Just Arsenal News

The highly experienced Athletico Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta has been linked with a move to Arsenal recently, and it seems that the Venezuelan international is keen to make a move to the Premier League, despite interest from Russia.

Amorebieta’s agent, Gines Carvajal, has been talking about his clients impending move at the end of the season, and he has been quoted in the Spanish press as saying: “We are in talks with Arsenal, he could join them in June.”

“We have had some contact with Anzhi Makhachkala, they were ready to make a good offer, but my client wants to play in England so the transfer to Russia was not possible.” .......Read the full article here

Not only are Arsenal short of defenders, the ones we have got are not doing well enough, so it is no surprise that one of the main transfer priorities in the summer is a world class addition to the back four as well as a proper defensive midfielder to give them extra protection. There are reports out today that scouts from the Emirates have been keeping tabs on Maxime Gonalons of Lyon and Angelo Ogbonna of Torino.

The Gunners have already been linked with a few defenders, most notably Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund and Fernando Amorebieta of Athletic Bilbao, but the club really needs to get this one right and will no doubt be looking at a number of players between now and the end of the season. .......Read the full article here

It was only a few wekks ago when the name of Fernando Amorebieta was relatively unknown in England. That was before the Athletic Bilbao defender was linked with a transfer to Arsenal. Now the Venezuelan international is being tracked by a host of clubs, including Everton, Liverpool and Stoke City. The latest club to show concrete interest in the 27-year old is the Russian outfit Anzhi Makachkala, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia.

The players agent has been speaking to the Russian media, and has revealed that Amorebieta is one of the targets for the big spending club managed by Guus Hiddink. From his words, however, it seems as if the Gunners are in pole position, as long as they are not blown out of the water by silly money. .......Read the full article here

Arsenal are not the only club interested in Fernando Amorebieta, but the Gunners should have a head start because they already tried to sign him in January, according to rumours. The 27-year old central defender will certainly be leaving Athletic Bilbao at the end of the season, after the Spanish club lost patience and withdrew the offer of a new contract from him.

That seems a bit like sour grapes, because the Venezuelan had already rejected the new contract, but Bilbao do operate in an unusual way sometimes. Arsenal were hoping to persuade them to sell Amorebieta last month, apparently, but they will make him see out his contract, as they will with Fernando Llorente. Their principles could have cost them a lot of money this year. .......Read the full article here

There may be some news after all for Arsenal fans, although nothing is official yet. Arsene Wenger may be finalising a deal to bring the centre back Fernando Amorebieta from Athletic Bilbao. The 27-year old is a Venezuelan international but has lived in Spain’s Basque country for most of his life. He has played for Bilbao since the start of his professional career, but has rejected the offer of a new contract.

Yesterday, the president of Bilbao, Jose Urrutia, withdrew the contract offer and said that Amorebieta would be leaving in the summer. Arsene Wenger has decided not to wait, according to the Daily Mail, and has got less than five hours to complete the deal before the window shuts. .......Read the full article here

Here is the second Guest Post by Graham from London who wrote a great post yesterday about where (he thought) Wenger went wrong in the last five years. Well now he is offering solutions that may help the Arsenal manager fix the defensive problems he should have sorted out some time ago……

Defensive Holes need plugging! .......Read the full article here