Mikel Arteta &#8211; CaughtOffside

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Arsenal fans will be delighted with Timber’s attitude, as he doesn’t seem to have spent time feeling sorry for himself, and is now ready to get back in action for the north London giants.

Timber was also quick to praise Arsenal manager Arteta for being so supportive to him since he joined, and especially so while he was out injured.

Timber on support from Arsenal boss Arteta during injury nightmare

“Yeah it was a big blow,” he said at the club’s US pre-season training camp. “But I try to look at it in a positive way … I feel good, it’s a year later, time goes quick. I enjoy my time here and I’m excited to go again.

Jurrien Timber got injured on his Premier League debut for Arsenal

“I moved to Arsenal, so you have to look at how lucky you are – that’s the way I looked at it last year. I had some time to work with some fantastic physios. It’s never fun to be injured but I tried to make the best out of it.

“From the start he (Arteta) was very supportive. During my injury as well, so it helps to have a manager like him.”

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Exclusive: Arsenal believe they’ve secured transfer of top talent with big future, says expert

Mark Brus — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:38:34 +0000

Arsenal believe they’ve signed a top young player in the form of English goalkeeper Tommy Setford, who has recently been confirmed as joining the club from Ajax.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Charles Watts provided some insight into Arsenal’s pursuit of Setford and their plans for what to do with him next in terms of fast-tracking his development.

According to Watts, we can expect to see Setford training with the Arsenal first-team goalkeepers, giving him the chance to learn from David Raya, while he’ll then mostly play for the Gunners at Under-21 level.

Setford looks like he could be a good fit for Arsenal in the long run, even if it will likely be some time before we see him featuring for Mikel Arteta’s senior side.

Setford transfer: Arsenal expert discusses the new goalkeeper signing

Tommy Setford recently joined Arsenal

Watts certainly seems to have high hopes that this is a deal that will eventually come good for AFC, and it will be interesting to see if their development plans for him work as intended.

“The addition of Tommy Setford is an interesting one. I have to admit, it’s one that came a bit out of the blue for me, I hadn’t heard anything about their interest until this summer,” Watts said.

“But this was always going to be the summer which was going to feature a big shake-up in the goalkeeper department at Arsenal, both at first-team level and in the academy.

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“In the academy there has been a host of departures when it comes to goalkeepers, with Arsenal allowing several to leave. So they needed to replace them with quality and they identified Setford as an exciting talent they believe they can develop into a top young goalkeeper.

“He has been brought in to be first choice for the U21s this season, but he will also work with David Raya and the senior keepers on a regular basis at London Colney during the week as the club looks to fast track his development.”

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Exclusive: Arsenal’s imminent signing will be scary for the rest of the Premier League – expert

Mark Brus — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:18:39 +0000

Arsenal FC expert Charles Watts has heaped praise onto the Gunners for their patient approach over the incoming signing of Riccardo Calafiori, with the journalist also stating that he expects the Italy international’s presence in Mikel Arteta’s squad to prove a pretty frightening prospect for the rest of the Premier League.

Calafiori looked superb for Bologna last season and also impressed for Italy at Euro 2024, and now it looks to have earned him a big move to the Emirates Stadium, which Watts feels was never really in doubt despite the saga dragging on for a while.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the latest edition of his weekly column for the Daily Briefing, Watts gave us his insight into what he’s expecting from Calafiori as his move to Arsenal edges closer to completion.

Arsenal fans will certainly be excited by this arrival, which looks like just what Mikel Arteta needs as an upgrade on unconvincing duo Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior on the left-hand side of his defence.

Calafiori transfer: Arsenal expert on this exciting deal

“Arsenal have had to stay patient when it comes to their move for Riccardo Calafiori. But that is something they have shown they are willing to be when it comes to landing players they really want,” Watts said.

Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal looks an exciting signing

“You just have to look at when they signed Martin Odegaard on a permanent basis from Real Madrid in 2021 as a prime example of that.

“They were made to wait all summer by Madrid and could easily have grown frustrated and moved on to other targets. But they were happy to play the waiting game because Mikel Arteta and Edu were convinced Odegaard was a player who could take the team to the next level and they have been rewarded for that patience.

“They have not had to wait as long for Calafiori as they did for Odegaard and I don’t think they were ever worried that the deal would not get done. It feels like talks with Bologna have gone relatively well. It’s the massive sell-on fee that Basel will be due for the deal that has made things a bit tricky.”

He added: “I think it’s a really exciting signing for Arsenal. Left-back was one of two positions in the team last season where there was no real consistency. Arteta was having to mix and match throughout the season, with the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakob Kiwior all filling in there.

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“When you look at Calafiori and where his strengths are, he looks like a really smart signing. He has the qualities to invert into midfield from left-back thanks to how comfortable he is with the ball when he drives forward. But if Arteta wants to use Ben White as his inverted full-back on the right, then Calafiori can just move more centrally and make up a three with Gabriel and William Saliba.

“Arsenal were so strong defensively last season and you have to think the addition of the 22-year-old is only going to make them even better at the back. That’s a pretty scary scenario for the rest of the Premier League.”

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Exclusive: European Championship hero remains at the top of Arsenal’s wanted list

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:23:31 +0000

Although it would appear that Riccardo Calafiori will be the next name through the door at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal are still working hard to strengthen elsewhere, and one Spanish European Championship hero remains top of their wanted list.

CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of the Gunners transfer plans have indicated that the North London outfit now want to move forward in negotiations to sign Real Sociedad’s brilliant 28-year-old Spanish player Mikel Merino.

Mikel Merino top of Arsenal’s wish list

It’s understood that the Gunners have received information about the player’s situation by meeting with the agents of the player, and they plan to make an opening offer of around the €30m mark soon.

Sources also note that Manchester United are continuing to monitor Merino’s situation, but the Red Devils don’t intend to prioritise his transfer at this stage of the summer window.

Spain’s midfielder Mikel Merino is top of Arsenal’s wish list

Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are also continuing their negotiations with Merino’s camp, and it’s said that both La Liga giants are ready and willing to make an offer of between €25m-€30m to Real Sociedad.

From La Real’s point of view, they’re left with little option other than to sell a player that they rate incredibly highly.

He has turned down their offer of a contract extension twice, and in the absence of an improved offer, the player will therefore listen to what other clubs have to say.

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Jul 23 2024, 14:26

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Jul 23 2024, 14:02

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Jul 23 2024, 14:00

Merino is at the top of Mikel Arteta’s shortlist this summer, though it isn’t clear at this point whether the player wishes to try a new experience in the Premier League, or will continue to ply his trade in La Liga.

Given Arteta’s own career, which took in a period at Real Sociedad as well as with the Spanish national team (up to U21 level), there’s a good chance that he could persuade his countryman to move to North London, and clearly the next few weeks are going to be crucial in terms of any negotiations.

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Mikel Arteta responds to Riccardo Calafiori transfer question and sends strong message to Arsenal board

Mark Brus — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 05:24:44 +0000

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has responded to a question about the Riccardo Calafiori transfer situation whilst also sending a strong and clear message to the club’s board about what they have to do this summer.

Arsenal are closing in on the Italy international, according to BBC Sport, though they also quote Arteta as saying he has no update on that particular deal, though the Spanish tactician then goes on to say how important it is for the Gunners to achieve a perfect summer transfer window.

Arsenal have come really close to winning the title for two seasons in a row now, but on both occasions narrowly missed out as Manchester City ended up taking the trophy, so Arteta will be understandably desperate to fix some of the finer details of his squad to ensure they can go all the way this time.

Discussing Arsenal transfers this summer, Arteta clearly took the opportunity to send a message to his board about how important it is to get their deals right if they are to go on and enjoy success on the pitch.

Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal need to be perfect to win the title

Arteta’s Arsenal transfer demand

“We have to,” Arteta said when asked about improving his squad. “When you are so close you want to grab it.

“Perfection in this league requires different standards when you relate that word to winning the Premier League and that is what we have to do.

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“There is still a lot of time left in the window and while that is more a question for the board, obviously we know there are certain positions that we want to improve and give the squad better resources in terms of numbers but the main thing is to focus on falling in love with the players we have.”

AFC supporters will no doubt be excited by the arrival of Calafiori, but it also seems clear that the north London giants could do with further new additions before the start of the campaign after what has been a surprisingly quiet summer at the Emirates Stadium so far.

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Arsenal ready to bring two more signings after Riccardo Calafiori move

Ahad Shaukat — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 05:23:53 +0000

Arsenal have been slow to start their transfer business but with the new season approaching fast, the Gunners are now ready to address a number of issues in their squad.

After completing the permanent signing of David Raya, who joined the club on loan last season from Brentford, the Premier League giants are edging closer to a move to Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Despite the Calafiori deal not getting completed yet, the Gunners have set their sights on two more signings.

According to Standard Sport, the North Londoners are set to focus on signing a new midfielder and a striker in the coming weeks.

Signing a new midfielder and attacker have been Arsenal’s priority for a long time as they search for a new partner for Declan Rice in the midfield and a new attacker who is ruthless in front of goal.

As far as midfield addition is concerned, Euro 2024 winning midfielder Mikel Merino is being targeted by Arteta this summer.

The former Newcastle United midfielder has caught the attention of Gunners and they have made the Real Sociedad midfielder their prime target.

The Spaniard is not only known for his physical presence in the middle of the park but also his creativity and passing quality.

Arsenal are getting closer to completing the signing of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori.

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Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has faced a number of fitness issues during his spell at the Emirates Stadium and Arteta is looking for a more reliable option in the midfield ahead of next season.

It remains to be seen who Arsenal will sign as their new attacker this summer.

Arsenal desperately need a prolific striker

They have been previously linked with Ivan Toney, Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen.

But nobody is close to joining the Premier League giants right now and the Gunners have a lot of work to do on that front.

The intention from the North Londoners is clear though; they want to strengthen their squad in order to challenge for the Premier League title again and this time go one step further and break their league title drought that has been going on since 2004.

Just like in previous windows, Arteta is set to be backed by the club owners to make new signings and address key issues facing the squad.

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Arsenal have made an unbelievable transfer decision for a striker this summer

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 05:21:46 +0000

Although it’s unlikely anyone at the club will come out and say it in interviews, Arsenal really do need to win the Premier League title in 2024/25.

By the end of the upcoming season, Mikel Arteta will have been at the helm for five and a half years, and backed to the hilt by his board during every transfer window.

If he’s still unable to land silverware in the English top-flight, the Gunners hierarchy surely have to at least question what needs to happen in order for the Spaniard to be able to get over the line.

Arteta will, of course, live or die by his transfer decisions, and one that he appears to have made recently is astonishing.

Despite being incredibly injury prone and hardly having played for the club during 2023/24, according to Football Transfers, the club don’t want to sell Gabriel Jesus.

Arsenal keeping hold of Gabriel Jesus

The 27-year-old is apparently fitter than ever according to club sources, though frankly that’s not difficult considering the horrendous time that he’s had with injuries over the past couple of seasons.

In the last two seasons alone he’s missed 33 games according to transfermarkt, mainly due to knee problems.

If nothing else, he has to prove himself all over again, and that may be what benefits the squad most.

Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Gabriel Jesus

Genuine strength in depth is what all managers purport to wanting from their squads, so even if Gabriel Jesus isn’t a first choice, if he’s champing at the bit to be involved, that can only be good from Arteta’s point of view.

Time will tell of course just how fit the player is, and whether he can prove to be a genuine asset for his club in their fight to topple his former employers, Man City, from their perch.

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Arsenal getting closer to transfer deal for Euro 2024 winner

Mark Brus — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 05:00:51 +0000

Arsenal are reportedly “getting closer” to a transfer deal for Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder Mikel Merino, according to journalist Kike Marin.

Merino impressed at the Euros this summer even though he wasn’t always able to get off the bench and onto the pitch for the eventual winners of the tournament, and this follows some strong form in La Liga last season as well.

The 28-year-old has been strongly linked with the Gunners by the Daily Mirror, who have claimed that Sociedad are resigned to losing the player due to the fact that he has just one year left on his contract and doesn’t seem set to sign a new one.

See below as Kike Marin now has another update, saying Merino and Arsenal look to be getting closer…

Cada vez más cerca del #Arsenal Mikel Arteta y Mikel Merino. https://t.co/uK6dGcWz0V

— Kike Marin** (@Kike_Marin_) July 22, 2024

The journalist is a little vague about what this means for the moment, but he’s previously posted about Arsenal’s interest, and how it could be a good move to get Merino linking up with Martin Odegaard again, with the Gunners captain having had a successful loan spell with Sociedad in the past.

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Merino transfer looks important for Arsenal

Arsenal could do with strengthening in midfield, so Merino makes sense as an upgrade on the ageing and injury-prone Thomas Partey, while Jorginho is also surely now at the stage where he can’t be expected to play 90 minutes on a regular basis.

Mikel Merino won Euro 2024 with Spain this summer

It could also be good for AFC to bring in someone who’s recently won something, as that success in going all the way in a major tournament could be useful experience for a club looking to do better in this year’s title race after two near-misses in a row.

It will be interesting to see how this saga develops and if anyone else joins the race for Merino, who looks a tempting option due to his contract situation, as Sociedad surely have to sell for below market value now or else lose him on a free next summer.

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Arsenal transfer target not called up to current club’s squad as “green light” close

Mark Brus — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:34:00 +0000

Riccardo Calafiori has not returned to the Bologna squad for pre-season after coming back from his summer holidays, according to transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano, with a move to Arsenal now surely edging closer.

The Italy international has shone during his time in Serie A but it now looks increasingly likely that the Premier League will be his next destination, with Romano providing another update today.

As well as posting a rather teasing hourglass emoji on his official X page, Romano also gave the latest details below as he made it clear Bologna have not called Calafiori up ahead of his expected exit, with a green light perhaps moving a step closer…

???? #AFC https://t.co/rGX17HWS4e

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 22, 2024

???? Riccardo Calafiori did not get called up for Bologna duties after returning from holidays.

Arsenal and Bologna agreed on €40m plus €5m deal with sell-on clause also included, Calafiori agreed on five year deal with #AFC.

Just waiting for Bologna and Basel green light. pic.twitter.com/aqgLrf6uXY

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 22, 2024

Calafiori looks an exciting signing for Arsenal, so fans of the Gunners will no doubt be desperate for this to go through soon, with the 22-year-old then available to join in pre-season with Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal already have a strong squad, but adding a superb young and versatile talent like this should only further boost their chances of winning the title next season after coming so close back in May.

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