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Tuesday Kickoff: Arsenal eye M’Vila, Man. City close in on Sinclair and more

MVila (Reuters Picture)

With a new void in his midfield, Arsene Wenger may turn yet again to another rising French star to try and bolster his club.

Arsenal's interest in Stade Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila has reportedly been rekindled as the close of the summer transfer window nears. If M'Vila were to sign with Arsenal, he would join a group of young Frenchmen to sign with the club over the last few years that includes Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby and most recently Olivier Giroud. 

With Alex Song off to Barcelona, Arsenal have a hole in central midfield to fill, and M'Vila, a rising star who played for France in Euro 2012, fits the bill. The 22-year-old M'Vila has spent his entire career at Rennes but has been pegged for a move before the close of this transfer window. Tottenham have also been said to be a contender for M'Vila.

Rennes are reportedly seeking £15 million in exchange for M'Vila's services.

Here are a few more stories to get your day going:

CITY CLOSE IN ON SINCLAIR

Manchester City have been rather quiet during the transfer window, but the club is closing in on Swansea City winger and Team Great Britain Olympian Scott Sinclair.

The clubs are reportedly close on agreeing on a £5 million fee for the 23-year-old Sinclair, whose contract expires at the end of the season. He reportedly told Swansea City management that he has no wishes to sign a new deal with the Swans, so instead of losing him for nothing next summer, they are open to a move.

GOURCUFF OUT FOR EXTENDED PERIOD

Yohann Gourcuff just can't escape the injury bug.

The Lyon midfielder suffered a knee sprain and ligament damage during the club's victory over Troyes on Saturday and is expected to miss between the next 6-to-12 weeks.

Gourcuff's time at Lyon has been marred by injury, with a heel injury and adductor problem costing him months of time last season and limiting him to just 13 games. That followed his first year with the club that included an Achilles injury and an adductor strain.

NORWICH CITY SIGN BASSONG

Former Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong is headed to Norwich City on a three-year deal. 

Bassong, 26, had been with Tottenham since 2009, but he had no longer become a regular in the lineup and spent time on loan with Wolverhampton last season. He will be reunited with Norwich City coach Chris Hughton, who was in charge at Newcastle when Bassong arrived there in 2008. Hughton hopes that Bassong can help improve a back line that was torched by Fulham to the tune of a 5-0 season-opening loss on Saturday.

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Do you think M'Vila would be a good fit for Arsenal? Is he worth that price tag? Where do you think Sinclair fits in for Manchester City? Disappointed that Gourcuff is hurt again? Do you see Norwich City getting relegated?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. There hasnt been an offer for Dempsey yet from any team. Just because he’s the best american player doesnt mean teams will fork over 10mil for him. He’s 29 & there is not alot of interest for him on the market.
    Liverpool may wait until the last minute, force fulham’s hand & get him for 4-6mil transfer.

    This talk about firing his agent is silly.

    Reply
  2. I don’t know details about Dempsey’s agent, but I have the same feeling. And if Clint is not sold by Fulham by August 31, he might be wise to look for a new agent for his January pre-contract talks as a free agent.

    If Liverpool falls through for Clint and a good team like Arsenal or Schalke don’t snatch him up, then Everton would be the ideal move for Clint. After the great win last night, I am thinking a Top Four finish is possible.

    Here is an interesting piece by a guy who is a Liverpool legend touting Clint.

    John Aldridge: Liverpool FC’s lack of goalscorers will come back to haunt them
    http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2012/08/21/john-aldridge-liverpool-fc-s-lack-of-goalscorers-will-come-back-to-haunt-them-100252-31663478/

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  3. very well put, patrick. no doubt about it, Martin “Darth Vader” Jol is not a man I would trust. After trashing Clint last Friday he went on a Mr. Nice Guy (gag-me-with-a-spoon) offensive, saying of Clint: ”I told him I almost love him as a son last year…” When I read those words I need a barf bag.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19298824

    Clint is being punished for the simple fact he declined to sign a contract extension. Jol needs to give it up. Clint ain’t gonna buckle under and sign and if Jol is not smart enough to let Clint go by August 31 for a nice transfer fee of 5-10 million, then Clint will sign a pre-contract in January and Fulham will not get anything for him. It could be that Jol and Fulham in their vicious spitefulness toward Clint are stupid enough to hold him and not cash in. But I doubt.

    And by this behavior toward Clint, then Jol and Dempsey are shooting themselves in the foot, sending a very negative message to other players about Fulham and to Moussa Dembele, who, like Clint, also is in the last year of his contract at Fulham with interest from a lot of teams but with Fulham wanting him to sign an extenstion. I would be surprised if another American player signs with Fulham for a long time to come.

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  4. Problem is his age and price tag. Teams in Italy and Germany don’t want to spend significant money especially on a 29 year old. In Spain you only have two teams spending significant money and they’re stacked. That only leaves a few teams in England who already have alot of depth. Dempsey had a great year last year(23 goals). However, he hasnt done that consistently like Van Persie or Drogba. If he drops back to 12 goals a year teams like Tottenham/Manu/Chelsea have plenty of players that can do that. If he were available on a free transfer or was younger he would definately go to a Champion’s League team.

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  5. Clint needs to fire his agent. The dude had all summer to find him a Champion’s League team, and failed to do so. Now he’s sitting in purgatory looking like a fool and his most likely move (Liverpool) won’t get him into the Champion’s League.

    Reply
  6. guess you didnt see Jol’s comments about Clint then, did you?

    From his comments after the Norwich game:

    “To say he refused to play is probably a bit harsh, but he wanted to move and if you want to move, you don’t want to take risks so you don’t want to play in case you get an injury,” Jol said Saturday. “So for me that was a very awkward situation and it was for him as well.”

    So, the “truth” and the “other side of the story” DID come out, you were just too lazy/uninterested in finding it out

    Reply
  7. You imply that the Rodwell signing didn’t make much sense, except that it did. He started and played quite well for Man City.

    Mancini seems unhappy with the play from Adam Johnson and another article is linking him to Sunderland. There is a legitimate need for players to play out wide.

    Reply
  8. They need to listen to the deals being offered to them and sell. I’m sure that if we all had to sign multi-year contracts just to be employed we would all understand his position in this. He wants a promotion, and he deserves one. PERIOD.

    So go ahead and throw him under the bus…you must be an NBA fan.

    Reply
  9. It’s possible, but it’s also possible that no good offers will come through, or they’ll hold him out of spite.

    Either way, I didn’t mean to beat a dead horse. We shall wait.

    Reply
  10. Well, I think Martin Jol has already brought some of that truth out when he backed off most of his statements about Clint “refusing” to play.

    IMO Clint is going to move before the window shuts. He wants something that Fulham can’t offer him. He wants a new challenge, I can’t blame him for that. This is his last chance for a move to a bigger club. He’s not getting any younger.

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  11. There are still 10 days left in the window. Plenty of time for things to work themselves out either at Fulham or elsewhere.

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  12. Meanwhile “the truth” or “other side of the story” has not been revealed by Deuce, and he continues to slide further into club purgatory. Looks like he needs to man up. Him and the club need to get over their differences and work together for another strong season.

    Reply

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