Chelsea have made a formal approach to Newcastle United for Cheik Tiote.
The London Evening Standard says Chelsea have made an official enquiry to Newcastle over Tiote as they step up their search for a replacement for the injured Michael Essien.
It is believed Newcastle will demand £15m for the Ivory Coast international, a fee Chelsea will be prepared to pay because of his age and potential.
Andre Villas-Boas has made signing a combative midfielder a priority following Essien's injury with Porto's Joao Moutinho and West Ham's Scott Parker also on the list of potential targets.
Tuesday 12 July 2011
Arsene Wenger is confident that Cesc Fábregas will stay at Arsenal. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images
Arsenal have been caught up in two of the summer's loudest transfer sagas, over whether the captain Cesc Fábregas will move back to Barcelona and if Samir Nasri will join either of the Manchester clubs. Arsène Wenger, the manager, has kept his counsel but in his first interview of the pre-season, from Malaysia, where the club have begun their mini-tour of the Far East, he was keen to clarify his position.
Why are you so confident that Cesc Fábregas will stay?
I am confident because I hope he will see that there will be no greater achievement for him in his life than to lead this team to success and that it will not be the right period for him to leave the club.
In one breath, you say "confident" but in the next, you say "hope". There seem to be a few grey areas ...
I think Cesc has always been torn between his love for Arsenal that I feel is really genuine and, as well and what you can understand, the desire to play for the biggest team, at the moment, in the world. I think both exist in his head.
Have you had a meeting with him since his return for pre-season last week to discuss where his head and his heart are leaning?
Yes. I cannot speak about the meeting but he knows that I want him to stay.
He is under contract until 2015 so, technically, he cannot force his way out?
No, but you can only be in if you are completely in. He is the leader of the team. He has to be completely focused and convinced that he wants to stay.
If he is not completely focused, Arsenal would presumably still not let him go unless they got what they felt was the right price for him?
Yes. But we want to keep him and for us, it's not a question of money. We are not there to make the money. We are there to keep our best players. We have managed the club well to be in a position to say "No". For any money. We have the potential to do that because we are in a healthy financial situation. But, on the other hand, you need as well the player wanting to be with you.
That's clearly the issue, isn't it? You have to be convinced that Cesc, in his heart, wants to stay, 100% ...
I am convinced, but I want him to be convinced.
Surely, he can give his best on the pitch only if he is 100% committed?
Some people questioned his last season but I never question his commitment. This guy is a real winner and if he did not have the expected season, it was down to injuries. He played in some games where he was not right completely but he wanted to play, to win.
You seem to be in a similar situation with Samir Nasri?
No. Samir's situation is clear for me.
He definitely stays, come what may?
He stays. So if a club comes in with a big offer, knowing that he's in the final year of his contract, you will say, "You're staying..."
I've just told you that we are in a position where we can say "No".
And you will, in the case of Samir?
We will.
You think that it is worth more to have Samir for one more season and risk losing him on a Bosman free next summer than to cash in now?
Yes.
That could be construed as a £20m gamble?
[Smiling.] You are the same people who reproach me for not spending money and now you reproach me for wanting to spend it! It is in the interests of the club. Fábregas is in no man's land ... Imagine the worst situation, that we lose Fábregas and Nasri; you cannot convince people that you are ambitious after that. And even if you lose Nasri, to find the same quality player, you have to spend again the same amount of money because you cannot say you lose the player and you do not replace him. And the other clubs who come to take him have scouts all over the world as well but if they come to us for our player ...
You clearly don't want to sell Cesc but it's been like a feeding frenzy with the Catalans saying, officially and unofficially, that they will get him for this amount and that they will get him. Is there a message that you want to send to them, once and for all?
Ha ha. You know what they do. I can only speak for ourselves. For us, it's not a question of money. It's a question of desire. We want Cesc to be with us but we want him as well to be happy with us. I have heard people say that we do not want to keep Cesc. We are desperate to keep Cesc. And we will fight for everything because you do not educate a player for eight years as we have done only to want him to go once he is at an age to deliver. We want to keep the team together.
The boldest official statement from Barcelona this summer came from the president Sandro Rosell when he said that Cesc was worth less now than what he bid for him last summer [£40m]?
That is disrespectful to Cesc. I rate Cesc so highly that for me, he is top, top, world class. He is certainly in the top five midfield players in the world.
In summary, if Cesc is not happy, you would let him go?
I want him to be happy and to stay.
But if he said he was unhappy...?
That's the only way, he could get out. I don't think he's unhappy but he wants to go back to Barcelona. If we wanted to make a money situation and wanted to sell the player, we put him on the market and we ask "Who gives more?" But that would not be the conversation. For us, it's not a question of money. It is a question of Cesc wanting to be with us. And I think he is torn because he loves the club deeply. We will fight until the last second to keep him.
How important is it that you emerge from the transfer window with a bigger and stronger squad
The message that we give out is important. For example, you see about Fábregas leaving, Nasri leaving ... if you give that message out, you cannot pretend you are a big club. Because a big club, first of all, holds on to its big players and gives a message out to all the other big clubs that they cannot come in and take away from you.
You have big games at the start of the season before the window closes, including the Champions League qualifiers...
I have a basic team in my head that can start the season and it is important as well to settle psychologically and that the players who are here focus on the season and not the transfer market. The players who are here will ask "Will he go, will he go?" That is not the way to prepare for the season.
Would a major signing convince the players who are ambivalent about staying?
What is very difficult for us is that as long as you do not know that this group stays together, you cannot strengthen the team because you think, "If he goes, I have to do what?" I also cannot really tell you [a transfer target], I want you because if he stays, you cannot come in. So you are in no man's land and that is terrible. That is why the transfer period basically should stop when the training starts.
So you need Fábregas to give you a quick answer, one by this week?
We have to stop at some stage. Cesc now comes back to training in London from a muscle injury so I hope we can close that very quickly. In our favour.
Gunners boss confirms deal as side prepare to begin tour of Far East, with Ivory Coast international arriving from French champions for a fee believed to be £10mthe best odds and bet on Ligue 1.
The Ivory Coast international, who notched 15 goals and 10 assists to help the French side to their first league title in 57 years last term, arrives at the Emirates Stadium for a fee believed to be £10.6 million.
Wenger revealed the news about Gervinho as his side arrived in Malaysia ahead of their pre-season tour of the Far East.
TheGunners reportedly agreed personal terms with the 24-year-old last month, but have spent the intervening period in talks with Lille over an agreed price.
Gervinho, who will not join the Gunners on their Far East tour, becomes the second summer arrival at the Emirates Stadium after the signing of full-back Carl Jenkinson from Charlton Athletic, as Wenger looks to revamp his squad in a bid to end the club's six-year trophy drought next term.
The news could well constitute the final nail in the coffin of Nicklas Bendtner's Arsenal career, with the striker currently the subject of interest from Borussia Dortmund and Sporting Lisbon as well as several English clubs.
Sunderland have signed Wes Brown from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £1million, after he agreed a four-year contract.
The 31-year-old England international has signed up with the Black Cats on a deal until June 2015.
Sunderland had a joint bid of more than £12million for Brown, John O'Shea and Darron Gibson accepted last month, and Republic of Ireland defender O'Shea was also on Wearside on Thursday for a medical.
Black Cats manager Steve Bruce said: "We are delighted to welcome a player of Wes' ability, experience and character to the club.
"He has been a fantastic professional for Manchester United through the years and not only will he strengthen our defensive options, he will also bring with him a winning mentality and level of maturity which can only be positive for the players around him."
Brown is Bruce's seventh summer signing after Ahmed Elmohamady, Connor Wickham, Craig Gardner, Ji Dong-won, Keiren Westwood and Sebastian Larsson, and is unlikely to be the last with O'Shea and Blackpool midfielder David Vaughan also understood to be close to agreeing deals.
The defender made senior 361 appearances for United over 15 years as a professional having joining the club as a 12-year-old, and has five Premier League winners' medals.
Brown won 23 England caps before announcing his retirement from the international game last summer.
He will bring a welcome versatility and vast experience to the Stadium of Light, where his arrival will go some of the way to making up for the loss of loan signings Nedum Onuoha and John Mensah.
Ostensibly a central defender, he can also play at right-back and with O'Shea equally comfortable across the back four as well as in midfield, Bruce could have healthy options at the back next season.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted it had been a tough decision to allow Brown to leave the club.
He told United's website: "Wes has been a great asset to the club during the most successful period in its history.
"He was a product of the youth system and marked himself out from an early age as one of his generation's most natural defenders.
"In his time with us, he certainly became a favourite with the fans for his no-nonsense approach to the game and his infectious personality.
"It's always the hardest of decisions to let loyal servants go. But life moves on and, unquestionably, Wes will get the chance to make a real contribution to Steve Bruce's Sunderland, and I'm delighted to be passing him into such good hands.
"Everyone connected with United wishes him a long and happy stay at Sunderland."
Meanwhile, Sunderland have appointed Bryan 'Pop' Robson as their new chief scout.
The Sunderland-born former striker, who returns to Wearside from his last post as an international scout for Chelsea, played 174 times for the club during three spells, served as reserve-team coach and Academy director and even stood in as caretaker manager.
He said: "Sunderland is obviously a club very close to my heart. I had great times here both as a player and as a coach, so I'm thrilled to be back working with Steve Bruce and his excellent management team."
ON TUESDAY I was stopped in the street in Camden by an Arsenal fan, who asked me, simply: 'What the hell is going on with our club?'
It sounds brutal, it sounds blunt, but it sums up the mood of the supporters as this summer lurches from frustration to despair.
Gael Clichy's move to Manchester City wouldn't bother me much in normal circumstances.
I'm not that fussed by it on an individual basis as Kieran Gibbs is coming through nicely. But now it looks like Samir Nasri is set to join him.
Since when did Arsenal become Manchester City's feeder club? And with Cesc Fabregas looking a goner to Barcelona too, it's very, very sad to see. How on earth will Arsene Wenger attract any top players to Arsenal?
It's come to something when a player like Clichy feels Arsenal is not good enough for him anymore. He can see that Man City is going to be challenging for top trophies next season.
For a start, he won't have to go through Champions League qualification, unlike Arsenal. It is a club going places and this summer City look like they will kick on again. Manchester United have made it clear they mean business too, being bullish in the transfer market and buying Ashley Young, Phil Jones and the keeper David De Gea.
Liverpool have got Jordan Henderson and are making serious moves for Stewart Downing.
Chelsea have got a new manager in place and will soon be very active.
Arsenal are being left behind. And the trouble is, when all the top-class players have gone, it becomes extremely difficult to lure other top players to your club.
Wenger has put his faith in picking up little gems from abroad, little-known players who he can nurture and develop. All very well. But he has filled the dressing room with players who 'owe' him. It's a nice cosy arrangement.
There are no players who are big enough and experienced enough to turn around and say 'hang on boss, let's try this, or let's do that'.
Serious teams need established world-class players, who can bring it to bear in February and March when the youngsters need a gee-up, when the going gets tough and the demands of a long season kick in.
He's been asking too much of the young players he's brought through.
Nicklas Bendtner, Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Clichy, are all good players but Arsenal should be courting the star players before they move to other big clubs. But they're nowhere to be seen.
What's Wenger doing? I see the Gervinho deal looks close to being finalised. He might be good, fingers crossed. Well I'm sorry but fingers crossed doesn't work anymore. It hasn't worked for six years since the Gunners last won a trophy.
Downing, Jones, Henderson. Even Young. They might not be the sort of players Wenger likes but at least those other clubs are having a go. And by doing so, they send out a statement of intent they want to be even better next season.
I'd love to see Wenger being given the same sort of transfer pot that the likes of Jose Mourinho had at Chelsea, or Andre Villas-Boas will get. The same backing Alex Ferguson enjoys at Manchester United.
I'd be so curious to see where he goes and what he does with it.
But I have my suspicions that he would still dither about, take too long to make up his mind and then plump for someone in France or Spain hardly any of us have ever heard of.
Fabregas has clearly recognised the fact that Arsenal will not be competing with their rivals in the transfer market.
He has been loyal to them and played his best but now he can see what's going on and looks set to go.
That's been going on for some time but the whole transfer thing is like a house of cards. Once one big name wants out, the rest see it and it all comes tumbling down.
I get accused of having a go at Arsenal. But I'm only putting in bold black and white the problems that the real fans are deeply concerned about.
And I'm not referring to those who came with the flash new Emirates Stadium, some of whom don't like singing on Saturday afternoons.
I've been engaged in fierce debates with some of whom have fallen for this guff that at least Arsenal's not in debt. They point out that the Glazers have borrowed fortunes in Manchester United's name.
True. But Man Utd have also been in three Champions League finals in the last few years and have won Premier League trophies and FA Cups. Man Utd may have debts but I tell you this, if the club suddenly went on the market, it would be sold within a week. Would that happen with Arsenal? I'm not so sure.
Real fans don't give a hoot about debts. They pay a lot of money to come through the gates and they don't want to see their heroes passing them on the way out.
Wenger is still the right man for the job but he needs proper backing and I do feel that sometimes he needs a good shaking.
Right now, I can't see Arsenal challenging for the Premier League title next season, which is seriously depressing in July!
What I'd like to see are some bullish signings.
Go out and chase the likes of Michael Essien. Get him back on top form and he's a fabulous player, plus you'd be getting a player from Chelsea, one of Arsenal's supposed rivals from the Premier League and just across the River Thames.
Then go for keeper Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany and get your own back on Manchester City.
Make the rest of English football sit up and take notice for once - not just Arsenal fans who can see the lights going out on their club.
CescFabregas has told his team-mates he will be leaving Arsenal this summer, according to The Sun.
Fabregas has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona and a deal appears close to being finalised.
Arsenal have already rejected Barcelona's opening offer for Fabregas and have reportedly put a £40 million price tag on their captain, a fee that was rumoured to be higher than Barcelona's transfer budget.
The Spain international is a long-term target of Barcelona, and a deal was almost struck last summer, but it would appear that Arsenal's captain will finally complete a move back to his boyhood club.
Fabregas left Barcelona for Arsenal as a 16-year-old and made his Premier League debut a year later, maintaining a place in theGunners' first team ever since.
Lille striker Gervinho closing in on Arsenal switch and is set for his Gunners medical today.
But what, apart from his horse-frightening tonsorial choice, do we know about the 24-year-old? Allow MirrorFootball's John Sutton to enlighten you...
1) Gervais Yao Kouassi, as his grandma no doubt calls him, is an Ivory Coast international currently playing in France for Lille. He was born in Anyama - whose other famous sons include Hannover 96 striker Arounna Koné - on May 27 1987.
2) Primarily playing as a striker, his deft skills, surging power, 15 goals and 10 assists helped push Lille - who were only fourth in 2009-2010 - to the Ligue 1 title in the season just ended. The versatile forward is also able to play out wide if needed. Check out some of his highlights here:
3) Our hero earned his nickname while with his first club, who he joined as an 11-year-old. He explained: "When you get in the football squad at ASEC Abidjan they give you a nickname. Because we had a Brazilian coach, we were given Brazilian names. It's basically a variation of your name, the Gervinho comes from Gervais. For me, the name has stuck."
4) The coach may have been Brazilian, but Gervinho's early mentor was former France midfielder Jean Marc Guillou, who joined Abidjan in 1998 and produced players such as the Toure brothers, Emmanuel Eboué, Salomon Kalou, and Didier Zokora.
5) Gervinho remains a close friend of Chelsea's Kalou, who acts as his unofficial interpreter when he has to talk to English-speaking reporters on international duty.
6) At 15, Gervinho moved on to another Ivorian club, Toumodi FC, where he was a youth team-mate of the third Toure brother, Ibrahim. He then followed a well-trodden route from the Ivory Coast to Belgium, joining Beveren in 2004.
7) Beveren is where Gervinho is likely to have first been clocked by Arsene Wenger - who, coincidentally, was given his first coaching job by Guillou. The Gunners had a co-operation agreement with the Belgian side until 2006, which resulted in Eboue's 2005 move to North London.
8) Though Arsenal were attracted by Gervinho's 14 goals in his first two seasons at Beveren, his next move was to France in 2007. Although he managed only eight goals in 59 appearances for Le Mans, he emerged as a player to watch. Moving on to a Lille side also including Premier League target Eden Hazard, he won the French Double this season. It was Lille's first title since 1954 and first French Cup triumph since a year later.
9) Captain of the Ivory Coast's Olympic football team, Gervinho made his senior international debut in 2007 before being picked in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations squad. He's scored five goals in 19 appearances for his country and was voted man of the match when they played Portugal in the 2010 World Cup.
10) Gervinho seems like a laugh. He said when asked what made him fall for girfriend Nafi: "It was love at first sight... actually it was a gun..."
Gervinho has arrived at Arsenal to complete a medical ahead of his £10.6 million move from Lille.
Soccer Talk exclusively revealed last month the Ivory Coast international has already agreed a four-year contract with Arsene Wenger's side ahead of his switch from the Ligue 1 club.
The forward played a vital role in Lille's title-winning side last term as he scored 15 goals, whilst making 10 assists.
The 24-year-old's versatility will be a major boost to Arsenal's hunt for silverware next season as he is adept at playing in a supporting role, wide of the striker on either flank, as well as spearheading an attack.
Gervinho, who previously stated his intention to help Wenger's side end their seven-year trophy drought, will become Arsenal's second signing this summer after the arrival of Carl Jenkinson from Charlton in June.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to make Lyon left-back Aly Cissokho his prime target for that position after the departure of Gael Clichy to Manchester City.
The 23 year old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premiership but is not so keen on joining Liverpool, a side without European competition for the up and coming season. With Wenger’s love for all things French, he would certainly be choosing a player with right attributes.
Our source also claims that Cissokho is the player Wenger admires more and that Arsenal will not seek to pursue current Newcastle United left-back Jose Enrique – a target of Liverpool. It is also believed that the Emirates side have made enquiries for the defender and that a fee of £9m-£11m would close to accurate to seal the 23 year old.
Argentina striker Carlos Tevez has revealed he wants to leave Manchester City this summer.
The Blues skipper informed the club of his intentions on Monday night in a short statement that cited a desire to be closer to daughters Katie and Florencia.
So far, the club have not responded and attempts to speak with Tevez will be complicated due to his present commitment to Argentina at the Copa America.
"It is with great regret that I have to inform Manchester City of my wish to leave the club," he said.
Tevez has travelled down this path once already, when he expressed a wish to leave in December.
On that occasion, he was talked round by manager Roberto Mancini and owner Sheikh Mansour.
He ended up completing the season and skippering City to their FA Cup final triumph over Stoke, their first trophy success since 1976.
This time will be far harder, if not impossible.
Logistics mean Tevez's trusted advisor Kia Joorabchian has to be the immediate point of contact and his frosty relationship with City chief executive Garry Cook is bound to be a handicap.
Just as importantly, Tevez has seemingly left no room for manoeuvre by expanding on his thoughts in such a fulsome manner.
"I would like to state that I have great respect for the club, its supporters and the owner, Sheikh Mansour, who has been nothing other than respectful to me," he continued in his statement.
"I hope that the people understand the difficult circumstances I have been living under the past 12 months, in regards to my family.
"Living without my children in Manchester has been incredibly challenging for me. Everything I do, I do for my daughters, Katie and Florencia. I need to be closer to them and to spend more time with them.
"I need them to be happy because my life is about them now. I need to be in a place where they can adapt.
"Being captain of Manchester City, qualifying for the Champions League, winning the FA Cup and finishing as top-scorer last season has made me very proud.
"I hope that most of the City fans will understand that I have given them my all on the pitch and that my dedication to the city cause has been 100% on the pitch.
"I hope I have done my bit to help City continue their progress towards their ambition to be champions of England and to advance in the Champions League.
"I have no doubt that the players and management of City will achieve great success in the future."
Gael Clichy has become the latest Manchester City new recruit to settle in at Eastlands by launching a sarcastic swipe at United.
In January, Edin Dzeko made the point he had been told most football fans in a divided city support the Blues.
The jibe did not go down well at Old Trafford, especially as memories were still fresh of the inflammatory 'Welcome to Manchester' poster that proclaimed the capture of Carlos Tevez and led to Sir Alex Ferguson's condemnation as "stupid and arrogant".
Now Clichy has come out with a similar statement to Dzeko, raising the temperature of a Mancunian duel which now involves the clubs who hold the most important two domestic trophies and will contest the Community Shield at Wembley next month.
"I understand that the people who live in Manchester are the true fans. They are from City," Clichy told City's official website.
"That is a good point. I won't be bothered by United fans."
Not that Clichy lacks respect for the Red Devils. It is just that, after eight years at Arsenal, he is intent on doing something the Gunners have not managed in the past six - winning something.
"There is no limit at Manchester City," he said.
"Of course, you have to be realistic but there is no limit. Where they have come from in three years is phenomenal. And I want to win things."
Observations issued through the medium of an interview with the club he has just joined are unlikely to be too revealing about the failings of the team he has left behind.
Compared to Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, who is also on City's wanted list and has been tipped to be reunited quickly with Roberto Mancini's first summer signing, Clichy may not be quite as important to most Gunners fans.
However, if the star duo also quit, big questions will be asked of the Londoners' future direction.
"My season was a bit like the team's," reflected Clichy on another barren campaign at the Emirates.
"We started well and collapsed at the end of the season after the (Carling Cup) final.
"These things happen in football. That is why you can see the importance of having a big squad.
"We had a few players out at the same time. It was difficult to cope with that. We lost Fabregas and (Robin) van Persie at the same time.
"Sometimes it is difficult to have a lot of players because you have to leave some out. But you need to have a big squad to go all the way. That is why I joined City."
Clichy has penned a lucrative four-year contract and is now in direct competition with Aleksandar Kolarov for the left-back berth.
With Joleon Lescott able to fill that role as well, it is difficult to see Wayne Bridge having any future.
Bridge is one of a number of players Mancini needs to offload to keep his squad manageable, yet the inability to merely give them away due to UEFA's Financial Fair Play restrictions are a hindrance when it comes to further big name arrivals.
Someone who does appear set to stay is Patrick Vieira, given Clichy made a pointed reference to his fellow countryman, although it is not known in exactly what capacity the former Arsenal skipper will remain at Eastlands.
Clichy clearly cannot wait to get started in a battle for silverware which intriguingly pitches him in direct confrontation with the man blocking his path to the French national team, Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
"Patrice is a great player who plays for a great club. You have to accept this," said Clichy.
"Now, I hope it will be a different story. I am at a different club.
"It is not the fact he is in the same city but I am sure in France they will probably ask the same question.
"Hopefully my team will be the winner and that will take me higher with France."
With left-back Gael Clichy expected to complete his £7m move to Manchester City in the next twenty-four hours, the Gunners could be considered close to implosion as a queue of high-profile players builds up at the Emirates' departure lounge.
Though Fabregas and Nasri are both due to return to North London this Monday, their appearances could be fleeting. The Spaniard is set to undergo fitness tests to determine whether he can start pre-season training on Tuesday as the Gunners continue to play hardball in talks with Barcelona, while the Frenchman due to meet Arsene Wenger for last-ditch showdown talks on his future. However, the player is reputedly determined to quit the club and move to Manchester in order to join either United or City.
The Daily Mirror claims 'there is a growing feeling that Arsenal will sell Nasri - with both Manchester clubs keen - rather than let him run down his contract', while Nasri's comments to a French magazine over the weekend, in which he stressed his desire for trophies rather than money, have only fuelled the expectation that he will leave Arsenal before the season starts.
As for Fabregas, his long-anticipated return to Barcelona should finally be completed in the coming days.
'Fábregas, who has been on holiday in Spain, will return with the bulk of the senior squad on Tuesday, with Barcelona still attempting to complete what they hope will be a £35m transfer back to the club,' reports The Guardian. 'A bid of around £27m was rejected earlier in the summer but having received an improved offer last week, there is an acceptance at Arsenal that the long-running saga of their captain's future is nearing a conclusion.
'The player himself was quoted last week as being "calm and optimistic" about his future. While the 24-year-old privately anticipates that he will be granted his wish to join the Catalan club where he started his career, he is not expected to risk his reputation at Arsenal by refusing to report back for training and will instead hope resolution is reached in negotiations before the Gunners depart for a mini-tour of Malaysia and China a week on Sunday.'
For Arsenal supporters, braced for a 6.5% increase in the cost of season tickets, one crumb of comfort is the thought that the club's coffers, already thought to hold £40m for transfers, will soon be swelled by an additional £70m. However, as The Independent points out, 'Arsenal are well aware that they are likely to be quoted inflated prices for players if they sell Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri in quick succession, meaning they would ideally like to reinforce their squad before losing players.'
The anger that is bound to be sparked by the departures of Nasri and Fabregas will hardly be quelled if, as announced by The Daily Mirror, Wenger opts to respond by launching a bid for Kevin Doyle, a striker who has scored 14 goals in 59 appearances since Wolves' return to the top-flight. There will also be widespread bafflement if Arsenal sanction the departures of three established first-teamers in Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri whilst retaining the raft of deadwood in their bloated squad. Hitherto, the Gunners have failed to offload any of the likes of Manuel Almunia, Sebastien Squillaci, Denilson, Abou Diaby, Tomas Rosicky, Carlos Vela and Nicklas Bendtner.
Arsene, it's over to you.
