ARSENAL have had a £66.6m bid for Dusan Vlahovic accepted, Italian outlets claim.
And with add-ons, that fee could rise to £88m.
But it is believed the Serb may yet choose to stay at Fiorentina for another season before joining Juventus on a free transfer in 2023.
Meanwhile more has been revealed about Arsenal’s Carabao Cup postponement against Liverpool two weeks.
It is claimed that Liverpool tested negative on their routine round of testing.
However, the Reds then ordered tests that were not required, which came back positive and led to the game being postponed.
These would later turn out to be false positives.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been linked with a loan move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassar – with a view to a PERMANENT £8m move.
Finally Juventus have reportedly identified Lyon’s Bruno Guimaraes as their replacement for Arsenal target Arthur Melo.
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Arsenal make strong Matt Turner bid
Arsenal have reportedly submitted an offer to bring New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner to the Emirates amid uncertainty around Bernd Leno’s future.
The 27-year-old was instrumental in America winning the Concacaf Gold Cup in August, with the player named as the tournament’s best shot-stopper.
And according to ESPN, the Gunners have made a ‘strong bid’ for Taylor, who won the Supporters Shield with New England in 2021.
They state that the North London side are pushing for a deal to happen before the winter transfer window slams shut.
It has been said that the proposed fee is £5.5million rising to £7.3m – similar to Zack Steffen’s transfer to Manchester City in 2018.
The news outlet has also declared that the expectation is that Aaron Ramsdale’s back-up Leno will depart this month.
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Pepe shines at AFCON
Nicolas Pepe was the star of the show as Ivory Coast knocked Algeria out of the AFCON tournament.
Pepe has had an outstanding tournament so far and he epitomised that with a scintillating display this evening.
The Ivorian looked threatening to Algeria’s backline everytime he broke forward, they simply couldn’t handle him.
In addition to that, not only did he provide an assist for the opening strike but he also capped off the performance with the goal of the game.
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Rice backs young guns
Arsenal legend Pat Rice is backing the club’s young guns to lift the Carabao Cup.
Rice was present when the Gunners lifted the League Cup in 1987 under George Graham.
And Rice insists the Gunners current crop of youth have what it takes to go all the way in the competition this season.
The Gunners former assistant manager said: “The win in 1987 was really important in laying the foundation for what was to come in the following years under George Graham.
“I truly believe that winning that first trophy as a young group of players is crucial to get something started.
“I have seen enough to know that this team can do just that. We have got players who are really, really good for their age.
I mean unbelievably good for their age. I have seen what it takes to win trophies, and I really believe this group has got that.
“When you get to a semi-final, you have got that chance, and I am really hoping and believing they can go all the way.”
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Aubameyang gives health update
Aubameyang has revealed he is fit and healthy after suffering a heart scare.
The striker, 32, returned to London from the Africa Cup of Nations after it was discovered he had lesions on his heart.
The problem ruled him out of Gabon’s clash with Ghana and he is now back in London – where he completed additional checks.
Aubameyang provided an update on Instagram, saying: “Hi guys, I came back to London to do some additional checks, and I’m very happy to say that my heart is absolutely fine and I’m completely healthy!!
“Really appreciate all the messages over the last few days and I’m already back at it.”
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Arsenal open to double exit
Arsenal are open to offers for Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers whilst the transfer window is still open.
According to ESPN, the Gunners are looking to refresh their right-back options.
Takehiro Tomiyasu joined the club last summer in a deal worth £19.8million and has since become Mikel Arteta’s first choice right back.
Cedric has only made four appearances this season, earning two assists.
Chambers has appeared five times, scoring once.
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Let Xhaka go
Kevin Campbell thinks Arsenal should get rid of Granit Xhaka.
The Gunners legend reckons the Swiss midfielder and fellow team-mate Aubameyang keep letting the squad down and should be shown the exit.
Campbell said to Football Insider: “I don’t think he should be at the football club.
“When he has played alongside Thomas Partey this season, he has played pretty well. At the moment, he is the best partner for Partey. We need an upgrade though.
“You cannot bypass or overlook the face that he keeps costing the team when he gets sent off. He’s an experienced player. He’s supposed to be leading by example.
“Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are not setting the right example. You cannot trust or rely on them.
“If you can’t trust Xhaka, what is the point in having him? I would rather have someone I can trust being on that pitch. He has done many stupid things.”
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No Con do
Spurs boss Conte has refused to speak about Arsenal’s pursuit of Dusan Vlahovic.
The Italian revealed that Tottenham have their own issues to deal with rather than to worry about their rivals’ transfer interests.
When asked about Arsenal and Vlahovic, Conte said: “I don’t like to speak about players of other clubs.
“Also, even if other clubs are interested in these players, we have our own problems to solve. We have to focus on ourselves, it’s the best way to move forward.”
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Gunners vs Liverpool news
Arsenal and Liverpool prepare to do battle in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
The clash takes place on Thursday, January 20
The match kicks off at 7.45pm.
The Emirates Stadium plays host to the tie.
Extra-time and penalties await if the scores are level after 90 mins, and away goals do not count as double.
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Move-ling along swiftly
Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell reckons Lingard would be a perfect fit for Newcastle.
He told Football Insider: “Lingard is proven. He is an England international who has showed his class at both Manchester United and West Ham.
“Man United did not want to lose him last summer. For whatever reason, he hasn’t got the game time he would’ve liked this season but now he has another opportunity to go out on loan.
“At Newcastle he can play football, score goals and show Gareth Southgate what a good player he is ahead of the World Cup.
“He is an exceptional player. I think that would be a really good move for all parties.”
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Franke addresses Man Utd loss
Brentford boss Thomas Franke discussed his team’s loss to Manchester United.
Franke said: “They had to step up, the way we destroyed them, they were not particularly happy with that, they were huge favourites before the game.
“They got a goal and changed the momentum of the game.
“It tells everything about the players, mentality and attitude that we out ran Man United and any other day we would win”
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Ferdinand’s angry text
Arsenal legend Martin Keown received an angry text from Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand after he named Diogo Dalot man of the match against Brentford.
Ferdinand said: “Martin on commentary was the person who gave Dalot man of the match, I couldn’t believe it.
“[Scott] McTominay was head and shoulders above everybody. I text him [Martin] saying, ‘What’s going on?’.
“I saw him [McTominay] in a restaurant last week and just spoke to him briefly about working hard and playing hard and that’s all you hear about him.
“He’s an honest kid, he wants to do well and improve. You saw in his game today where his intensity and desire, you could see it from the first minute.
“At Manchester United, you need a certain amount of ability but personality and character are what gets you through and enables you to stay at this club for a long time.
“He’s shown that in a time of need when this club has been shaky at the best of times”
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Saka will not leave
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka will stay at the Emirates for the foreseeable future despite recent links with Liverpool, according to Steve McManaman.
McManaman wrote on horseracing.net: “Bukayo Saka would be an amazing signing for Liverpool but I can’t possibly see Arsenal selling a key player to a domestic rival.
“I can’t envision that move happening. He’s one of Arsenal’s star men.
“I’ve seen a lot of Arsenal this season and Buyako excites me more than any other player in their side.”
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Possible Vlahovic blow
Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic is not planning to leave during the January transfer window.
That is according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who reports that Arsenal have been targeting Vlahovic since October.
However, Romano added that the striker is keen to depart from the Artemio Franchi in the summer.
The Serbia international has also been linked with Tottenham and Newcastle
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Barcelona’s transfer list
Barcelona have been offered a raft of Premier League stars amid the January transfer window.
That is according to Mundo Deportivo, who report that Barca have been offered an ‘endless’ list of players to sign.
Among them is Arsenal outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has found himself out of manager Mikel Arteta’s squad following another disciplinary breach.
The list also includes Chelsea’s Timo Werner and Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani
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Oxlade-Chamberlain out
Liverpool have suffered a major injury blow with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out of Thursday’s Carabao Cup showdown at Arsenal.
Former Gunners star Oxlade-Chamberlain was hoping to face his old side in the semi-final, second-leg clash at the Emirates.
But the midfielder has failed to recover from an ankle problem sustained in Sunday’s 3-0 win against Brentford.
This means manager Jurgen Klopp is without yet another senior star, with Thiago Alcantara and Divock Origi still out injured.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane continue to be away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt and Senegal respectively
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‘Trouble & Pressure’
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is lacking confidence and coming up with excuses like he did at Paris Saint-Germain, according to Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit.
Petit told Bookmakers.co.uk: “What is happening on the pitch for Chelsea now, reminds me of what it was like under Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain when things started to go wrong there.
“Trouble started in newspapers, the pressure came on from the media and fans, powerful players within the club were questioning him all the time and it continued week after week.
“You could see physically he had changed during press conferences and on the bench in games.
“That cool attitude he has just wasn’t there. He was getting aggressive and was also looking for excuses from outside the club”
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Moving Zakwards
Bayern Munich have joined Arsenal and Manchester United in the bidding war for Borussia Monchengladbach star Denis Zakaria.
Zakaria has entered the last six months of his deal and is unwilling to consider staying at Gladbach once it expires.
The Bundesliga side are open to cashing in on the midfielder whilst they still can, with Arsenal keeping tabs.
Reports suggest, the Red Devils had already offered the player a contract and would rather pay a fee in January than wait until the summer.
But, Bayern are now seriously considering a move and are the current favourites to secure the Switzerland international’s signature.
According to Sky Sports, the German champions are hopeful of landing the 25-year-old on a free transfer in the summer as a replacement for Corentin Tolisso, whose contract also expires in June
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Dembele to be sold
Barcelona CEO Mateu Alemany has confirmed that Ousmane Dembele will be sold during the end of the January transfer window because he doesn’t want to be at the Nou Camp anymore.
Alemany said: “It’s clear that Dembele does not want to continue with Barcelona.
“He doesn’t want to be part of our project.
“We told Dembele he has to leave immediately. We expect Ousmane to be sold before Jan 31.”
Dembele has been previously linked with a move to Arsenal
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Partey has returned
Arsenal star Thomas Partey has returned to London from Cameroon and the Africa Cup of Nations.
Partey’s and Ghana suffered a shock elimination from the Copa Africa’s group stages.
According to Football London, the midfielder has landed in the UK and the Gunners are hopeful he will be ready in time for Sunday’s game against Burnley.
That is a major boost for manager Mikel Arteta, who has been dealing with a depleted midfield
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Henry next gig?
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is Bordeaux’s No1 target if the Ligue 1 strugglers sack manager Vladimir Petkovic.
Henry is currently Belgium’s assistant coach, and is reportedly in ‘regular contact’ with the French club’s president Gerard Lopez.
According to RMC, the legendary forward heads a list of several options as Petkovic is tipped to depart.
Second-bottom Bordeaux’s squad strength and fighting spirit looked feeble as they lost 6-0 at Rennes on Sunday
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More from Arteta
Arteta added: “Because there’s no way we can give all our players a full MRI scan every day because then no-one is going to play football.
“On Sunday we did not have even 11 players available and we did all the right things.
“You have to prove individual evidence, all the MRIs, all the Covid cases you have. You have to put it all on the table, explain and answer more questions.
“That’s why we have the Premier League, the FA and the regulators to carry out the due diligence, which is a lot to postpone a match.
“We have been struggling all week with numbers. Hopefully we can bring some players back against Liverpool but they won’t be in the best condition because they haven’t trained for a long time”
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Arteta speaks ahead of Liverpool
Speaking ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool at the Emirates, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted he is still struggling to name a team.
Arteta said: “When a team has come to us and said they cannot play, we have never, ever publicly questioned any of that.
“You have to expect people to follow the rules, to be honest and try to maintain the integrity of the competition.
“I agree that there should be more clarity about the rules, but you have to do that right from the beginning.
“To ask somebody to change when you want to be transparent halfway through the season is tricky and a little bit manipulative.
“If the game is off only for Covid then we are playing a different game with different rules.
“So then are we testing every day, twice a day, PCR or lateral flows? What are we trying to achieve?”
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Orsic transfer race
Burnley have joined the transfer race for Dinamo Zagreb star and former Arsenal target Mislav Orsic.
Orsic is valued at around £10million by Dinamo, who are in no rush to let him go.
The winger came to the attention of English fans when he scored a hat-trick against Tottenham in the Europa League last year.
The Croatia international also grabbed the winner against West Ham in December
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Taking the mik
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has come out with all guns blazing at critics following the postponement of the north London derby and vowed to defend his club ‘with teeth and nails’
Arteta said: “We will not allow anybody to damage our name or try to lie about things that haven’t happened.
“We will absolutely defend our club with teeth and nails in a really strong way because we know we did the right thing.
“We didn’t have the players necessary for a squad to compete in a Premier League match. That is 100 per cent guaranteed.
“Whoever is saying that we’ve been trying to do something that we haven’t, that’s a lie. And when somebody is lying you don’t really get offended.
“We were killed when we played the first three games of the season with a lot of players missing.
“People said ‘don’t be naive. If you have that many out, don’t play with your kids’.
“We played against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup with 10 players out and now we postponed a match for all the right reasons and we get these reactions. It’s a no-win situation”
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Arsenal’s Vlahovic plan
Arsenal are ready to make Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic their second-highest earner at the club.
The Gunners have made Vlahovic their top transfer target with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future uncertain.
According to La Nazione, the north Londoners are willing to offer the striker £300,000-per-week.
Only ex-captain Aubameyang is paid more, as he is earning up to £350,000