Arsenal transfer news: Lemar interest dropped, Bayern's shock target and more - 15th November 2017
Gunners no longer interested in Thomas Lemar
The AS Monaco playmaker was wanted by Arsene Wenger throughout the summer before they were put off by the asking price. On deadline day, Manchester City's pursuit of Alexis Sanchez led to Arsenal trying to bid over £90 million for Lemar. However, the deal did not go ahead and subsequently, the Gunners refused to sell Sanchez despite agreeing to a fee with City.
As a result, the London side were expected to return for the player in 2018 but now, the Daily Mail reports that the Gunners are out of the reckoning for the 22-year old. The huge asking price is being touted as one of the reasons behind Arsenal's decision to withdraw interest.
Meanwhile, the club has a strong interest in Lyon's Nabil Fekir with reports stating that the talks between clubs are at an advanced stage. Further, the player is set to cost around £60 million, which is a better deal than Lemar's, considering the price tags. However, if Liverpool end up signing Lemar, then it could prove to be a blow to Arsenal on the domestic front.
On the other hand, Barcelona are also reportedly interested in the player and Arsenal could end up coming out as the smarter team if they end up signing Fekir for the quoted price.
Bayern Munich target Olivier Giroud
Robert Lewandowski and Bayern Munich's hierarchy have been going through a rocky patch for quite some time now. It all began when Lewandowski felt the team did not do enough for him to win the Bundesliga's top scorer crown ahead of Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 2016/17 season.
It followed into the summer with the Polish captain stating that the German giants need to sign top players every once in a while for competing with the best. As one can expect, it did not go well with the club's hierarchy.
Now, Lewandowski has asked the club to sign another striker to reduce his workload and the club are targetting Arsenal's Olivier Giroud, if the Metro is to be believed. Lewandowski spoke about the advantage of an extra striker saying:
It would definitely be an option to sign a hungry, young striker who wants to learn from an experienced player, it would be a relief for me to play 15 or 20 minutes less in a game, then you have more energy for the next games and a higher probability of staying fit and minimising the risk of injury."
While Giroud does not fit into the "young striker" category, he could be a handy option for the Bavarian side. Further, Giroud will relish the move given the lack of playing time at Arsenal. However, this could lead to a reduction in depth for Arsenal if they end up losing Sanchez as well in the same window.
Former Palace striker urges Zaha to consider Arsenal move
After a disastrous spell at Manchester United, Wilfried Zaha is finally finding his groove again at Crystal Palace. No wonder, former Eagles striker Clinton Morrison has advised the player to consider a move to Arsenal. The former forward told AskFans.co.uk :
"It will be disappointing if Palace lose him but if they get relegated, Wilfried Zaha is a Premier League player. Over the last year and a half, how his game has come on to a different level is unreal. He could probably add more goals to his game and I think going to work under someone like Arsene Wenger - he'd only become better."
"But I hope he doesn't leave. I hope Palace stay up and they can build the team around him. In the summer he signed a long-term contract and Crystal Palace is his club. He loves it."
The departures of the likes of Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Giroud and Theo Walcott could open space for new players to come in and there is no doubt that Zaha will blossom under Wenger's tutelage. Palace are currently in a relegation battle and should Gunners show interest in the player, the player could join Arsenal in the summer, if not in January.