My Arsenal Blog

With several weeks of the transfer window left to run, transfer reports and rumours are still coming thick. Let’s look at what is being said about the Gunners.

Emiliano Martinez to join Aston Villa

When Bernd Leno picked up an injury in the unexpected defeat away to Brighton and Hove Albion last season, Emiliano Martinez stepped in and did a wonderful job between the posts. He was so good that some suggested that head coach Mikel Arteta should have given serious consideration to making him his number one choice ahead of Leno, but that was never likely to happen.  .......Read more here.....

Alexandre Lacazette arrived to Arsenal from Olympique Lyon in the summer of 2017 as a big-name signing, for a reported fee of around £50 million. The move was widely perceived as a real coup for the Gunners, given that plenty of reports had been linking the striker with some of the biggest clubs around Europe at the time.  .......Read more here.....

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is set to sign a new contract with Arsenal, according to multiple sources.

Aubameyang’s future was pretty much up in the air for a long time. His current deal expires in 2021, which means it has entered its final 12 months. The club have been keen to keep him for years to come, but they were reportedly willing to contemplate a sale if he doesn’t renew his commitment in order to avoid losing him for free. It has also been reported that the Gabonese forward wanted assurances on the club’s ambitions to compete for major honors before he makes his decision.  .......Read more here.....

Arsenal are set to hold talks over a new contract with Alexandre Lacazette amid the interest in his services coming from Atletico Madrid, according to ESPN.

The club still face uncertainty over the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this summer, but they are apparently adamant that they won’t be parting ways with both strikers. The pair are good friends, but both of them are keen to hear and consider Arsenal’s long-term vision under Mikel Arteta before making their respective decisions, especially in the light of the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost all players except Mesut Ozil have agreed to take a 12.5% pay cut, with the German still earning his £350,000 per week.  .......Read more here.....

As another summer slowly creeps nearer, transfer rumours, mostly speculation of course, spread around by media outlets across Europe, are gradually overwhelming the screens of football fans. It’s one of the few things the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t been able to put a stop to. Arsenal are a frequent subject, or rather target, of such stories.

In terms of potential departures, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the name mentioned the most, but the latest report – for the lack of a better (decent) word, suggest Alexandre Lacazette could be on his way out too. The story comes from Lacazette’s homeland of France, from L’Equipe.  .......Read more here.....

There has been plenty of speculation when it comes to the future of Alexadre Lacazette lately. There were reports claiming he was unhappy and that his agent had been sounding out potential suitors, and more recently some insinuations about an alleged clause in his contract which would allow him to break away if the team fails to qualify for the Champions League at the end of this season.  .......Read more here.....

On the physicality of the Premier League:
MA – I have said how condensed the calendar is in December and January, normally when you get to February, you start to suffer and pay the price. Normally after the international break in March teams are fresher again to get back the end of the season. It’s part of the process, it’s why this league is so demanding and so nice to play in as well because you have so many games but physically it’s tough.  .......Read more here.....

In the wake of their narrow 1-0 win over in Greece, Arsenal will attempt to secure their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League when they host Olympiakos at the Emirates tonight. Prior to the game, Mikel Arteta and Alexandre Lacazette spoke with the media as the Gunners aim to keep their road to Gdansk going strong.  .......Read more here.....

Alexandre Lacazette has played down speculations about an agreement between his representatives and Arsenal about his alleged right to leave this summer if the team fails to qualify for the Champions League.

Arsenal are currently playing their third campaign in a row in the Europa League. Having been beaten by eventual winners Atletico Madrid in the semi-final in 2017/18, the Gunners made the next step last season and reached the final, only to fall there to Chelsea. This time they’ll be looking to take the next step again, which would of course, mean to win the trophy and reach the Champions League down that path. It might prove a more realistic road than to aim for a top-four finish in the Premier League.  .......Read more here.....

Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette have both spoken out in praise of Mikel Arteta and the changes his arrival brought into the Arsenal team.

First of all, it should be pointed out that the results still aren’t great. After the sacking of Unai Emery in November, the team spent a month in the hands of Freddie Ljungberg as an interim solution, until Arteta arrived and took the reins on December 22. Since then, Arsenal have played nine games in all competitions, winning three, drawing five and losing one.  .......Read more here.....