Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Gunners eye Mohamed Simakan move as Jurrien Timber replacement, Folarin Balogun bid REJECTED
ARSENAL could move for RB Leipzig's Mohamed Simakan to replace the injured Jurrien Timber, according to reports.
The Gunners have confirmed that summer signing Timber is out for the ENTIRE season with an ACL injury.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have reportedly rejected a £34million bid from AS Monaco for forward Folarin Balogun, according to reports.
Follow ALL of the latest from the Emirates Stadium below...
Arsenal supporting Timber
Timber breaks silence
Jurrien Timber has broken his silence after rupturing the ACL in his right knee in the Gunner's season opener against Nottingham Forest.
He wrote on Instagram: "Gutted to share my injury is more serious than expected, especially after the warm welcome I've received.
"I wanted to repay you on the pitch, which will not be possible for the forthcoming period.
"Thanks for making me feel at home and see you at The Carpet."
Massive Timber blow
Arsenal are set to be without the services of new signing Jurrien Timber for several months after the defender ruptured the ACL in his right knee in last Saturday's 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
The Netherlands international will go under the knife in the coming days.
A club statement read: "Further to detailed assessments with consultant specialists since Saturday, we can confirm that Jurrien Timber has sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
"Jurrien will undergo surgery in the coming days and will be out of action for a period of time.
"The support and expertise from our medical team and everyone at the club will now be focussed on Jurrien’s rehabilitation programme, to ensure he recovers well and is back playing as soon as possible.
"No return date has been set at this stage."
Tavares transfer imminent
Arsenal flop Nuno Tavares is being lined up for a Premier League switch, reports SunSport's Ciaran Wiseman.
The full-back has been strongly linked with a move away from the Gunners this summer.
And according to Fabrizio Romano, Nottingham Forest have submitted a formal proposal for the defender.
Wright's Havertz demand
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has revealed he'd like to see new boy Kai Havertz play alongside Thomas Partey in a deeper role in the midfield.
He said: “I believe that someone like Kai Havertz alongside, we’ve mentioned Thomas Partey can play there in the two number eights.
“You can have Kai Havertz as one if you want and you can have Declan Rice as one if you want as well.
"So, you can play him a little bit deeper or you can play him in that little bit of an advanced role.
"Obviously, we don’t need him as a number nine, but I know that he’s somebody that if he can crash the box, I believe that he’s going to cause a lot of problems for teams and for us.”
Nketiah praised
Eddie Nketiah has been praised for his strong start to the season in Arsenal's Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest, in which he bagged the first goal of the match.
talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino said of the striker: “I’ve been impressed with him for a long while, I really like Eddie Nketiah.
"Whether he’s the absolute solution for Arsenal is still to be decided.
"The way he played last year, I thought he played his part, he was fantastic against Tottenham last year. I’m delighted with his attitude."
Odegaard contract talks
Arsenal are set to bring forward contract talks with Martin Odegaard in order to tie him down to a new deal, according to TeamTalk.
They reported: “They are looking to get that done, to push forward with those discussions at the moment.
"They have spent a lot of time getting a lot of the key players signed up at the club and Odegaard and Ben White are the final two.
"And my understanding is that talks have been taking place fairly recently to try to get the deal to a stage where it can be done.”
Rice fee defended
Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre has defended the £105million fee the club paid for Declan Rice.
He told GGrecon: “The market decides the prices.
"The valuation is what it is and Arsenal were prepared to pay the price for Declan, so it proves how highly they value his ability.
"English teams have to pay a premium for English players, so if Declan Rice was German, Spanish or Italian, then he wouldn’t have cost that much money.
"If you’re an English player playing in the Premier League, then you’re going to cost a lot of money.
"We’ve seen it before when Manchester United paid Leicester City £80 million for Harry Maguire.
“What matters is what Declan will deliver on the pitch.
"He has the right attitude and mental strength to overcome the pressure that comes with being bought for such a fee and I believe he will be a wonderful signing for Arsenal.
"Arsenal’s forward players will be happy to see Declan in the team as he will create plenty of chances for them and once Declan begins to deliver, people will stop talking about his price tag.”
Arteta urged to keep Tierney
Mikel Arteta has been urged to resist the urge to out-of-favour defender Kieran Tierney.
Former Gunner William Gallas told Genting Casino: "When you play in so many competitions during the season, you always need players who can play at a high level when they play.
"Normally, you need four center backs, two right backs and two left backs. If Tierney leaves Arsenal, who will be the back-up?
"They should therefore keep him, and while it is hard for him because he does not start as many games as he wants, he should still stay.
"The season is so long, and you need to replace players who have quality when players start to get injured."
Saka hailed by Fergie
Sir Alex Ferguson has heaped praise on Bukayo Saka, comparing the Arsenal winger to a young Ryan Giggs.
He told NBC Sports: "Well, for my take, people talk about when we had Giggs, [David] Beckham, Scholes, [Nicky] Butt, and the Nevilles [Phil and Gary], people thought they made a great team.
"But what made it a great team was the spirit they created.
"They brought you a spirit, and they never forget you for giving them a chance in life.
Arteta's transfer problem
Mikel Arteta has caused himself a goalkeeping headache selection problem with the signing of David Raya, former Manchester United stopper Peter Schmeichel believes.
He told Ladbrokes Fanzone: "I'm a little bit confused as to the David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale story, and the timing of it.
Two clubs chase Gunners hitman
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji is reportedly a wanted man - with two clubs said to be keen on signing him.
The 20-year-old striker spent the second half of last season on loan with Accrington Stanley.
A loan move is likely to materialise before the transfer window closes.
And according to Football Insider, Wigan and Peterborough are interested in snapping up Butler-Oyedeji's services.
Edu hails David Raya
David Raya has been hailed by Edu after his loan move from Brentford to the Emirates.
Arsenal's sporting director said: “We welcome David to us on a season-long loan from Brentford.
"David is a top-quality goalkeeper, who has consistently performed to a high level with Brentford in the Premier League.
"With David joining us we are adding quality and depth to our squad so we can perform at the highest possible level in all competitions.”
Arteta juggling act
William Gallas has hailed Mikel Arteta's additions to his squad but reckons the Spaniard faces a huge problem to keep his current crop of stars happy.
The former Gunners defender told Genting Casino: "I think Arteta will be able to play with different styles, because all of Arsenal’s forwards are different.
"However, all the strikers will want to play every week, so it will be hard to fit them all in.
"However the all the players gives you different options, allowing Arsenal to compete in all of the trophies this year, now they are in the Champions League as well.
Arteta will have a little headache to choose who should start.
"Right now, it is the start of the season, but come the middle of the season, some may be upset that they are not starting, so the role of Arteta will be important to keep them calm.
Timber fear allayed
Jurrien Timber's knee injury has been played down by former Gunner Mikael Silvestre, who insists Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney can cover for the crocked new boy.
He told Betting Expert: “It’s a blow to lose a defender or any player at the beginning of the season.
Especially a new signing because you’re hoping that he would add value to the squad straight away.”
“With Tomiyasu and Tierney they will cover for Timber’s injury.”
Balogun urged to consider Ligue 1 return
Folarin Balogun has been told to consider returning to Ligue 1 to play with Monaco.
Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre told Betting Expert: “I’m not in his shoes, but I would go back to Ligue 1 and choose Monaco.”
“They need a striker and one like him. He would fit in well there, and he knows Ligue 1.”
“It would make sense to go and establish himself at Monaco and continue the good run he had with the 20-odd goals he scored.”
“He should continue his progression with a side that is trying to build a competitive side that can go back to competing for the Champions League places.”
Newcastle eye loan deal for Tierney
Newcastle United are only eyeing a loan deal for out-of-favour defender Kieran Tierney, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Magpies are one of several clubs interested in signing the Scotland international.
But Financial Fair Play restrictions are preventing them from pursuing a permanent deal for the left back.
Romano told Caught Offside: “Kieran Tierney – The Arsenal left-back continues to attract speculation.
"But at the moment Newcastle for Financial Fair Play reasons are not offering any permanent deal."
Tierney exit urged
Former Arsenal hitman John Hartson has urged Kieran Tierney to seriously consider leaving the Emirates this summer.
During an appearance on talkSPORT, he said: “Am I surprised? Probably.
"After being there a couple of years, he hasn’t held down a regular place.
"We all thought he’d go down there and rip the Premier League up.
"We know of his talents but obviously, [Oleksandr] Zinchenko the Ukraine left-back, came from Manchester City.
"He’s a serial winner, he’s won titles and everything else, he’s a wonderful player.
"He can play left-back, he drifts into midfield, he’s another outstanding player, Zinchenko.
"I know Kieran can play a number of positions, such as centre-half, but with [William] Saliba and Gabriel [Malaghaes] there, they have some brilliant centre-backs as well, Arsenal.
“I’m not surprised he’s on the radar of several clubs, in particular a club that are going forward in the world in Newcastle, but am I surprised?
"No, not really. It hasn’t happened for him, but he’s too good not to be playing every week.
"He was totally out of the fray at the weekend, and wasn’t even a sub. Arsenal went on and won 2-1.
"I don’t know if he’s injured or had a knock, but maybe that relationship with the manager is not quite there.”
Lonely Gunner
Arsenal legend Martin Keown has claimed former Gunner Granit Xhaka was a "lonely guy" at the club after fans turned on him a few years back.
He told Stadium Astro: “It’s an interesting one in how he recovered.
“Initially, he didn’t do well. They got £25 million for him. He played 99% of the games last season.
“He is in his early 30s, I think they made the right call in moving him on and bringing in Declan Rice.
On Arsenal being better with Rice than Xhaka: “Long-term, okay. But I still think we should show respect for Granit Xhaka, as well as he did during the last couple of seasons.
“Oh, massively (Xhaka spitting opinion). I tell you that I wasn’t a massive fan, but I warmed to him in those last couple of years. The man was in a bad way.
"The fans had turned their back on him. He was a lonely guy. Lost the captaincy, so he did remarkably well to get back up.
"The manager patched him up, got the best out of him and got money for him, then got a better solution for him, I think (in Rice).”
Fati boost
Barcelona have admitted they could be forced to sell Ansu Fati in the coming weeks.
The cash-strapped Catalans are looking to balance their books so as not to be in violation of Financial Fair Play rulings.
Fati - who Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is understood to be an admirer of - is one of the club's highest-valued players.
And manager Xavi admits they could be forced to cash in on him in order to balance the books.
When asked about the Spain international's future, he said: "It will depend a lot on Financial Fair Play for us."
Zinchenko injury update
Oleksandr Zinchenko has issued an update on his road to recovery.
Gunners fans are hoping for swift return to full fitness for the Ukraine international following injury to new boy Jurrien Timber against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
And he gave them a much-needed boost by posting an image of himself in training with his team-mates and the accompanying caption: "Great to be back."
The Gunners travel to Selhurst Park on Monday to face Crystal Palace in their second Premier League match of the new season.
Former Gunner calls out Arteta mistake
Ex-Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant has claimed Mikel Arteta missed a trick by not signing Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus.
He told bettingsites.co.uk: "Bringing in a new striker for Arsenal 100 per cent has to be the priority.
"Spending £65m on Kai Havertz and what could be up to £30m for David Raya, that’s almost £100m…
"Arsenal could have signed a top-class striker for that money instead, who will get them 20-plus goals a season, which they need.
"If Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli are not getting those numbers like they did last season then the goals may be few and far between, which is why they need an out-and-out striker.
"Arsenal were linked with Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus in the past and I think he would be a great addition for the club – he can also bring something different with his hold-up play, he’s strong in the air, and a good striker.
"He would be a great signing and appears to be available, so Arsenal should have used their money to sign someone like that.
"Arsenal have got depth in the defence and midfield areas after their summer signings. The icing on the cake for Arsenal would now be to bring in a new striker."
Raya warning
New Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has warned Aaron Ramsdale he hasn't moved to the Emirates just to sit on the bench.
The Spaniard said: "I can’t wait to be out there training with the lads and getting that GK union going.
"That’s a tight group that we’re always going to get along and push each other, so that’s going to be a healthy group in my opinion.
"I just can’t wait to get going and meet the lads.
"One of the challenges is to get used to the style and the patterns, and get to know the players as soon as possible to get that bond from the beginning.
"Knowing the players and the staff, I think they’re going to put me in the right direction and I’ll fit in straight away."
Folarin Balogun transfer latest
Arsenal are keen to sell Folarin Balogun fearing his value could dip due to a lack of game time and the striker wants to play for Inter Milan, while other Premier League clubs keep tabs.
Other Premier League clubs have been asking for information about Balogun but he is keen to sign for Inter Milan and play for the Nerazzurri in the Champions League.
New developments are for sure expected in the next few days and Arsenal would like to sell Balogun this summer because he’s not in Arteta’s plans.
There is a high chance that with little game time, his value may decrease in the next month and that’s why Arsenal don’t want to miss out on a potentially important sale.
Rudy GalettiGive Me Sport
Arsenal keen to sell Tierney
Arsenal are very keen to sell Kieran Tierney, who has been targeted by Newcastle during the summer transfer window.
According to The Telegraph, the Gunners would prefer to sell Tierney this month.
A compromise could be reached that would defer the fee for another 12 months.
That would help the Magpies navigate their way through Financial Fair Play issues.
