ARSENAL have had a £66.6m bid for Dusan Vlahovic accepted, Italian outlets claim.
And with add-ons, that fee could rise to £88m.
But it is believed the Serb may yet choose to stay at Fiorentina for another season before joining Juventus on a free transfer in 2023.
Meanwhile more has been revealed about Arsenal's Carabao Cup postponement against Liverpool two weeks.
It is claimed that Liverpool tested negative on their routine round of testing.
However, the Reds then ordered tests that were not required, which came back positive and led to the game being postponed.
These would later turn out to be false positives.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been linked with a loan move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassar – with a view to a PERMANENT £8m move.
Finally Juventus have reportedly identified Lyon's Bruno Guimaraes as their replacement for Arsenal target Arthur Melo.
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- Justin Lawrence
Move-ling along swiftly
Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell reckons Lingard would be a perfect fit for Newcastle.
He told Football Insider: “Lingard is proven. He is an England international who has showed his class at both Manchester United and West Ham.
“Man United did not want to lose him last summer. For whatever reason, he hasn’t got the game time he would’ve liked this season but now he has another opportunity to go out on loan.
“At Newcastle he can play football, score goals and show Gareth Southgate what a good player he is ahead of the World Cup.
“He is an exceptional player. I think that would be a really good move for all parties.”
- Kostas Lianos
Franke addresses Man Utd loss
Brentford boss Thomas Franke discussed his team's loss to Manchester United.
Franke said: "They had to step up, the way we destroyed them, they were not particularly happy with that, they were huge favourites before the game.
"They got a goal and changed the momentum of the game.
"It tells everything about the players, mentality and attitude that we out ran Man United and any other day we would win"
- Kostas Lianos
Ferdinand’s angry text
Arsenal legend Martin Keown received an angry text from Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand after he named Diogo Dalot man of the match against Brentford.
Ferdinand said: “Martin on commentary was the person who gave Dalot man of the match, I couldn’t believe it.
“[Scott] McTominay was head and shoulders above everybody. I text him [Martin] saying, ‘What’s going on?’.
“I saw him [McTominay] in a restaurant last week and just spoke to him briefly about working hard and playing hard and that’s all you hear about him.
“He’s an honest kid, he wants to do well and improve. You saw in his game today where his intensity and desire, you could see it from the first minute.
“At Manchester United, you need a certain amount of ability but personality and character are what gets you through and enables you to stay at this club for a long time.
“He’s shown that in a time of need when this club has been shaky at the best of times”
- Kostas Lianos
Saka will not leave
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka will stay at the Emirates for the foreseeable future despite recent links with Liverpool, according to Steve McManaman.
McManaman wrote on horseracing.net: “Bukayo Saka would be an amazing signing for Liverpool but I can’t possibly see Arsenal selling a key player to a domestic rival.
“I can’t envision that move happening. He’s one of Arsenal’s star men.
"I’ve seen a lot of Arsenal this season and Buyako excites me more than any other player in their side."
- Kostas Lianos
Possible Vlahovic blow
Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic is not planning to leave during the January transfer window.
That is according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who reports that Arsenal have been targeting Vlahovic since October.
However, Romano added that the striker is keen to depart from the Artemio Franchi in the summer.
The Serbia international has also been linked with Tottenham and Newcastle
GETTY IMAGES - Kostas Lianos
Barcelona's transfer list
Barcelona have been offered a raft of Premier League stars amid the January transfer window.
That is according to Mundo Deportivo, who report that Barca have been offered an 'endless' list of players to sign.
Among them is Arsenal outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has found himself out of manager Mikel Arteta's squad following another disciplinary breach.
The list also includes Chelsea's Timo Werner and Manchester United's Edinson Cavani
- Kostas Lianos
Oxlade-Chamberlain out
Liverpool have suffered a major injury blow with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out of Thursday’s Carabao Cup showdown at Arsenal.
Former Gunners star Oxlade-Chamberlain was hoping to face his old side in the semi-final, second-leg clash at the Emirates.
But the midfielder has failed to recover from an ankle problem sustained in Sunday’s 3-0 win against Brentford.
This means manager Jurgen Klopp is without yet another senior star, with Thiago Alcantara and Divock Origi still out injured.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane continue to be away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt and Senegal respectively
- Kostas Lianos
'Trouble & Pressure'
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is lacking confidence and coming up with excuses like he did at Paris Saint-Germain, according to Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit.
Petit told Bookmakers.co.uk: "What is happening on the pitch for Chelsea now, reminds me of what it was like under Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain when things started to go wrong there.
“Trouble started in newspapers, the pressure came on from the media and fans, powerful players within the club were questioning him all the time and it continued week after week.
"You could see physically he had changed during press conferences and on the bench in games.
“That cool attitude he has just wasn't there. He was getting aggressive and was also looking for excuses from outside the club”
- Kostas Lianos
Moving Zakwards
Bayern Munich have joined Arsenal and Manchester United in the bidding war for Borussia Monchengladbach star Denis Zakaria.
Zakaria has entered the last six months of his deal and is unwilling to consider staying at Gladbach once it expires.
The Bundesliga side are open to cashing in on the midfielder whilst they still can, with Arsenal keeping tabs.
Reports suggest, the Red Devils had already offered the player a contract and would rather pay a fee in January than wait until the summer.
But, Bayern are now seriously considering a move and are the current favourites to secure the Switzerland international’s signature.
According to Sky Sports, the German champions are hopeful of landing the 25-year-old on a free transfer in the summer as a replacement for Corentin Tolisso, whose contract also expires in June
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- Kostas Lianos
Dembele to be sold
Barcelona CEO Mateu Alemany has confirmed that Ousmane Dembele will be sold during the end of the January transfer window because he doesn’t want to be at the Nou Camp anymore.
Alemany said: “It’s clear that Dembele does not want to continue with Barcelona.
“He doesn’t want to be part of our project.
“We told Dembele he has to leave immediately. We expect Ousmane to be sold before Jan 31.”
Dembele has been previously linked with a move to Arsenal
- Kostas Lianos
Partey has returned
Arsenal star Thomas Partey has returned to London from Cameroon and the Africa Cup of Nations.
Partey’s and Ghana suffered a shock elimination from the Copa Africa’s group stages.
According to Football London, the midfielder has landed in the UK and the Gunners are hopeful he will be ready in time for Sunday’s game against Burnley.
That is a major boost for manager Mikel Arteta, who has been dealing with a depleted midfield
- Kostas Lianos
Henry next gig?
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is Bordeaux's No1 target if the Ligue 1 strugglers sack manager Vladimir Petkovic.
Henry is currently Belgium's assistant coach, and is reportedly in 'regular contact' with the French club's president Gerard Lopez.
According to RMC, the legendary forward heads a list of several options as Petkovic is tipped to depart.
Second-bottom Bordeaux's squad strength and fighting spirit looked feeble as they lost 6-0 at Rennes on Sunday
- Kostas Lianos
More from Arteta
Arteta added: “Because there’s no way we can give all our players a full MRI scan every day because then no-one is going to play football.
“On Sunday we did not have even 11 players available and we did all the right things.
“You have to prove individual evidence, all the MRIs, all the Covid cases you have. You have to put it all on the table, explain and answer more questions.
“That’s why we have the Premier League, the FA and the regulators to carry out the due diligence, which is a lot to postpone a match.
“We have been struggling all week with numbers. Hopefully we can bring some players back against Liverpool but they won’t be in the best condition because they haven’t trained for a long time”
GETTY IMAGES - Kostas Lianos
Arteta speaks ahead of Liverpool
Speaking ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool at the Emirates, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted he is still struggling to name a team.
Arteta said: "When a team has come to us and said they cannot play, we have never, ever publicly questioned any of that.
“You have to expect people to follow the rules, to be honest and try to maintain the integrity of the competition.
“I agree that there should be more clarity about the rules, but you have to do that right from the beginning.
“To ask somebody to change when you want to be transparent halfway through the season is tricky and a little bit manipulative.
“If the game is off only for Covid then we are playing a different game with different rules.
“So then are we testing every day, twice a day, PCR or lateral flows? What are we trying to achieve?"
- Kostas Lianos
Orsic transfer race
Burnley have joined the transfer race for Dinamo Zagreb star and former Arsenal target Mislav Orsic.
Orsic is valued at around £10million by Dinamo, who are in no rush to let him go.
The winger came to the attention of English fans when he scored a hat-trick against Tottenham in the Europa League last year.
The Croatia international also grabbed the winner against West Ham in December
- Kostas Lianos
Taking the mik
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has come out with all guns blazing at critics following the postponement of the north London derby and vowed to defend his club 'with teeth and nails'
Arteta said: "We will not allow anybody to damage our name or try to lie about things that haven’t happened.
“We will absolutely defend our club with teeth and nails in a really strong way because we know we did the right thing.
“We didn’t have the players necessary for a squad to compete in a Premier League match. That is 100 per cent guaranteed.
“Whoever is saying that we’ve been trying to do something that we haven’t, that’s a lie. And when somebody is lying you don’t really get offended.
“We were killed when we played the first three games of the season with a lot of players missing.
“People said ‘don’t be naive. If you have that many out, don’t play with your kids’.
“We played against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup with 10 players out and now we postponed a match for all the right reasons and we get these reactions. It’s a no-win situation”
- Kostas Lianos
Arsenal's Vlahovic plan
Arsenal are ready to make Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic their second-highest earner at the club.
The Gunners have made Vlahovic their top transfer target with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future uncertain.
According to La Nazione, the north Londoners are willing to offer the striker £300,000-per-week.
Only ex-captain Aubameyang is paid more, as he is earning up to £350,000
GETTY IMAGES - Kostas Lianos
Arsenal considering loan transfer
Al-Nassr have reportedly submitted a loan bid for Arsenal outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang has returned to Arsenal from the Africa Cup of Nations due to 'lesions' being found on his heart after contracting COVID-19.
The striker's future remains uncertain, having not played for the Gunners since December after being stripped of the captaincy.
And the Saudi Arabian giants tabled a loan proposal for the Gabon international on Tuesday in a bid to rescue him from his Arsenal woes, according to CBS.
The loan offer included a £6.7million obligation to buy the 32-year-old at the end of the season.
It's claimed the north Londoners are yet to respond to the offer, but are keen to offload Aubameyang's £350,000-a-week wages
- Kostas Lianos
It's Partey time
Arsenal are set to for a transfer boost as Thomas Partey is flying back from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Partey played in all three of Ghana's matches in the group stage as they were eliminated from Copa Africa.
The midfielder could play a part in the Gunners' upcoming home match against Burnley.
That could mean the 28-year-old would not have missed a single Premier League game, with the north Londoners' fixture against rivals Tottenham last Sunday postponed
- Kostas Lianos
Ed-ing to a close
Arsenal technical director Edu has reportedly met with Juventus star Arthur's agent.
The Gunners are desperate to sign the Brazil international in the January transfer window.
And Edu was reportedly wooing the midfielder's representative Federico Pastorello at the club’s London Colney training ground in order to push through a deal, according to Metro.
The north Londoners' manager Mikel Arteta wants to strengthen in the middle of the park despite Thomas Partey's return from the Africa Cup of Nations
- Kostas Lianos
Du are ya?
Arsenal have had an £88million offer accepted for Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.
However, Vlahovic has already agreed to join Juventus despite the Gunners' intense interest.
The striker is out of contract in 2023, and agreed to join Juve upon the expiry of his deal, according to Ok Calciomercato.
It comes as a blow to the Viola, who would lose out on a hefty transfer fee for the Serbia international.
The 21-year-old is even reported to have agreed a 'penalty' fare with Juventus in case the deal is cancelled.
Therefore it's claimed that the stand-off is causing a 'delicate situation' for his current club.
Should Vlahovic stubbornly see out his contract and leave for free, club owner Rocco Commisso would want him benched for the entirety of next season.
That would see substitute Krzysztof Piatek promoted in his place
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- Joshua Jones
Good morning to Gunners fans
Arsenal ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has received an offer to join Al-Nassr after falling out of favour.
According to CBS, Al-Nassr have lodged a loan offer for the star striker with an obligatory buy clause of €8million (£6.6m).
The Gunners have yet to respond but they are open to selling the Gabon international.
Meanwhile, The FA have launched an investigation into a yellow card received by an Arsenal player in a Premier League game this season, according to reports.
It comes after bookmakers reported ‘suspicious betting patterns’ surrounding a Gunners star being booked.
The identity of the player in question is yet to be released.
And finally, Arsenal transfer supremo Edu has reportedly met with Juve star Arthur’s agent.
The Gunners are desperate to rope in the Brazilian in this month’s transfer window.
And Edu was reportedly wooing the midfielder’s representative Federico Pastorello, at the club’s London Colney training ground in order to push through a deal, according to The Metro.
- Justin Lawrence
Arteta comes out guns blazing
Fuming Arteta has come out with all guns blazing at Arsenal’s critics and vowed to defend his club 'with teeth and nails.'
The Emirates boss is incensed by the flak he has taken after the postponement of Sunday’s North London derby.
And he insisted the club did everything by the book when they had the game called off despite recording only one positive Covid case.
- Justin Lawrence
Edu meets with Arthur's agent
Arsenal transfer supremo Edu has reportedly met with Juve star Arthur's agent.
The Gunners are desperate to rope in the Brazilian in this month's transfer window.
And Edu was reportedly wooing the midfielder's representative Federico Pastorello, at the club’s London Colney training ground in order to push through a deal, according to The Metro.
- Justin Lawrence
Chamberlain out for Arsenal clash
Liverpool have suffered an injury blow with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain OUT of Thursday’s Carabao Cup showdown at Arsenal.
The former Gunners star was hoping to face his old side in the semi-final, second-leg clash at the Emirates.
But Oxlade-Chamberlain has failed to recover from an ankle problem sustained in Sunday’s 3-0 win against Brentford.
The versatile midfielder was forced off just minutes after scoring at Anfield.
And Oxlade-Chamberlain will not make it in time for tomorrow’s Carabao battle, with the scores tied at 0-0 from the first leg.
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