Europa League semi-final tonight.
Winterburn told Bookmakers.co.uk: “They’re going to have to make a few more changes to the squad. How much they’ll do, I don’t know.
“If I’m honest with you, I think there’s still a huge amount of questions to be asked about the team and Mikel Arteta would probably say so himself if he was asked at the end of the season.
“There are times when you see glimpses of how good Arsenal can be, and then there are times when you feel as though it’s just not the club we all recognise.
“The levels can vary from week to week and that inconsistency is a big problem for me. Until they find a solution, Arsenal are going to struggle to get back into the top four.”
Credit: Getty – Contributor
LES MISERABLES
Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger slammed ‘stupid’ PSG’s ‘mental collapse’ after Man City turned things around to win the Champions League semi-final first leg 2-1.

CROWN JUL
Arsenal are ready to pursue a bargain £17.5million deal to land Borussia Dortmund ace Julian Brandt, according to reports.
The Gunners are in the market for a creative midfielder this summer with Martin Odegaard heading back to Real Madrid.
Boss Mikel Arteta has been told by Zinedine Zidane that they will not entertain any offers of extending Odegaard’s stay in North London.
The Norwegian is seen as fundamental to Zidane’s plans and wants him to compete in midfield alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Arteta is being forced to look elsewhere and a deal for Brandt fits the bill.
Bild write how Dortmund are willing to accept just £17.5m for the 24-year-old following a difficult season in the Bundesliga.
Brandt has been on the edges of the first team with two goals in 16 league starts.

U N AI GO WELL TOGETHER
Robert Pires believes Unai Emery gives Villarreal the edge over Arsenal in the Europa League semi-finals.
That’s despite the Gunners sacking him in 2019 in favour of current boss Mikel Arteta. Pires feels Emery’s three Europa League crowns with Sevilla from 2013-2016 gives him vital pedigree.
And French 1998 World Cup winner Pires told AS: “I have been lucky enough to play for two great teams, such as Arsenal and Villarreal.
“Seeing them now face each other in a semi-final is something special. I see the situation at Arsenal with sadness.
I speak with Arteta and I see that it has not been an easy year. What can save them is to win this Europa League and thus play the Champions League next year.
“It is difficult to give a favourite for the semi-final. I would say it is 50-50. It is difficult to get it right. I think Villarreal has an advantage because they have Emery, a coach who has done very well in that competition. 
“What I like the most is that it is a team that has a clear idea, that they like to play good football. 
“Everyone knows that if you go to see Villarreal, you are going to see a good team, a team with very good players and that it will surely complicate things for Arsenal.”
MORNING, ARSENAL FANS
Gunners fans have been getting excited about Spotify founder Daniel Ek’s potential takeover in North London.
And the Swede, 38, has reaffirmed his desire to buy his boyhood club.
He told CNBC yesterday: “I’ve been an Arsenal fan since I was eight-years-old.
“Arsenal is my team. I love the history, I love the players and of course, I love the fans.
“So, as I look at that, I see a tremendous opportunity to set a real vision for the club, to bring it back to its glory.
“I want to establish trust with the fans, and I want to engage the fans again.”
Ek then added: “I’m very serious, I have secured the funds for it and I want to bring a very compelling offer to the owners and I hope they hear me out.
“I certainly didn’t expect this will happen overnight and I prepared for this to be a long journey.”
On the pitch, however, the Gunners have an important game to focus on this evening, as they lock horns with old boss Unai Emery and Villarreal in their Europa League semi-final first-leg.
Should Arsenal win, they could play in front of a 10,000 crowd in Gdansk, Poland on May 26 – potentially against Manchester United.
ICYMI – BLOOMIN’ EK!
Prospective Arsenal buyer Daniel Ek has been speaking to CNBC about his potential Gunners takeover.
The Swede, 38, said: “I’m very serious, I have secured the funds for it and I want to bring a very compelling offer to the owners and I hope they hear me out.
“I certainly didn’t expect this will happen overnight and I prepared for this to be a long journey.”
Daniel Ek is ‘very serious’ about buying Arsenal
ICYMI – EUR KIDDING ME
Arsenal and Manchester United have been told they will play in front of a 10,000 crowd if they reach next month’s Europa League Final.
But fans of the two Prem sides are unlikely to be allowed to travel to Poland – with local supporters set to be the only people allowed through the gates.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced a series of new measures as the country emerges from the Covid crisis.
That includes outdoor sports stadiums being able to open their turnstiles to up 25 per cent of capacities from May 15.
The Europa League Final is scheduled for the Stadion Miejski in Gdansk on May 26.
It is the home ground of Lechia Gdansk and has an all-seater capacity of 41,620. That will allow potentially 10,405 fans inside for the Final.
MORE FROM MARI
Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has had his say on Villarreal, ahead of his side’s Europa League semi-final first leg clash with the Spaniards tomorrow night.
He told the Gunners’ official website: “I have to say that Villarreal is a big club, the owners are doing the right things over the past couple of years.
“They took a really good decisions for the club, they have a really strong academy and use it a lot for the young players, they are doing really well with this kind of thing and you can see it that they are growing the club.
“I am really glad because they are doing the right things and you can see that they are playing for a semi-final in the Europa League and that tells you they are doing good things.”
Pablo Mari is excited for tomorrow night’s clash

VILL YOUR BOOTS
Tomorrow’s Europa League semi-final first leg will be a special occasion for boyhood Villarreal fan Pablo Mari.
He told Arsenal’s official website: “Of course, I grow up in Valencia and supported Villarreal and Valencia.
“Of course they are the two teams in my city, every time when I was looking they beat Villarreal, I remember a lot of games I watched them and you think, ‘I want one time to play for them.’
“You grow up with that dream. Now I am in the moment where I am going to play against them in a semi-final of the Europa League.
“I am really glad to be here to fight for Arsenal in that semi-final and I am really happy and it’s going to be really special for me against Villarreal.”
Pablo Mari is getting ready for a special occasionCredit: Getty
I WANT CHU
Genk striker Paul Onuachu revealed signing for Arsenal would be a ‘dream’.
And the 6ft 7in forward’s club admitted they may have to sell their star asset this summer.
Onuachu, 26, has attracted plenty of interest with his red-hot form since arriving in Belgium from Danish side Midtjylland, where he famously scored the winner against Manchester United.
He admitted he is desperate to catch the eye of his beloved Gunners.
The 11-cap Nigeria international recently labelled the Emirates as his ‘dream destination’ and longs to follow in the footsteps of his idols representing the club.
And in another interview, Onuachu told Sporza: “I really like Arsenal. Emmanuel Adebayor, one of the players I admired most, played there.
“I really was a fan of him, including Nwankwo Kanu. I really love watching Arsenal too.”
Genk striker Paul Onuachu is hoping his impressive season will catch the eye of Arsenal
RISKY BUSINESS
Mikel Arteta has revealed whether he will be willing to ‘risk’ returning stars Kieran Tierney and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tomorrow night against Villarreal.
He said: “We do need them, because we know that we have some players that are in contention and they are the ones who can make the difference in a big tie like this.
“But the word risk, I don’t like to put players on the pitch if they can’t perform and they can’t feel secure that they can perform.
“If it’s a risk or we’re going to take a gamble, then I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kieran Tierney are both nearing first-team returnsCredit: AFP
TOP TIER
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has given an update on full-back Kieran Tierney, following the news that the Scot is nearing full fitness.
The Spaniard, 38, said: “He didn’t need the surgery that we were afraid of at the beginning and then he’s been working like a beast every single day.
“I don’t know if he’s going to make it tomorrow [against Villarreal] but he certainly wants to be as close as possible to that football pitch to give himself the best possible chance.”
Kieran Tierney is approaching full fitnessCredit: Getty
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has given fans a positive update ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Villarreal.
He said: “They are all in contention. All of them.
“Including Aubameyang, Laca and Kieran. They are all in contention for the game. Yes [it is good news].”
Mikel Arteta has given fans a positive fitness updateCredit: Getty
NAI REGRETS
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery has insisted that he has no regrets over his time in North London.
He said: “We all have our pride and internal ego but because of my experiences with PSG, Arsenal, Sevilla and Valencia I have learned how to manage all the emotional moments that come with the position of coach.
“My time at Arsenal is behind me but I always keep a piece of my heart for all the teams I have played for or managed.
“I will always be grateful to Arsenal and just remember the good stuff which allowed me to grow and gave me a lot of experience to use at Villarreal.
“Everyone knows Arsenal is a great club and Mikel Arteta is a great manager, so it’s a perfect marriage.
“I think he should build on the improvements that I tried to work on but wasn’t allowed to continue.
“Arsenal should be fighting for Champions League spots so they need to trust Arteta and have patience to execute a game plan because with patience and confidence they will make it.”
Unai Emery was axed in November 2019

CALL A CEB
Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos has dropped a major hint that he could be set to return to parent club Real Madrid in the summer.
The 24-year-old Spaniard joined the Gunners on a season-long loan deal at the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign and impressed in England with his creativity and range of passing.
His loan was then extended last summer and he has enjoyed another good campaign in North London.
But while it would seem Arsenal fans are intent on keeping him on a more permanent basis, comments from Ceballos now appear to suggest he will not stay.
Speaking to Onda Cero, he said: “I’m learning a lot in the Premier [League] but I think LaLiga is better for my game.”
Ceballos looks set to return to Real Madrid at the end of the season
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SPOTIFY CEO Daniel Ek says he has secured the funds to take over Arsenal from unpopular owners the Kroenke family.And he says he is prepared for his takeover bid to be a long journey if the Americans are not keen to sell immediately.
Meanwhile the Gunners have reportedly put Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin up for sale as they look to raise £120m for new signings.
CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH
Stay up to date with every twist and turn from North London in our live blog…
ICYMI – BLOOMIN’ EK!
Prospective Arsenal buyer Daniel Ek has been speaking to CNBC about his potential Gunners takeover.
The Swede, 38, said: “I’m very serious, I have secured the funds for it and I want to bring a very compelling offer to the owners and I hope they hear me out.
“I certainly didn’t expect this will happen overnight and I prepared for this to be a long journey.”
Daniel Ek is ‘very serious’ about buying Arsenal
ICYMI – EUR KIDDING ME
Arsenal and Manchester United have been told they will play in front of a 10,000 crowd if they reach next month’s Europa League Final.
But fans of the two Prem sides are unlikely to be allowed to travel to Poland – with local supporters set to be the only people allowed through the gates.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced a series of new measures as the country emerges from the Covid crisis.
That includes outdoor sports stadiums being able to open their turnstiles to up 25 per cent of capacities from May 15.
The Europa League Final is scheduled for the Stadion Miejski in Gdansk on May 26.
It is the home ground of Lechia Gdansk and has an all-seater capacity of 41,620. That will allow potentially 10,405 fans inside for the Final.
MORE FROM MARI
Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has had his say on Villarreal, ahead of his side’s Europa League semi-final first leg clash with the Spaniards tomorrow night.
He told the Gunners’ official website: “I have to say that Villarreal is a big club, the owners are doing the right things over the past couple of years.
“They took a really good decisions for the club, they have a really strong academy and use it a lot for the young players, they are doing really well with this kind of thing and you can see it that they are growing the club.
“I am really glad because they are doing the right things and you can see that they are playing for a semi-final in the Europa League and that tells you they are doing good things.”
Pablo Mari is excited for tomorrow night’s clash

VILL YOUR BOOTS
Tomorrow’s Europa League semi-final first leg will be a special occasion for boyhood Villarreal fan Pablo Mari.
He told Arsenal’s official website: “Of course, I grow up in Valencia and supported Villarreal and Valencia.
“Of course they are the two teams in my city, every time when I was looking they beat Villarreal, I remember a lot of games I watched them and you think, ‘I want one time to play for them.’
“You grow up with that dream. Now I am in the moment where I am going to play against them in a semi-final of the Europa League.
“I am really glad to be here to fight for Arsenal in that semi-final and I am really happy and it’s going to be really special for me against Villarreal.”
Pablo Mari is getting ready for a special occasionCredit: Getty
I WANT CHU
Genk striker Paul Onuachu revealed signing for Arsenal would be a ‘dream’.
And the 6ft 7in forward’s club admitted they may have to sell their star asset this summer.
Onuachu, 26, has attracted plenty of interest with his red-hot form since arriving in Belgium from Danish side Midtjylland, where he famously scored the winner against Manchester United.
He admitted he is desperate to catch the eye of his beloved Gunners.
The 11-cap Nigeria international recently labelled the Emirates as his ‘dream destination’ and longs to follow in the footsteps of his idols representing the club.
And in another interview, Onuachu told Sporza: “I really like Arsenal. Emmanuel Adebayor, one of the players I admired most, played there.
“I really was a fan of him, including Nwankwo Kanu. I really love watching Arsenal too.”
Genk striker Paul Onuachu is hoping his impressive season will catch the eye of Arsenal
RISKY BUSINESS
Mikel Arteta has revealed whether he will be willing to ‘risk’ returning stars Kieran Tierney and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tomorrow night against Villarreal.
He said: “We do need them, because we know that we have some players that are in contention and they are the ones who can make the difference in a big tie like this.
“But the word risk, I don’t like to put players on the pitch if they can’t perform and they can’t feel secure that they can perform.
“If it’s a risk or we’re going to take a gamble, then I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kieran Tierney are both nearing first-team returnsCredit: AFP
TOP TIER
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has given an update on full-back Kieran Tierney, following the news that the Scot is nearing full fitness.
The Spaniard, 38, said: “He didn’t need the surgery that we were afraid of at the beginning and then he’s been working like a beast every single day.
“I don’t know if he’s going to make it tomorrow [against Villarreal] but he certainly wants to be as close as possible to that football pitch to give himself the best possible chance.”
Kieran Tierney is approaching full fitnessCredit: Getty
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has given fans a positive update ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Villarreal.
He said: “They are all in contention. All of them.
“Including Aubameyang, Laca and Kieran. They are all in contention for the game. Yes [it is good news].”
Mikel Arteta has given fans a positive fitness updateCredit: Getty
NAI REGRETS
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery has insisted that he has no regrets over his time in North London.
He said: “We all have our pride and internal ego but because of my experiences with PSG, Arsenal, Sevilla and Valencia I have learned how to manage all the emotional moments that come with the position of coach.
“My time at Arsenal is behind me but I always keep a piece of my heart for all the teams I have played for or managed.
“I will always be grateful to Arsenal and just remember the good stuff which allowed me to grow and gave me a lot of experience to use at Villarreal.
“Everyone knows Arsenal is a great club and Mikel Arteta is a great manager, so it’s a perfect marriage.
“I think he should build on the improvements that I tried to work on but wasn’t allowed to continue.
“Arsenal should be fighting for Champions League spots so they need to trust Arteta and have patience to execute a game plan because with patience and confidence they will make it.”
Unai Emery was axed in November 2019

CALL A CEB
Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos has dropped a major hint that he could be set to return to parent club Real Madrid in the summer.
The 24-year-old Spaniard joined the Gunners on a season-long loan deal at the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign and impressed in England with his creativity and range of passing.
His loan was then extended last summer and he has enjoyed another good campaign in North London.
But while it would seem Arsenal fans are intent on keeping him on a more permanent basis, comments from Ceballos now appear to suggest he will not stay.
Speaking to Onda Cero, he said: “I’m learning a lot in the Premier [League] but I think LaLiga is better for my game.”
Ceballos looks set to return to Real Madrid at the end of the season
ARTETA ON EMERY
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has had kind words for his predecessor Unai Emery, ahead of clashing with his Villarreal side tomorrow night.
Arteta, 38, said: “Unai was very open, honest and helpful and I was very grateful to him because a conversation like that is not something that is very common.
“I know a lot of people who have been around him and they all say that he is a fantastic man and a great manager.
“It didn’t work out for him at Arsenal but he did a lot of good things for the club and in his time here he reached a European final and was competing for a place in the Champions League.”
Mikel Arteta succeeded Unai Emery in 2019Credit: PA
ART DEALER
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery has revealed that he chatted with his replacement Mikel Arteta shortly before his appointment in 2019.
Speaking ahead of his Villarreal side’s clash with the Gunners tomorrow, Emery said: “A common friend interceded and it was good for me because I had to leave my home in London.
“So apart from talking about football and my job at Arsenal, I suggested he take over my house, although in the end it was a player who took it.
“Of course I knew Arteta from before. He is from San Sebastian, just like me, so we were practically neighbours.
“So in the call we spoke a little bit about my time at Arsenal, in a positive way, and what I had lived through.
“I just wanted to tell him about my experience there, what I thought could be helpful for him and maybe one or two things that could be improved in a personal way.”
Unai Emery was sacked by Arsenal in November 2019Credit: Reuters
MORE FROM DANIEL EK
Here is some more of what prospective Arsenal buyer Daniel Ek had to say to CNBC this afternoon.
He added: “I’ve been an Arsenal fan since I was eight-years-old.
“Arsenal is my team. I love the history, I love the players and of course, I love the fans.
“So, as I look at that, I see a tremendous opportunity to set a real vision for the club, to bring it back to its glory.
“I want to establish trust with the fans, and I want to engage the fans again.”
Ek, 38, has been an Arsenal fan for 30 yearsCredit: Getty
BLOOMIN’ EK!
Prospective Arsenal buyer Daniel Ek has been speaking to CNBC about his potential Gunners takeover.
The Swede, 38, said: “I’m very serious, I have secured the funds for it and I want to bring a very compelling offer to the owners and I hope they hear me out.
“I certainly didn’t expect this will happen overnight and I prepared for this to be a long journey.”
The Spotify chief wants to buy ArsenalCredit: AFP
NO TRAIN, NO GAIN
Just one more day until Arsenal face Villarreal.
And Gunners fans will be delighted to see the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kieran Tierney and Alexnadre Lacazette back in the team.

ART DEALER
Mikel Arteta has spoken of the dangers that Villarreal possess ahead of tomorrow’s meeting.
Asked what his biggest concern is about facing the Spanish side, Arteta said: “Well, I’d say the main thing is the clarity of idea that they have both with and without the ball.
“And in transition and set-pieces they have very clear ideas and some great connections between the players.
“They have some fantastic individual players in the final third and they can decide a game at any time.
“They compete throughout the game and they also have an ability to change system using either the same players or different players during a game, and that makes them a very difficult to read.”
EUR KIDDING ME
Arsenal and Manchester United have been told they will play in front of a 10,000 crowd if they reach next month’s Europa League Final.
But fans of the two Prem sides are unlikely to be allowed to travel to Poland – with local supporters set to be the only people allowed through the gates.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced a series of new measures as the country emerges from the Covid crisis.
That includes outdoor sports stadiums being able to open their turnstiles to up 25 per cent of capacities from May 15.
The Europa League Final is scheduled for the Stadion Miejski in Gdansk on May 26.
It is the home ground of Lechia Gdansk and has an all-seater capacity of 41,620. That will allow potentially 10,405 fans inside for the Final.
GUNNED DOWN
Former West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand has revealed that Arsenal were priced out of a move to sign him.
Speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes at its launch of the 5-A-Side Bet on Burnley v West Ham, he said: “Arsenal asked about me in the past.
“I think Arsene Wenger wanted to pay £4million for me but West Ham wanted more money.
“It was around the time he went and bought Philippe Senderos and Johan Djourou instead. He signed those two instead of me.
“There’s no doubt about it that if I’d have gone to that World Cup in 2006, a big move would’ve happened for me. There’s no doubt about it.”
WAGE RAGE
Liverpool have risen above Manchester United in the Premier League wage bill standings – but still sit miles adrift of Manchester City.
The official salary totals for the 2019-20 season have now been confirmed.
Across last season, the Reds paid out a whopping £325million in player wages.
Meanwhile, Manchester City still top the pile, shelling out an extraordinary £351m on wages last season.
Man Utd sit third on the list – miles adrift of their local rivals – on £284m, despite David De Gea signing a massive £375,000-a-week contract at the start of the season.
Last season, Chelsea spent just £1m less than United on wages at £283m.
Arsenal and Tottenham ran the tightest ship wage-wise, spending just £225m and £181m respectively last term.
Man City spent the most on players wages in 2019-20, with Liverpool overtaking Man Utd
ART ATTACK
MIkel Arteta has had his say on Dani Ceballos’ comments that he intends to return to LaLiga in the summer.
Asked his views on what his Spanish compatriot said, the Arsenal boss remarked: “We mentioned to you guys and at the end of the season we have a lot to play for yet, so I don’t want any distractions.
“We will sit with them and we are always in contact and communication with the players and the agents to know what their feelings are.
“And at the end we have to make a common decision for what’s best for the club and the player.”
Ceballos has featured in 74 games for the Gunners across his two loan spells so far.
ON GAARD
Real Madrid will not entertain any offers to sell Martin Odegaard in the summer, according to reports.
It will come as a major blow to Arsenal who were hoping to make the Norwegian’s loan spell a permanent one.
Odegaard, 22, headed to the Emirates on loan in January after struggling for game time in Madrid.
But AS write how any hopes of bringing him in on a permanent deal seem highly unlikely.
That is because Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane sees him as a ‘fundamental’ part of his plans going forward.
The Frenchman believes Odegaard can feature in a deeper midfield role and wants to give him the chance to compete for his place next season.

TOP TIER
Arsenal could have a fully fit squad to choose from for Arsenal’s huge Europa League tie with Villarreal.
Mikel Arteta confirmed SunSport’s news of a huge fitness boost for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as well as Alexandre Lacazette and Kieran Tierney.
David Luiz has also sat out the last month after undergoing minor knee surgery but returned to training this week.
Here is how the Gunners could start against the LaLiga side on Thursday.

NO LOVE LLOS
Dani Ceballos has revealed he will be returning to Spain once his loan spell at Arsenal finishes.
The midfielder – on loan at the Gunners from Real Madrid for a second season running – believes his qualities are best suited to LaLiga.
Quoted by El Transistor, he said: “I’m learning a lot in the Premier League but I think LaLiga is better for my game.”
Before adding: “I think I am a better player, a more complete player, in the Premier League.
“I have grown above all physically but also tactically.”
WORK OF ART
Mikel Arteta has revealed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Kieran Tierney are all in contention to feature against Villarreal on Thursday.
Speaking in his pre-match conference, he said: “They are all in contention all of them including Aubameyang, including Laca, including Kieran.”
There were fears that Tierney could be out for the season after he picked up a knee injury in the 3-0 defeat against Liverpool.
But Arteta has stated that Tierney is close to full match fitness, as he remarked: “He didn’t need the surgery that we were afraid of.
“He’s been working like a beast every single day. I don’t know if he’s going to make it tomorrow but he certainly wants to be as close as possible.”

GLOBAL ANGER
Gary Neville vented his anger after he was told of ‘patronising’ comments made by Josh Kroenke.
Arsenal’s chief shareholder Stan’s son addressed an online fans forum last week in the wake of the Super League debacle and he tried to justify joining in the interests of the global fan.
Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler brought up the quotes and told Neville: “The Kroenke’s referenced a midweek trip to Stoke and English fans need that.
“And global fans want Barcelona every other week. That they were representing those – it’s patronising beyond belief.”
An incensed Neville replied: “Martin, honestly, you are making me more angry, the more that you speak. Honestly, they are an absolute disgrace.
“Those three clubs (Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal) are standard-bearers in English football, in terms of success and joy around the world.
“The hundreds of millions of fans around the world, who have watched those three clubs. And to be represented in such a fashion, honestly!”

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