Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Roma defender Jeremy Menez has been offered to Arsenal as part of a swap deal including Gael Clichy. West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie may be one step closer to a dream move to Arsenal after his club made an approach for Watford's Danny Graham. Oh dem Wingie, dey so so crazay. Arsenal could make a shock move for striker Jermain Defoe, who has become a peripheral figure at Tottenham. Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, 41, who briefly came out of retirement earlier this year to help out the English club, could be set for a Bundesliga comeback with another of his old sides, Schalke 04. So*rs have had a bid of £10.5m for Internacional's Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao, 21, rejected. But Sp*rs have intensified their chase for the one-cap striker, with an increased bid of £13.2m. Arsenal are also thought to be keen. Former England international Mark Chamberlain has pleaded with Arsenal to buy his son Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Southampton. Arsenal are thought to be interested in Marseille's 26-year-old talented playmaker Mathieu Valbuena - potentially as a replacement for Andrey Arshavin, who has been linked to a transfer from the Emirates.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Arsenal are in talks with both Bolton's Gary Cahill and Blackburn's Christopher Samba as manager Arsene Wenger looks to shore up the centre of his side's defence. Samba would cost about £12m while a £15m deal would be enough to prise Cahill from the Reebok. Manchester United will also beat Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham to the signature of Blackburn defender Phil Jones, 19, but he will cost them £16m. Shakhtar Donetsk are ready to let midfielder Willian join Arsenal, with Gunners midfielder Denilson going the other way in part-exchange, plus £4m. Bolton have told Arsenal and Manchester City they will have to pay £17m to land centre-back Gary Cahill, who has a release clause in his contract at the Reebok allowing him to talk to clubs who hit that figure. Arsenal and Manchester City are going head to head in an £8m battle for 24-year-old Lille striker Gervinho. Arsenal must commit to large-scale investment in the summer transfer market before playmaker Samir Nasri will consider signing a new deal. Tottenham defender William Gallas has claimed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was wrong to let him leave the Emirates. Arsenal and Liverpool are considering a bid for Barcelona's unwanted 20-year-old striker Bojan. Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue, 28, has emerged as a QPR transfer target after the Gunners signalled they are willing to listen to offers for the utility player. Nicklas Bendtner has confirmed he will "100%" leave Arsenal this summer after growing frustrated at his lack of opportunities. Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has admitted that he is glad he can finally put his feet up after playing twice as many games as last season.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has struck back in the battle for Britain's best youngsters after missing out on Jordan Henderson and Phil Jones by landing Southampton's £12m-rated winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who will be confirmed as a Gunners player on 1 July. Wenger is also believed to have made enquiries for Bolton and Blackburn defenders Gary Cahill and Chris Samba and Lille duo Gervinho and Eden Hazard. Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy, who has one year left on his contract, will be the subject of a £5m offer from Liverpool. Manchester United are planning a £10m bid for Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri who will be a free agent in 12 months time. Arsenal legend Tony Adams says he rates former Gunners boss George Graham as a better coach than Arsene Wenger. Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby has risked the wrath of his own fans - by revealing he owns a Tottenham shirt given to him by friend and Spurs defender Younes Kaboul and wears it around the house.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could have won the race to sign Lille striker Gervinho in a deal reported to be worth about £10m. But he still might be gazumped by Manchester City, who have offered the 25-year-old a "huge" salary. The Gunners are also considering a bid for France Under-21 international striker Emmanuel Riviere, who plays for Saint Etienne. Arsenal are competing with Manchester United and Manchester City for the signature of teenage centre-half Raphaël Varane, the Lens and France under-21 player. But Danish international Nicklas Bendtner could be leaving the Emirates Stadium - the 23-year-old striker is a £12m target for Turkish giants Besiktas. Liverpool are chasing Connor Wickham, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique, Gael Clichy, Scott Dann and Charles N'Zogbia, following the £20m signing of Jordan Henderson. And Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda has alerted Liverpool - and Arsenal - after declaring he's "stuck in a rut" at current club CSKA Moscow. New signing Carl Jenkinson hopes to become Arsenal's new Tony Adams after completing a move from Charlton to the club he supported as a boy.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Arsenal's majority shareholder Stan Kroenke is ready to open his chequebook in a bid to keep contract rebel Samir Nasri at the club, amid interest from Manchester United. The Gunners are ready to listen to offers in excess of £25m for the 23-year-old French midfielder, however, Nasri will not be sold to another Premier League club. German side Bayern Munich are in the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, who they want as an eventual replacement for Franck Ribery. Lorient striker Kevin Gameiro, 24, has joined Paris St Germain on a four-year deal, ending rumours of a possible move to the Premier League. Tottenham, Newcastle and Arsenal had been linked to the player. Arsenal and Liverpool are set to battle it out over the signature of £15m rated Birmingham City defender Scott Dann, after the two sides missed out on Blackburn's Phil Jones.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Aren't there rules now about how many English/British players you need to have? Is Liverpool the only one taking notes on that? It seems like everyone else is going to pay double for one Englishman and then rack up the foreigners.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Homegrown only means 8/25 of your players must have played in the EPL for three years before turning 21. Arsenal had a bunch of players who met that requirement and few of them were actually English.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Sp*rs manager Harry Redknapp is ready to battle it out with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to sign Blackburn defender Chris Samba, 27. Arsenal are set to face a transfer fight with Paris St Germain for the signatures of Lille ace Gervinho and St Etienne midfielder Blaise Matuidi, who are both 24. The Gunners are heading the chase for £3.5m-rated left-back Alexander Milosevic, 19, who plays for Swedish side AIK Solna. Inter Milan have emerged as the latest club to eye up a move for Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, 23, who has been linked with a shock switch to Manchester United.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Arsenal have made an approach for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Willian, with a deal for the 23-year-old including a payment of £12m and Gunners midfielder Denilson in part-exchange.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Arsenal interested in Defoe -- lol wut no, get out. Fabregas & Nasri pledge allegiance to the Arsenal -- natch. Arsenal more likely to sign Cahill than City -- k. Arsenal still pursuing Samba -- well it can't be both can it? Sporting Lisboa and Dortmund have submitted bids for Bendtner -- bye. Vela could be on his way to Galatasaray -- a ok. Arsenal chasing Craig Gordon -- third stringer? fine.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Arsenal and Manchester City are considering a move for Inter Milan's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o after he revealed he would like to try his hand in the Premier League this coming season. "I have already shown that I have what it takes to play in Italy and I now have the idea of proving myself in England," Eto'o told Corriere dello Sport. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is also keeping tabs on Germany Under-17 striker Samed Yesil. The 17-year-old is yet to break into the first team at Bayer Leverkusen but has attracted the interest of a number of clubs across Europe after some dazzling form in the European U-17 Championship earlier this year. The north London club could be on the verge of a double transfer coup after opening talks over signing Bolton defender Gary Cahill, and their former midfielder Sebastian Larsson, who is a free agent after leaving Birmingham. Wenger's side are also poised to complete the signing of Lille forward Gervinho for £10.6m in the next 48 hours. However, French club Lille are preparing to offer Gervinho a new contract in a last-ditch bid to ward off interest from the Gunners.
Re: 2012 Rumor Mill/Transfers Can't remember. Roma are ready to beat Liverpool to signing £8m full-back Gael Clichy from Arsenal. Arsenal have held talks with Jose Enrique's representatives after identifying the Newcastle United left-back as a possible replacement for Gael Clichy. Sweden international Sebastian Larsson is set to join Sunderland, rejecting interest from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle after leaving Birmingham on a free.
