Exclusive column: Arsenal hopeful over midfielder transfer, new Thomas Partey development & more

Arsenal don’t have to worry PSG

The Champions League semi-final towards PSG is looming giant for Arsenal. In all honesty, it’s just about not possible to consider the rest.

PSG are clearly in incredible type, however the good factor for Arsenal is they don’t have to worry anybody proper now. Why would they?

They’ve simply overwhelmed Actual Madrid, the reigning European champions dwelling and away. They took on the 15-time winners and comprehensively hammered them over 180 minutes.

They went to the Bernabeu, the place everybody gave the impression to be anticipating them to roll over amid a Actual Madrid remontada and simply patted their hosts on their heads and waved them away with relative ease.

If you are able to do that towards Madrid, then why would you are worried about anybody else?

That’s not me saying that this isn’t going to be an extremely powerful semi-final. In fact it’s going to. PSG are a greater facet than Madrid proper now.

They’re brimming with confidence and have already knocked out two Premier League sides on their option to the ultimate 4, together with champions elect Liverpool.

So Arsenal are going to should be at their absolute best to beat them.

Mikel Arteta’s facet do have the reminiscence of a snug 2-0 win towards Paris from earlier within the season and that ought to stand them in good stead.

PSG are a really totally different workforce now to the one which was brushed apart so simply on the Emirates in October, however the way in which Arsenal bodily dominated them that night time was very complete.

Ousmane Dembele wasn’t enjoying in that sport, nevertheless, and the French champions have added Khvicha Kvaratskhelia since then. Each of these gamers can be such a risk to Arsenal.

They’re the 2 that actually fear me, however Arsenal are so good defensively and if the likes of William Saliba and Jurrien Timber can maintain them quiet then Mikel Arteta’s facet could have an excellent likelihood of taking a bonus with them to France for the second leg.

Arsenal nonetheless hopeful of Martin Zubimendi switch

So far as I’m conscious Arsenal are nonetheless hopeful that they are going to win the race to signal Martin Zubimendi this summer time.

I do know there have been stories from Spain suggesting that Actual Madrid have stepped up their makes an attempt to land the midfielder in latest weeks and that his head might have been turned.

I can’t actually affirm something concerning the degree of Madrid’s curiosity in Zubimendi, I’m simply undecided about that. However I do know that Arsenal stay hopeful of getting a deal over the road for the Actual Sociedad star.

They’ve put quite a lot of effort into signing the Spaniard, with Jason Ayto – who was the membership’s interim sporting director earlier than the appointment of Andrea Berta – on the forefront of that work.

And with Berta now on the membership he’s being tasked with closing the deal for the Spain worldwide, with the expectation that Arsenal will look to get it finished early within the switch window.

Zubimendi is seen as a precedence for Arsenal this summer time, with Jorginho sure to depart and Thomas Partey’s future removed from clear as he heads in direction of the tip of his contract.

Thomas Partey exit could possibly be a danger – might Arsenal nonetheless provide him a brand new deal?

This time final week I’d have stated it was virtually sure that Thomas Partey would go away Arsenal in the summertime.

I nonetheless do suppose that’s the more than likely situation, however I’ve been instructed that there’s a feeling inside Partey’s camp that the membership are open to beginning talks over a possible extension for the midfielder.

Partey is out of contract in the summertime and up to now there have been no formal talks over a brand new deal. His representatives had been in London not too long ago and watched the Actual Madrid sport, however that go to didn’t embrace discussions with the membership over his future.

So we’ll should see what occurs over the approaching weeks in the case of the Ghana worldwide.

I do know he’s blissful and settled in London along with his household and he can be open to staying, with a brand new two-year deal understood to be one thing he and his representatives view as acceptable.

However you can perceive why Arsenal can be reluctant to increase Partey’s keep, along with his damage file removed from spectacular throughout his time in North London.

His availability has been good this season, nevertheless, which he’ll level to and you can argue he’s enjoying higher now than he ever has in an Arsenal shirt.

However – if talks do happen – you possibly can see each side being a way aside by way of a place to begin for these discussions.

This could possibly be Partey’s final huge contract and there may be robust curiosity in him from high golf equipment throughout Europe in addition to from Saudi Arabia, so he’ll need to get pretty much as good a deal as attainable.

However you’ll suppose Arsenal can be trying to cut back his wages on account of his age and previous damage file, so talks is not going to be simple.

Permitting each Partey and Jorginho to depart in the identical summer time can be a little bit of a danger for Arsenal, even when Zubimendi does arrive.

I feel they might cope, nevertheless, with out a additional addition. Declan Rice might drop in on occasion and play because the No.6 and Myles Lewis-Skelly is an choice too.

With the work they should do bolstering their assault within the coming window, I’d be very shocked in the event that they had been to exit and spend huge on two central midfielders.

Jack Wilshere was extremely considered at Arsenal – hopefully he’ll be again sooner or later

I’m undecided I’ve ever felt as outdated as I did after I noticed the information that each Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey had been positioned in short-term cost of Norwich and Cardiff Metropolis and that they might be going through up towards one another on the ultimate weekend of the Championship season.

I can’t think about both can be underneath critical consideration for the highest job on a everlasting foundation but at their golf equipment, however I suppose you by no means know – particularly in Wilshere’s case.

Though he’s nonetheless simply 33, he has loads of expertise behind him following his time with Arsenal and he was all the time very properly considered there.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him a number of occasions earlier than he moved to Norwich and he was all the time a really spectacular man to speak to. Teaching actually did give him that fireplace again in his stomach, which he had misplaced a bit in direction of the tip of his enjoying days.

He was very properly revered at Arsenal they usually didn’t need to lose him after they did. However there was an acceptance on the membership that they couldn’t stand in his means when Norwich got here calling.

I feel everybody nonetheless hopes that he’ll return to Arsenal sooner or later. Clearly he’s far-off from that proper now, however possibly this new interim function is step one on that journey.

Good luck to each of them.