Arsenal

Kenyon optimistic of signing Cole
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is confident Arsenal defender Ashley Cole will sign for them before the transfer window closes in seven days. \"We just need to agree a price, so I'm optimistic. I think it's fair to say it will go to the wire,\" he said. \"We'd like it not to, but it could do.\" Asked whether William Gallas will join Arsenal as part of any deal he said: \"From our point of view definitely not. \"Even if he isn't we don't think it will stop us from getting Ashley Cole.\" Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger revealed earlier in the week that Chelsea had rejected an offer for French defender Gallas and said Cole's departure from the club remained \"50/50\". The Cole transfer saga has rumbled on all summer, with Chelsea reportedly offering £20m but Arsenal holding out for £25m for the 25-year-old England international. But Kenyon, in Monaco for the draw for the group stage of the Champions League, added: \"I'd like to think he (Cole) will be part of our team. \"We've seven days to find out whether he will or he won't, but we're in discussions with Arsenal. \"Those discussions have been going on for several weeks and they'll be going on for another few days. We'll see what we can get.\" Kenyon went on to say that he was aware of Arsenal's interest in Gallas. He said: \"We rejected an offer, but I know they are interested in him and would still like him to be part of the deal. \"Whether he will or he won't, I'm not sure.\" Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, at the same event in Monaco, said there were no new developments with regard to either player. \"We have made it clear we would like William Gallas,\" said Dein. \"When we negotiate it has to be at a level we believe is right for our budget, but there is no progress to relate. \"There's still a few more days to go of the transfer window, but at the moment Ashley Cole is an Arsenal player, and may very well remain an Arsenal player. \"If that's the case, we're relaxed. Whatever happens will happen.\" Cole was left out of the Gunners' squad for the Premiership opener against Aston Villa last Saturday and both legs of the Champions League tie with Dinamo Zagreb. He has been at odds with Arsenal since June 2005 when he was fined by the Football Association for meeting with Chelsea representatives, including Blues boss Jose Mourinho, without his club's knowledge. In the aftermath Cole blamed Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein for his contract dispute and in June 2005 told the News of the World newspaper: \"I blame David Dein for trying to force me out of the club I love.\" And in promotional material for his new book this summer the defender criticised the club for making him a \"scapegoat\" over the tapping-up affair.

Man City v Arsenal
Manchester City will replace Ben Thatcher in defence after suspending him following his challenge on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes in midweek. Keeper Andreas Isaksson needs ankle surgery and Dietmar Hamann (foot), Andy Cole (knee) and Hatem Trabelsi are out but Bernardo Corradi is back. Arsenal will welcome back captain Thierry Henry and keeper Jens Lehmann. Tomas Rosicky could make his league debut, but Freddie Ljungberg (ankle) and Jose Reyes (groin) are out. Man City (from): Weaver, Hart, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Distin, D Mills, Jordan, Sinclair, Barton, Dabo, Reyna, Ireland, Sibierski, Vassell, Samaras, Dickov, Corradi, Miller, Sturridge. Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Almunia, Hoyte, Eboue, Toure, Djourou, Fabregas, Gilberto, Rosicky, Hleb, Van Persie, Adebayor, Henry, Walcott, Flamini, Aliadiere, Cygan, Traore, Song. Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce on his side's winless start to the season: \"People are bolting on what happened in the bad run at the end of last season but from my point of view it is not all doom and gloom. \"So far this season we have lost to the champions away and then kept a clean sheet at home against a side we failed to break down. Let's build from there.\"

Reyes says Arsenal career is over
Arsenal winger Jose Antonio Reyes says he will not play in England again. The 22-year-old is so determined to return to his native Spain that he says he will join any of the clubs showing an interest in signing him. \"What I want is to come to Spain. I won't play again in England,\" he told Spanish sports daily Marca on Sunday. \"I want to return. If it's to play for Atletico Madrid I say yes, if it's to play for Real Madrid I say yes, if it's to play for Sevilla I say yes.\" Arsenal have revealed they have turned down a bid from Atletico Madrid while negotiations with Real Madrid appear strained. The Gunners have accused Real of not backing up their interest in Reyes and unsettling the player. Sevilla is the Spain international's former club but they have yet to enter the fray in trying to sign Reyes. Reyes has not played for Arsenal so far this season with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger believed to have not used him in the Champions League in order not to cup-tie the midfielder and reduce his value. Reyes has made his unrest clear but, if a deal is to be worked out, a move has to be completed before the transfer window closes on 31 August.

Naismith to have trial at Arsenal
Kilmarnock's 19-year-old striker Steven Naismith is going to spend two days on trial at Arsenal next week. Naismith was voted Young Player of the Year in Scotland last season after scoring 13 goals for Killie. Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston said no agreement had been reached with Arsenal but Sir Stanley understands a fee of £1m would secure the transfer. \"Steven is going down for Arsenal to look at him and for some discussions with Arsene Wenger,\" said Johnston. \"But we have no agreement with Arsenal and no figure has been discussed. \"Apparently, this is how Arsenal and Arsene Wenger work - he likes to meet players he is interested in in training. \"They did want him to go down earlier but we could not spare him at the time they went on their training camp, so this is the alternative which has been put in place so they can see him in the flesh. \"There has been a lot of interest from a number of different clubs and there have been various approaches and offers, which we have rejected.\" Naismith has already scored three times in five appearances so far this season. And Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies told Sir Stanley: \"A month ago, Arsenal asked if there would be a chance to look at Steven for a couple of days. \"I refused because I was concentrating on the new season and they understood that. \"Obviously, with the international weekend coming up, we can allow to go down there for a few days next week. \"I spoke to Steven and his parents about it and told them it was their decision. \"There are no guarantees he will go there but it is a big lift for the lad to have a club of the size of Arsenal taking an interest in him. \"It is a great experience for him and he is a level-headed character, so he will not get carried away with it.\"

Cole move to Chelsea may collapse
Arsenal defender Ashley Cole's proposed transfer to Chelsea looks to be in danger of collapsing. Cole, 25, who has been frozen out of the first team so far this this season, did however play for Arsenal reserves against Charlton on Monday. The decision by boss Arsene Wenger to play Cole in the reserves could signal a change of tact by the Gunners boss. Cole's move to Chelsea has stalled because the two clubs have been unable to agree a fee for the England star. It has been widely reported that Arsenal have been holding out for as much as £30m for Cole - a price Chelsea have so far been unwilling to meet. Chelsea have admitted making a bid for the defender and are thought to have offered in the region of £20m. The protracted transfer saga was complicated when Arsenal registered an interest in signing Chelsea defender William Gallas. Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood hopes Cole will dedicate himself to the club if the transfer deadline passes on Thursday without a deal being struck. \"He is a very good player and if he is going to stay I hope his attitude is right. \"If he is going to be miserable and sour there is no point. Hopefully he will get his head right,\" he told the Daily Star. The saga of Cole's drawn-out transfer to Chelsea started when the player was fined, along with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, in June 2005 for meeting in a London hotel without Arsenal's knowledge. He has been linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge ever since despite signing an improved one-year contract with Arsenal in July 2005. But unless Chelsea offer more money or Arsenal have a last-minute change of heart, Cole's proposed switch across London will not happen. Cole is expected to start for England in their Euro 2008 qualifier against Andorra at Old Trafford on Saturday despite his lack of first-team action this season.

Falkirk snap up Arsenal's Stokes
Falkirk have completed the signing of Arsenal youth striker Anthony Stokes until January. The Scottish Premier League outfit say they fought off competition from Sunderland and Colchester United for the 18-year-old's signature. Falkirk managing director George Craig said: \"Anthony Stokes is one of the hottest properties to have graduated from the English Academy programme. \"He is extremely highly rated by his club and the Republic of Ireland.\" Falkirk had failed in an attempt to sign Calum Elliot on loan. Hearts preferred to send the Scotland Under-21 international to another Scottish Premier League outfit, Motherwell. \"It may have seemed a long time coming to sign a striker, but we always maintained that we would not make knee-jerk reactions or simply make a signing on the basis that a player in question had a profile,\" said Craig. \"We believe at Falkirk it is important that any player who joins the club has the qualities we look for to assist us to achieve our ambition.\"

Reyes desperate for Real transfer
Arsenal winger Jose Antonio Reyes says he is desperate to move to Real Madrid before the transfer window slams shut. The 22-year-old Spaniard has long campaigned for a move back home and Real and Atletico Madrid have both been linked with swoops for the forward. \"If it is true that everything is done it'd be a dream come true, but I told my agent not to call until it was all done and he hasn't yet,\" said Reyes. \"I am an optimist. It would be best for everyone if it was done quickly.\" Reyes has said he does not want to play in England again and has urged Real to complete his signing before the window closes at midnight. \"My desire is for everything to be sorted out as soon as possible and to play for Real Madrid. It's the dream for any footballer,\" he added. \"Atletico fans should not feel betrayed. I spoke to them but I did not give them my word.\" Reyes, who turns 23 on Friday, added: \"I hope I have a happy birthday and everything is closed out with Real Madrid.\" Reyes has not played for Arsenal so far this season with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger believed to have not used him in the Champions League in order not to cup-tie the midfielder and reduce his value.

Blues beat deadline to sign Cole
Chelsea have ended a long-running saga by signing England full-back Ashley Cole from Arsenal in exchange for £5m and France defender William Gallas. The deal was completed just before the transfer deadline with Cole, who was with the England squad in a Manchester hotel, having his medical nearby. The 25-year-old Cole is believed to have signed a five-year deal. Gallas, 29, had one year left on his Blues deal but made it clear he wanted to leave Stamford Bridge. The versatile French international did not turn up to pre-season training on Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States and did not receive a shirt number this season. He had reportedly been unhappy at the terms Chelsea offered him in a four-year contract extension, and wanted to establish himself at centre-back. Chelsea had been linked with Cole all summer, but disagreements over the transfer fee stalled the move. A joint statement from the clubs said: \"Chelsea FC and Arsenal have agreed terms for the transfers of Ashley Cole and William Gallas. \"Chelsea will also pay Arsenal £5m. Both players have agreed personal terms and passed their respective medicals.\" Although all the relevant paperwork had been lodged with the Premier League, neither club had made an announcement by the time the midnight deadline passed. It was not until 0125 BST on Friday that the statement was finally issued. Gallas, a £6m signing from Marseille, made more than 200 appearances for Chelsea in five years, while Cole made 228 appearances for the Gunners since making his debut in 2000. Cole has won 51 England caps, with Gallas earning 44 caps for France.

Arsenal swap Reyes for Baptista
Arsenal and Real Madrid have agreed a deal to swap midfielder Jose Antonio Reyes for forward Julio Baptista. The terms agreed are for a season-long loan deal but the switch could become permanent at a later date. Reyes, 22, had long campaigned for a move back home and Real and Atletico Madrid had both been linked with swoops for the forward. Arsenal had hoped to sign Brazil's Baptista a year ago, but he chose Real where he has failed to settle down. Baptista did not train with Madrid on Thursday, with reports suggesting he was in London taking a medical and processing a work permit. Reyes joined Arsenal from Sevilla in January 2004 and last year extended his contract to 2011. Last month, the midfielder told the Spanish press he was keen to leave Arsenal for Madrid, saying he had not adapted to life in England. Reyes has not played for Arsenal so far this season with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger believed to have not used him in the Champions League in order not to cup-tie the midfielder and reduce his value.

finnaly got rid of two time wasters and bought in one very established defender and a tough forward player. now watch us fly up that table!!!

I really hope they do!! and I agree with the timewasters bit..cant stand players who do this to the club and more importantly the fans :wink:

arsenal are reported to have signed brazilian teenager denilson, although there has been no confirmation from the emirates stadium. the premier league have announced that the 18-year-old has signed for the gunners, subject to receiving international clearance. if the deal is ratified, denilson will join from sao paulo and he is a highly-rated defensive midfielder. denilson would link up with compatriots gilberto silva and julio baptista in north london and could eventually cost a total of 4 million pounds.

Arsenal sign Brazilian midfielder
Arsenal have paid Sao Paulo £3.4m for 18-year-old midfielder Denilson, acccording to the Brazilian club. Denilson has made 12 appearances for Sao Paulo and is captain of the Brazil Under-19 team. \"The English club has paid US$6.5m (£3.4m) to sign the Sao Paulo player,\" reported the Brazilian club's website. The deal for Denilson is subject to international clearance and it has been reported the player will be loaned to a smaller club to gain experience.

British trio face European poser
A legal case in Portugal may have an impact on Manchester United, Arsenal and Celtic's Champions League fixtures. Group rivals Benfica and Porto could be kicked out of the compeition because of the actions of another club side. Relegated for fielding an ineligible player, Gil Vicente have broken Fifa rules by launching a civil bid to have their demotion overturned. Fifa could react by banning the Portuguese national team and all their clubs from competitions they run. Fifa is expected to give its decision to the Portugal Football Association on 11 September. \"The ultimate sanction is that the Portuguese national team and all their clubs are banned from all competitions by Fifa,\" said Uefa's William Gaillard. Arsenal, in Group G, are scheduled to play host to Porto on Tuesday 26 September, with United, in Group F, travelling to Benfica on the same day. Celtic's first scheduled encounter with Portuguese opposition is on Tuesday, 17 October at home to Benfica.

Gallas 'issued own-goal threat'
Chelsea have claimed William Gallas threatened to score an own goal if he was selected for their first game of the season against Manchester City. The 29-year-old French defender allegedly refused to play again for the Blues and subsequently joined Arsenal on transfer deadline day. But in response to Chelsea's statement, Gallas said: \"I am surprised and shocked by these claims. \"I never said I would score own goals if I had to play for Chelsea again.\" He added: \"I was firm about my wanting to leave, that is true, and I will explain in due time why I wanted to. \"But I never went that far. But if people want to hide behind false accusations in order to give a reason for why I left so they can calm down the club's supporters then they can. \"All this is very, very petty on behalf of Chelsea. But at the same time, coming on behalf of its new leaders, that does not surprise me. Even if Chelsea has much money, its new leaders lack class.\" Chelsea's statement says Gallas initially refused to play against Liverpool in last season's FA Cup semi-final and that, if selected to play against City, he threatened to score an own goal, get sent off or make deliberate mistakes. Gallas was heavily criticised by Blues boss Jose Mourinho earlier in the summer when he failed to report for pre-season training on Chelsea' pre-season tour of America. The French defender eventually joined the Gunners in a cash-plus-player exchange deal for Ashley Cole. The full club statmement read: \"Chelsea believes it is important for our supporters to be made aware of the full facts regarding William Gallas and the lack of respect he showed to the fans, the manager and the club. \"Despite leaving he continues to attack José Mourinho and this cannot be left unchallenged. \"Chelsea made William Gallas a very substantial and attractive new contract offer to stay towards the end of last season. This was rejected. \"The issue was purely one of money, despite his public comments that he wanted a new challenge, to play abroad and so forth. These were just a smokescreen to cover up the fact he was hawking himself to the highest bidder. \"Having failed to secure his demands, his position became increasingly intransigent and unacceptable. \"He initially refused to play against Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final last season in an effort to force an increased contract offer. \"As is now well documented he refused to join up with the team in Los Angeles during pre-season, despite agreeing the dates for his return as the other World Cup players did, with the club. \"When Jose Mourinho generously offered him a way back into the 'family' after the American tour, this was thrown back in the Chelsea manager's face. \"The manager told him that, even if he did not agree a new contract but returned to the \"family\" and abided by the rules, he would still select the best players available and would not punish him playing wise. \"However despite meetings to try and resolve the problems Gallas made it clear to Jose Mourinho he would never play for Chelsea again. \"Before the first game of the season against Manchester City, when only four defenders were available and John Terry was doubtful with an injury, he refused to play. \"He went on to threaten that if he was forced to play, or if he was disciplined and financially punished for his breach of the rules, that he could score an own goal or get himself sent off, or make deliberate mistakes. \"Clearly this was a totally unacceptable situation for the manager, the team and the club. So a collectively agreed solution in Chelsea's interests had to be found, hence his departure. \"Chelsea has a wage structure in place that is valued not only on the contribution of the player to the manager and the team, but also on a player's respect for the club and contribution to the promotion and image of the club off the field. Every player is expected to play their part in this. \"William Gallas rarely recognised these responsibilities. \"He also failed to recognise the role Jose Mourinho and Chelsea played in helping him become a double Premiership champion for a player whose only league title prior to that had been in the French Second Division.\" Chelsea director of communications Simon Greenberg explained why the felt compelled to explain the reasons behind Gallas' sale. He told Sir Stanley: \"After several comments by William, we felt it was right to explain to our fans why we sold him. \"It was also after several attacks by William on the manager Jose Mourinho, and to explain the series of events that led up to him being sold on Chelsea's terms.\"

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