Transfer Balls: Arsenal And Spurs Battle It Out For The Player Neither Wanted

TRANSFER Balls: A look at football rumours being passed off as fact by the mainstream press. Let’s look at how much Arsenal and Spurs want the titchy Brazilian called Bernard.

The Daily Express has news:

Arsenal and Tottenham on alert with Brazilian starlet Bernard set for loan move

Ben Jefferson adds:

ARSENAL and Tottenham are on alert after Shaktar Donetsk revealed plans to try and send Bernard out on loan this season.

Why? Why Arsenal and Spurs? We’re not told. Most likely it is becsue both sides, apparently, bid for him before:

He told FourFourTwo magazine:”We had offers from Tottenham, and according to my Atletico president Arsenal were interested too, but didn’t have the money. All of it happened in a moment Europe was facing a serious financial crisis, so there was interest from various teams, but the only one able to pay straight away was Shakhtar.”

Surs din;t have the money? Spurs who spunked £100m on players last summer, didn’t have the money? And Arsenal who splurged over £40m on Ozil didn’t have the money? Well, they must be kicking themselves. Did you see Bernard at the World Cup in Brazil?

The Express later adds:

Spurs offered £15.7m (€18m) for Bernard but later withdrew, while Arsenal never formalised their interest with a bid.

Spurs withdrew the bid. Arsenal never bid. How they wanted him.

The Mirror adds beneath the headline “Arsenal Transfer News”:

Arsenal are on alert after Shakhtar Donetsk put Bernard up for a season-long loan. The Brazilian winger is thought to be unsettled by the continued unrest in the Ukraine and looking for a move away. And his club are now apparently ready to let him leave, temporarily. “But to let him go for free or for pennies won’t work. The club will not allow it,” a club source told Izvestia. “In such a situation it is better to give the Brazilian a one year loan. If Bernard is able to establish himself well [at another club] Shaktar will then be in a better position to negotiate a subsequent sale.”

Back in July, the Indy noted:

Arsenal are close to completing a move to sign Chile star Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, but, according to Goal.com, could make a move for the 21-year-old.

The once trusty Indy now quotes its source as Goal.com, a site that has told us:

Higuain is a Gunner:

Screen shot 2014-08-18 at 11.54.53