Monday Arsenal Transfer News

Arsenal have problems at left-back with Sead Kolasinac set for two months on the sidelines having picked up a knee injury in the recent friendly against Chelsea. Nacho Monreal hasn’t featured in Arsenal’s preparations for the new season having returned from the World Cup with a knee injury. The Spaniard is expected to return to Emery’s squad this week but is a major doubt for Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Manchester City on Sunday (4pm). And with youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles set to fill the role against the champions, Emery has decided he needs fresh cover.

And the Daily Mail report the new boss will target AC Milan full-back Ricardo Rodriguez before the transfer window closes on Thursday (5pm). Rodgriguez moved to Milan last summer after spending five seasons in Germany with Wolfsburg. It’s claimed that Milan are keen to keep hold of the 25-year-old and it may cost Emery £30million to get his man. This is a player I wanted Arsenal  to sign a year or so ago.

Lucas Pérez wants to remain at Arsenal beyond next week’s transfer window, sources close to the player have said, with the striker hopeful of fighting his way into Unai Emery’s plans for the coming season despite interest in his services from Sporting Lisbon. Pérez was signed by Arsene Wenger almost two years ago, arriving from Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain for £17.1m. However he failed to make much of an impression in north London, scoring just one Premier League goal in his debut campaign, before spending last season out on loan at his former club. The 29-year-old returned to Arsenal this summer to link up with fellow Spaniard Emery and featured in the club’s first two pre-season friendlies against Boreham Wood, Atlético Madrid, although he was left out of their recent squads for wins over Chelsea and Lazio.

3 Holiday August

So this month, already special because of my birthday falling on the second, is awesome because we get three extra days off due to public holidays falling on weekdays. August 15th is Independence Day! No not that one with Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum fighting off bad aliens using a computer virus. But the Indian Independence Day – when we got our freedom from the British imperialists.

That falls in the middle of next week, a Wednesday. I wish it were on a Monday or Friday which will mean 3 day weekend. But then…the next week we have two days off! Bakrid is on Wednesday, 22nd Aug and Onam is on 24th which is a Friday. So I will get a long weekend but if only I could get Thursday off or a leave as well.

Damn it! I am greedy but I don’t care.