By: Kamusime Barnabas
Arsenal No.1 goalkeeper Bernd Leno looks set to be fit for the club’s FA Cup final clash with Chelsea.
The goalkeeper suffered knee ligament damage in last month’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton.
An update on injury news on Arsenal’s official website said: “Now participating in outside running and ball drills. Aiming to be back in full training next week.”
However, there was less good news for Shkodran Mustafi, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
The German defender injured his hamstring in last weekend’s 2-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Man City.
Arsenal defender William Saliba ‘feels like a robber’ since leaving Saint-Etienne ahead of their French Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The two Ligue 1 clubs will go head-to-head for silverware when they meet at the Stade de France on Friday evening.
he Ligue 1 season ended prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the French Cup final clash, originally scheduled for April 25, had to be pushed back.
Saint-Etienne sold Saliba to Arsenal for £27million last summer with the player being immediately loaned back for a season as part of the deal.
The French side tried to extend the loan spell so that he could play in the French Cup final, however, the Gunners vetoed those hopes.
And Saliba, who has made 17 appearances for Saint-Etienne this season, is devastated he will not be able to help his teammates.
“I couldn’t miss this. As I am not able to play, I want to at least feel this final as much as possible, by supporting my team in the stadium,” he told L’Equipe.
“In front of the TV, it would not be the same. It was important for me to be there, hoping to see Les Verts win.
“It will also allow me to say goodbye to my teammates properly. Because I left like I was a robber.”
Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Manchester United’s Sergio Romero and Arsenal’s Emiliano Martinez.
Romero has been a solid deputy to David de Gea over the years, while Martinez has impressed in Bernd Leno’s absence in the past few weeks.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang still has a slim chance of winning this season’s Premier League Golden boot.
He won the award last year with 22 goals, along with Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
The Arsenal captain is on 20 goals, three behind top scorer Jamie Vardy, heading into the final day of the season this weekend.
Click here for the full lowdown on the race for the Golden Boot.
Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp is keen to back on the training pitch and coach again.
The former forward spent a number of years at Ajax in his post playing career but left in 2017.
Arsenal is on his radar and the 51-year-old says he is following his former club with interest.
“At the moment there hasn’t been any contact about that, but as soon as I make my decision, let’s see what happens,” Bergkamp told Four Four Two.
“Of course it would be ideal at Arsenal – I spent 11 years there and have a good feeling with the club.”
“I’m really interested in Mikel Arteta and how he’s doing at Arsenal, as there have been signs that he wants to change their philosophy. It looked good in the few matches I watched earlier in the year.
“But my future, who knows? In football, one day is not the same as the other.”
Philippe Coutinho’s goal is clear: he wants to be a Premier League player again.
Arsenal are one side linked with the Barcelona playmaker, who is on loan at Bayern Munich.
Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo say the Gunners’ problem comes in the shape of his salary.
However, for now, talks about his future are on hold while he finishes the season with Bayern.
The club have won the Bundesliga, but face Chelsea – another interested side – in the Champions League.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has ruled out Shkodran Mustafi from the Gunners’ FA Cup final clash with Chelsea on August 1.
Mustafi hobbled off in the semi-final against Manchester City with a hamstring problem, but Arsenal put in a brilliant display to beat City 2-0 at Wembley on Saturday.
Mustafi played well throughout but had to come off late in the game.
And now Arteta has said he doubts Mustafi will be ready for Chelsea after he was asked about the German’s recovery in a press conference.
“I doubt [he’ll be ready]. We have to see how he evolves in the next few days but at the moment I doubt it,” he said.
“It’s true that Musti is injured.
“We need to assess a little bit how long he’s going to be out and the other two [Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi] are available.
“I’m going to assess the squad – how they’re feeling, how they’ve recovered.”
The Ornstein and Chapman podcast on The Athletic had reported in late June that Arsenal were very keen on signing Chelsea winger Willian on a free transfer in the summer window.
It now seems that there is a positive update on this move for the Gunners.
According to ESPN journalist Bruno Vicari, Arsenal are stepping up their interest for the Brazilian winger, and sources close to the club are feeling confident of landing him.
Chelsea are still trying to negotiate to keep Willian, but for now it seems like the Gunners could be in pole position to sign him and, if so, they will have beaten other interested parties like north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to his signature.
The Brazilian has had an impressive career at Chelsea, playing 330 times, scoring 59 goals and picking up 59 assists.
John Barnes says Arsenal will be ‘looking at’ Odsonne Edouard if their top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is to leave the club in the next transfer window.
The Gabon international has less than 12 months remaining on his current deal at the Emirates and is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract.
The Telegraph claim the Gunners are ready to offer Aubameyang the £250,000-a-week terms that he is demanding, but, if an agreement cannot be reached, it will come as a hammer blow for Mikel Arteta’s side.
French forward Edouard has been linked with a move to Arsenal after an impressive season for Celtic, with his 22 league goals and 7 assists helping fire Neil Lennon’s side to their ninth successive Scottish Premiership title.
“Odsonne Edouard is the top striker in Scotland and if Aubameyang was to leave Arsenal, then they will be looking at Edouard’s situation,” Barnes told BonusCodeBets.
“However, if Aubameyang stays, then I don’t see him coming.
“I think if you look at any of the top players in Scotland that they could come down to England and be a success.
“He’s doing very well at the moment and could make the step up to the Premier League if he gets a move that’s right for him and works for how he plays.”
Former Arsenal loanee Denis Suarez has revealed he was so impressed with Eddie Nketiah that he tried to take him to Celta Vigo in January.
Nketiah joined Leeds United last summer from Arsenal, but Marcelo Bielsa confirmed on New Year’s Day that his time at Elland Road was over four-months early.
Nketiah’s start against West Bromwich Albion in his final match for the Whites was just his second league start in 17 Championship appearances for the club.
And now in an interview with OneFootball.com, Suarez has revealed he tried to bring the forward to Spain after he heard that his time at Leeds was coming to an end.
He said: “Eddie Nketiah. In fact, I remember talking to Antonio Chaves, Celta’s Sporting Director, and telling him that there was a very promising striker coming through at Arsenal.
“He went on loan to Leeds but things didn’t work out. And I said if he wanted a striker, he should call him.
“Now he’s slowly becoming a regular even if not as a starter, he’s having minutes to make an impact.
“It seems like he could be important in the coming years at Arsenal and they should take care of him because he is very talented.”
Mikel Arteta insists winning the FA Cup and finishing eighth would NOT constitute a good season for Arsenal.
The Gunners will climb to eighth place in the table if they beat Watford and Sheffield United and Burnley fail to win on the final day of the Premier League season this weekend.
Arsenal could also end the 2019/20 campaign with silverware if they get the better of Chelsea in the FA Cup final on August 1.
Asked if winning the cup and finishing eight was good enough, Arteta replied: “No. For me this club deserves the best and you have to be fighting for every title.
“Obviously after everything that happened, if we are able to win the final and qualify for Europe, we can say it’s okay. But it’s not the level for this football club.”
Shkodran Mustafi looks set to miss Arsenal’s FA Cup final clash against Chelsea.
The Germany defender suffered a hamstring injury in the latter stages of the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Man City in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.
And Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ‘doubts’ Mustafi will win his fitness race for the August 1 date.
He said: “I doubt it. I don’t know.
“We have to see how he evolves in the next few days. At the moment, I doubt it.”
Arsenal defender David Luiz insists he will cut his hair if he becomes a manager.
The 33-year-old’s curly locks have been with him for most of his playing career.
He told Esquire: “I’d put a suit on and cut my hair.
“I can’t be a coach with this hair, nobody’s going to respect me!”
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