9.30pm Arsenal news LIVE: Dembele transfer tussle with Liverpool, Ozil ‘happy to stay’, Partey future UPDATE – The Sun
MIKEL ARTETA has urged the nation to 'be sensible' after fighting off the coronavirus.
The Arsenal boss is braced for a big summer ahead, although Premier League football doesn't look likely to return until at least JULY.
We've the very latest on the Gunners chase of Ousmane Dembele, plus an update on Mesut Ozil's future.
Follow all the latest Arsenal news and gossip with our blog below…
CESC MADE FAB DECISION
Arsenal legend insists ex-Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas was right to leave the Gunners forBarcelona in 2011.
Emirates fans were furious when the Spaniard decided to return to the Nou Camp but Merson believes it was the correct decision.
Fabregas joined the Spanish giants for £35million but surprisingly only won one La Liga title during his second spell at the club.
Merson told SkySports: “I can understand the reason Cesc Fabregas laid out as to why he left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2011.
“I don’t know too many footballers, who when Barcelona and Real Madrid come calling don’t go.
“Fabregas is an interesting case because he did leave Barcelona as a youngster to go to Arsenal, but he couldn’t turn it down when they came calling again.
“I can’t think of too many players that could turn it down.
“You may get a player to wait around another year, but they always end up going in the end, and I had no problem with Fabregas going when he did.”
Since Fabregas left the Emirates, the Gunners have struggled for success, winning just three FA Cup's.
LUKA IN REAL TROUBLE
Chelsea and Arsenal transfer target Luka Jovic ‘doing a good job of ruining his career’ at Real Madrid, says ex-coach Dragoslav Stepanovic.
Jovic's former boss and fellow Serb Stepanovic has slammed the 22-year-old for sabotaging his dreams of making it as a star at the Bernabeu.
The striker, 22, moved to the Spanish outfit from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer on a six year deal, for £50m.
He has failed to impress in his first LaLiga campaign, scoring just twice in 24 games since his switch from the Bundesliga.
Madrid decided to splash the cash on him as he scored 27 goals in 48 games for Eintracht Frankfurt last season but he has fallen out of favour for Zinedine Zidane's side.
The star hit headlines after breaking quarantine and flying to Serbia to visit his girlfriend, Sofia Milosevic amid the coronavirus crisis.
And former Eintracht Frankfurt coach Stepanovic has claimed the striker is ruining his career.
He said to Kurir: “He is the only man who does 100 per cent to ruin his career.
“Jovic works against himself. He was lucky that Adi Hutter gave him a shot at Eintracht and then made the biggest transfer in Serbia’s history and went to Madrid. I can’t believe what the boy is doing to himself.”
ARSENAL fans are counting down the days until football returns again.
But with the coronavirus crisis now a worldwide issue, the Premier League won't be active for any time soon.
That doesn't mean we haven't got plenty of Gunners gossip to bring you though, starting with an update on Arsenal's pursuit of Ousmane Dembele.
The 22-year-old has flattered to deceive at the Nou Camp since joining from Borussia Dortmund for a fee believed to be in the region of £130million in 2017.
AS report that the forward has been valued at around £70m, with the player said to be willing to make a move to England.
But they state that both the Gunners and Liverpool are unsure about forking out that much to prise the player away from Catalonia.
While Mesut Ozil’s agent insists the German is happy at Arsenal and has no plans to leave this summer.
Ozil, 31, has been linked with a move to Turkish side Fenerbahce for some time.
He has just one goal and three assists this season.
And in other transfer news, Arsenal target Thomas Partey is set to sign a new contract with Atletico Madrid, according to reports.
The 26-year-old has emerged as one of the best centre-midfielders in Europe and the Gunners were hoping to bring him to the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta reportedly made the Ghana international his No1 summer target.
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