Our resident Arsenal fans in the Football Transfer Tavern have been wishing the hours away this week, hoping that time hurries up so they can put the wrongs of West Ham United at home right against Crystal Palace away at Selhurst Park this Sunday.
In what will be a tough game for Arsene Wenger’s men at one of the most vociferous venues in the country, Arsenal will need nothing short of three points to ensure they stay close to their title rivals.
Against West Ham, it was nothing short of an absolute nightmare for the Gunners whose fans had to watch Petr Cech uncharacteristically make two high profile errors that resulted in goals for Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate.
It can’t get much worse for Cech who along with his team-mates would’ve received an absolute rollicking by Wenger following the full-time whistle last weekend you’d imagine.
Outside the fixtures themselves, Arsenal fans have also been torturing themselves over their club’s lack of transfer activity with the Karim Benzema rumours the only ones the club are really clinging onto right now.
For whatever reason, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal really do wait it out when it comes to transfers and compared to other clubs, they really are slow on the uptake and non-aggressive when it comes to the window.
So much so that we’ve managed to devise an entire eleven built out of summer transfer targets that are not Gunners players at present.
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Click on the image below to reveal the ultimate Arsenal transfer linked XI.
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Marco Amelia
Back at the end of July, Metro went with the surprise report that Arsenal were interested in acquiring former AC Milan goalkeeper and Italian international Marco Amelia who had reportedly signed a confidentiality agreement with the Gunners.
Most recently having been on the books of Perugia, Amelia is now 33-years-old, an experienced stopper and someone who was part of the Italy squad that won the World Cup back in 2006.
With Petr Cech having been signed by then, Amelia was linked with the premise that Arsenal would be getting rid of Wojciech Szczesny – which they now have on loan to Roma – while the Italian would come in as cover as a third choice.
With Amelia still yet to find a new club as a free agent, this surprise move could still come to pass, especially when you consider Emiliano Martinez joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan recently.
With academy star Matt Macey the current third choice at Emirates Stadium, perhaps Wenger could yet move for Amelia as more of a solid third choice behind both Cech and David Ospina.
Benedikt Howedes
Also linked with a Gunners switch back in the January transfer window when Arsenal eventually plumped for Gabriel Paulista’s signing from Villarreal, Benedikt Howedes was again rumoured to be joining Arsene Wenger’s men this summer.
That was until the German international and World Cup winner announced his intentions to stay at current club Schalke back in June.
While Arsenal boast four centre back choices in Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel Paulista and Calum Chambers right now, many Gooners in the bar think the club need another one, especially with Mertesacker having been criticised for his lack of mobility, not to mention the inevitable injury crises that often hit the Gunners’ squad.
Alessio Romagnoli
One of the most highly-rated defenders at the European Under-21 Championships with Italy this summer, Roma’s Alessio Romagnoli has now decided he’ll be continuing his football education at AC Milan.
Joining the Rossoneri last weekend on a five-year deal and for a 25 million euro fee, Arsenal were linked with the Italian’s signature prior to his San Siro switch.
In comments that Gunners fans who crave a new defender won’t want to hear, Romagnoli claimed: “This (AC Milan) is the most successful and best club in the world.
“Now I have to think about myself and doing well on the pitch.
“I’ll try to give my all, everyone at Milan is quality. I have to be calm and try to do my best.”
Kostas Manolas
If Arsenal truly do have designs on landing another centre back this summer, they could have more luck with another Roma centre back in the form of their Greek international Kostas Manolas.
Linked with a Gunners switch prior to trading Olympiakos for the Italian capital last summer too, he’s again reportedly been on Arsene Wenger’s radar this time around but with the 24-year-old currently happy at the Stadio Olimpico, this looks another player who Arsenal will miss out on.
Having now earned 20 caps for the Greek national team, Manolas is now relatively experienced for his age, having also played Champions League football but lets face it, Greek players have never really cut it in the Premier League have they?
Well apart from the Arsenal slayer himself Stelios Giannakopoulos!
Faouzi Ghoulam
Back in mid-July, talkSPORT referenced Spanish sources on what at the time seemed like premature reports regarding Athletic Bilbao being set to sign up Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal on a two-year deal.
Still at Emirates Stadium of course and regarded highly by Gooners following his remarkable turnaround in form last term, these reports upset our resident Arsenal fans who were questioning, why on earth get rid of the club’s most improved player.
Amidst these reports, many papers including The Mirror claimed Arsenal were lining up Napoli’s Algerian inetrnational Faouzi Ghoulam as Monreal’s replacement with a £10 million offer being lodged to the Italians.
Fast forward to August and Monreal is staying in North London and all these reports were utter tosh.
Mario Gotze
Despite ultimately scoring the goal that won Germany the 2014 World Cup Final against Argentina, Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze is not so indispensable for his club side.
Usually an expensive substitute and bit-part player under Pep Guardiola, these factors had underlined many papers’ reports that Gotze was unsettled and keen on a move away from Bavaria this summer.
Often usurped to a starting place in Guardiola’s chosen eleven by the likes of Xabi Alonso and Thiago Alcantara, not to mention the arrival of Arturo Vidal from Juventus, you can appreciate Gotze’s predicament right now.
One of the clubs linked despite their embarrassment of riches in the midfield area has been Arsenal with the latest from The Express claiming that Bayern are giving Gotze a deadline in which to decide his future by.
Grzegorz Krychowiak
Sevilla’s Polish international powerhouse was linked with Arsenal much earlier in the transfer window but the rumours have been intensifying again of late after the Gunners sent scouts to watch him in the Andalusian club’s 5-4 Super Cup defeat to Barcelona recently.
For many Gooners, relying on Francis Coquelin to stay fit for the entire season is an absolutely stupid thing to do given the Gunners’ injury record, not to mention the fact the Frenchman plays in an area where tackles neeed to be made and suspensions can be picked up.
In Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini, many Gooners have lost faith that the duo can indeed step up successfully when called upon, hence their craving of a new top level defensive midfield.
Krychowiak is exactly that after a fantastic first season for Sevilla last term but the latest is that a rib injury incurred in that Super Cup fixture could scupper a £20 million + deal from taking place.
Lucas Silva
If Krychowiak’s rib injury is enough to scupper a deal from taking place, perhaps Arsene Wenger will turn to Real Madrid’s Lucas Silva.
After all, Metro seems to think that the North Londoners are ready to conclude a deal for the Brazilian who has found regular playing time hard to come by at the Bernabeu.
Alongside Asier Illarramendi – another Arsenal target unsurprisingly – Lucas Silva often gets left on the bench behind the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric so why not move to Arsenal where he’d be appreciated far more?
An indispensable cog in Cruzeiro’s successes in Brazil, the 22-year-old’s potential exit has also been hyped up given the fact Real Madrid need to part with at least one more non-EU player before the transfer window slams shut.
Watch this space.
Julian Draxler
Just like Nico Gaitan and Manchester United, Arsenal never seem to be too far away when it comes to their perceived interest in Schalke’s Julian Draxler.
The German international came close to joining the Gunners back in the January transfer window of 2014 when Arsenal stood still and perceived the asking price for the Schalke man to be far too high.
Fast forward to the summer window of 2015 and Metro are reporting that Arsenal are set to make a £21.2 million bid for Draxler.
Seemingly perfect for Arsenal given he is talented, yet injury prone, Draxler will have to join an elite club at some point and if he did arrive at Emirates Stadium, perhaps he’d receive a chance as a false nine rather than on the wing where Arsenal boast so many other options.
Karim Benzema
Seemingly the answer to all of Arsenal’s problems right now, Karim Benzema has been the number one name linked with an Emirates Stadium switch this summer following the Gunners’ capture of Petr Cech from Chelsea.
Absolutely sick and tired of hearing about the club’s interest in Benzema right now, the latest and rather shocking news on the potential deal taking place is that a Venezuelan model and superfan of Real Madrid with good connections – Jeinny Lizarazo – has promised to be punished if the Frenchman doesn’t join the Gunners.
Yes, that’s the level this transfer rumour has gotten itself into.
Can you see why Arsenal fans have emotionally detached themselves from this rumour until something more concrete comes around?
Fernando Llorente
While somebody like Karim Benzema would gobble up the chances missed by the likes of Olivier Giroud at present, what the Gunners will end up with is Giroud mark II in Fernando Llorente according to some cynical Arsenal fans by the bar.
At the end of July, Arsenal were described as the favourites for Llorente’s signature who were then lining up a £8.5 million deal for the Spaniard.
Since then, no more concrete news regarding Llorente’s future has surfaced although The Mirror have today claimed that the Juventus man has agreed terms on a switch to Sevilla.
Good riddance claim our Arsenal contingent who are crossing everything in the hope Karim Benzema eventually becomes available for transfer late in the window.
