Gossip: Arsenal eye Mertens; Ozil to go in January

Ian Watson

ARSENAL COULD LOSE OZIL IN JANUARY
Arsenal have apparently accepted that they won’t keep hold of Mesut Ozil and a winter exit could be on the cards.

TMW (yeah, we know) claim Inter Milan are keen to capitalise on the fact that talks between Arsenal and Ozil are going nowhere, with the Italian side free to negotiate a deal with the German as soon as January.

Apparently, Inter aren’t happy with the performances of Joao Mario and they hope Ozil would be an upgrade, which he may well be depending on what mood he’s in.

The exit of Ozil in January would at least see Arsenal recoup some cash, though with Inter able to agree a pre-contract agreement, they may be best advised to wait until the summer. According to the Daily Express, Ozil is looking for around £400,000 a week from Arsenal.

 

WENGER STILL KEEN ON MERTENS
Speaking of the Gunners, Arsene Wenger was reportedly keen to sign Napoli forward Dries Mertens in the summer and his interest may not be completely dead.

The 30-year-old opted to sign a new contract in Napoli until 2020, but those terms supposedly include a ridiculously low buyout clause worth £26.5million, which Calciomercato claims is tempting enough for Wenger to continue his pursuit.

Mertens has continued his red-hot goalscoring form by following up his 28 Serie A goals last season with six in four starts this term. Liverpool have also been linked with the Belgian but you would expect there to be a far longer queue next summer, when the buy-out clause comes into play.

 

REAL ENCOURAGEMENT FOR MOURINHO OVER GOMES
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has reportedly urged Manchester United to sign Andre Gomes from Barcelona this summer.

That is the peculiar claim being made by Don Balon. The Spanish outlet says Perez is aware of Jose Mourinho’s desire to bring Gomes to Old Trafford and for some reason, the Real chief is keen to see it happen. It’s hardly as though losing the 24-year-old would significantly weaken Barca. The 35million euros recruit last summer was voted worst signing of the season by Marca readers and he has played only 13 minutes in La Liga this term.

That apparently hasn’t deterred Mourinho, who is said to fancy of his chances of inspiring Gomes to rediscover the form that made Barca fork out to bring him from Valencia. But Perez’s role remains unclear. You would think he’s got more pressing concerns…

 

AND THE REST
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane admits he was thrilled to see his side keep Philippe Coutinho in the summer… Cristiano Ronaldo has demanded Marco Asensio is given more time on the pitch for Real Madrid… Arsene Wenger believes football’s transfer market is unsustainable in its current form and has backed governing bodies to take imminent action to limit transfer fees… Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho hints Luke Shaw is still miles off being his first-choice left-back… Slaven Bilic has told Andy Carroll he has to show he can stay fit and injury-free this season if he wants to earn a new West Ham contract… Jurgen Klopp is adamant Daniel Sturridge remains a crucial part of Liverpool’s squad and revealed there was never any chance of him leaving this summer… Arsenal open talks with Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck over new deals as they look to avoid a repeat of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil debacle.

Chelsea are leading Liverpool, Tottenham, Southampton, Man City and Man Utd in the race for 14-year-old Caen sensation Elye Wahi… The odds on PSG winger and perennial Arsenal target Julian Draxler moving to the Premier League in January have fallen…Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus, 20, is set for a significant pay rise… Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who is on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, says he has no idea if he has a future with the Blues… Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang never seriously considered leaving Borussia Dortmund for the Chinese Super League last summer… Real Madrid are in talks to sign Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.