Welcome to the daily Arsenal column here at Soccerlens where we delve into all things Arsenal. Today’s top stories include updates on new contracts for three Gunners, injured forward Danny Welbeck opening up on his long-term injury layoff and transfer rumours about an Ajax starlet. Those plus an international break round-up and lots more coming your way.
New Deals For Sanchez, Ozil and Monreal
It is no secret that Arsenal are keen on improving the current deals of their most valuable assets Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil which run until the summer of 2018. According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are preparing talks over new deals for Ozil, who is currently the top earner at the north London club, and Sanchez. It is believed that the new deals will make Sanchez the highest paid player at the club.
Meanwhile, Nacho Monreal is believed to have agreed a new three-year deal and the news is expected to be officially announced within the next few days. The Spaniard, who has enjoyed a solid start to the new season, has been the first choice left-back for the Gunners this term, keeping academy product Kieran Gibbs out of the starting eleven.
Mertesacker Tips Chambers To Become The Best
Centre-back Per Mertesacker has talked up fellow centre-back Calum Chambers’ eagerness to learn from his senior peers, and tipped him to become one of the top centre-backs in the world. “He’s a good guy and we challenge each other every single day in training. That’s what it’s all about. He’s eager to learn, he really fancies challenging every single centre back and that’s something you need,” Mertesacker told Arsenal.com.
“When you step up as a young talent, you need to challenge the old lads. It’s really good to have him so that we can improve. You never stop working, you never stop doing things because there’s someone behind you – in a respectful way – who is giving absolutely everything in every single training session. That’s what my feeling is. When he does that, he’s got a great chance to develop as one of the top centre backs,” the German added.
Welbeck Provides Update On His Long-Term Injury
Danny Welbeck has endured a frustrating time with Arsenal of late, having been beset by a recurring knee injury for which he underwent surgery in August. Initial signs were that the England international would be out for a long period of time, and Welbeck has opened up on his current situation but hasn’t set an exact date on his return to action, although he expects to be back around the New Year.
The 24-year-old, who was in Dubai on Monday visiting the Arsenal Soccer School Dubai at The Sevens Stadium, was quoted as saying by the National: “It’s difficult to put an exact date on it, around the New Year. After I had the operation I was in a leg brace for about four weeks, which wasn’t easy. I had to do a lot of machine work, about six hours a day. Sleeping in a leg brace isn’t good. At night it’s not comfortable; it was the first time I slept on my back in years. It’s good to finally be out of the brace now and walking. It feels like I’m getting that little bit closer to getting back out on the pitch.”
Arsenal International Watch
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs started for England last night against Lithuania in Vilnius and both played the full 90 minutes in a 3-0 win. The win meant England finished their qualification campaign with 10 wins out of 10, and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s 62nd minute goal put the icing on the cake in what was a fairly easy game for the second-string England side.
Midfielder Santi Cazorla was an unused substitute for Spain as the defending European champions saw off the challenge of Ukraine in Kiev in a hard-fought 1-0 win. Alexis Sanchez’s Chile will take on Peru in Lima in the wee hours of tomorrow as the Copa America champions will hope to maintain their momentum in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers after their 2-0 win over Brazil on Friday.
Transfers Round-Up
According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are keeping tabs on Ajax starlet Riechedly Bazoer, who has recently been called up to the senior Dutch national team. The 19-year-old has started in all eight of Ajax’s Eredivisie games this season, and has been instrumental in his side’s good start to the season. Things look far-fetched at the moment, but the Mail reports Bazoer interested Arsenal when he was 16 but chose not to move, and given his recent good run culminating in a national team call-up, the youngster could be interesting the Gunners again.
According to Metro, who have quoted Spanish sources Fichajes, Arsenal are keeping tabs on PSG striker Edinson Cavani in the hope of luring him to the Emirates Stadium next summer. According to the report, Cavani’s relationship with manager Laurent Blanc has strained which has opened up the possibility of a summer switch.
Social Media Arsenal
Petr Cech and Edwin van der Sar are two of the greatest goalkeepers of the Premier League era. Multiple league titles and Champions League winners for Chelsea and Manchester United, very few will ever come close to the two colossus of the modern game. Now at Arsenal, Cech will aim to emulate his success with Chelsea and match Van der Sar’s two Champions League hauls.
Cech’s Czech Republic will take on the Netherlands later today, and the Arsenal stopper took some time off to pose with the Dutch legend Van der Sar, and took to Instagram to share the photo with his fans and followers.
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