2.15pm Arsenal news LIVE: Saka contract talks stall, Saliba return UPDATE, Aubameyang future, Ceballos valued at £43.7m – The Sun
ARSENAL players have returned to training with the Premier League receiving government backing to resume "as soon as possible".
But Gunners fans may never see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang represent their club in the flesh again with the North Londoners hierarchy prepared to accept a bid as low as £30m for their captain.
Follow all the latest gossip and transfer news from North London below…
CESC VS OZ
Jack Wilshere has compared Cesc Fabregas and Mesut Ozil.
He said: “They can change a game and can control a game – more so Fabregas. That’s the difference.
“Ozil wouldn’t really get involved in build-up but Cesc would.
“I’ve seen games where Cesc must have made 10-12 goal scoring chances just by dropping off.”
'BALL IN YOUR COURT
Dani Ceballos will cost Arsenal £43.7million, according to reports.
The on-loan midfielder fancies himself if a return to Real Madrid is on the cards.
But Mikel Arteta wants the 23-year-old to stay in North London, for what would cost the Gunners €50m.
Arsenal are strapped for cash though, while the entire market could seriously deflate at the end of the season.
That means they MIGHT be able to negotiate a lower price with Real.
BIG BUKS
Arsenal are struggling to reach an agreement with Bukayo Saka over a new long-term deal, according to reports.
Manchester United and Liverpool are among the clubs ready to swoop for the 18-year-old if he does not extend his stay.
According to 90Min, the Gunners have so far failed to tempt him into signing a contract extension.
The England Under-19 international's current £3,000-per-week deal is set to expire in the summer of 2021.
Arsenal are prepared to offer him a five-year deal and increase his wages significantly following his breakthrough season at the Emirates.
Saka has made 10 assists and scored three goals in 29 appearances across all competitions this term.
MATCH OF THE SPRAY
Coronavirus-busting technology is already being discussed for crowds AND players, reports NEIL CUSTIS.
The ‘CLeanTech’ pods are a three-in-one disinfection machine.
Fans would first stand in front of a screen, much like at passport control, and get their temperature checked.
If it is too high, suggesting a viral infection, you cannot go any further.
But if the person is OK, the pod opens and you then enter what is called the ‘Sanitising Tunnel’.
This is where a combination of UV light and an air-sanitising and purification spray are used to kill off any other germs lingering on clothes or belongings.
FRENCH LEAGUE KO
The Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons are off.
That means William Saliba, 19, has very likely played his last game for Saint-Etienne.
He'll wear an Arsenal shirt next time he takes to the pitch.
OUT OF TOON
Premier League clubs have raised concerns about whether Newcastle’s prospective Saudi owners should be blocked for breaching rules, reports MARTIN LIPTON.
The proposed £300million buyout of Mike Ashley, fronted by financier Amanda Staveley for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been welcomed by Toon fans.
But a number of top-flight clubs have been alerted to regulations that could mean the Saudis fail the league’s ‘owners and directors test’.
The issue is the ‘pirate’ TV station beoutQ which was accused by the league and other sports governing bodies including Fifa and Uefa of “stealing” broadcasts across the Middle East.
Prem games were sold to Qatar-based beIN Sports as part of a three-year deal currently worth £328m.
But fans in the Gulf region were able to watch games through decoder boxes which were linked to the Saudi-owned Arabsat satellite.
NEVER GUNNER HAPPEN
Jack Wilshere has given his thoughts on why Arsenal never won the league with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
“We went through a few years where we didn’t challenge but then we brought in Sanchez and Ozil,” Wilshere told the Lockdown Tactics podcast.
“All of a sudden we started to feel like we could have a chance here but it never really turned out.
“We always had a point in the season where we’d drop so many points and we’d just be going for the top four.
“There were some good players there. Sanchez, world class and a match winner. Ozil, world class. I loved playing with him and his ability. But we just never got near it.
“City were too good, they were buying everyone, United had Sir Alex coming to the end but they were still challenging.”
MORNING ARSENAL FANS
Arsenal might have to beat Manchester United and Real Madrid if they want Monaco's Wissam Ben Yedder to replace skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
And with the Gunners reportedly being told loanee Dani Ceballos would cost £44million to keep, they might need to pay just £4m short of that for France striker Ben Yedder.
Respected French newspaper L'Equipe suggest Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester City have also shown interest in the 29-year-old.
Yet it could be even harder to sign Dayot Upamecano as there is speculation the RB Leipzig centre-back has agreed to stay in Germany with Bayern Munich.
Napoli have reportedly pulled out of the hunt for Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti, another defender the Gunners have been linked with.
Sport say the Italians baulked at the £45m asking fee – a tag that's also far from enticing for Arsenal.
But the Gunners have been offered one cut-price recruit – Chelsea's Brazil midfielder Willian.
A bargain sum, that is, in terms of transfer fee – but not wages.
The 31-year-old is understood to be demanding a three-year deal which matches his current £120,000-a-week salary.
PODS CAST IN KEY ROLE
The key to lifting the Premier League’s football lockdown for fans could be found in a Hong Kong exhibition centre.
Because the AsiaWorld-Expo centre is gearing up to host events using sanitising pods people will have to walk through before entering.
And the coronavirus-busting technology is already being discussed in some football circles as a way to support the gradual return of crowds to grounds.
The ‘CLEANTech’ pods are a three-in-one disinfection machine.
Fans would first stand in front of a screen, much like at passport control, and get their temperature checked.
If it is too high, suggesting a viral infection, you cannot go any further.But if the person is OK, the pod opens and you then enter what is called the ‘Sanitising Tunnel’.
This is where a combination of UV light and an air-sanitising and purification spray are used to kill off any other germs lingering on clothes or belongings.
ZIY'S THE LIMIT NOW
Chelsea new boy Hakim Ziyech has named the Blues, Arsenal and Manchester United players who made him dream of joining the Premier League.
The Morocco winger, 27, can't wait to team up at the Bridge from Ajax after the Dutch League was finished early due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Evening Standard quote the 27-year-old as saying: “The Premier League is a great competition, with fast thinking and technical players.
“As a kid, I dreamt of playing there. I watched Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, with Didier Drogba, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and David Beckham, and wanted to be like them.”
WILL YOU SWAP AUBA?
Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Chelsea winger Willian as a cut-price replacement for skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, reports MARK IRWIN.
But the Gunners are now balking at Willian’s contract demands — as he prepares to quit Stamford Bridge as a free agent.
The Brazilian ace is understood to be demanding a three-year deal which matches his current £120,000-a-week salary.
Cash-strapped Arsenal are reluctant to tie themselves to such a long-term agreement for a player who will be 32 in August.
But Willian’s agent Kia Joorabchian has become an increasingly influential figure at the Emirates over the past year.
He also represents the Gunners’ technical director Edu — and negotiated the signings of David Luiz and the on-loan Cedric Soares.
STEP BACK ON DEC
Jamie Carragher reckons possible Arsenal, United and Chelsea target Declan Rice could be deployed as a centre-back.
The Liverpool legend said: “To be honest, he reminds me a little bit of myself. I started in midfield and became a centre back. I’m a big fan of him.
“There’s a slight criticism in terms of how he receives the ball, there’s an art to that.
“If you go to the ball and you’re not in a great position, players won’t give you the ball. But he can pass and I think he’s got something about him.
“At centre back, everything will be in front of him. I think that’s why I was never going to be a great midfield player. In terms of stepping out with the ball, I think he’d be perfect in a back three.
“Of course, he has to improve in certain areas but every young player has to improve.”
PREM RACE WORRIES CHAMPIONSHIP
A growing number of Championship clubs fear being left in the lurch by the Premier League’s rush to complete the season.
Uefa have set a May 25 deadline for European leagues to decide if they intend to play their current campaigns to the end.
And while the top-flight clubs are pressing ahead with plans to finish the season behind closed doors, most lower division teams are not in a position to return to action.
Prem clubs will meet again on Friday to discuss the government’s ‘Project Restart’ plan to get football going again.
With more than £750million of TV revenue at stake, England’s elite teams are desperate to fulfil their fixtures so they do not have to make a massive refund to Sky, BT and BeIN Sport.
A number of clubs including Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and Brighton have opened their training grounds this week for their players to work individually.
But an anxious Championship executive has told Sunsport: “There is absolutely no point in the teams from the EFL playing behind closed doors.
“The money we would get from our TV deal would not outweigh the cost of staging games without paying customers.
“There are still far too many health risks involved at the moment and I think many players and managers will be reluctant to rush back just for the sake of completing the season before the end of July.
“The problem is that if the Premier League is saying they can finish by mid-summer, how can the rest of us ask for more time?
“There is huge concern that they will just go it alone and force the lower league teams to call our seasons off.”
TOP FIFA DOC: CALL OFF SEASON
FIFA’S medical chief wants no more Premier League action until NEXT SEASON –with all football resuming in September.
Michel D’Hooghe compared the deadly coronavirus pandemic to World War Two, adding: “The world is not ready for competitive football. It is not a matter of money — it is a matter of life and death.”
The Belgian’s demands were described as “sensible” by Brighton striker Glenn Murray.
And they are a huge blow for hopes of a summer restart as the Prem has been eyeing a June 8 restart.
D’Hooghewarned: “If there is one moment where absolute priority should be given to health and medicine, it is this.
“That is why I ask everybody to be very careful before starting competitions again.“I will be happy if we can have nothing before the start of next season.
“If they could startthe 2020-21 in September they could eventually avoid a second attack from the virus.”
His starkwarning came as France became the first of Europe’s big five leagues to officially end their season.
And D’Hooghe, head of Fifa’s medical committee and a former member of the game’s ruling executive committee,slammed any plans for behind-closed-doors matches.
DON'T YOU DARE, PIERRE
Arsenal fans have been flooding social media to urge skipper and main man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to stay and become an Emirates all-time great.
The Gabon striker 30, has been linked with Manchester United and Barcelona as he enters the final year of his Gunners' contract.
Typical comments included “we all love you” and “you'll be a bigger legend here”. One Arsenal supporter argued: “He needs to reach the PL 100 club and win a trophy. I'd rather be a star man at a big club with a young manager at arsenal than a side piece at Real Madrid/Barcelona.”
But Chelsea fans were among those to taunt Gooners by suggesting Aubameyang wants to leave so he can win trophies – some even urging him to make the trip across London to Stamford Bridge.
ARSENAL AND UTD SAY GISSA WISSA
Arsenal and Manchester United are among five Premier League giants chasing £40million-rated Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder, reports say.
Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham, plus Real Madrid, have also been linked with the 29-year-old.
The eight-cap Frenchman has shone in his debut season for Monaco after arriving from Sevilla.
He has matched last season's 18-haul goal tally in just 25 Ligue 1 starts.
And L'Equipe say Ben Yedder will not be short of suitors this summer.
United, in particular, want a new forward to lead the line, while Gunners boss Mikel Arteta might need to find a replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gunners are preparing to cash in on the Gabon star to avoid losing him for nothing in just over 12 months' time.
Liverpool are also in the market but are thought more likely to pursue a deal for RB Leipzig's Timo Werner.
DANI'S GUNNER COST £44M
Arsenal will reportedly have to shell out £44million if they want to keep Dani Ceballos this summer.
Spanish outlet AS claims Real Madrid will not be loaning out the Spain midfielder next season due to coronavirus wrecking football competitions across the continent.
The transfer market could be set for a major shake-up due to teams losing money through games being stopped.
And Real want the 23-year-old – and other players out on loan – back at the Bernabeu in case they are unable to sign new faces.
CESC'S 130 GRAND GESTURE
Cesc Fabregas has offered to defer his entire £130,000-a-week wages for four months to help Monaco through the coronavirus crisis.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder has already accepted a 30 per cent pay cut for the next four months but has now gone one step further.
The kind-hearted gesture from the highly-decorated Spaniard will save Monaco more than £2million.
Fabregas, whose own great-grandmother, 95, contracted the virus, is also believed to have offered to top up the wages of Monaco’s training ground staff — who have seen their income slashed by nearly a third.
His actions come after top European clubs have been locked in discussions with their players to take pay cuts during the pandemic.
BRING AND YANG
Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Chelsea winger Willian as a cut-price replacement for skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, reports MARK IRWIN.
But the Gunners are now balking at Willian’s contract demands — as he prepares to quit Stamford Bridge as a free agent.
The Brazilian ace is understood to be demanding a three-year deal which matches his current £120,000-a-week salary.
Cash-strapped Arsenal are reluctant to tie themselves to such a long-term agreement for a player who will be 32 in August.
But Willian’s agent Kia Joorabchian has become an increasingly influential figure at the Emirates over the past year.
He also represents the Gunners’ technical director Edu — and negotiated the signings of David Luiz and the on-loan Cedric Soares.
DAY-ERN MUNICH
Dayot Upamecano will agreed a deal with Bayern Munich rather than Arsenal and Manchester United, reports suggest.
The French centre-back is widely expected to leave RB Leipzig at the end of the season with the German side keen to offload him to avoid losing him on a free transfer next year.
Mikel Arteta's side were believed to be in pole position to land him with the Gunners known to be long-term admirers of the 21-year-old.
And the Red Devils had also identified him as a key target in the summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to find a defensive partner for Harry Maguire.
BRING AND YANG
Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Chelsea winger Willian as a cut-price replacement for skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, reports MARK IRWIN.
But the Gunners are now balking at Willian’s contract demands — as he prepares to quit Stamford Bridge as a free agent.
The Brazilian ace is understood to be demanding a three-year deal which matches his current £120,000-a-week salary.
Cash-strapped Arsenal are reluctant to tie themselves to such a long-term agreement for a player who will be 32 in August.
But Willian’s agent Kia Joorabchian has become an increasingly influential figure at the Emirates over the past year.
He also represents the Gunners’ technical director Edu — and negotiated the signings of David Luiz and the on-loan Cedric Soares.
LEHMANN BEATS CORONAVIRUS
Arsenal legend Jens Lehmann has beaten coronavirus – insisting the deadly bug troubled him less than a bout of flu.
The 61-cap ace has now revealed he fell victim to Covid-19 last month.
Lehmann said: “I became infected in the middle of March. I suffered from a cough and a mild fever for a day and a half.
“After two weeks in quarantine, the authorities declared me to be healthy once more.
“I found it less bad than when I have had the flu.
“But at-risk people of course need to be careful. It probably helps as well to live a healthy life.”
A LOAD OF HOT AIR
Wilshere added: “By this point I was on the floor crawling to the door to get the Doc, I opened the door and [Frank] Lampard was walking past. I am there crawling on the floor and he has gone: 'Jack are you alright mate?’
“I just said: 'Frank, please get the Doc'.
“Anyway, the Doc came and called the ambulance. I was in hospital until about 5am… turned out I had trapped wind. But if anyone has had trapped wind, they will know how bad it is, it was awful. Honestly, I thought I was dying! It was so bad.”
JACK SCARE
Jack Wilshere has revealed how he nearly missed his England debut because of trapped wind!
The former Arsenal man had stomach cramps before playing Hungary in 2010.
Wilshere told Robert Snodgrass' The Lockdown Tactics Podcast: “I had never suffered with any sort of stomach problems.
”I’m in the hotel the night before the game and all the sudden I started getting belly ache, it was getting worse and worse and I rang the Doc and just said 'I'm in a bad way here'.
“He gave me something to help cramps and said to call him if it gets any worse.
“I was sat in the room, it was getting worse and I said: 'Doc, you've got to come now'.
“He came and said: 'I can't do anything for you, if it is that bad I am going to have to call an ambulance.'”
FIFA'S SEPTEMBER GAMBLE
Fifa's medical committee chairman doesn't want football to return before September 1.
Dr Michael D'Hooghe told Sky Sports: “The world is not ready for competitive football, I hope this can change very quickly.
“I sincerely hope it, believe me. Today you need some more patience.
“Football remains always a contact sport and one of the first things that everyone says is that you should avoid contact wherever possible.
“So football can only be possible if contacts is possible again.
“That is my personal opinion.”
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