Utd return for Welbeck? Rogic watched again & Arsenal in contact with club over move for Kouma…

Morning all.

New man Granit Xhaka will wear the No.16 shirt next season, Aaron Ramsey’s old number. The Welshman has switched to No. 8 as said yesterday. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think for his old club he wore the No 34 and for Switzerland the No. 10 but with Coquelin and Wilshere occupying both of those, I guess he had to settle for whatever was on offer. It’s only a number after all.

Alex Iwobi has also changed his number and he now has the privilege of wearing Alexis Sanchez’s old No.17 with the Chilean switching to No. 7.

There really isn’t much news out there other than England beating Australia 2-1. Marcus Rashford stole the headlines after becoming the youngest player to score on his début for England

Why is it other clubs seem to produce a good striker through their academy, yet Arsenal haven’t for years. Most of our young strikers have either been sent out on loan only to never return, or are simply given their marching orders before we even see them play which is quite sad really. It’s pretty much the same in defence too as when did we last see a big strong CB come through the ranks? In midfield we have Wilshere and now Iwobi but that’s pretty much it as all the rest have been bought, even Gibbs was nicked from Milton Keynes, still, at least he was born in London. Our other English players have been signed from Southampton, oh, apart from Carl Jenkinson who is Arsenal through and through.

And let’s be honest, none of the young Arsenal strikers who have been released by the club have really hit dizzy heights have they and perhaps the only one who did quite well was Anthony Stokes who went off to Scotland with Celtic after a few loans spells in England.

Right now I think we only have Chuba Akpom who has been on loan with Hull City and behind him is young Edward Nketiah who Arsenal nicked from Chelsea after being released but hey, he’s an Arsenal fan so that’s something… He turns 17 years old in a couple of days but even so, I doubt we’ll see him in the first team for a couple of years yet.

So until either Akpom or Nketiah are ready for the first team, if they ever are, there’s a striker out there somewhere who needs to be bought and paid for.

There’s a No. 9 shirt ready and waiting Arsene!

Transfer gossip:

The Express have a story about Danny Welbeck returning to Man Utd as he’s on Mourinho’s  ‘wanted list’! He can take a run and jump as far as I’m concerned.

Barca are sniffing around Hector Bellerin but they too can dream on as the young Spaniard has said time and time again, he’s happy at Arsenal.

Arsenal have allegedly contacted Chelsea about signing Kurt Zouma and scouts were out last night watching Tom Rogic runs rings around England, or more to the point, Jack Wilshere, according to those media darlings..

And finally, Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez. He has a release clause of €25m and Arsenal are about to activate it! The Kicker states that Rodriguez’s transfer has been initiated by Arsenal’s youth director Andreas Jonker who has previously worked with Rodriguez during his time in Wolfsburg.

Phew, I’m exhausted!

Have a great Saturday….