The offseason is here for Arsenal FC, and that means the Gunners squad won’t be reunited again until training camp commences in July. However, it’s going to be a very busy summer (some would say it is already, and they would be correct), and certainly an exciting transfer window at the Emirates, with a whole lot of topics to discuss.
Today is another very busy news day, so let’s take a spin through Tuesday’s headlines.
? Love that, @LichtsteinerSte#WillkommenStephan pic.twitter.com/95TJbmY1Kc
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 5, 2018
The club officially announced the first signing of the Unai Emery era at Arsenal, and it’s Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner, who moves over on a free. The 34-year-old Swiss international, who now wears red for both club and country, did an introductory interview for the club’s website and this is what he said when asked why he wanted to come to London and the Premier League/join up at Arsenal.
“There is a project.”
“There is a project to come back into the Champions League. I think it’s hard to see a club like Arsenal not playing in the Champions League. If you see the players, if you see the club, the stadium… it’s the project, the big opportunity to get back to the highest level.”
The right back won the Serie A title in each of his seven seasons at the Italian superpower. Lichtsteiner scored 14 goals in 250 appearances for Juve since moving over from Lazio in the 2011 summer transfer window.
? Red for club, red for country ??#WillkommenStephan pic.twitter.com/bFPTe6nHgu
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 5, 2018
Prior to the unveiling of Lichtsteiner, The Guardian posted their take on who the first Emery addition might be. An excerpt from their transfer gossip round-up reads:
Sokratis Papastathopoulos is the favourite, as the big centre-back is on the verge of completing a £16m transfer from Borussia Dortmund. But coming up quickly on the rail is Marouane Fellaini, who might favour a move to London over Milan. Papastathopoulos has reportedly snubbed José Mourinho to join the Emery revolution, so Manchester United fans can file this whole bundle under Swings/Roundabouts.
What’s interesting about this is how the Arsenal of Unai Emery say they want to go younger, but acquiring Lichtsteiner and then possibly Fellaini later certainly does not fit that motif.
–Here’s a link to a little bit more on Fellaini. This is a shocking development, if it’s true- Arsenal are interested in acquiring the Belgian, who reportedly held talks with Unai Emery. More via the Daily Mirror:
“According to The Times, Fellaini is more likely to sign for the north Londoners than he is pen a new deal at Old Trafford.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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