Transfer balls: ‘poor’ Arsenal get Mahrez ‘in next few days’ and chase Mustafi
On Apr 28, 2016, the Daily Express reported that Liverpool FC “are sending an official to close a deal for Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi at the weekend”. The weeekend came. The weekend went. Liverpool officials never showed up to sign the German footballer.
Today the Sun says: “Arsenal transfer news: Gunners begin talks with Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi.”
Sky says “Mustafi has a release clause of £42.1m but Sky Germany understand that Arsenal may be able to sign the German for £25.3m plus a further £8.4m in add-ons.”
Big money, then. Or as the Mirror says:
Did “Gunners chief” Ivan Gazidis really says Arsenal are “poor”? Are Arsenal fans “angry”? No. And no. What he said was:
“We can’t afford to outgun competitors that have far more money. We have to be very careful, very selective… We’re run in a self-sustaining way, and a way that we believe in, because we believe it gives us certainty for the future and enables us to plan our future with confidence.
That sounds like sanity.
And what about the spending?
“We’re still active in the market, as are most other clubs, and if we find opportunities that our manager believes can improve our squad and add something to it, we’re certainly going to take those steps.”
As the Mirror spins sensation from sense, The Week says:
Arsenal transfer news: £37m for Riyad Mahrez, Jese Rodriguez next?
The Sun says Riyad Mahrez will sign for Arsenal “in the next few days”. Rodriguez plays for Real Madrid. He won’t come cheap. And when the shiny strip on the story is rubbed away, beneath it lies no evidence that he will come to Arsenal at all.
Posted: 29th, July 2016 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Sports Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
