Arsenal transfer news: No bid for Turan, Madrid ace on the radar and more - 7th December 2017

Barcelona president denies Arda Turan bid

The Turkish international is set to leave the Camp Nou after a failed spell and Arsenal reportedly are interested in the player for a while now. Further, the Blaugrana are expected to trim the wage bill in order to make way for big-money signings such as Philippe Coutinho. Thus, Turan was expected to leave in the January transfer window and the Emirates seemed to be a likely destination.

However, Barcelona club president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has revealed that the club is yet to receive any offers for the former Atletico Madrid attacker and that his future lies in his own hands. He told Fanatik:

“Arda Turan is one of the important players of our team. Obviously I want him to continue his sports career here, with us. Now he was inactive because of an injury, but he is already in better shape."

“We will see what happens when he is fully recovered and ready for his coach. We have not received any official offer from Galatasaray or any other club for Arda Turan. The future of Arda Turan is in his hands. It will be him who will ultimately decide his destiny.”

Thus, it is very likely that the interested clubs are waiting for the player to regain form and fitness before the January transfer window. Turan could prove to be a valuable squad addition for Arsenal, especially with the impending departures of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

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Wenger targeting Madrid's Keylor Navas

Wenger is monitoring Navas' situation at Madrid

The Costa Rican has been a vital part of Real Madrid's consecutive Champions League wins and has been one of Zinedine Zidane's most consistent performers. However, Navas has always been considered a stop-gap while the club signs long-term target, David De Gea from Manchester United.

While that deal still looks far from happening, the capital club is reportedly closer to signing Athletic Bilbao keeper, Kepa. In such a scenario, Navas will very likely leave the club and Wenger is monitoring the 30-year old, as per reports in Spain.

Current Arsenal no.1, Petr Cech, is no longer the wall he used to be during his time at Chelsea, prompting the Gunners faithful to clamour for a new incumbent. Keylor Navas can bring with him a wealth of experience, especially in Europe. Further, the player will not have concentration issues due to barely being tested in games at a big club like Arsenal either, owing to his time with Madrid.

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Wenger believes shorter contracts keep players hungry

Arsene Wenger believes shorter contracts bring out the best in players

The Frenchman has three first-team players with expiring contracts in Sanchez, Ozil and Jack Wilshere. All of them are reportedly set for moves elsewhere but Wenger believes a shorter contract keeps the player hungrier. In his pre-match press conference prior to their final group stage Europa League game against BATE Borisov, Wenger was quoted by the Independent as saying:

“They shouldn’t [feel like bit-part players]. Because that’s not how I see it. Even inside the camp the other players have a respect for them. But sometimes the outside environment makes them look like that."

“When the team does well you keep a certain consistency. That doesn’t mean that the players who do not play, you respect them less. You respect people through their attitude and their attitude is fantastic."

“When you pick a team you do not necessarily look how long a contract is. The shorter the contract is, the more hungry the players are usually. The hunger index drops with the length of the contract.”

Wenger's statements might not sit well with Arsenal fans as shorter contracts will imply that there are more chances of the players leaving as well.