Bag Banega
Arsenal are after Ever Banega, according to an exclusive in The Sun. Unai Emery knows the Argentine international well from his time at Sevilla and is said to be keen for a reunion with the midfielder.
The newspaper reports that Raul Sanllehi thinks that clinching the deal would be a great way to kick off his new role as Arsenal’s head of football following Ivan Gazidis’s departure to AC Milan.
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According to Spanish sources, 30-year-old Banega “has an £18m buy-out clause” if the Gunners wish to prise him from his current deal, which expires at the end of next season.
That could happen as soon as January, with Emery aware that Banega may not have many playing years left.
Sanllehi targets Pavon
Another Argentine star to have caught Sanllehi’s eye is Boca Juniors winger Cristian Pavon. Football.London reports that Sanllehi has already held talks with Boca about the 22-year-old.
Pavon has “established himself as a fan favourite” at Boca, says The Sun, and is reportedly also a target for Manchester City.
Cech faces uncertain future
Petr Cech has admitted he is playing for his future at Arsenal, reports Sky Sports. The veteran goalkeeper says he is feeling the heat from Bernd Leno following an indifferent start to the season with the Gunners.
Leno to start?
Cech, 36, has started all of Arsenal’s Premier League games this season but he has looked unsure at times under Emery’s new approach.
That’s led to calls in some quarters for the selection of Leno, who arrived at the Emirates in the summer in a £19.2m move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Leno is expected to get his chance tonight when Arsenal play Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League.
A good performance from the 26-year-old will only increase the pressure on Cech, who has yet to be offered a contract extension, with less than 12 months remaining on his current deal.
See what happens
Asked if he expected to sign a new deal with the Gunners, Cech said: “I’m in the last year of the contract so I guess it depends on my performances, the way I play and the way I stay fit throughout the season, then we’ll see what happens next.”
Cech saw off competition from Colombian keeper David Ospina in recent seasons for the No. 1 shirt and says he has no problem with the challenge from Leno.
“When you bring players in, you do that to improve the squad and to make it competitive and Bernd is here, trains every day and tries to get his spot, which keeps everyone in the goalkeeping group on their toes including me,” he said.
“I have to work hard not only to make sure the manager picks me for the weekend but as well that he sticks with me.”
Complicated
Admitting that the goalkeeper situation at the Gunners is “complicated”, Cech continued: “Only one can play, so the competition is bigger. At the moment I’ve been playing and I try to do my best and hope the manager is happy with my performances.
“In sport this is the way it goes - you always have someone waiting for your failure so they can jump in and you have to find a way to keep your spot.”
According to the Daily Mirror, Leno for Cech will be one of a number of changes made by Emery for tonight’s Europa League opener, with Mohamed Elneny, Danny Welbeck and Stephan Lichtsteiner all expected to start for the Gunners.
