Edu – CaughtOffside

Arsenal chief Edu drops teasing transfer hint during conversation with fans

Mark Brus — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 13:18:37 +0000

Arsenal director Edu is said to have teased to the club’s fans that they won’t be disappointed with the summer transfer window this year as long as they’re patient.

Watch the video clip below as Sky Sports News have reported on what Edu said, with the Gunners chief seeming optimistic about the players they could bring in to the Emirates Stadium by the end of the window…

"Be patient, you won't be disappointed at the end…"

Will Arsenal do more business in the Transfer window? ?? pic.twitter.com/23kHhkkMqv

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 11, 2024

Arsenal have only signed Riccardo Calafiori so far this summer, and one imagines fans will be keen for them to bring in more new additions if they are to close the gap with reigning champions Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta’s side ran City really close last season and one imagines they’ll be the main two title contenders again in 2024/25, but Edu would do well to keep on strengthening if possible.

It will surely be a long and difficult season, so Arsenal might not have the best squad depth right now, certainly in comparison to the players Pep Guardiola has at his disposal at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal could end striker chase in the most spectacular way with Chelsea not out of the starting gate

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:26:41 +0000

With just over three weeks to go until the transfer window closes for business again, things are beginning to hot up for the likes of Arsenal and their Premier League rivals.

The Gunners have done consistent and studious business over the past few seasons, seemingly targeting certain areas and then zeroing in on the players they want with the minimum of fuss.

Compare and contrast that way of working with the ‘kid in a sweetshop’ style of London neighbours, Chelsea.

Di Marzio: Arsenal in the race for Osimhen

Under Todd Boehly, it’s appeared to be a case of if the American owner likes a player he’ll go out and buy them, regardless of whether they’re needed, and then expect the manager to produce a winning team.

We could see this manifest itself particularly under Mauricio Pochettino, and it’s little wonder the Argentinian quickly left under the ‘mutual consent’ route.

Victor Osimhen could sign for Arsenal this summer

For a while now it’s seemed that the Blues have been courting Victor Osimhen, but, for once, they haven’t just been able to throw their money around and bring the Nigerian to the club.

The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) have meant a much more stringent application of Financial Fair Play rules and the West London outfit just can’t afford Osimhen’s purchase without some significant sales or creative accounting, the latter of which could come back to bite them in future.

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Perhaps that’s why Arsenal are solidly still in the race for the striker and could be moving towards a conclusion according to reliable journalist, Gianluca Di Marzio.

Not only would such a move really put Boehly’s nose out of joint, but it would surely sound the alarm bells for the Chelsea faithful.

In some respects, losing out on Osimhen, as seems the most likely scenario for Chelsea at present, will really see the chickens come home to roost at Stamford Bridge.

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Surprise 22-year-old target with 23 G/A emerges as Nketiah replacement at Arsenal

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 07:19:30 +0000

It’s a foregone conclusion that Eddie Nketiah will leave Arsenal in the current transfer window.

With Marseille reported to be seriously interested in his services, it would appear to be a matter of time before a deal is offered that is acceptable to the Gunners.

Roberto De Zerbi is clearly trying to make his mark at the Ligue Un giants, and it’s his former club, Brighton and Hove Albion, that could play a part in helping to get the Nketiah deal over the line.

Brighton ace could be Nketiah replacement at Arsenal

According to Football Transfers, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s sporting director, Edu, have discussed the possibility of bringing the Seagulls’ 22-year-old Joao Pedro to the Emirates Stadium as Nketiah’s replacement.

The outlet suggest that Brighton would demand in the region of £50m for their player, given his age and potential projection over the coming years.

Brighton’s Brazilian striker, Joao Pedro, could be of interest to Arsenal as Eddie Nketiah’s replacement

With the Gunners seemingly keen not to overpay for any player, they could baulk at such a price, given that Brighton signed him for just £28m/€34m (transfermarkt) from Watford a year ago.

He did manager to plunder 20 goals and three assists (WhoScored) during a remarkable 2023/24 campaign, however, and that could well tip the balance.

Even if he may not be considered as a first choice at Arsenal, it’s clear that Joao Pedro has the talent to be able to consistently put pressure on any players that may be in front of him.

Furthermore, Arsenal’s strength in depth is likely to be the deciding factor in whether they can overhaul Man City in the title race, and to that end, even if they have to stump up £50m, it might just turn out to be money well spent.

Ultimately, the size of the fee and the will of the player is likely to determine what happens next.

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Exclusive: Arsenal baulk at Gyokeres fee; brilliant new £65m-rated striker already identified

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 04:28:46 +0000

Arsenal have long been linked with Sporting’s Swedish striker, Viktor Gyokeres, and it was thought that the North Londoners might be getting closer to his signature.

However, well placed CaughtOffside sources understand that the Gunners have baulked at the figure that the Portuguese giants want for their player.

It isn’t just the size of the transfer fee that has appeared to scare Arsenal off, but the commission that his agents want, the player’s own demands etc.

Arsenal moving away from Gyokeres deal

Whilst a deal isn’t completely dead in the water, it does appear very unlikely to happen at this stage.

With that in mind, Arsenal have turned their attention to trying to sign Bournemouth’s brilliant front man, Dominic Solanke.

The centre-forward, who plundered 20 goals and provided three assists last season, per WhoScored, is also wanted by North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, and the player’s former club, Liverpool.

Dominic Solanke is a target for Arsenal, who have baulked at the fee for Viktor Gyokeres

At 26 years of age, Solanke is coming into what is generally felt to be a player’s prime years as a footballer, and with a reported fee of just £65m could represent a bargain to whichever team happens to land him.

Not that Andoni Iraola would make it easy for Solanke to leave the Cherries, particularly when you consider he’s been the fulcrum for them over the past couple of seasons.

Indeed, CaughtOffside sources understand that Bournemouth’s directors have said in a meeting with the player’s agents that they are not willing to sell him in the current transfer window.

However, they clearly haven’t factored in that Solanke’s latest deal, signed at the start of the 2023/24 season, contains a £65m release clause that can only be met by certain clubs – namely the Premier League’s ‘Big Six.’

Solanke himself is believed to be open to leaving the South Coast outfit if he receives a good contractual offer.

Ultimately, if any talks prove unsuccessful, both Tottenham and Arsenal could return to the race to sign Lille’s Canadian striker Jonathan David.

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“Really, really close” – Arsenal fans will be delighted by Fabrizio Romano’s latest transfer news

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 08:00:00 +0000

As Arsenal attempt to topple Premier League champions, Man City, in 2024/25, news that the club are close to another new signing will delight their supporters.

Although the English top-flight title has eluded the Gunners since Mikel Arteta took over, the North Londoners are getting closer and closer to landing the prized silverware.

It’s a given that the Spaniard will want his squad at it again from the first whistle of the new season, and breathing down the necks of Pep Guardiola’s side throughout the campaign.

Arsenal closing in on a second summer signing

Though the club have been relatively quiet in the transfer window to this point, there’s a cogent argument that Arsenal only need to add one or two carefully planned additions to the squad they already had.

More simply, Edu and Arteta don’t need to spend money for the sake of it, though it will be utilised if the right players come up for transfer.

One of those is Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino, and it seems that he could soon be celebrating a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Merino to Arsenal?

“Let me say that Arsenal are really closing in on the deal for Mikel Merino and let me clarify that the package is going to be something around €30m,” Fabrizio Romano said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.

“We’ll understand in the structure of the deal in the next days, but the agreement between Arsenal and Real Sociedad is really, really close. Everything is proceeding to the final stages.”

Whether or not Arsenal have any other targets that they’ll try to bring in before the window closes isn’t known at present, though the additions of both Merino and Calafiori would clearly make them a force to be reckoned with.

One or two sales to balance the books wouldn’t go amiss either, and with almost a month left of the window, there’s plenty of time to do more business.

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Exclusive: Arsenal set to complete deal for Spanish Euro winner “in a few days”

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:42:13 +0000

Arsenal are set to complete a deal with La Liga outfit, Real Sociedad, after agreeing personal terms with the Basque side’s 28-year-old Spanish player, Mikel Merino.

CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of the deal confirmed that the transfer will go through for approximately €40m plus bonuses and Arsenal are understood to have offered the European Championship winner a contract until 2028/2029.

Gunners coach, Mikel Arteta, met with Merino and managed to convince him that a move to Arsenal would be the most beneficial for his career.

Arsenal set to complete Merino deal

Arteta’s appreciation of Merino’s talents and the fact that he will be given importance in the squad as well as ample playing time was enough to convince the midfielder to agree to a move to North London.

CaughtOffside sources understand that negotiations are now in the final stages and Arsenal could announce the deal “in a few days.”

Arsenal will sign Mikel Merino in a few days say sources

Subsequently, Merino’s agents spoke with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona representatives to thank them for their interest in their client but to advise them both that he would prefer to move to Arsenal and have a new experience in the Premier League.

Merino is expected to undergo medical checks shortly and once these have been completed, they’ll announce another high quality signing.

After managing to land Riccardo Calafiori too, it’s already turning into quite the window for Edu and Arteta.

In their quest to overhaul Man City and land a longed-for Premier League title, Arsenal are going all out to back their manager.

If Pep Guardiola’s side make even one misstep, there’s every reason to believe that the quality and depth of the Arsenal squad for 2024/25 could finally punish them.

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Reason why Arsenal are struggling to offload Nketiah revealed

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 06:32:06 +0000

With Riccardo Calafiori finally set to join up with his new Arsenal team-mates after a protracted transfer process, Mikel Arteta will have something to smile about.

The Gunners have been relatively quiet in the transfer market so far this summer, but Calafiori’s arrival may well kick start some more business for the club.

Of course, the board will be keeping a close eye on Financial Fair Play and the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which could account for why they’re being a little cautious in the market place at present.

Arsenal struggling to offload Nketiah

Though it would be a surprise if Arsenal fell into the bracket of clubs who need to sell before they can buy, making the odd sale or two will certainly help balance the books, and that’s just good business practice.

Particularly when you can move players on that haven’t really impacted the first-team to the degree that you require.

That’s certainly a description that could be applied to Eddie Nketiah.

Eddie Nketiah in action for Arsenal

The 25-year-old only managed four full 90 minute appearances throughout the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign according to WhoScored.

There’s understood to be interest in his services, with Roberto De Zerbi potentially looking to take him to Ligue Un outfit, Marseille.

However, no clubs appear close to signing him at this point.

That could be because, according to La Provence (subscription required), the North Londoners are insisting on any interested parties meeting their valuation of £42m (€50M).

It’s clear that over the past couple of seasons the valuations of players in the transfer windows have gone sky high, but to be demanding £42m for a player that’s hardly played of late is a little rich.

There’s no purpose served by keeping him sat on the sidelines when he could be getting regular match time elsewhere either.

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Exclusive: Arsenal have a Southgate situation on their hands with Arteta says Collymore

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 11:46:13 +0000

The 2024/25 season gives Arsenal another chance to wrestle the Premier League title from Man City, with Mikel Arteta surely needing to break that duck to maintain any sort of credibility in the role.

By the end of the campaign, he will have been at the helm for five and a half years, and given the money that he’s spent in that period, it’s fair to suggest that he’s probably had long enough to try and topple City, and it might be time to let someone else have a go at doing so.

Of course, Arsene Wenger ended up being at the club well beyond his sell-by date which is something that came back to bite the Gunners.

Arteta’s situation at Arsenal is reminiscent of Gareth Southgate

Arteta is at the opposite end of his managerial career, particularly with the North Londoners, but there’s a real sense of things going the same way as the Wenger managerial situation, and that associated lack of silverware.

Stan Collymore believes that, in fact, it won’t matter if it takes Arteta 10 years to win the English top-flight title, because Arsenal will still keep him as their manager.

“Mikel Arteta could stay at Arsenal for 10 years and still not win the Premier League, and it’s unlikely to make a huge difference to the board,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“I think that he’s almost hanging on by his fingernails at the moment waiting for Pep to go, and I know that a lot of Arsenal fans reading that would go ‘well, we’ve run them (Man City) very close in the last couple of seasons.’

“Once Pep Guardiola goes, then yes, there’ll be a few teams below them that are going to be in better shape to be able to take advantage, but let’s not forget the fact that Arsenal have only run them very close in seasons where Manchester United seem continually in flux, where Liverpool could have and should have done better, and where Tottenham were in transition with the new manager, Ange Postecoglou.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

“So from that perspective, Arsenal have had very fertile ground to try and be successful, and they still haven’t done it when it comes to Premier League.

“The Arsenal board like Arteta’s work, his style of play and the players that have been brought in, and the first-team have been relatively successful.

“I almost see it as a sort of Gareth Southgate scenario but in club football.

“It sounds odd, but I genuinely believe that from where they were when Arteta came in – wasting money on players like Nicolas Pepe, other players not really wanting to go there, falling away in the title race and not challenging for a number of years – to where they are now, that should be considered a success in itself.

“At least now Arsenal can offer regular Champions League football again and it’s a place whereby on and off the pitch, there seems to be some sort of unity and enjoyment of the work process.”

Arsenal fans, with respect, haven’t been used to success for years now, and their last Premier League title came way back in 2004.

For a club with so much proud history, the odd domestic cup win here or there isn’t really good enough, so Arteta can count himself lucky that the Arsenal board appear to be a loyal and forgiving bunch.

Time will tell if the Gunners can overhaul Man City sooner rather than later.

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Brilliant Arsenal ace open to £35m switch to Premier League rivals

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 06:40:48 +0000

As the new Premier League season appears over the horizon, so Mikel Arteta will be getting his Arsenal side ready for another title tilt.

They’ve gradually edged closer to Man City over the past few seasons, and the Spaniard will surely be hoping that with a few studious transfer deals, the Gunners will finally get over the line.

It would be their first title in over 20 years should they land it, and it’d stop Pep Guardiola becoming the first manager in the English top-flight to win five titles in a row. Incredibly, it would be their seventh in eight years if they could achieve it.

There’s no secret to what will be required from the North Londoners; hard work, desire, goals and a bit of luck along the way.

Fulham set to land Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal

Every single player needs to be at it every week, and if they can retain their high level throughout 2024/25, there’s no reason why the trophy won’t be held aloft at the Emirates Stadium next May.

One player that’s unlikely to be basking in any potential glory, however, is brilliant attacking midfielder, Emile Smith Rowe.

? EXCLUSIVE: Fulham close to reaching agreement with Arsenal to sign Emile Smith Rowe. Talks over move worth up to £35m; would be record recruit for #FFC + match biggest #AFC sale. If deal struck 23yo expected to do medical & finalise terms @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/NGElac5XXD

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 24, 2024

As The Athletic’s transfer expert, David Ornstein, noted on X (formerly Twitter), the 23-year-old is expected to undergo a medical and finalise terms with London rivals, Fulham, after the Cottagers made a bid for his services worth up to £35m.

Given that the player didn’t complete a single 90 minutes during 2023/24 (WhoScored), there’s a cogent argument that he won’t be missed by the Gunners, but he’s still a supreme young talent who, if he stays free of injury, could have a real impact at Craven Cottage.

Arsenal might well end up regretting letting a player with so much of his career ahead of him leave at this point.

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Surprise at Arsenal that’s likely to have immediate implications for Jakub Kiwior

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:46:46 +0000

The new Premier League season begins in just over three weeks time, and Arsenal will once again be looking to topple Man City from their perch at the top of the table.

Aside from Liverpool in 2020, no other team has won the English top-flight title in the past seven seasons.

It’s a phenomenal record and one that you wouldn’t bet against City extending in 2024/25.

Arsenal’s decision on Jakub Kiwior could come back to bite them

The Gunners need to therefore ensure that they have a squad capable of putting pressure on Pep Guardiola’s swashbucklers from first until last – again.

Last season saw the North Londoners produce some of their best work yet under Mikel Arteta, with the level of Arsenal’s performance in some games being absolutely phenomenal.

Perhaps never better than when they beat West Ham 6-0 at the London Stadium.

That game was over by half-time by which point the visitors had eased into a 4-0 lead, and that saw a mass exodus from disgruntled Hammers fans.

It wasn’t the only brilliant performance from Mikel Arteta’s side, though it still wasn’t enough to topple the Cityzens.

With more than a month left of the current transfer window, there’s enough time for the Gunners to ensure that they’re in the conversation for certain players.

They’ll also need to trim the fat from what they already have in situ, and that could include Jakub Kiwior.

??? Arsenal have not received any approach from Inter for Jakub Kiwior, nothing agreed even on player side.

Kiwior remains available on the market but Arsenal now want permanent move or loan with mandatory clause.

He could leave as Calafiori is joining #AFC. pic.twitter.com/rmIzpo5CoC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 24, 2024

However, as CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, notes, somewhat surprisingly, Arsenal will only now sell the player on a permanent deal or a loan with mandatory buy option.

That could well put off potential buyers who would perhaps prefer a loan without the mandatory clause, given that the player only made 11 starts for the North Londoners in the Premier League last season, per WhoScored.

If the 24-year-old is up to scratch then any interested parties can make a bid accordingly.

By insisting that clubs buy him regardless, it could well put them off and mean that the Pole has to endure another relatively unproductive season at the Emirates Stadium.

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