The transfer season is in full swing, and Arsenal have been linked with moves for a number of players over the past few days.
Here is the long and short of it…
Are Arsenal the mystery fourth club in the running to sign Eden Hazard? If they are and he chooses to go there it would be a major surprise and superb coup for the club. It may even convince Robin van Persie of their ambition and convince him to stay. Now the bad news? The source is the Star, who are not always the most reliable. They say the Gunners are preparing a £32 million offer to Lille, with money they had set aside previously to sign Mario Gotze. The talented Belgian is Europe’s hottest property, and if he is not wearing an Arsenal shirt next season, he will surely still be at the Emirates, albeit in a shirt of a rival club.
Last night rumours linking Arsenal with a bid for Swansea City’s Joe Allen went into overdrive, however there has been no confirmation of any sorts from either club. The fee suggested was a £3 million offer, which would be great value for such a talent. However with the Gunners’ midfield already brimming with competition, and Allen may be best off staying where he is and playing regular first team football. The Swansea Vital Football site has the lowdown on the story, and Swans fans won’t be surprised if Allen is the subject of more speculation.
Free agent Salomon Kalou has a big decision to make after his release from Chelsea. Are Arsenal the club for him? One report claims so, although how much truth is in this we can’t be sure. However the Kalou to Arsenal rumours can be traced back to even last year, and he is expected to decide his future within the next week. Tottenham may also rival Arsenal to sign a player whose confidence will be sky high after winning the Champions League.
Midfielder Etienne Capoue was linked with Arsenal yesterday, as a cheaper alternative to Yann M’Vila. The M’Vila chase has gone cold for now, and a conspiracy theorist may suggest Arsenal are looking at the cheaper Capoue because they are preparing a big bid for Hazard. However the Capoue link may be just that, to force Rennes’ hand when it comes to M’Vila, even so, Capoue looks a good prospect. You can see more of him and read about him in our feature by clicking the link on his name above.
The Metro reported this week that Chelsea want an answer by Friday from Arsenal whether or not they want to sign Benayoun on a permanent basis or not. The Israeli took his time to settle in at the Emirates, but proved a big asset by the end of his time there, scoring six goals in total. Arsenal could secure his signature for as little as £1 million, but they may choose to sign a Kalou for free or even Junior Hoilett, who are both younger and can play in similar positions.
Which of these five should, and do you think, Arsenal will sign?
image: © wonker
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