Arsenal

Arsenal confirmed Friday it will become the latest Premier League club featured on the Amazon Prime Video documentary series All or Nothing, which will follow the Gunners' 2021-22 season.

You asked. We heard you.#AllOrNothingArsenal

Coming to @PrimeVideoSport in 2022 ⏳

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 9, 2021

"As well as capturing the highs and lows of life at the Emirates Stadium and our training centre, the All or Nothing cameras will follow our squad away from the pitch to examine the daily challenges faced by elite athletes, the work we do in our local and global communities and what connects the Arsenal family and our special club," the club said in a statement.

Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are the other EPL clubs that have appeared on the series, which has also documented Germany's Bayern Munich, Italy's Juventus and several NFL teams in the United States, among others.

Dan Grabiner, Amazon Studios' Head of UK Originals, said in the announcement it's a perfect time to take a close-up look at the Gunners:

Arsenal is a historic club going through a fascinating period, and we can't wait to take viewers behind-the-scenes on the journey of this crucial season. All or Nothing is about intimate access to the passion and commitment behind elite sport, and in Arsenal we have the perfect subject for the next chapter. We are looking forward to Prime members around the world experiencing another Premier League season with a new club, through All or Nothing's signature quality storytelling and access.

The series will premiere in 2022 but an official date wasn't immediately announced.

Arsenal is one of the most popular clubs in Europe, ranking 10th in Goal's tabulation of total social media followers as of April, but it hasn't won the Premier League since the 2003-04 campaign and is coming off a term in which it finished a distant eighth in the table.

Now the pressure is on manager Mikel Arteta and the club's on-pitch leaders, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin, to lead a major resurgence during the upcoming season.

Clare Cameron, 72 Films' executive producer from the project, sees a lot of potential in the series:

We're excited to have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Arsenal to capture the exhilaration and drama of a unique season at the club. The opportunity to get close-up access to a squad of talented young players, both on and off the pitch, see the return of the fans to football and understand what makes Arsenal such an iconic club, will make for a compelling All or Nothing series.

Arsenal is scheduled to kick off the Premier League schedule Aug. 13 when it takes on Brentford.

The six English clubs that attempted to join the failed European Super League—Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur—have reportedly agreed to pay more than $31 million in combined fines to the Premier League for their actions.

Matt Slater of The Athletic reported Wednesday the agreement also includes a $35 million fine and a 30-point deduction in the table for any future effort to join a conglomerate similar to the ESL. The money collected will be used for grassroots football.

It's the latest punishment for the clubs that swiftly abandoned the Super League idea after it was met with resistance from UEFA and fans. The ESL was suspended April 20, just two days after it was announced, because of the mass exodus of teams.

In April, Der Spiegel (via Max Winters of MailOnline) reported ESL contracts included a $184 million "break-up fee" for backing out of the project.

UEFA then announced in May that nine of the 12 clubs that pulled out had agreed to "reintegration measures" that included a combined $18.3 million donation to grassroots football, a five percent hold on revenue from their next UEFA competition and major penalties for any future breakaway effort.

The governing body of European football also said the cases of the three remaining holdouts—Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid—would be sent to its disciplinary bodies for review and possible sanctions.

In addition, Premier League owners will now be required to agree to a new rule "committing them to the core principles" with the top division of English football or face "significant" penalties, per Slater.

The Super League was a failure of colossal proportions, and the six Premier League clubs involved continue to face the ramifications for the effort to create a lucrative Champions League alternative.

A full announcement from the Premier League about the newest punishment is expected later Wednesday.

Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek announced Saturday that he made a bid to buy Arsenal from Kroenke Sports & Entertainment but was rejected:

Following reports today I want to correct the record with attached statement pic.twitter.com/CzfF0Y76K4

— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) May 15, 2021

That will be a disappointing development for an Arsenal fan base that seems eager to be rid of the Kroenke family. The club failed to qualify for the Champions League for the fifth straight season this year and was one of six English clubs involved in the widely criticized announcement of the European Super League. 

“I’ve been an Arsenal fan since I was 8 years old,” Ek told CNBC last month. “Arsenal is my team. I love the history. I love the players and, of course, I love the fans, so as I look at that, I just see a tremendous opportunity to set a real vision for the club, to bring it back to its glory.”

Per Rob Bleaney of the Guardian, owner Stan Kroenke's asking price for the club is at least £2 billion ($2.8 billion), with some sources believing the actual price to be "considerably higher" than that number.

He added that Ek—who has reportedly "joined forces" with club legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira in an attempt to convince the Kroenkes to sell—is worth approximately £3.4 billion ($4.8 billion) and "figures close to the nascent consortium say he would have little problem amassing the sum necessary to tempt Kroenke into selling."

While his initial attempt was rebuffed, Ek may be in this pursuit for the long haul. 

“I certainly didn’t expect that this would happen overnight," he told CNBC. "I’m prepared that this could be a long journey.”

Kroenke Sports Enterprises isn't planning to sell Arsenal, according to ESPN FC's James Olley. 

Club director Josh Kroenke reportedly spoke with around 350 staffers on a video call Tuesday and "spelled out [KSE's] unwillingness to even consider an approach from any interested parties."

The Mirror's John Cross shared a statement from the Kroenkes confirming Olley's report:

“Our ambition for Arsenal remains to compete to win the biggest trophies in the game and our focus remains on improving our competitiveness on the pitch to achieve this.
Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.”

— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) April 27, 2021

The call came one day after the Guardian's Nick Ames and Will Unwin reported Spotify owner Daniel Ek was working with Arsenal legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira in an attempt to purchase the club.

A level of unrest among supporters has been growing for years. First, simply qualifying for the Champions League under Arsene Wenger wasn't enough. Now, Arsenal have fallen well off the pace of their top-six rivals, and Stan Kroenke's perceived lack of commitment is considered by many to be the primary source of the downturn.

Arenal's involvement in the failed Super League further incensed the supporter base. Even after it became clear the Super League as originally proposed was dead, more than 1,000 people gathered outside Emirates Stadium to protest.

The problem—and this isn't isolated to Arsenal—is that fans can't sack an ownership group.

Josh Kroenke spoke at a Fans' Forum last week and made it clear KSE officials "have no intention of selling."

"I believe we are fit to carry on in our position as custodians of Arsenal," he said. "We were put in a very difficult position by forces outside of the club."

In March, Arsenal announced a loss of £47.8 million after tax caused largely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Forbes estimated in January that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment was worth $8.73 billion through ownership stakes in Arsenal, the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, and other entities. The Gunners alone were valued at $2.27 billion in Forbes' 2020 list of the most valuable sports franchises.

The Kroenkes' efforts to participate in the Super League launch might have been thwarted, but they have little financial reason to offload the North London club.

Former Arsenal players Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira are planning a bid to buy the Premier League club alongside Spotify owner Daniel Ek, according to James Olley of ESPN. 

The consortium is set to place a formal offer to owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment within the next few weeks, although the American group has not indicated any interest in selling.

Josh Kroenke, son of principal owner Stan Kroenke, told supporters during a meeting Thursday that they don't intend on selling.

"I believe we are fit to carry on in our position as custodians of Arsenal," the younger Kroenke said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk).

The current ownership group has come under fire, with fans holding a recent protest trying to force the sale of the club after Arsenal were one of 12 teams slated to join The Super League, a breakaway competition that was widely criticized by fans. All six Premier League clubs involved have since withdrawn from the proposal.

"I do not recognise my club and what happened just now, with them trying to join a league that would have been closed, makes no sense to me," Arsenal legend Henry told Matt Law of the Telegraph. "They have been running the club like a company, not a football club, and they showed their hand."

Supporters have also been unhappy with the product on the pitch under KSE, with the Gunners finishing outside the top four in each of the past four seasons. The club sits in 10th place in the Premier League table with five matches remaining.

The former players would like to turn things around as part of a new ownership group, which would also feature lifelong fan Ek:

As a kid growing up, I’ve cheered for @Arsenal as long as I can remember. If KSE would like to sell Arsenal I'd be happy to throw my hat in the ring.

— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) April 23, 2021

The 38-year-old Swede has a net worth of $4.7 billion, per Forbes. Arsenal was recently valued at $2.8 billion, making the Gunners the eighth-most valuable club in the world, per Forbes.

Arsenal fans voiced their unhappiness Friday with owner Stan Kroenke's attempt to join the Super League. 

Per ESPN, "several hundred" fans protested outside Emirates Stadium prior to Arsenal's match with Everton. 

Their chants included, "We want Kroenke out" and "We want our Arsenal back."

In addition to chanting anti-Kroenke messages, the fans hung banners on the stadium concourse. 

"Our club our home. Sell up Stan," one of the banners read. 

Speaking to Sky Sports prior to Friday's match, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta addressed the situation: 

"Well we hear it, we know what they [the fans] think but our responsibility should be on trying the best possible way to play the match, and that's it.

"Well, obviously it doesn't help when you have your fans standing out there on a matchday and saying loud and clear to us they're not happy with something. But our job again is to win the football match and when that happens everything is better."

Arteta told reporters Thursday that Kroenke apologized to him for the situation. 

"We made a mistake, and we apologise for it," the club said in an open letter to fans. 

Arsenal was among 12 clubs that announced Sunday they were forming a Super League to rival the UEFA Champions League. 

Amid widespread backlash, the Super League dissolved, starting Tuesday when all six English Premier League teams that initially pledged to join backed out.

However, fan backlash has yet to subside.

Kroenke Sports Enterprises director Josh Kroenke told Arsenal supporters Thursday that KSE has no plans to sell the club.

Stan Kroenke, Josh Kroenke's father, has been the sole owner of the Gunners since 2018 and has owned a stake in the club since 2007.

Arsenal hasn't finished higher than fifth in the EPL standings since the 2015-16 season. 

Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang announced he was hospitalized after contracting malaria while playing for the Gabon national team. 

"I’ve spent a few days in hospital this week but I’m already feeling much better every day, thanks to the great doctors that detected and treated the virus so quickly," Aubameyang wrote Thursday on Instagram. "I wasn’t really feeling myself the last couple weeks but will be back stronger than ever soon!"

Get well soon, @Auba 🙏 pic.twitter.com/5VrTf0Cg9T

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 15, 2021

The 31-year-old started and scored a goal in Gabon's 3-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match March 25. He missed Gabon's next fixture, a 2-0 loss to Angola on March 29.

Upon returning to Arsenal, he was in the starting XI for the Gunners' 3-0 loss to Liverpool on April 3. Manager Mikel Arteta subbed him off for Gabriel Martinelli in the 77th minute.

Aubameyang also came onto the pitch in the 78th minute of Arsenal's 1-1 Europa League draw with Slavia Prague last week and assisted Nicolas Pepe's goal. That was the last time the experienced forward was a member of the Gunners' matchday squad.

Aubameyang's Instagram post came as Arsenal matched up with Slavia Prague for the second leg of their quarterfinals encounter.

Nobody can say Mesut Ozil is no longer capable of providing a pivotal assist. 

Arsenal are reportedly ditching its mascot, Gunnersaurus as they continue to cut costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ESPN reported that Jerry Quy, who occupied the Gunnersaurus costume, "will be allowed to return to the role of mascot when fans return to games."

#afc spokesman response: “Gunnersaurus is not extinct and will return to action when fans are allowed back at matches.”

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) October 6, 2020

Ozil is attempting to expedite Quy's return, tweeting Tuesday he's prepared to cover Quy's salary:

... so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much. ❤️🙏🏼#JusticeForGunnersaurus #M1Ö #YaGunnersYa

— Mesut Özil (@M10) October 6, 2020

Gunnersaurus might already have his head turned, though, after Sevilla made a public push to sign the free-agent dinosaur. Perhaps Gunnersaurus would welcome a new challenge.

Dreams do come true. Welcome, @Gunnersaurus! ⚪️🔴 #AnnounceGunnersaurus #DeadlineDay https://t.co/2xlJ0WWRnA pic.twitter.com/yxFDMr4yry

— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) October 5, 2020

Ozil is Arsenal's highest earner, making £350,000 weekly, per Spotrac. Paying whatever Quy made from the Gunners should be a drop in the ocean for the German midfielder.

It's too bad Arsene Wenger is no longer in the Arsenal dugout so he could praise Gunnersaurus' possible return as "like a new signing" for the club.

Arsenal left it until the last minute, but the London club announced the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey on Monday after triggering his £52.5 million buyout clause. 

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1313241301148749824

.@Arsenal pay Thomas Partey’s buyout clause at LaLiga headquarters. The player has unilaterally terminated his contract with our club.

ℹ https://t.co/drrGYXEokH

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) October 5, 2020

It was a much-needed move for Arsenal's midfield after the club let both Matteo Guendouzi (Hertha Berlin) and Lucas Torreira (Atletico Madrid) leave on loan this transfer window.

Arsenal were linked with Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar heavily throughout the summer, given a lack of playmaking in the midfield—Mesut Ozil is the forgotten man in north London—but that deal never materialized and Aouar stayed with Lyon.

Partey >was also one of the players regularly linked to the Gunners, alongside Chelsea's Jorginho. Ultimately, it was the Atletico Madrid midfielder who came to Arsenal.

Partey will wear the No18 shirt. Edu: “Thomas has all the right attributes to be a top player for Arsenal. He is a leader on and off the pitch and he is exactly the kind of player and person we want at the club."

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) October 5, 2020

The 27-year-old will add a physical, ball-winning presence to Arsenal's midfield while giving Mikel Arteta's side a player capable of making driving runs forward and breaking the lines with his passing. It's unclear if Arsenal will transition to a 4-3-3 with Partey providing defensive cover from the midfield or if the team will continue playing a hybrid 3-4-3 system that morphs into a 4-3-3 in attack.

🔴 Thomas Partey statistically calculated WhoScored strengths:

🟢 Ball interception
🟢 Long shots
🟢 Dribbling
🟢 Aerial duels
🟢 Tackling

📝 @Arsenal fans - It's #ParteyTime 🕺

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) October 5, 2020

The three most efficient dribblers in Europe last season are now ALL Premier League players:

⬢ Arsenal’s Partey 🆕
⬡ Chelsea’s Kovačić
⬡ Liverpool’s Thiago 🆕

This is going to be fun. 🩰 pic.twitter.com/4FUGYcREx9

— Squawka (@Squawka) October 5, 2020

Thomas Partey is an immense player - destroyer and conductor. Aerially strong, skilled in the dribble, ace with ball recoveries...
Has long piqued the interest of Europe's elite with PL clubs especially keen on him in recent seasons. Would be quite the signing for Arsenal.

— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) October 5, 2020

Partey is a gem, going to fit in perfectly into Mikel Arteta's midfield, exactly the type of player they needed.

Imagine that, signing a player to fill a pressing need. https://t.co/JSEjYbUxLb

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) October 5, 2020

In its current form, Kieran Tierney plays in a back three defensively and slides over to a left fullback position as Arsenal go forward. Either Ainsley Maitland-Niles or Bukayo Saka plays as the left wingback defensively and slides into more of an attacking midfield role going forward.

Various combinations of Granit Xhaka, Dani Ceballos and Mohamed Elneny were then playing in a midfield two. Partey will be favored to either regularly settle into that midfield two—pairing with one of Xhaka or Ceballos—or a midfield three with both players.

Regardless of how Arsenal lines up, Partey is a major upgrade in the midfield. There are still some questions about a lack of creation, but the more positionally sound and resolute Arsenal under Arteta just got a player perfectly suited to boss the midfield.

Arsenal are going to have to get smart this summer as they attempt to restructure their squad ahead of Mikel Arteta's first full season in charge.

The Premier League summer transfer window is set to open on 27 July and close during the new season on 5 October. It gives clubs a chance to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their business plans and allows for fresh planning and negotiations.

For a club like Arsenal, it offers extra time to figure out which players from this season will still form crucial roles in the side next term and what is needed to get them competing among the top four again.

Sources are indicating to Bleacher Report that Arsenal will have little cash to spend and are going to have to sell players, as well as consider swap deals, loans and free transfers in order to overhaul their squad.

B/R understands that Alexandre Lacazette, Matteo Guendouzi, Shkodran Mustafi, Mesut Ozil and Ainsley Maitland-Niles will all become available for transfer in the coming weeks as Arsenal look to rebuild.

They are trying to convince Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to stay but will also cash in on him if there is no breakthrough in talks.

                

Goalkeeper

Bernd Leno will remain the No. 1 for next season, but the club had been considering a new back-up before Emiliano Martinez's recent run in the team.

He has stepped in for Leno, who has a knee injury, and has been good enough to convince staff that he may be worth sticking with for next season.

Before the recent run of games, Martinez had begun to consider his future, but Arsenal are willing to offer him an improved deal as an incentive to stay.

                

Defence

A dream scenario would see Arsenal land a top-level, young centre-back to bring quality and long-term stability to the back line. And Dayot Upamecano is the man at the top of their list.

He is going to prove difficult to sign because the RB Leipzig defender has a €60 million release clause, which the Gunners will struggle to meet unless the German outfit become open to the idea of a player-plus-cash deal.

An additional problem is that AC Milan are beginning to look at Upamecano as a potential signing, and they will have money to spend in the transfer window.

The Gunners are going to have to be open-minded about fallback options, and free agents such as Thiago Silva of PSG will be considered.

They already know William Saliba will become part of the team next season after signing from Saint-Etienne in a £27 million deal last summer before rejoining the French club on loan. 

Maitland-Niles looks likely to leave, and Mustafi might be made available, while there are still some concerns about whether Kieran Tierney is enjoying life in the capital. At least two top-flight clubs are monitoring him in case he agitates for a move.

             

Midfield

Thomas Partey is the most high-profile target at this stage and is a player the club were hoping to be able to afford.

The Ghanaian has a €50 million release clause in his Atletico Madrid contract, but that would need to be paid with a vast amount up front. Arsenal have instead been looking at potentially spreading the cost over the duration of his contract, just as they did with Nicolas Pepe's signing last summer.

If that were to be proposed, though, Atleti would want even more cash. Arsenal have been prioritising a new midfielder but face a real challenge to get a deal over the line, and B/R understands that while they are still looking at Partey, they are also beginning to look at other options.

This comes as they wait on Ozil to accept a move to open up their wage bill. The Gunners outcast earns £350,000 a week and is obstructing other players from coming in. The player has an offer to play in MLS but wants to see out his contract before making the move to North America.

Guendouzi can find a new club, as Arteta has not been wholly satisfied with his attitude and character in the time he has been in charge.

The loan deal for Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos has already been extended for this season, and the club is waiting to discover whether it becomes possible to keep him.

             

Attack

Aubameyang wants to become recognised as the club's most valuable player if he is to remain at Arsenal, but club officials do not want to put him on the same money as Ozil since they are looking to rework the whole wage structure in light of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact.

The Arsenal captain picks up £200,000 a week, but as he heads into the final year of his contract, the Gunners accept that they may have to cash in.

It is possible Lacazette seeks a new challenge too, and Arsenal are exploring potential avenues in case they have to find a new striker.

Celtic front man Odsonne Edouard, 22, is a player they are very keen on, while Lyon's Moussa Dembele and Real Madrid's Luka Jovic may yet emerge as forwards they will pursue.

In terms of free agents, Arsenal have made contact with Bournemouth's Ryan Fraser and Chelsea's Willian to get an idea of the contracts they would be looking for. 

As the 2019/20 season draws to a close, boss Arteta, technical director Edu and head of football Raul Sanllehi can begin to focus on their work to shape this Arsenal squad for next season.

-