Arsenal news LIVE: Mikel Arteta DONE DEAL, Gunners appoint two new backroom staff
Arsenal news, transfer gossip and updates are coming in thick and fast ahead of Mikel Arteta’s official announcement and Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the very latest from the Emirates.
Arsenal: Mikel Arteta needs to demand respect says pundit
Arsenal news LIVE updates: All the latest news, gossip and updates from the Emirates
Friday, December 20
Arsenal have appointed Mikel Arteta as their new manager
Several Premier League clubs are interested in signing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior
Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham have expressed interested in the Brazilian
Mesut Ozil is ‘very close’ to leaving Arsenal for a loan spell with Fenerbahce
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Perfect person - Raul Sanllehi
Head of football Raul Sanllehi said: “We met several top-class candidates and Mikel stood out to every single one of us as the perfect person for us. Mikel understands Arsenal Football Club and what it means to our fans around the world. We look forward to him getting down to work and bringing the best out of our squad as we work to get our season back on track.
“I must also pay tribute to Freddie Ljungberg for his hard work and leadership. Together with Per Mertesacker, he has done a vital job for us in difficult circumstances. Freddie and Per are important parts of the Arsenal family and care deeply for this club.”
We’re delighted - Josh Kroenke
Josh Kroenke, speaking on behalf of the Arsenal board and our owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing Mikel back to Arsenal. He knows our expectations and those of our fans around the world are high and we are confident he can play a lead role in taking the club back to the levels we all demand.
“I also want to thank Freddie Ljungberg for skilfully guiding us through the last three weeks. He stepped up at short notice and has helped us through this difficult period with great professionalism.”
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‘Huge honour’
Mikel Arteta has given his first interview as Arsenal manager.
The Spaniard has been appointed on a three-and-a-half-year deal and thanked club chiefs for their show of faith before placing an emphasis on Arsenal’s youth system.
“This is a huge honour,” Arteta said. “Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We need to be competing for the top trophies in the game and that’s been made very clear to me in my discussions with Stan and Josh Kroenke, and the senior people from the club.
“We all know there is a lot of work to be done to achieve that but I am confident we’ll do it. I’m realistic enough to know it won’t happen overnight but the current squad has plenty of talent and there is a great pipeline of young players coming through from the academy.”
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Done Deal: Mikel Arteta appointed
Arsenal have announced the appointment of former Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta as their new head coach.
The 37-year-old Spaniard, a former Gunners captain, has agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract to succeed Unai Emery, who was sacked last month.
Arteta played more than 100 times for Arsenal - his final club before retiring. He joined City's coaching staff in 2016 and will now embark on his first managerial post at his old club.
Arteta has reportedly been joined by Brentford coach Inaka Cana Pavon and former Manchester United assistant manager Steve Round.
Sunday's 3-0 defeat to City increased the need for the Gunners to end the uncertainty over the manager's position, leaving the club as close to the relegation zone as they are to the top four.
Interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg replaced Emery but has won just one of his four Premier League games at the helm, while the club are on a run of only one win from their last 12 fixtures.
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Arsenal are close to announcing the appointment of Mikel Arteta as manager.
That’s according to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who says the Spanish tactician is in London to complete the move.
"He's in London close to finishing the deal with Arsenal,” Guardiola said when quizzed about Arteta during today’s press conference. “It's almost done. He's moving to Arsenal. I don't know the last details of the contract but I think it's there.
"Arsenal was important to him. He finished his career there, they're one of the biggest clubs in the country, and I wish him all the best. I'm pretty sure he'll do an excellent job."
Guardiola on Arteta: "He's in London close to finishing the deal with Arsenal. It's almost done. He's moving to Arsenal. I don't know the last details of the contract but I think it's there." #mcfc#afc
Hertha Berlin are interested in signing Granit Xhaka.
That’s according to German newspaper Bild, who claim the Bundesliga side are prepared to pay £38million for the midfielder.
Xhaka, 28, is believed to want to leave the Emirates Stadium having being stripped of the captaincy after telling Arsenal fans to ‘f**k off’ as he was being substituted in their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
Hertha have received a financial injection from German businessman Lars Windhorst and want to recruit Xhaka to help push for European football.
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Mikel Arteta must make drastic changes when he takes over at Arsenal to turn their fortunes around.
That’s the view of Gunners hero Ray Parlour. The Spaniard will be appointed on Friday after deciding to quit Manchester City to take over at the Emirates.
"I think Arteta going forward his biggest job and his hardest job being the man management skills," he told talkSPORT. "When you're number two you're everyone's mate. You're with the players.
"You don't have to pick the side. You are in the dressing room as before chatting with the lads, like you're still a player, but you're still next to the manager, and feeding back a little but.
"Now you're manager you've got to make big decisions. You might have to upset certain players and that's the hardest job to get the right balance between upsetting players and leaving people and still keeping them on your side which is very difficult to do.”
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Several consider futures
Arsenal are expected to announce the appointment of Mikel Arteta as the club’s new manager today but the Spaniard could be forced into undertaking an overhaul of his squad in the January transfer window.
And one of his first tasks he is going to face is dealing with an unsettled Arsenal squad.
According to the Independent, striker Alexandre Lacazette and midfielder Granit Xhaka are among several first-team players who are considering their future at the club.
The report also claimed that several sources say the feeling is spreading among “half the squad”.
It is not believed to be a response to the appointment of Arteta as the club’s new manager, but more to do with the general lack of direction the club currently appears to have.
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Arsenal are set to unveil Mikel Arteta as their new manager today.
The 37-year-old, who made 110 top-flight appearances for Arsenal before retiring in 2016, is poised to take up his first managerial role after three years as Pep Guardiola's assistant.
The Gunners postponed Thursday afternoon's scheduled press conference to agree a compensation package for the Manchester City assistant coach.
But it’s believed Arteta will face the media today ahead of Saturday’s clash with Everton at Goodison Park.
Wanted: Vinicius Junior
Several Premier League clubs are interested in signing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.
That’s according to Spanish publication Eldesmarque, who claim Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham have expressed interested.
Vinicius, 19, arrived at the Bernabeu from Flamengo in July 2018 for a reported £40million but has bagged just six goals in 45 appearances.
It’s said the Brazilian, who earns £40,000 per week, feels unsupported by manager Zinedine Zidane and is assessing his options elsewhere.
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That’s according to Turkish newspaper Fotomac, who claim the playmaker will join Fenerbahce in January.
The Gunners midfielder is known to be unhappy at the Emirates Stadium and could clinch a six-month loan deal in the next couple of weeks.
It’s said sporting director Damien Comolli travelled to London earlier this week to discuss a deal for the 31-year-old, who earns £350,000 per week in north London.
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Duncan Ferguson in for Arsenal clash
Duncan Ferguson will stay in charge of Everton for their Premier League clash with Arsenal on Saturday.
The Scot has been in the hotseat for the last three matches following the sacking of Marco Silva, earning a win against Chelsea and a draw with Manchester United in the Premier League prior to Wednesday night's penalty shoot-out defeat by Leicester in the Carabao Cup.
There have been strong reports that Carlo Ancelotti is close to agreeing a deal but, should that happen over the next few days, his first game would now be the Boxing Day trip to Burnley.
Asked about the issue following the Leicester match, Ferguson said: "I would think I'll be in on Saturday because it's such a quick turnaround. We've got a massive game and we've got to be ready."
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Paul Pogba future
Manchester United players and staff don’t think Paul Pogba will feature for the club again.
In fact, the Mirror claim players and staff are ‘convinced’ his days at Old Trafford are finished ahead of the January transfer window.
Pogba, 26, has only played six times this season after suffering an ankle injury in September.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hopeful Pogba will be available before the end of the year, but other prominent figures in the club believe he’s played his last game for United.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer update
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has responded to reports that Erling Haaland is on his way to Old Trafford for transfer talks.
Reports suggested that Haaland is due to land in Manchester this morning with United having been strongly linked to the Norwegian star.
But the United boss denied that Haaland was on the way to talk to him on Friday.
“I don’t think he’s en route here, to be fair, not through me anyway,” Solskjaer said. “You know I can’t comment on other teams’ players, I’ve said that many times and that’s just one of those things in this job you get speculation a lot of the time.”
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Erling Haaland arrival
Manchester United transfer target Erling Braut Haaland is on a plane to Manchester as the Red Devils look to tie up a January deal for the Red Bull Salzburg hitman.
Reports in his native Norway indicate the 19-year-old boarded a Norwegian Airlines flight at Sola, along with his father Alf-Inge, which is due to arrive in the UK at 10.15am (GMT).
Aftenbladet say Haaland left his homeland on Friday morning with Manchester Airport the flight’s destination.
United are looking to fend off rival bids from Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig to land the highly-rated striker, who’s also on Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid’s wanted lists
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No Paul Pogba sale
Paul Pogba will NOT be sold in January.
That’s according to Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who refused to predict a return date for the Frenchman.
"He is not being sold in January," said the United boss.
"I hope he will play before the end of the year, but I am not going to push him. I can't risk any setbacks or injuries."