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      Ex-Arsenal transfer target Jackson Martinez becomes Christian hip-hop artist aged 34 and currently can’t find club

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      FORMER Arsenal target Jackson Martinez is now a Christian rapper after finding God – but can’t find a team.
      The 34-year-old striker has been pursuing a hip-hop career for two years after releasing an album in 2018, as reported by Sport Bible.

      Jackson Martinez is a Christian hip-hop rapperCredit: YouTube

      The Colombian international is without a clubCredit: YouTube

      Jackson Martinez made his name at Porto with some prolific goalscoringCredit: Getty – Contributor

      But he has failed to hit the right note on the field after leaving Portuguese side Portimonense in August.
      The Colombian international has returned home after suffering with persistent ankle injuries.
      He had signed a two-year deal with top flight Portimonense in January after spending the previous campaign on loan with the club.

      Last week he dropped his latest single ‘Escucha’ which translates from Spanish as ‘Listen’.
      It follows up from his 2018 album ‘No Temeré’ meaning ‘I Will Not Fear’.
      Martinez caught the eye during a prolific three-year stint at Porto where he bagged 92 goals in 136 games from 2012 to 2015.
      And it was in 2015 when he was linked with a move to the Gunners.

      Arsene Wenger was reported to have activated Martinez’s £25million release clause to bring him to the Emirates.

      Martinez moved to Atletico Madrid instead of ArsenalCredit: EPA

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      And speculation of a deal whipped Gooners up into a frenzy online and led to one of the most iconic social media exchanges.
      Two Arsenal fans got into a lengthy Twitter row over the age of Martinez and the hilarious bust-up was even mentioned in some of the ace’s lyrics.
      But a move never materialised and Martinez made a big-money transfer to Atletico Madrid instead.
      But he lasted just six months and 15 games in the Spanish capital before jetting off to China to sign for Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao in February 2016.

      The infamous Arsenal twitter exchange over Martinez’s age
      He scored four times in 16 appearances for his Chinese side as his troublesome ankle continued to hamper his progress.
      But fortunately his music career benefitted from the time he spent crocked.
      Martinez told Vamos: “At a critical moment in my career, when I had two surgeries, that caused me to be off the pitch for two years without competing, and in that time I dedicated myself a little more to writing and made the decision to release an album.”

      Mikel Arteta bullish over Mesut Ozil axe and insists Arsenal outcast has no-one to blame but himself More

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      Arsenal were ‘really close’ to Philippe Coutinho transfer but Koeman blocked move as Barcelona couldn’t sign replacement

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      ARSENAL missed out on a deal to sign Philippe Coutinho because Barcelona could not sign a replacement, it has been claimed.
      Several teams were keen on the Brazilian playmaker after his loan spell at Bayern Munich.

      Philippe Coutinho has started the season in good form, hitting two goals for BarcelonaCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Under Quique Setien, it appeared the 28-year-old had no future at the Nou Camp with Barcelona also desperate for cash.
      However, Ronald Koeman took charge and has given Coutinho a new lease of life.
      At the start of the autumn transfer window, Barcelona were planning on selling the ex-Liverpool star with Tottenham and Arsenal alerted to his availability.

      And the Gunners were ‘really close’ to a deal before Koeman pulled the plug, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
      The Catalans’ attempts at bringing in new attackers ahead of the new season were hampered by their inability to get Ousmane Dembele off their books.
      Memphis Depay was lined up as a replacement for the Frenchman but Liverpool and Manchester United did not meet Barcelona’s demand of a permanent sale.
      Furthermore, the winger was intent on remaining in Spain and is being given a fresh chance in the Blaugrana side.

      New boss Koeman has also handed Coutinho a reprieve – and yielded instant results.

      In each of his four starts this season, the 28-year-old has bagged a goal or an assist.
      His latest strike came in the 5-1 Champions League demolition of Ferencvaros on Tuesday night.
      Koeman recently explained Coutinho’s return to form, telling Sport: “He’s a very good player. That’s it.
      “He’s a player that learned a lot in England, a lot in Bayern Munich.
      “My job as a coach is to get the best out of every player. And that starts by putting them in their position. I think that generates more confidence.
      “All that helps but it starts with the quality in the player and Coutinho’s a great player.”

      Arsenal, meanwhile, brought back Dani Ceballos on loan to bolster their attacking midfield options.
      The North London club were themselves unable to offload an expensive talent going to waste, in Mesut Ozil.
      But a hefty spending spree nonetheless brought in Gabriel Magalhaes, Willian, Thomas Partey and tied Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to a new contract.

      Kia Joorabchian says Arsenal have been warned it will take ‘big numbers’ to secure Coutinho transfer from Barcelona More

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      Watch Arsenal target Dominik Szoboszlai score Champions League worldie for RB Salzburg after snubbing summer transfer

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      ARSENAL fans were cursing their luck after seeing summer transfer target Dominik Szoboszlai score an absolute stunner for RB Salzburg.
      The 19-year-old sensation snubbed a big-money move to North London so he could play Champions League football for the Austrian side.

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      Dominik Szoboszlai’s screamer was a sore sight for Arsenal fans

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      Szoboszlai is mobbed by his RB Salzburg team-mates after his jaw-dropping goalCredit: AFP or licensors

      And he proved it was a wise decision with this rocket against Lokomotiv Moscow.

      Eder had put the away side in front just nine minutes in before Szoboszlai equalised in dramatic fashion.
      The Hungarian took possession just outside the box after a short corner and put his foot through it a minute before half-time.

      The ball took off like a missile and dipped just in time to clatter in off the underside of the bar.
      Twitter was soon ablaze with rival fans begging their club to sign the £26million-rated star, who played all 90 minutes of the 2-2 draw.
      One of those was an Arsenal supporter, who tweeted: “@Arsenal sign him up plz.”
      But they were joined by Liverpool, Wolves and AC Milan fans in demanding the midfielder at their club.

      As the Gunners found out, though, you better be able to offer top-tier European football if you want Szoboszlai.

      Mikel Arteta’s FA Cup winners, who finished eighth in the Premier League, are restricted to the Europa League this season.
      They had long been trailing, Szoboszlai, who inspired Salzburg to back-to-back Austrian league and cup doubles.
      But explaining his desire to stay put, he said: “I have spoken with my family and my agent, and decided to stay with Salzburg.
      “I would like to make this journey with the Champions League once again.”

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      Arsenal ‘failed in £17m bid’ for starlet Joelson Fernandes because his father wanted him to sign new deal with Sporting

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      ARSENAL missed out on Portuguese starlet Joelson Fernandes after his father advised him to sign a new contract at Sporting Lisbon.
      Liverpool, Manchester City, Ajax and Barcelona are all said to have taken an interest in the winger, 17.

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      Joelson Fernandes turned out for Portugal Under-21s during the international breakCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      But Joelson’s dad Eusebio Fernandes wanted to honour his current club and agree a new deal.
      A £17million bid arrived from Arsenal with Eusebio speaking of proposals that would ‘make any businessman tired’.
      And Joelson stayed in Lisbon with a new contract containing a £54.5m release clause.

      The player’s father told Portuguese newspaper O Democrata: “It was an extremely difficult and very complicated process.
      “Because there were tough moments in the negotiations for Joelson Fernandes to stay at Sporting.
      “My wish was always for him to stay at the club, but due to his quality as a footballer, he had calls from several European clubs.”
      Joelson Fernandes broke into the Sporting side last season, making his debut in July as part of four substitute appearances.

      Eusebio claims that Jurgen Klopp wanted to make the forward a back-up to Sadio Mane in his Liverpool team.

      Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain were described as making the biggest bid – with wages worth £87,000-a-week.
      But the wonderkid’s dad felt the best option was to stay with Lisbon, rejecting a transfer that Sporting president Frederico Varandas was resigned to.
      He continued: “It had to be a deliberate decision, because my wish as a father and businessman, on the day that Joelson Fernandes leaves Sporting, is to be friendly and out through the front door, not through the back door.
      “This was always one of my goals and one of the convictions that led the player to continue to represent the club.

      “In the meeting I had with Varandas, he explained to me that when he arrived in England last season to close Rui Patricio’s transfer to Wolvers, he was confronted with the English club’s interest in Joelson.
      “He told Nuno Espirito Santos that he had no intention of selling. So Sporting did not believe that he would remain in the team because of these clubs and their millionaire proposals.
      “As a businessman, I ended up rejecting these offers, even knowing that I needed those millionaire offers. I thought that in life money is not everything.”

      Sporting Lisbon’s Joelson Fernandes shows off his goal scoring skills on the pitch More

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      Arsenal preparing to hijack £35m transfer swoop for Pau Torres from under noses of Man Utd in January to bolster defence

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      ARSENAL are preparing to hijack Manchester United’s £35million transfer swoop for Pau Torres in January, according to reports.
      Both clubs are still thought to want to bring in another centre-back to bolster their defences when the window reopens.

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      Pau Torres could be at the centre of a transfer tussle between Arsenal and Manchester United in JanuaryCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      And according to Spanish news outlet todofichajes.com, Mikel Arteta and Edu have a plan to land Torres.
      The Villarreal defender, 23, has attracted plenty of attention over the past couple of years – including from both Arsenal and United.
      Now the two Premier League clubs are reportedly ready to battle it out for his signature.

      Torres joined Villarreal way back in 2002 and progressed right through the academy, C team, B team and made his first-team debut in 2016 in a Copa del Rey clash.
      He spent the 2018-19 season on loan at Malaga before returning last year to seal his spot in the heart of Villarreal’s defence.
      His strong performances saw him win his first Spain cap in November 2019, coming on as a substitute for Sergio Ramos and scoring a minute later in the 7-0 thumping of Malta.
      Arsenal brought in Gabriel Magalhaes in the summer and made Pablo Mari’s move permanent while David Luiz was handed a contract extension.

      Gabriel, Luiz and Rob Holding have started the season but the Gunners also have Calum Chambers, William Saliba, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis.

      Konstantinos Mavropanos is on loan with Stuttgart for the season.
      But with Mustafi, Sokratis and Luiz expected to be moved on in the coming year, the addition of Torres would further strengthen Arsenal’s defence – if they can convince ex-boss Unai Emery to do business.
      For United, meanwhile, a centre-back is a major priority.
      Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Harry Maguire have all struggled for early-season form while Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo were frozen out.
      The Red Devils sold Chris Smalling to Roma in the summer but did not bring in a centre-half.
      The report adds Dayot Upamecano was the first-choice option for both Arsenal and United but Liverpool are in pole position to land the RB Leipzig and France star.

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      Arsene Wenger snubbed Robin van Persie’s transfer plea to return from Man Utd as he was too old and ‘at end of career’

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      ARSENE WENGER has described how he REJECTED Robin van Persie after the striker attempted an audacious Arsenal return.
      Gunners fans were irate at the Dutchman leaving for Manchester United in 2012.

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      Arsene Wenger rejected a reunion with Robin van Persie after his exit to Manchester UnitedCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun

      With a year left on his contract, Van Persie forced the switch to Old Trafford but having won the Premier League title in Manchester, he soon sought a return, according to Wenger.
      In his new autobiography, as quoted by the Mail, the Wenger wrote: “In 2012, [Van Persie] announced his intention not to extend his contract.

      “All the big clubs were courting him. I sold him to Manchester United.

      “The supporters were angry with me for this but we could not match the offer. I managed to negotiate his departure for £24million, which was a huge amount at the time for a player with a year left on his contract.
      “I had only the interest of the club in mind.
      “My relationship with Alex Ferguson and Manchester United had improved by then, but every transfer is a polite game of poker where you attempt to not give anything away.
      “Van Persie had a fantastic first six months at Old Trafford: he put the team on track for the Premiership title and made it even more difficult for us.

      He called me because he wanted to come back, but it was impossible.
      Arsene Wenger

      “But after three years of the four that he signed for, he was injured and [Louis van Gaal] sold him to the Turkish club Fenerbahce.
      “He called me because he wanted to come back, but it was impossible: he was at the end of his career and we were investing in young players.”
      That summer, Wenger, now 70, signed youngsters Ismael Bennacer, Mohamed Elneny, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Donyell Malen – although the majority of those players have found success elsewhere.
      And Van Persie, 37, has since given his side of the story and insisted Arsenal were happy for him to leave.

      In eight years at the club, he bagged 132 goals including 37 in the season before his exit.
      He told BT Sport last year: “You have to take a lot on and make a choice based on what your targets are but also deal with the facts.
      “One of the main facts was that Arsenal got tired of me. That was the starting point – they didn’t offer me a new deal.”

      Robin van Persie reveals brutal Man Utd exit after ‘ruthless’ Van Gaal sat striker down and told him ‘you have to go’ More

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      Thomas Partey transfer signing proves Arsenal are title contenders, claims team-mates as £45m new boy is unveiled

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      ARSENAL signing Thomas Partey showed off his new colours for the first time – as team-mates claim his arrival shows the Gunners are title contenders.
      The defensive midfielder arrived for £45million from Atletico Madrid on deadline day.

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      Arsenal’s latest signing Thomas Partey in the club’s home shirtCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Partey will have ‘Thomas’ on the back of his top and wear the No18Credit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Partey was welcomed to London Colney by Mikel Arteta and EduCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      And the Ghana ace, 27, was snapped in his new Gunners kit for the first time since making the move to the Premier League.
      Partey – who has been given the No18 shirt – will join up with his new team-mates after returning from international duty.
      And fellow new boy Runar Alex Runarsson reckons Partey’s arrival signals the club’s intent both domestically and in Europe.

      The Icelandic keeper – who signed from Dijon for £1.6m – revealed his delight to hear the news of Partey’s last-minute deal before the transfer window slammed shut on October 5.
      The 25-year-old told Goal: “I was so excited because it shows everybody the ambition that the club has: that we want to go back to compete for the Premier League and Champions League.
      “We want to take part in all the major competitions, and not just take part but win.
      “To sign Thomas, it just shows the world what we are all about.”

      Partey gave Gooners a glimpse of what he will bring to the team after laying on a brilliant long-ball assist for Ghana.

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      Partey dons Arsenal’s away kitCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Partey will add extra steel to Mikel Arteta’s options in the middle of the park after the Gunners activated his Atleti release clause.
      Uruguayan Lucas Torreira moved in the other direction for £22m.
      After Dani Ceballos returned from Real Madrid for a second loan spell in North London, Arteta will be far more satisfied with the resources at his disposal as he plots his side’s way up the table.

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      Partey will sure up Mikel Arteta’s midfield optionsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      After signing from Atletico Madrid, Partey will join up with his new team-mates after returning from Ghana dutyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Thomas Partey declares ‘no Thomas, no Partey’ in Instagram greeting to Arsenal fans More

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      Arsenal tried to offload Mesut Ozil ‘to avoid paying him £8m loyalty bonus’ that could have gone on transfers

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      ARSENAL have stumped up an £8million loyalty bonus after failing to sell Mesut Ozil, according to reports.
      The German playmaker remains an outcast under Mikel Arteta but could not be moved on during the autumn transfer window.

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      Mesut Ozil remains in Arsenal training after rejecting a move away during the autumnCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Moves to MLS and Saudi Arabia were touted although Al-Nassr failed to convince Ozil after reportedly bidding £5m.
      And it has now emerged that Arsenal’s failure to get rid of the 31-year-old had huge financial ramifications.
      According to The Athletic, the Gunners paid Ozil £8m at the end of September as a loyalty bonus for entering the final year of his contract.

      The clause was implemented when he agreed a new contract in January 2018, at the height of his spell in North London.
      It leaves the Gunners with a huge bill for a player who has not played competitively since March – and earns £350,000-a-week.
      Financial problems at Emirates Stadium have led to the club making 55 staff members redundant.
      A squad wage cut was agreed during football’s shutdown but Ozil opted out of the programme.

      Most recently, Gunnersaurus mascot man Jerry Quy was sacked after 27 years in the role – prompting massive criticism from fans.
      Yet the German offered to pay the mascot’s wages after tweeting that he was ‘so sad’ to see Quy let go.

      Gunners boss Arteta left Ozil out of his Europa League squad amid rumours that the club wants to rip up his contract.
      Despite their financial worries, Arsenal managed to complete a busy summer of transfer business along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signing a new contract.
      Thomas Partey arrived on deadline day to complement Gabriel Magalhaes and Pablo Mari, plus free agents Willian and Cedric Soares.
      Lyon star Houssem Aouar decided to stay put with the Ligue 1 club, having being described as Arteta’s first-choice transfer.

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