Sampdoria president confirms Torreira departure

                                 Sampdoria president confirms Torreira departure

Sampdoria’s president Massimo Ferrero has confirmed that the club has agreed to sell midfielder Lucas Torreira for €30 million.

It’s yet to be confirmed that Arsenal are the club that have bought the Uruguay international although it’s been widely reported that personal terms have been agreed and that the deal will be ratified by the Gunners when the player’s World Cup duty ends.

Torreira came off the bench in Uruguay’s opening game in Russia as they beat Egypt with a 90th-minute winner.

Speaking to Italian TV station TMW, Ferrero revealed: “Torreira has left for €30million, I bought him from Pescara when nobody believed in him.

“We took a gamble on him and we won, paying just €3million. The money that comes in will be used to capitalise the company.”

He’d earlier stated: “Sampdoria do not sell unless there are excellent offers.

“We do not look for buyers. We have natural talents whose values increase exponentially.

“Sampdoria is a stepping stone. It’s a family-run club and that allows players to grow up.

“It’s normal they have aspirations to play for big clubs, but I do not need to sell out.”

Unai Emery has already welcomed right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner and goalkeeper Bernd Leno to the club, while centre-back Sokratis is due to sign from Borussia Dortmund in Jul

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Arsenal release nine players including Santi Cazorla and Per Mertesacker

Gunners release 9 players and offer 6 stars new deals

Arsenal have published their end of season retained list on the Premier League's official website.

It shows the Gunners have released nine players and offered contracts to six others.

Santi Cazorla and Per Mertesacker are by far the biggest names on the released list. Cazorla, who has endured injury hell over the past few years, has already confirmed he will return to Villarreal for pre-season training in a bid to regain full fitness.

German defender Mertesacker announced his decision to retire earlier in the season.

Jack Wilshere leads the names of Arsenal players with the word "offer" next them. The 26-year-old is still yet to put pen to paper as his future at the Emirates remains in doubt.

Released: Marc Bola, Santi Cazorla, Alexander Crean, Aaron Eyoma, Ryan Huddart, Chiori Johnson, Hugo Keto, Per Mertesacker and Tafari Moore. 

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Lucas Torreira ‘agreement reached’ with Sampdoria

Arsenal bosses have registered their interest in Torreira with his agent Pablo Bentancur.

The Uruguay international is available for £21.9m (€25m) due to a release clause in his contract.

And, according to Calciomercato Sampdoria, Arsenal have an agreement in place with Sampdoria because they are ready to immediately pay the buyout fee.

The Gunners reportedly face a race against time as the clause expires at the end of the month.

They also face rival interest from Borussia Dortmund and Napoli, who risk losing Jorginho to Manchester City.

Bentancur has asked interested parties to give him a week to consider every offer on the table.

But the agent’s financial demands as part of the deal are also a potential stumbling block, according to Calciomercato Sampdoria. 

To further complicate matters, Torreira will be in Russia for the World Cup after making Uruguay’s 23-man squad for the tournament.

Torreira has made 74 appearances in all competitions for Sampdoria since joining from Pescara in 2015.

He is under contract with the Serie A club until the summer of 2022.

Arsenal have made one signing so far in this transfer window.

Switzerland international right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner, 34, will join from Juventus when his Juventus contract expires.

A deal is also imminent for Borussia Dortmund centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos, 29.

Arsenal have also held talks over a move for Freiburg rising star Caglar Soyuncu, 22.

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Arsenal book medical for €17m ace

According to German outlet Kicker, Sokratis Papastathopoulos will undergo his medical at Arsenal this week.

The Gunners are reportedly close to sealing a €17 million fee for the Borussia Dortmund defender, with the 29-year-old set to become Unai Emery’s first Gunners signing.

Sokratis only has a year left on his contract with the Bundesliga outfit and wants to leave this summer.

He has agreed terms with Arsenal and could now become Unai Emery's first signing.

The 29-year-old Greek international has been at Dortmund since joining from Werder Bremen in 2013.

During that period he has played 198 times for the Yellow and Black and won the DFB Cup and lifted the Super Cup twice.

He has 79 caps for the national team, representing them at Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup.

Arsenal's new head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, who joined from Dortmund, wants to overhaul the defence with as many as four new defenders targeted.

Out of contract Juventus full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner is also on the verge of completing his move to North London.

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£110,000-a-week star drops biggest hint that he might agree Arsenal deal

Many Arsenal fans have wished for one player to sign a contract at the Emirates and express his desire to work with the new manager, Unai Emery. You may think it’s a new player to put on the red of Arsenal however it is already one of our own.

The recipient of the player of the season award, Aaron Ramsey, has dropped his biggest hint yet that he will be putting pen to paper and signing a new contract.

The Welsh midfielder who is currently earns £110,000-a-week at Arsenal, has one year left to run on his contract with many previously fearing him and Jack Wilshere will leave with the club for free when their contracts expire.

When asked if he was looking forward to working with Emery, Ramsey replied after the Wales fixture against Mexico. According to BBC, he said:

‘Of course. I haven’t spoken to him at all yet, but I think it’s an exciting time for the club.

You may not think too much of that quote but he followed up with his excitement of re-joining the club for pre-season: ‘I can’t wait to get back there now.’

Still no confirmation from the number eight extending his stay, however, The Telegraph is reporting that the club has offered Ramsey a new five-year contract.

The club is hoping the confirmation comes soon and they can avoid experiencing a situation like last year, where Alexis Sanchez moved to Manchester United on the cheap and Mesut Ozil bargained himself a new wage packet.

Should he extend his contract then a certain Spanish manager will be jumping for joy in his new surroundings. Unai Emery has expressed his desire to build the team around the 27-year-old and striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The news is likely to play in the midfielder’s favour as he demands to be put in the same wage bracket as the striker and new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan earning closer to the £200,000-a-week mark. We are likely to see a further indication in the coming weeks, whether Ramsey will be a star in North London for many years to come.

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Wenger hints at taking “testing” Real Madrid job?

Wenger hints at taking “testing” Real Madrid job?

Arsene Wenger made it clear that he still wanted to remain in management after parting ways with Arsenal after 22 years, but he also said that he would find it very hard to go to a different club in England and have to come to the Emirates as an opposing manager.

It is strange that he has given another interview to Bein Sports on the day that Zinedine Zidane has resigned from Real Madrid, despite winning the Champions League for the third time in a row, and Wenger also discussed that he had turned down the job at the Bernabeau on a number of occasions. Le Prof said: “Real Madrid I think I turned down two or three times you know,” he said. “It’s one of the teams I loved when I was a kid. I just felt that it was a very sensitive period for Arsenal Football Club.

“When we built the [Emirates] stadium the banks asked me to commit for five years. The first time I thought it was inside the five year and I thought I cannot do that, that would betray my club.”

But now the job is up for grasbs and there is no reason why Wenger couldn’t accept the challenge now, and he is looking for a job that will “test” him. “It is exciting because you will be tested again, that’s what I want again in my life basically I am a competitor who needs to be tested,” Wenger said. “I don’t know exactly what will happen now, but I am in front of an empty page and I will have to write the next chapter.”

Will that new chapter begin in the Spanish capital?

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Arsenal have reportedly declared interest in signing Gareth Bale this summer.

Arsenal have reportedly declared interest in signing Gareth Bale this summer.

The Real Madrid hero is eyeing a move away from the Bernabeu, despite winning his fourth Champions League winner’s medal in just four years.

Bale has been out of favour by Zinedine Zidane this season and started just over half of Real’s La Liga matches.

Other than his links with Tottenham, the forward is suggested to be attracting strong interest from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain which could also see Unai Emery’s side struggle to land him.

Bale’s lack of match time this season still saw him fire in 16 goals in La Liga.

He also netted a spectacular overhead kick in the Champions League final to seal Real Madrid’s triumph in a row – a record.

It’s uncertain how much the the Welshman could cost, but the saga is likely to role on till the end of the summer.

Gooners, would you like to see Bale at Arsenal? Let us know in the comments…

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Arsenal Transfer News: £35m Seri revelation, Ramsey drops hint,

Arsenal target Jean-Michael Seri will be allowed to leave Nice for the right price this summer, reporter Dharmesh Sheth has claimed.

He told Sky Sports: “I’m being led to believe that there’s an agreement with his club that he will be allowed to leave for £35m.

“Now, it’s really interesting actually because he almost joined Barcelona.

“Intriguingly, last summer, Arsenal’s current head of football operations, Raul Sanllehi, was the director of football at the Nou Camp and they wanted Jean-Michael Seri.

“Fast forward to January, Emery tried to sign him for Paris Saint-Germain.

“Arsenal are interested, there has been a long-standing history of the people at Arsenal being interested when they’ve been at previous clubs.

“So potentially, I think if Emery had his way, he could be his first signing.”

Aaron Ramsey says he’s excited to start working with new Arsenal boss Unai Emery despite rumours he could leave north London.  

The Welshman midfielder has been linked with a summer move to Manchester United among other clubs.

But it appears he’s set to stay at the Emirates and is looking forward to meeting Emery.

Ramsey said: “I haven’t spoken to him at all yet, but I think it’s an exciting time for the club. I can’t wait to get back there now.”

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Arsenal boss Unai Emery will complete first signing this week, £16m deal agreed

Arsenal boss Unai Emery will complete first signing this week, £16m deal agreed ● News Now - sokratis papastathopoulos ● welcome to arsenal ● superb defensive skills ● 2018 - hd. arsenal set to sign borussia dortmund defender sokratis papastathopoulos ● news now ● #afc. 5million signing of borussia dortmund ace sokratis papastathopoulos according to reports.. the video about sokratis papastathopoulos's defending skills in 2017/18. arsenal targeting sokratis papastathopoulos as part of new back five this summer in overhaul of arsene wenger's squad - u... arsenal plotting transfer move for borussia dortmund star sokratis papastathopoulos.. arsenal 'favourites to sign sokratis papastathopoulos' with borussia dortmund prepared to cash-in on £18m-rated greece centre back....

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