Arsenal have signed Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta to a four-year contract. The Gunners also brought in Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun on loan. Arsene Wenger has decided to bring more experience to his squad.
Arsenal.com has confirmed that the club have completed a transfer for Mikel Arteta. Gooners were glued to Sky Sports News or the internet on Wednesday night as the deadline approached. The move was not finished until the final moments of the transfer window.
According to The Guardian and other sources, Everton and Arsenal agreed on a £10 million transfer fee. Everton did not want to sell their Spanish star, but the allure of Champions League football made Arteta ask to leave Goodison Park. The Gunners made an initial £5m bid for Arteta, which was easily dismissed by Everton. Arsenal raised their offer to £10m, but Everton wanted around £20m.
But then Arteta sprung into action. He told the Toffees that he wanted a move to the Emirates. Everton manager David Moyes explained:
“Mikel indicated to me he wished to join Arsenal. I am very disappointed to lose him but the prospect of Champions League football was something I was not able to offer him.”
Everton were forced to sell their star player for much less than they valued him. Mikel Arteta also had to take a pay cut to ensure his move to Arsenal. According to The Telegraph, Arteta will make £55,000 a week with Arsenal, but he was on £75,000 per week at Goodison Park.
Arsenal have made a bid for midfielder Yann M’Vila. Real Madrid want Arsenal to buy Kaka. The Gunners could sign both Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka from Everton.
According to The Guardian, Arsene Wenger has offered Rennes £22 million for defensive midfielder Yann M’Vila. Rennes have already rejected a £15m bid from Arsenal.
Some reports said that M’Vila was waiting for the result of Wednesday night’s match against Udinese to make a decision to sign on at the Emirates. Arsenal defeated Udinese 2-1 (3-1 aggregate), so it now looks likely that the Gunners will sign M’Vila.
Yann M’Vila has arrived on the international scene for France, with 11 caps since his debut in 2010. The 21-year old has become a staple of Laurent Blanc’s side.
According to Daily Mail, Real Madrid have rejected an Arsenal loan offer for Kaka. Jose Mourinho wants to sell Kaka and not loan him out.
Real Madrid want around £17.5m for the 29-year old Brazilian. Kaka can still be effective as an attacking midfielder, but will Arsene Wenger be willing to spend that much cash for a 29-year old player?
I think not. Kaka’s wages are extraordinarily high (£153,000 a week), and the former FIFA World Player of the Year is past the prime of his career. Mesut Ozil has taken Kaka’s place in Mourinho’s starting squad, so Kaka may want out of Madrid. The Brazilian would likely have to take a pay cut at the Emirates, which may [...]
Arsenal have submitted bids for both Eden Hazard (Lille) and Yann M’Vila (Rennes). Arsene Wenger is targeting Phil Jagielka as Everton’s financial problems rise.
According to Daily Mirror, Arsenal have put in a bid of at £20m-plus for Lille winger Eden Hazard. Hazard is one of the highest-rated young players in Europe, and has been linked with a move to the Emirates in the past.
Some are saying that Lille want £26m for Hazard. Manchester City’s offer for Nasri is between £22-25m. Wenger must be sure that Hazard is a real star and a Nasri replacement before he spends that kind of money.
I have not seen much of Hazard. He looks good on Youtube clips, but so does every player. Last season, the 20-year old Belgian helped Lille win the French double, scoring 10 goals and assisting on 12 in all competitions.
Remember that Arsenal bought Gervinho from Lille earlier in the summer for £10.5m. The French club may not want to break up their entire title-winning squad.
According to Daily Mirror, Arsene Wenger has submitted a £15m offer for Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila. On Sunday, we learned that Arsenal has interest in the 21-year old defensive midfielder, but now we hear that a bid has been submitted.
Rennes do not want to sell M’Vila, but they are not regarded as a top French club. They have a top youth academy that producing former-Gunner Sylvain Wiltord among others.
Arsene Wenger had better bring in M’Vila quickly. Arsenal could [...]
Arsenal and Manchester City have a transfer deal in place for Samir Nasri, but the Frenchman would rather be at Old Trafford. According to reports, Arsenal are interested in Lazio striker Mauro Zarate. Everton admit that they may have to sell star players, which could open the door for the Gunners.
According the The Guardian, Arsenal have an agreement with Manchester City for the transfer of Samir Nasri, but Nasri will not play for City against Bolton at the weekend. There are still a few details to sort out before the deal is complete.
Arsenal will reportedly sell Nasri for £22m. The French midfielder is expected to make £180,000 a week at Eastlands. The Gunners were only willing to give him £90,000 per week, and Nasri became frustrated with negotiations. Nasri is leaving the Emirates for money, and money only.
According to Daily Mirror, Samir Nasri is already looking to leave Eastlands. He has told friends that he would rather sign for Manchester United. Nasri will settle for Manchester City and their oil money.
Samir Nasri is the definition of a disloyal footballer. First, he leaves the Emirates for money. Now, he is talking about his love for Manchester United, before he has even joined Manchester City. He will join City, but he prefers United. I do not want “Nasrat” on my team.
According to Corriere Dello Sport, the agent for Lazio’s Mauro Zarate is in London holding talks with Arsenal. The 26-year old Argentinean striker would cost the Gunners around £10m. Zarate wants [...]
Arsenal’s search for a central defender is heating up. Sylvain Distin said that Phil Jagielka will not be leaving Everton. Arsenal are still interested in Birminham City defender Scott Dann. Per Mertesacker would welcome a move to the Emirates.
Phil Jagielka’s centre-half partner at Everton has told the media that Jagielka will stay at Goodison Park. Here is what Distin said: “He’s not come out and said he wants to go anywhere, so I guess that means Jags wants to stay. It’s still a club to be at. I don’t think any players want to leave here, to be honest. My guess is he’s fine here.
“I haven’t told him not to go, there’s no point doing that. If he comes to me and asks, I’ll tell him what I think, but it’s not happened so we’re happy he’s staying.”
According to reports last month, Jagielka told friends that he would snub a move to Arsenal. The 28-year old centre-back can stay at Everton. Christopher Samba, Per Mertesacker, and Tim Cahill are all better options than Jagielka.
According to Daily Mail, Arsenal were scouting Birmingham City centre-half Scott Dann. Pat Rice and scout Steve Rawley looked at Dann in a friendly match against Spurs. Liverpool also have interest in Dann, who many believe could bring a fee of £8m.
Dann would not add much to Arsenal. He is a solid defender, but he will not be able to change the mentality of our backline.
Per Mertesacker is interested in making a move [...]
Phil Jagielka is prepared to snub a move to Arsenal. Sources say that the England international would rather stay at Everton then move to the Emirates.
According to Daily Mirror, Phil Jagielka has told his mates that he will snub any deal sending him to Arsenal. Arsene Wenger was keen on bringing the 28-year old centre back to Arsenal, but now Wenger may have to look elsewhere for defensive assistance.
How far has Arsenal fallen now that a player like Jagielka will snub our club? Phil Jagielka is openly bragging to his friends about his rejection of the Gunners. It is disgraceful and shameful that a decent centre-back would not even welcome interest from Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger should focus his efforts elsewhere. Jagielka is no big prize. If he doesn’t want to come to Arsenal, then fine. Christopher Samba has already expressed his ambition to move to Arsenal. The Blackburn centre-half would be a much better fit at the Emirates than Jagielka.
Of course, this Daily Mirror piece could be just another anti-Arsenal article. There have been many articles in the papers claiming that the sky is falling in on Arsene Wenger and the Emirates. It has not happened yet. The Guardian again predicted that the Gunners will finish fifth this season. Time for Arsenal to prove the pundits and writers wrong… again.
Tottenham have submitted a offer for Arsenal target Juan Mata, in an attempt to keep him away from the Emirates. Arsenal are launching a new and improved bid for Everton’s Phil Jagielka. Despite reports, Joel Campbell has not agreed to a move to Arsenal.
According to The Guardian, Spurs have submitted a £22m bid for Valencia winger Juan Mata. Mata has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, but this Tottenham effort could sway Valencia and Mata towards White Hart Lane.
Arsene Wenger has not yet made a formal offer for the 23-year old Spanish star. The boss seems to be waiting on the Cesc Fabregas saga to make a decision. £22m is more than what Arsenal are expected to offer, but Mata would prefer a move to the Gunners where he can compete in the Champions League.
Mata’s contract says that Valencia must sell him to any club that offers more than €21m. Tottenham’s offer exceeds that amount, so the decision will be Mata’s. Will he decide to wait on Arsenal or head to Spurs?
Some media outlets are reporting that Arsene Wenger is considering signing Juan Mata and Phil Jagielka in a terrific double swoop.
According to Daily Mail and other sources, the Gunners are ready to make a fresh offer for the Eveton centre-back. Wenger is willing to pay £15m for Jagielka but will try to secure the England international for £12m first according to Goal.com. David Moyes is likely to reject this bid, just as he rejected [...]
Arsenal have agreed in to sign Costa Rican star Joel Campbell. Phil Jagielka has reportedly snubbed Arsenal to stay at Everton. Everton could sign Nicklas Bendtner on loan.
Arsenal have made an agreement in principle to sign Costa Rican striker Joel Campbell. Campbell currently plays for Costa Rican side C.D. Saprissa. The president of Samprissa, Juan Roja, had this about to say to ADN Radio:
“There is an agreement in principle already (with Arsenal), although everything is now on hold for Joel Campbell and his family to accept the transfer.
“No doubt, this would be an historical deal for the country, for Saprissa and for the player. We are happy for him because this is a unique opportunity, one to which you cannot say no, and we cannot refuse an offer like this.”
Who is Joel Campbell? He is a 19-year old striker who has recently caught on with Costa Rica. Campbell has six caps for Costa Rica and two goals. He scored the first against Cuba in the CONCACAF Gold Cup last month. Earlier this month, Campbell scored his second against Bolivia in the Copa America.
According to Goal.com, Arsenal will pay £930,000 for Campbell, who has been on the radar of the top European clubs for a while. He made nine appearances for the U-20 Costa Rican team and scored eight times. The deal will be completed after personal terms and working permits are sorted out.
According to The Independent, Phil Jagielka would rather stay at Everton than move to the Emirates. Wenger [...]
I, probably like you, thought the whole Cesc Fabregas controversy from the weekend was dead. Well, Wenger shot back again today at Everton manager David Moyes. If you scroll down a bit, you can see the clip from Moyes after the match (calling Cesc’s behavior at halftime “disgusting”.) Wenger didn’t take kindly to Moyes accusations and has defended Cesc every day since the match. Today, Wenger came right out and told the media that Moyes is lying about the whole thing:
”Cesc Fabregas has not said anything to the referee. Cesc Fabregas has not been charged, so the story for me is over.
“I believe it is wrong for Moyes to come out with what he pretends to have heard in the tunnel.
“If I come out with what I have heard in the tunnel in the last 10 years you would be amazed. I think there is a rule in our job to never come out with what is said in the heat of the moment. That usually is respected by everybody.
“If Cesc is guilty, he would have been charged. He has not been charged by the FA, there is no action against him, so I don’t see why we should spend any more time defending someone who is not guilty.
“For me, the incident is closed.
“If you play football with your friends you sometimes go in at half-time and say something that you are not very proud of 24 hours later, but it is in the [...]
So, yesterday after the match, we found out that Everton manager David Moyes was disgusted with Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas (as you can see from the video). He said that the Spaniard should have been sent off for his comments at halftime about the match officials. Wenger responded by saying that Arsenal were polite with the officials and that Fabregas did nothing wrong.
Today, the FA has announced that no action will take place regarding the incident. The reason is because referee Lee Mason did not file any reports on the incident.
Fabregas spoke today about the incident and his overall attitude towards match officials. Here’s some of what he had to say to Arsenal.com: “There has been much talk about me saying things to the officials at half-time on Tuesday night. All I can say is that I have respect for all match officials. Their job is a very difficult one and their decisions are final. “Yes, I was upset at half-time. So too were about 60,000 Arsenal supporters in the stadium. We were one-nil down against a very good Everton side to a goal which we felt was offside. Of course I am going to be upset. Players from both sides were saying things as we came off the pitch, and this always happens in football.
“I’m passionate about this Club and like all the players want to win every single match, so many things are said in the heat of the moment. “Clearly the officials [...]
