Vermaelen to leave Arsenal this summer

Thomas Vermaelen will seek a fresh challenge after the World Cup. The former Gunner captain  is set to follow Bacary Sagna out of the Arsenal exit door this summer.

The Belgium national player wants to find a new challenge even he have still a year of contract left in The Emirates Stadium.

Manchester United and Napoli are the clubs that are looking to sign him.

He actually plays with Belgium at World Cup and a strong tournament could increase interest across Europe in Vermaelen and give him more options later in the summer.

If he leaves ARsenal after a 5 seasons spell at Emirates  ,Wenger will need to find a new Defender this summer.

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Arsenal interested in Sami Khedira

Arsene Wenger will turn his attentions to Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira if he can’t persuade Barcelona to part with Cesc Fabregas.

The Arsenal boss has made Spanish international and former Gunners captain Fabregas his number one transfer target this summer, but has identified German Khedira as a possible alternative if a deal with Barcelona can’t be agreed.

Khehira, who missed most of this season with injury, has just one year remaining on his contract and could be available for as little as £15million this summer.

Carlo Ancelotti is understood to be a big fan of the 27-year-old but will consider selling the player if he can’t persuade him to sign a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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Fabregas : I prefer Arsenal over Manchester United

Arsenal are reportedly set to make a £35million bid for Cesc Fabregas after he told Arsene Wenger he wants to return to the club.

Fabregas’ days at Barcelona look increasingly numbered with new manager Luis Enrique not thought to be a fan of the pass-master.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for the 27-year-old, but reports now claim that he wants to return to Arsenal – and the Gunners are working on a £35million offer.

It’s not clear where he’d fit into Arsene Wenger’s plans, with Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey firmly established in the Arsenal engine room, but Fabregas is seen as a player who is too good to ignore.

Arsenal have the first option to sign him because of a buy-back clause which was inserted in his contact when he was sold to Barca.

It means that Arsenal get the first opportunity to sign the player, if Barca put him up for sale.

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Arsenal and Liverpool interested in signing Balotelli

Mario Balotelli is set to return to the Barclays Premier League next season with Arsenal and Liverpool likely destinations.

The AC Milan striker is sick of the racism he suffers in Italy and it is understood the former Manchester City star realises life in England was not so bad.

Arsenal are in talks with Real Madrid to sign Karim Benzema but will talk to Balotelli’s ‘people’.

Liverpool will move in for Balotelli if Luis Suarez is lured away to Real Madrid or Barcelona after the World Cup.

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Arsenal finds Bacary Sagna replacement

Serge Aurier, the Toulouse right-back, has revealed his interest in becoming the long-term replacement to Bacary Sagna at Arsenal.

Arsenal scouts have watched Aurier, as well as Southampton's Calum Chambers, but are still hoping that Sagna will take up their offer of a £90,000-a-week three-year contract.

Sagna has been one of the best and most consistent right-backs in the Premier League since his arrival from Auxerre in 2007 and has the versatility to cover at centre-back.

The player was in tears after Saturday’s FA Cup final when he talked about Arsène Wenger but was unable to offer any guarantees about his future.

Sagna, though, is most likely to join City, a move that would leave Arsenal needing both a new right-back and further cover at centre-back.

"I want to try something else," said Aurier. "You can’t really say no to Arsenal." Aurier, 22, is in the Ivory Coast's provisional World Cup squad.

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Liverpool and Arsenal face transfer fight over Jordan Obita

Liverpool and Arsenal both want to sign Reading starlet Jordan Obita this summer.

England Under-19s left back Obita, 20, won rave reviews while making 36 appearances for the Championship side this past season and is on the radar of both the Premier League giants.

Liverpool have been tracking him for months, and the Gunners also see him as one for the future.

Reds' boss Brendan Rodgers has already gone on record as saying that improving the team's defensive options is key to maintaining a title challenge next season.

In the absence of injured Spanish left-back Jose Enrique, on-loan Aly Cissokho and even England right-back Glen Johnson were used in one of the team's problem positions.

Arsenal have Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal as left-backs, but are impressed by Obita's potential.

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Liverpool and Arsenal battling it out for Milner

The Gunners will hold talks with City this week as they prepare to lodge a £10m offer, according to reports.

But Liverpool want Milner too and are weighing up whether to lodge a firm bid for the England international.

Milner reportedly told City last month that he was frustrated with his fringe role at the club.

He has started less than half of City's game since moving from Aston Villa in 2010 - and just 12 of 38 this season.

City are under the pump to meet Uefa and Premier League home-grown player quotas and want Milner to sign a new four-year contract.

However, he would rather leave on a free when his current deal ends, at the end of next season, than pen an extension.

But interested suitors will want to move fast.

Milner is currently preparing for this summer's World Cup and Roy Hodgson has ordered all his Three Lions stars to nail down their futures before flying out to Miami on June 1.

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Guardiola chasing Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey

The Bundesliga club’s boss, Pep Guardiola, tried to sign Ramsey, 23, while in charge at Barcelona and has maintained an interest in the stylish Wales international.

Rambo has enjoyed a standout season, scoring 15 goals in 33 games for the Gunners – including one against Bayern’s rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

He was the driving force behind Arsenal’s fantastic start to the Premier League campaign but was injured in a win over West Ham on Boxing Day and was ruled out for three months.

Barcelona have also watched Ramsey in six games this season as the Spanish club start to assess how they will fill the gaps that will be left once Xavi, 34, and Andres Iniesta, 30, retire.

However, Ramsey feels a degree of loyalty to the Gunners because of the way they looked after him following the double leg fracture he sustained against Stoke in 2010.

Former Arsenal striker John Hartson said: “Ramsey will be linked with ten clubs in the summer but I can’t see him leaving Arsenal in the foreseeable future.

“He’s settled there and loves the club.”

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Arsenal wishlist for this summer transfermarket

Nine players Arsène Wenger will splash £100 million on in the summer transfer window.

Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen)
Age: 25
The German international (right, closing in on Adam Lallana), who has scored four goals in his 17 appearances for his country, has been a long-term Arsenal target. The midfielder's twin brother, Sven, plays for Borussia Dortmund.

Javi Martínez (Bayern Munich)
Age: 25
A defensive midfielder or centre back, the Spaniard (right) has 15 caps for his country and is highly rated in his homeland, though Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has used Martínez sparingly this season.

Wilfried Bony (Swansea)
Age: 25
A fantastic first season for Swansea, following a switch from Dutch club Vitesse, has raised the eyebrows of many. The Côte d'Ivoire striker, who has eight goals in 23 internationals, has been able to find the back of the net 16 times for the South Wales club.

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Age: 26
Another player who Wenger has long admired. The French striker, who has netted 19 goals in 65 internationals for Les Bleus, has been at Real Madrid since 2009 and has become a key player there. But Arsenal think they might be able to tempt him to leave the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Mario Mandžukić (Bayern Munich)
Age: 27
A star performer for Croatia (he has scored 13 times in 48 appearances), the former VfL Wolfsburg striker has failed to wholly convince Pep Guardiola of his undoubted talents. Wenger spies a player he could revitalise.

Calum Chambers (Southampton)
Age: 19
An England Under-19 international, the teenage right back has already made over 20 first-team appearances for Southampton, where he came through the academy.

Serge Aurier (Toulouse)
Age: 21
The right back (right), who signed for Toulouse from Lens in 2012, could be a replacement for Bacary Sanga, if he leaves Arsenal this summer. Aurier has seven caps for Côte d'Ivoire.

Julian Draxler (Schalke 04)
Age: 20
An attacking midfielder who has been on Wenger's radar for some time, the 20-year-old has 11 caps for Germany and is the star man at his club, Schalke 04.

James Milner (Manchester City)
Age: 28
The talented and committed winger may be open to a move away from the Etihad, having been used sparingly by the Premier League champions. With 45 caps for England he could feature at the World Cup and his price might rise, which Wenger will be wary of.

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Arsenal vs Hull City Match Preview

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Sagna set to hold talks with Manchester City

Bacary Sagna will hold talks with Manchester City next week as he steps up plans to find a new club.

As revealed by Goal, the Frenchman has told Arsenal he will not sign a new contract and will leave at the end of the season.

He let manager Arsene Wenger know at the end of last week that the FA Cup final against Hull City on Saturday will be his final game for the Gunners.

Sagna has attracted strong interest from Premier League big-hitters as well as clubs on the continent, including Chelsea, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

But newly-crowned Premier League champions City are believed to be in pole position to capture the versatile full-back.

Manuel Pellegrini’s team are ready to offer Sagna a £100,000-a-week deal spread over three years, even though his premier position at right-back is the same as that of Pablo Zabaleta, one of City’s best players this season.

Arsenal had been close to an agreement with Sagna last month after offering him an £80,000-a-week, two-year deal with the option of a third year in a final attempt to keep him at the club.

However, the 31-year-old has rejected the offer and he will end his seven-year spell at Emirates Stadium after Saturday's final.

The right-back is believed to be settled with his family in England and is keen to remain in the Premier League.

Losing Sagna will be a blow to Arsene Wenger, with the player offering experience and versatility that is not easy to replace. He filled in at centre-back against Norwich City on Saturday as Wenger chose to rest Per Mertesacker ahead of the cup final.

Toulouse's Serge Aurier is currently top of Arsenal’s target list to replace Sagna. Goal revealed on Tuesday that the Gunners have opened preliminary talks with the Ligue 1 club about a £7million summer move for the Ivory Coast international, 21.

The defender, who turned 31 in February, is able to join another club on a free transfer on July 1.

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Arteta: I'm not too old for Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta believes that he can still give a lot to the club despite his advancing age.

The 32-year-old has just one year left on his current contract at the Emirates Stadium and is keen to extend his stay but is well aware of the Gunners' policy of preferring short-term deals for veteran players.

While acknowledging the philosophy, Arteta argues that it might not be the best approach, though says that he would be glad to step aside if he could no longer compete.

"I don't know what is going to happen," he told the Daily Mirror of his future.

"With players over 30 they have a policy and I don't know if they plan to change it or maintain it. Depending on what their mind is, I will give them my opinion and how I see it.

"Yes, [we'll talk] this summer and see what they want to do. I'm relaxed because I am only going to stay here or wherever if they really want me to stay and I feel productive.

"The day I don't feel productive, the day I feel like I can't perform, I will be the first one to say: 'Listen, you have kids here of 25 much better than me; it's my time to move on.' They are not going to have a problem with me.

"I don't value players by age, whether it is Tomas Rosicky or Jack Wilshere. I analyse many other things before age. For me, a much bigger asset is someone who has played over 125 games in three years compared to someone who has played 25 and is 20.

"I understand the club’s point of view - 'Mikel is not a £25 million player because he is not 22 any more' - but I know what I can give so it is to find the right balance. It is something that we need to analyse and talk about."

Arteta has made 44 appearances for Arsene Wenger's side in 2013-14, with their season set to conclude with Saturday's FA Cup final against Hull City.

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Norwich - Arsenal Match Preview

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Arsenal fear Sagna will join Premier League rival

Arsenal fear Bacary Sagna will snub their final contract offer and join a Premier League rival on a free transfer.

Senior Gunners officials had been given indications that Sagna would sign a two-year extension, with the option of a third year, last week.

However, a formal agreement failed to materialise and Arsenal believe one of their longest-serving players could be about to leave in search of one mega payday.

Manchester City and Chelsea are understood to be leading the race to capture the right-back, with both clubs ready to hand him the £100,000-a-week deal he is after.

Sagna also has offers on the table from Liverpool and a string of Continental clubs led by Paris Saint-Germain but is now expected to plump for the most sizeable Premier League deal.

Losing Sagna would be a considerable blow for Arsenal, who made the Frenchman a take-it-or-leave-it offer worth more than £80,000-a-week at the end of April in a new attempt to keep him at the club.

It was an improvement on the £75,000-a-week deal already on the table, with both offers spread over two years with the option of a third year, and the Gunners hierarchy were hopeful that it would be enough for Sagna to snub other offers and commit to the club.

The right-back is believed to be settled with his family in London, but Arsenal have been reluctant to meet Sagna's demands. They do not believe it fits within their salary model to pay a full-back £100,000-a-week, which would make him the second-best paid player at the club behind Mesut Ozil, who earns £130,000-a-week.

Arsene Wenger has been heavily involved in his fellow Frenchman's contract talks despite failing to formalise his own two-year contract extension beyond this season.

Speaking recently of Sagna, be said: "We know what we want from him, he knows what is on the table and that's where we are. The ball is not in our camp anymore. It is in his camp and he needs to come back to us."

The defender, who turned 31 in February, is able to leave Emirates Stadium on a free in the summer and sign a pre-contract agreement with a new club.

Wenger has always been keen to hold onto Sagna, who has been a key figure for Arsenal this season and offers experience and versatility that would not be easy to replace.

The Gunners have looked closely at replacement right-backs in the last year, with Frankfurt's Sebastian Jung and Toulouse's Serge Aurier currently top of their target list should Sagna decide to leave.

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Koscielny close to new Arsenal deal

Arsene Wenger has revealed Laurent Koscielny is close to signing a new contract with Arsenal.

Koscielny has forged a formidable defensive partnership with Per Mertesacker over the past two seasons, and this term the Gunners boast the fourth best defensive record in the Premier League.

The Frenchman's current deal expires in the summer of 2017 but with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich both linked with summer bids for his services in recent weeks, talks have been ongoing over an improved deal.

"Koscielny is close to signing a new contract," Wenger told reporters on Thursday.

The 28-year-old has made 163 appearances for Arsenal since arriving from Ligue 1 side Lorient in the summer of 2010.

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Hull City - Arsenal Match Preview

PROBABLE LINEUPS

MISSING PLAYERS

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Everton v Arsenal: match preview

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Everton v Arsenal
Goodison Park
Kick-off: 13.30 BST.
TV: Live, Sky Sports 1, Highlights, BBC ONE Match of the Day.

Everton (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Howard; Coleman, Stones, Distin, Baines; McCarthy, Barry; Osman, Barkley, Deulofeu; Lukaku.
Out: Jagielka (hamstring), Gibson, Koné, Pienaar (all knee), Oviedo (broken leg), Traoré (hamstring).
Test: Barkley (calf).

Arsenal (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Monreal; Ramsey, Arteta; Rosicky, Cazorla, Podolski; Giroud.
Out: Gnabry (knee), Koscielny (calf), Miyaichi (hamstring), Özil (hamstring), Walcott, Diaby (both knee), Wilshere (foot).
Tests: Gibbs (ankle), Monreal (foot).

Referee: Martin Atkinson. Matches: 21, R3 Y67.

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Wenger still targeting title

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal's performance against Manchester City will show they have not given up on winning the Premier League.

Arsenal go into this weekend's Saturday Night Football game now 100/1 outsiders for the title in the wake of a 6-0 hammering at Chelsea and Tuesday's failure to beat Swansea.

The first of those results led to fresh speculation Wenger could walk way when his deal is up this summer, while a 2-2 draw in midweek means fifth-placed Everton are now just six points behind with a game in hand and a home fixture against Arsenal to come next week.

But on the eve of City's visit Wenger made it clear his long-term plans have not changed and said he is entirely focused on bridging another six-point gap - to leaders Chelsea - in the remaining seven games.

"There is no other priority other than coming first," said Wenger. "That is still our target.

"Champions keep going when everybody else would give up. We have an opportunity to show that we have that mentality.

"If people say Everton can catch us then we can catch the teams above us. We have not given up, believe me. It's our attitude tomorrow which will show that.

"It is the next game that is of course very important, and the next game is of massive importance because it is Man City and they fight at the top.

"They are the favourites with Chelsea and Liverpool, but when you play one of the favourites, you have an opportunity to shorten the distance to them."

Arsenal were beaten 6-3 at the Etihad in December but have not lost a league game at home since the opening day of the season, and Wenger said: "We play at the Emirates where we show big strengths and we want to show that again.

"There are plenty of positives to take from the game at the Etihad. But of course we must defend better."

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Hill-Wood: Difficult to replace Wenger

Former Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood insists losing long-serving boss Arsene Wenger would be a "nightmare" for the club.

Saturday's Premier League fixture at Chelsea sees Wenger take charge of the Gunners for the 1,000th time, as the Frenchman approaches the 18th anniversary of his appointment.

In that time, Arsenal have won three league titles and the FA Cup four times, as well as reaching the final in both of Europe's major competitions.

Former chairman Hill-Wood, having seen the difficult transition Manchester United are going through after losing Sir Alex Ferguson, feels it will be an almost impossible task to replace the Frenchman in the future.

"I will be extremely difficult," he told The Daily Star. "I dread to think who is coming in. If we were to lose Arsene it would be a nightmare.

"He has an enormous amount of knowledge and has developed a lot of really excellent players who, overall, weren't that distinguished when they came to us.

"Many of them became household names at Arsenal. Thierry Henry is a very good example, also Cesc Fabregas, Patrick Vieira and Robin van Persie."

Wenger is out of contract at the end of the season, but Hill-Wood assured fans there was nothing to worry about.

"I have spoken to [chief executive] Ivan Gazidis and he is very confident that there isn't a problem," he said.

"It's just that he doesn't want to sign up right now, that's all. It's not a question of somebody dangling greater riches in front of him.

"I don't think his enthusiasm has diminished at all. He doesn't think his job is finished yet."

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Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal: match preview

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal
White Hart Lane
Kick-off: 16.00 GMT.
TV: Live Sky Sports 1, Highlights, BBC ONE Match of the Day2.

Tottenham (Possible, 4-4-2): Lloris; Naughton, Kaboul, Vertonghen, Rose; Lennon, Paulinho, Sandro, Dembélé; Adebayor, Soldado.
Out: Capoue (ankle), Chiriches (back), Dawson (hamstring), Lamela (thigh).
Tests: Dembélé (hamstring), Walker (pelvis).

Arsenal (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen; Arteta, Flamini; Cazorla, Rosicky, Podolski; Giroud.
Out: Diaby, Walcott (both knee), Özil (hamstring), Ramsey (thigh), Wilshere (foot).
Test: Gibbs (calf).

Referee: Mike Dean. Matches: 19, R4 Y72.

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