Arsenal were dumped out of the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage for the sixth successive season on Wednesday night, which has only escalated rumours engulfing the Emirates Stadium.
There’s news of one bid for a highly-rated midfielder from across the continent whilst two Arsenal stars have given their thoughts on their midweek defeat to Barcelona.
Here’s all the latest developments regarding the Gunners as we approach the end of the week.
Arsenal are interested in signing Schalke midfielder Roman Neustadter, who has also attracted interest from Inter Milan. The versatile 28-year-old can play in defence or midfield and with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season, Arsene Wenger is keeping tabs on his situation at Veltins-Arena.
The Gunners are also keen on bringing Borussia Dortmund star Henrikh Mkhitaryan to north London. The Armenia international has enjoyed a scintillating campaign, recording nine goals and 10 assists in the Bundesliga alone. With Dortmund performing so well this term it is unknown whether he will want to leave Germany, but Liverpool are also believed to be interested, with Jurgen Klopp known to be a huge admirer of the 27-year-old. (Bild via Express)
Arsenal have snapped up young goalkeeper Ryan Huddart on a new contract. The 19-year-old has impressed for both the Under-18 and Under-21 sides this season and was even named on the substitutes bench last term for senior Champions League games against Borussia Dortmund and Anderlecht.
Arsenal have submitted an offer for highly-coveted Napoli midfielder Allan. The 25-year-old’s agent hinted at a move away from Italy this week and the latest rumours are suggesting that Arsenal have swooped to make their interest known with a big-money bid, even though Napoli are unwilling to sell.
Teenage midfielder Alex Iwobi said it was a “dream” to make his full Champions League debut against Barcelona in midweek. The 19-year-old started at the Nou Camp and was one of few bright sparks in the Gunners’ eventual 3-1 loss, with Iwobi proud of his achievement despite the disappointing result. (Arsenal’s official website).
Roy Keane has blasted Arsene Wenger’s side in the wake of Wednesday night’s defeat though, claiming that Arsenal are “cheating” the club’s supporters: “It tells you that they’ve got a weak group of players, who can’t seem to lift it for certain games. No doubt the pressure has got to them in the last few months and for players at Arsenal Football Club who can’t deal with pressure, then you shouldn’t be there. They’re cheating the supporters in that sense.”
Laurent Koscielny has called on his Arsenal team-mates to rediscover their “confidence” in the closing weeks of the season by “going back to basics”. The Gunners’ form has dipped significantly since the turn of the year. On a personal note, Koscielny has suffered from injury, and against Barcelona committed two defensive errors leading to goals. (Arsenal’s official website).
Mesut Ozil has also issued a rallying cry, insisting that Arsenal need to “fight” to keep their Premier League title hopes alive. The German has undoubtedly been the team’s best player this season, but his division-high 18 assists have not been enough to keep Arsenal at the top of the table, with the side now down in third place. (Arsenal’s official website).
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