Arsenal handed boost in Niang chase
With Alexis Sanchez’s long term future at Arsenal in doubt at the moment, the Gunners are said to be currently eyeing up potential replacements for their Chilean superstar in the event that he actually does leave the Emirates Stadium and reports have claimed that the North London side have viewed AC Milan attacker M’Baye Niang as an option.
Now in a huge boost to Arsenal’s alleged interest in signing Niang, AC Milan boss Vincenzo Montella has confirmed that the 22-year-old is available for a transfer and is currently discussing his move away from the San Siro with the club management.
Montella told Milan TV, “Niang might leave the club. He’s discussing it with the management. He won’t be called up for the game against Juve as I thought he would definitely have been distracted. He’s always been involved in normal situations. Sometimes he’s been on the fringes but he’s never been out. As long as he’s a Milan player he’ll get the consideration he deserves.
“He has made himself available right from the start and he’s trying to grow so he can manage his talent better. He’s a player who has had his ups and downs and there are things he needs to improve. We tried, and we got to a point where we were delighted with the results – the boy was, too – and I’m not talking about technical results.
“He got to a certain point and then stopped, and I won’t pretend to know why, nor do I want to say. I didn’t like the attitude that he showed when he came on against Torino, and he acknowledged that. He’s done more in the past, as he would also admit. If he stays here, we’ll try again. If he goes elsewhere then I hope he succeeds.”
Arsenal can sign Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang for £68 million
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is arguably one of the best strikers in world football at the moment and Premier League outfit Arsenal have strongly been linked with a move for the Gabon star over the past 18 months or so.
Borussia Dortmund have stated for a long time that Aubameyang is not for sale but now the club seem to have eased their stance after chief Hans-Joachim Watzke admitted that the 27-year-old could be sold for offers of around £68 million and Arsenal may now well be tempted to make their move next summer.
Watzke told Kicker TV, “We can never guarantee that a player will stay with Borussia Dortmund forever, but our strength is to always find new solutions.
“Auba was our alternative to ‘the world ending’ after [Robert] Lewandowski’s departure. With an €80 million offer, I would be thinking about [club president] Reinhard Rauball and [sporting director] Michael Zorc – if we had one, we would have to get together with Pierre-Emerick.
“We always have to differentiate between situations where there is such an offer, but we have no pressure … I would prefer it if no offer came. He is definitely good enough to go to an even bigger club. There are only a few, but I’m glad to read that it’s a good idea to go to Barcelona.”
Arsenal lagging behind in the race to secure the services of Corentin Tolisso
Lyon star Corentin Tolisso has managed to attract the interest from a host of clubs across Europe due to his fine performances this season and Arsenal are said to be very keen on signing the 22-year-old.
However, Arsenal face the prospect of losing out on the signing of Tolisso as Italian outlet Calcio Mercato have gone on to reveal that Juventus are close to agreeing a £36 million deal with Lyon to sign the French youngster this month.
