ARSENAL are preparing for the return of the Premier League, but Mikel Arteta admits they have a number of transfer plans depending on how the coronavirus crisis is resolved.
But one transfer the Gunners missed out on was that of N'Golo Kante, after the club deemed his agent fees excessive and he joined Chelsea instead.
Get all the latest Gunners news and gossip here…
PLAYER POWER
The players together initiative began sending funds to the NHS this week.
The scheme, set up by Liverpool's Jordan Henderson, Manchester United's Harry Maguire and other top-flight captains, was born on April 8 and hopes to raise £4million to support the National Health Service in the coronavirus crisis.
SunSport understands donations from Premier League players have already been helping hospitals across the country. Leicester ace James Maddison said: “It has been handled brilliantly in terms of the captains putting it all together and keeping clubs in the loop.
“Every single footballer I have spoken to has been so appreciative about how well the NHS are doing.
“We are human at the end of the day.”
CESCY FOOTBALL
Jack Wilshere has revealed Cesc Fabregas and Wayne Rooney are the best footballers he has played with.
Wilshere, 28, played with the Spaniard at Arsenal, before he moved to Barcelona in 2011 and then headed to Chelsea in 2014.
The former Arsenal star revealed the info in an Instagram Stories Q&A.
'COST ME AN ICE CREAM'
Aaron Ramsey has been having a laugh at home with his kids during lockdown.
The former Arsenal ace, who is now with Juventus, is a proud dad of three.
View this post on Instagram
Say cheese ? this photo cost me an ice cream
A post shared byAaron Ramsey (@aaronramsey) on
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRO
Shkodran Mustafi has wished his friend Sascha Herroeder a happy birthday, while sharing a hilarious video of them dancing together during pre-lockdown times.
The German defender, 28, posted the video on his Instagram stories.
Herroeder is a former defender, who is now involved in football as an agent.
He said in the caption: “At the moment we're not going to celebrate, but we've celebrated all the birthday parties that evening.”
MATA OF MONEY
Arsenal had the chance to sign Juan Mata in 2011, but a combination of Arsene Wenger and Cesc Fabregas’ dithering allowed Chelsea to swoop in.
After Samir Nasri’s departure to Manchester City and Fabregas’ switch back to Barcelona, the North London club were keen on Mata’s services, along with Villarreal’s Santi Cazorla.
According to the Athletic, Wenger’s transfer man Dick Law was dispatched to get the deal done.
Law said: “We waited. Juan definitely wanted to come to Arsenal, there was no question about that.”
Valencia wanted £37million for Mata though and Wenger baulked – as he so often did in big-money transfers – with the club’s transfer record then standing at £18million.
Law added: “I don’t think that calculation ever entered our equation. We didn’t have to money to say ‘we’ll spend a bit more to block.’”
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