Just Arsenal News

It has been reported in France that Arsenal have already made contact with the Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais, or Lyon as we know them. The subject of this contact is their 24-year old captain and defensive midfielder Maxime Gonalons. For any Gooners who have access to Setanta Ireland, you will be able to see him in action today from 1 p.m. English time as Lyon host St. Etienne.

According to Metro, Gonalons is at the top of Arsene Wenger’s wish list for summer transfers. There are problems for the Gunners, though, as Wenger apparently has a less than warm relationship with the Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas. Gonalons also has a contract with the French club for another three years, so we will not be able to get him easily. He is likely to cost Arsenal around £15 million, if Lyon can be persuaded to sell. .......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

He joined Arsenal in 1996 on the recommendation of Arsene Wenger, who was seeing out his contract in Japan before taking over the Gunners, and spent three years under the tutelage of the Arsenal manager before retiring. Remi Garde, who is currently the manager of Lyon in Ligue 1, has leapt to the defence of his former boss and insisted that Wenger should not be getting the amount of criticism he is being subjected to.

“I think Arsene Wenger is still a top class manager.

“He has spent so many years at this club, he has brought so much to this club. .......Read the full article here

With the January transfer window looming, Arsenal are becoming linked with lots of players. The poor start to the season for the Gunners, and the statement by Ivan Gazidis that there was money available to Arsene Wenger means that speculation is rife about who will be coming to the Emirates in January. Rumours on Twitter this weekend said that Arsenal had agreed a deal with a young French striker to join from Lyon in January, but there is more than a slight whiff of rodent to the whole story. .......Read the full article here

In one of the strangest transfer sagas of the summer, the French international keeper, Hugo Lloris, was priced out of a move to Arsenal by his French club Lyon. The demand was for £16 million which Arsenal refused to meet, even though they were keen on the keeper. He then joined Tottenham for around €10 million, which is about half what Arsenal were asked for, and it seems as if Tottenham don’t really want him that much. .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger has never been a massive fan of the January transfer window, but the increasingly desperate situation at Arsenal, combined with over £35 million burning a hole in his pocket means that he will probably splash out in the new year, and one of those looks like it will be Yoann Gourcuff.

Arsenal have been linked with the French international midfielder before, and reportedly failed in a bid to sign him from his current club, Lyon, last year. He does have three years left to run on his contract with the Ligue 1 side, but they are now prepared to sell him, according to Metro. .......Read the full article here

There have been many reports that Arsene Wenger has set his sights on buying a new striker in the January transfer window as cover/replacement for Olivier Giroud, but most of the Arsenal rumours have been centred on big-money players like Radamel Falcao and Fernando Llorente, but is Wenger really going to splash the cash on top players like that?

I think we all know the answer to that one, so it is much more likely that he will be looking at cheaper options that have the potential to be excellent value in the long run. One striker that has alwways been linked with the Gunners is the Frenchman Yoann Gourcuff, who seems to have lost his way since returning from a long period on the treatment table last season. .......Read the full article here

Michel Bastos is a Brazilian international who plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais on the left side of midfield. He is used by Brazil as a left back, so is obviously a skilful and versatile player.

Phillipe Auclair, who is a writer and English correspondent of FranceFootball has tweeted,

“There’s talk around Lyon of Michel Bastos going to Arsenal.”

There have been no reports in the mainstream press about this, but it would not be the first time that Arsene Wenger kept his dealings secret. Every time that Arsenal are linked to a player, they suddenly become the centre of attention for a host of other clubs, often Tottenham and Manchester City. .......Read the full article here

More Goalkeeper Transfer News – By JG

New transfer news from Ligue 1 is out and it has been revealed that Olympique Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is ready to sell goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. They have admitted that Liverpool, Arsenal and Spuds have expressed interest / made enquiries. This transfer was bound to happen considering Lyon’s position in Ligue 1 at the end of last season.

I highly doubt Lloris would have any interest in joining Spuds or Liverpool, but sadly enough that depends on how much money he is offered. Surely he would prefer Champions League football right? If so, Arsenal would be the choice; but would Arsenal let Szczesny drop to 2nd choice keeper if they signed Lloris? If they did, would that be fair to Szczesny? .......Read the full article here

Gourcuff will be leaving Lyon this summer. by KJ

Recent reports suggest that Lyon have transfer listed the out of favour Yoann Gourcuff. Twitter has exploded with the news and there are suggestions that Arsenal could be in for the French midfielder.

Wenger has been a known long-term admirer of Gourcuff and would definitely look into bringing him to the Emirates. However, would that be in the best interest of Arsenal in the long term?

In simple terms, yes. Bringing in another midfielder would just add that extra depth to the team. Gourcuff was once a very highly rated attacking midfielder and only because of long term injuries, has he fallen out with both Lyon and the French national team. .......Read the full article here

The Lyon left-back Aly Cissokho is looking for a way out from the French giants and he told the press yesterday that Newcastle United (amongst other clubs) were talking to Lyon about a possible move.

“I am waiting for the green light from Lyon,” he said. “I am a Lyon player and if they agree a fee with a club, I will then talk to that club.

“But nothing is done yet and I have not been to Newcastle for a medical.

“Newcastle and Lyon are talking about me, but there are other teams interested as well.” .......Read the full article here

Arsene Wenger has yet again re-iterated that he is in desperate need of a left-back that is ready to play in the Arsenal first team straight away, and the Lyon defender Aly Cissoko definitely comes into that category.

The Lyon chief Jean-Michel Aulas said yesterday: “Possible winter departures? That doesn’t mean we don’t have any more means, but we want to keep the rules we set, which is to not increase deficit,”

“The transfer of Aly Cissokho? I am rather in favour of it.

“We could hire a central defender, young, not expansive and versatile, but none of our current centre defenders will be free agents next June, and maybe in February they will all be back.” .......Read the full article here