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Arsenal’s strong links to Loic Remy this past weekend could, and probably are, an indicator of one thing: the club are fighting a losing battle to secure a big-name striker this summer.

It’s one or the other for Arsenal this summer. Either sign a world-class striker who can carry the team to silverware next season and beyond, or load the decks with players who can share the burden.

And that’s the way it’s looking, provided the Remy deal comes off. There isn’t any great problem with the French striker, who’s been involved in his national side’s two most recent friendlies ahead of the World Cup. He’s a good player who knows the Premier League. He’s the quick forward the club need, and based on what’s being reported, it’s a hugely tempting bargain to land an experienced full-international what for QPR are asking, said to be around the £8 million-mark.

But good doesn’t win you league titles. Olivier Giroud is good for what he is, but he isn’t the difference-maker in high-profile games, as has been greatly discussed throughout this past season. Remy is similar, a good striker but with little track record of guiding a team to silverware.

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So let’s assume that Remy is to be one of Arsene Wenger’s first signings of the season. Karim Benzema looks increasingly likely to stay on at Real Madrid, with the striker admitting to a happiness and comfort in the Spanish capital. Mario Mandzukic is another name, but talk has gone cold on that one. It may crop up again, but in the event the Croatian has a good tournament in Brazil, he’ll more than likely gather a larger number of suitors later in the summer.

Beyond those two there hasn’t been sustained links to good forwards, rather reports of fleeting interest.

Loading the decks is the only other viable option for Arsenal. Few fans will accept Remy as the only forward addition. He isn’t really better than Giroud, simply different in his style of play. But bringing in another natural striker will help to restore some faith in the manager from those who want something extravagant.

Alvaro Morata’s Real Madrid future is unclear. There have been reports of him going to Italy, as well as rumours about a move to Arsenal. What is clear is that he isn’t good enough to be Arsenal’s first-choice centre-forward next season, but in a group consisting of Giroud and Remy, he’d be able to offer a lot.

Morata’s potential contribution is only really based on one season in the Real first team and the U21 European Championship last summer with Spain. He’s 21. Unlike recent transfer targets like Julian Draxler, Morata hasn’t been playing top-flight football from his late teens. He’s still very raw and time will need to be afforded to him before we see the finished product.

But there is also a lot of upside to the young Spaniard. He was in and out of the Real team this season, initially acting as backup to Benzema but then losing that position to Jese Rodriguez. An injury to Jese allowed Morata to see more minutes towards the end of the season, and while there were disappointing periods, a lot of what he produced was positive. Think what he could have done with regular football under his belt.

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What Morata is at this time is a very good ‘reliever.’ He can start in place of first-choice forwards or contribute off the bench. Like Remy he’s quick, and like Giroud he is big enough to hold up the play. Despite Benfica’s Rodrigo being the preferred option in Spain’s U21 team, Morata is comfortably the better of the two.

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He’s a good finisher and has displayed intelligence in the opposition penalty area. He’s not a superstar at this time – and some have been led to believe after this season he won’t be a superstar forward, at least not for Real Madrid – but he’s a good, young player who is certainly good enough for a club of Arsenal’s size.

Real Madrid are said to have wanted a buy-back option in the event of a sale to Arsenal, but unless Morata’s career pans out to be something in the shape of Gareth Bale’s or someone of that ilk, Real’s gaze is unlikely to be drawn.

He’s not the player many fans will have at the top of their transfer wish lists. There’s little glamour in this signing; for all the talk of Morata over the past 12 months, he doesn’t hold the same reputation as youngsters like Mario Goetze and Julian Draxler. But what is certain is that Arsenal need options and depth, and if Morata is available and the ‘Loic Remy route’ is to be taken, 21-year-old would make a lot of sense to help lead Arsenal to further trophies next season.

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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini will reportedly not find his job under threat despite the arrival of two former colleagues of Pep Guardiola who is currently on ‘sabbatical.’

This is according to club sources who have moved to quash the growing rumours after the appointments of Barcelona’s former technical director Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano as manager Mancini finds himself under increasing fire as the season progresses.

With Guardiola being one of the most highly rated managers in the sport all managers will be looking over their shoulders, but Mancini is safe according to ESPN who claim they have been told “Roberto has won three trophies in two-and-a-half years and was given a new five-year contract in the summer, and that would not have happened if the powers that be thought they had the wrong manager.”

The Daily Mail have even claimed that the Italian is “optimistic” about the latest appointments, being “relieved” that Brian Marwood is now academy director and will be far less involved in every day dealings at the club.

Elsewhere Mancini has appealed to fans to give the club some time and be patient despite the less than stellar start to the season saying “all teams need their supporters for 90 minutes” after being booed off the field at half time in their Premier League clash.

The Italian conceded that “we won the title last season but we need to work, we need to improve, to learn other things,” yet felt that three trophies in such a short space of time entitled his team to some leeway from fans and the press.

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Everton fans are split on the latest reports on Brendan Galloway, as the young defender wants to leave the club this summer.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Galloway wants to leave Goodison on loan this summer in search of more playing time.

The speedy youngster showed a lot of potential when he broke through into the first team, but two unsuccessful loan spells have certainly set him back.

The 22 year-old made just three league appearances after joining West Brom back in 2016, and struggled to make an impact at Sunderland last season, playing just seven times in the Championship, and not once in 2018.

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Galloway might have fancied his chances of getting more playing time as Leighton Baines reaches the end of his Everton career, but the emergence of Antonee Robinson has likely pushed him back down the pecking order.

Fans aren’t sure what to make of the exit talks, with some fans still hoping he can develop further at Goodison.

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Others aren’t so convinced though, as by 22 he really should be making his mark on the first team.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

The last few days have not been the most enjoyable for Arsenal fans, and it has just got worse with the news that Alexandre Lacazette is facing six weeks on the sidelines.

The North London outfit were beaten convincingly by arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Saturday.

Harry Kane’s unstoppable form continued as he scored the only goal of the contest, which has put the Gunners eight points behind the top four.

For a team that boasts plenty of attacking talent on paper, the club’s top scorer (Lacazette) has eight goals to his name.

Compare that to Kane, who has netted 32 in all competitions, and it shows that the Gunners are struggling.

On Tuesday, the club revealed that Lacazette could miss six weeks of action due to a knee injury that required surgery.

A short statement on the club’s official website read:

“The minor procedure was a success and he will now undergo a period of rehabilitation. It is envisaged that he will return to the squad within four to six weeks.”

The Frenchman has started 22 top-flight games this season and has come off the bench in a further four.

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Arsenal fans have been reacting to the injury blow on Twitter.

Steve Sidwell believes that Fulham’s weekend win against Aston Villa will be enough to kick-start their quest to avoid relegation.

The Cottagers rose from the foot of the table and to within five points of safety on Saturday thanks to a late header from Hugo Rodallega that gave them a vital 2-1 victory.

Next up for the Cottagers are 17th placed Norwich, who will enter the tie having just sacked Chris Hughton.

To make matter worse for the Canaries, they will then face Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in their last four games, which could see them dragged into the bottom three.

Sidwell – who has been an ever present for Fulham this term – believes that his side can push on from their weekend victory and complete what looked a few weeks ago to be an impossible comeback:

“There is [light at the end of the tunnel],” he told talkSPORT.

“We said before the Aston Villa game, if we can get a win there and get the ball rolling then we’ve got a great chance [of staying up].

“The fixtures that we’ve got to come, especially the home games for us against Norwich, Hull and Crystal Palace, mean we’ve got a chance to get points.”

Sidwell then went on to describe Felix Magath – their third manager of the season – as a “hard” boss:

“To describe him, he’s hard but fair,

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“When you come into work he wants everything done with 110% [effort], whether it’s stretching, passing the ball or going into a game and doing tactics.

“In that respect a few of the boys who have had him before over in Germany have said this is nothing compared to what he can do.”

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Genoa defender Andreas Granqvist has admitted that he is flattered by speculation linking him with a switch to Liverpool.

The Sweden international has been touted as a potential transfer target for the Merseyside club, who are expected to try to bolster their contingent in the January transfer window.

Granqvist moved to the Serie A side from Dutch club Groningen in 2011 for £2 million, and has thoroughly impressed for his new employers.

The Scandinavian stopper was linked with a move to a bigger club in the summer, with Lazio, AC Milan and Inter all hot on the heels of the centre-back.

However, it is now Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side that are being touted as potential suitors, which Granqvist takes as a complement.

“Honestly, I don’t know much about this interest. I am focused on Sweden’s World Cup qualifiers and then we’ll see what happens,” Granqvist told Sportbladet, translated to English by Metro.

“I am happy in Genoa, but obviously I am flattered by the interest from the Reds. They are an historic and successful club.”

Granqvist knows the English game well after spending 18 months with Wigan back in 2007 and 2008, with limited effect.

Despite failing to make a favourable impression with the Latics and only stepping out for the DW Stadium side 14 times, Granqvist has revitalised his career abroad and is now an accomplished international defender.

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Granqvist was part of the Sweden Euro 2012 squad, and faced England in the tournament in Ukraine and Poland; the Three Lions won the game 3-2.

According to reports from Mirror Football, Everton’s new Director of Football Marcel Brands is aiming to offload up to twelve players, fearing manager Marco Silva has inherited too large a squad from Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce.

And while it’s unclear who will definitely be heading out of Goodison Park this summer, former Crystal Palace man Yannick Bolasie is one of the names speculated by Mirror Football’s David Maddock.

Bolasie – who Transfermarkt value at £16.2million – and Wilfried Zaha provided the potent attack that helped keep the Eagles in the top flight after their promotion in summer 2013 and secure a tenth-placed finish during the 2014/15 season.

After leaving in a big-money deal two summers ago, the Congo international’s Everton spell has been thwarted with injury problems, limiting him to just 29 Premier League appearances during the last two seasons.

In that time, Palace have managed to replace Bolasie’s influence with the similar services of Andros Townsend, a tricky and dynamic winger of likewise unpredictability.

But, Eagles fans, should Roy Hodgson attempt to bring the 29-year-old forward back to Selhurst Park this summer? Let us know by voting below…

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Thierry Henry is widely regarded as an Arsenal legend, but he landed in some hot water from fans over the last few days following Alexis Sanchez’s exit.

The Chile international ended speculation surrounding his future by joining Manchester United in a swap deal that involved Henrikh Mkhitaryan moving to the Emirates.

Sanchez’s demeanour in his final few games for Arsenal attracted criticism from the crowds.

However, the majority did not want one of their best players to leave, particularly midway through the window.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Sanchez seemed to suggest that Henry had helped encourage him to join United.

“I remember today, a conversation I had with Henry, a historic Arsenal player, who changed club for the same reason and today is my turn.”

The remark sparked anger among some Arsenal supporters, so much so that Henry had to issue a denial via Twitter.

Sanchez also took to social media to clarify the comments, insisting that the Sky Sports pundit did not push for him to leave.

The 29-year-old added that he hopes to see Henry as Arsenal manager in the future.

The fans have now given their say on the drama, with many defending their club legend.

From pundits to players, managers to club legends, everybody’s said their piece about Chelsea’s decision to sell Juan Mata to Manchester United for a club record £37million fee.

Arsene Wenger and Manuel Pellegrini have both condemned the move, the former suggesting the January window should be abolished in its entirety and the latter arguing for a re-writing of the transfer rule-book.

The Arsenal and Manchester City bosses would like to think their criticisms are directed towards the make-up of the mid-season transfer window rather than the Mata case itself, but deep down, both are clearly infuriated by Jose Mourinho electing to strengthen a club that’s dominated the Premier League since its incarnation during their lowest low for the best part of three decades.

Why would the Chelsea gaffer willingly hand over one of the division’s most potent attacking midfielders to a Manchester United side on its knees and begging for mercy? Surely in the long-run, refusing to strengthen the Premier League champions would have not only benefited the Blues, but the rest of the top flight.

Financial Fair Play, Mata’s personal ambitions for the 2014 World Cup, and the fact Manchester United have taken on Chelsea twice already this season but are still yet to face City, Arsenal and Liverpool, undoubtedly factored into Mourinho’s decision to let the Spain international join one of the Blues’ closest divisional rivals.

But are we overlooking the psychological impact Mata’s move will have on both the United and Chelsea camps as the most subliminal yet decisive cause?

The Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel touched on the issue slightly, when he lead with the headline last month ‘By selling Mata, Chelsea are saying United are a spent force’. Considering the Blues’ 3-1 triumph over the Red Devils, coming days before the Spaniard’s departure, was essentially the final nail in the coffin of United’s Premier League title defence, I’d certainly subscribe to that theory.

But there’s more to it than that. The modern transfer market requires an overseeing eye that can plan for three or four seasons in advance, and Mourinho did not hand over a two-time Chelsea Player of the Year simply to reinforce what we already know about United’s current campaign.

Let’s remember that Mata represents the first player to switch allegiances between both clubs since Juan Sebastian Veron almost a decade ago, moving the other way for £15million in 2004. That year holds great significance as the last transfer interaction between the two sides, just a season prior to Chelsea claiming club to back-to-back champions under Jose Mourinho, fuelled by the finances of Roman Abramovich.

Since then, dealings between Manchester United and Chelsea have been a no-go, as both sides continually battle year upon year for the English crown. In that time period, Manchester United have let players leave for Manchester City, and Arsenal have sold to pretty much everyone, but the Blues have always refused to sell to divisional rivals. Even Demba Ba’s loan move to the Gunners was blocked by the club’s management in the summer, despite Mourinho issuing the striker just two Premier League starts since.

This is what makes the Mata transfer saga so special, not only because of its rarity, but because of the timing.

This did not come in the summer when Manchester United were still an unknown quantity under David Moyes, despite Jose Mourinho being firmly in the knowledge even back then that the Spaniard would not feature heavily in his plans, with Oscar anointed as Chelsea’s new golden boy in attacking midfield.

Rather, the transfer materialised after Manchester United had gone an entire half-season without once making it into the Premier League’s top five, and after Juan Mata had spent six months on the Chelsea bench, with his appearances amounting to just 834 minutes worth of top flight football.

By selling Mata to United, Mourinho is saying; “Look at you, Manchester United, once so strong. A club that has won the Premier League title 13 times out of a possible 21 attempts. A club who walked away with the title last year in an almost mechanically destructive fashion. You now come, cap in hand, to a club that hasn’t won the title in three years, requesting the services of a player who I don’t even want in my starting XI to be your saviour”.

That is the psychological benefits of Chelsea’s decision to sell in a nutshell; Manchester United are at such a loss, they’ve paid a club record fee for a player who wasn’t even guaranteed a regular spot on the Blues bench. It’s not suggesting United are a spent force, and therefore there is no risk in selling them an attacking midfielder that claimed twelve goals and twelve assists in the Premier League last season. It’s illustrating the desperation of one club, compared to the confidence of another.

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Some would even argue Chelsea have sold Manchester United a player they don’t need, and their recent downfall has clouded their transfer judgement. While Wayne Rooney remains at the club, David Moyes will always struggle to fit Mata, the England international and Robin van Persie in the same starting line-up without compromising each individual’s ultimate utility.

Jose Mourinho has been labelled a master psychologist before, but this could be his greatest victory in the battle of the mind games yet. To many at Old Trafford, Juan Mata will be a poster boy of hope and optimism, a cause to look beyond the current campaign. But to the rest of the Premier League, he will be an eternal beacon of how the mighty have fallen, a reminder of Manchester United’s lowest low and David Moyes’ flustering desperation.

And as long as that subliminal narrative remains, Mourinho will always feel he and his Chelsea side have the psychological upper hand, for he was the man Manchester United were forced to turn to when they needed a savour. It’s a simple case of ‘remember who your daddy is’.

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Following claims from Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers that Luis Suarez is haunted by his reputation as a diver, I ask who is left in football who doesn’t dive?

Most footballers will now go down under contact from even the slightest touches especially in the Premier League and I can’t help but think we have to stop getting caught up in a diving debate. Football has moved on for better or worse.

Two weeks ago in Manchester City’s draw with Arsenal, Sergio Aguero was praised for his decision to not go down under pressure from Laurent Koscielny. Yet many observers believe had the Argentine left his feet, the Premier League champions would have earned a penalty. At a time when many football fans will see and accept players leaving their feet under contact and footballers who don’t leave their feet under pressure, can be praised and patronised in equal measure being described as “too honest”, can people still really get infuriated by diving?

Many still clamour for three game bans and extensive suspensions for those who clearly attempt to con a referee but now more than ever spotting a dive is a task on its own. Players have become so cunning in their movement and anticipating contact that I believe the era of the blatant dive is beyond us.

To go back to the Uruguayan frontman is it not possible for incidents to not contain fouls but also not warrant a booking for simulation? Suarez sprang to floor ahead of an on-coming challenge from John O’Shea and was cautioned. Slow-motion replays showed the 25 year old was clipped by O’Shea. In this scenario I believe that Suarez didn’t deserve a yellow card but then the award of penalty would be harsh. Here I believe you see the “grey area” and ambiguity that makes punishing diving almost an impossibility. So often you see what are described as ‘soft’ penalties being given. What constitutes a foul has become so subjective; I believe determining a dive is extremely similar.

To finish referring back to Rodgers’s point those like Suarez who are known as divers and don’t get decisions because of that should reap what they sow but the idea of the FA or UEFA punishing players extensively for simulation is idealistic. Football now exists in an era where players benefit greatly from leaving their feet regularly and do so for that reason. The incidents are too often and too subjective to police any further.

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Follow me on Twitter: @jimmylowson