AFTV News

AFTV top five post Wenger era signings By Will Castle It’s been a turbulent time for Gunners fans since Arsene Wenger bowed out of management in 2018, calling it a day after 22 memorable years in North London. In four seasons since the Frenchman’s departure, supporters have witnessed managerial changes, player scandals and mass protests against the ownership - a ll while failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. However, under Mikel Arteta, things are beginning to look on the up again, and this is in large part due to a handful of fantastic signings, most of whom have been at the centre of Arsenal’s rebuild in recent seasons. While Arsenal have also had their fair share of flops walk through the door in the last few years, let’s file through the dirt and take a look at Arsenal’s top five signings since Wenger’s emotional farewell.   5) Aaron Ramsdale (£25m) The arrival of Aaron Ramsdale in 2021, off the back of back-to-back drops to the Championship with Sheffield United an...

Who could Arsenal sign if Real Madrid signed Kieran Tierney?  By Jonny Bray Kieran Tierney has been the subject of interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid.  The Scotland international has been a shining light at the Emirates since his arrival from Celtic, so it was to be expected that he would attract the attention of European giants eventually.  However, he seems intent on staying in North London, much to the delight of Gunners fans.  But the links with a move away has begged the question, who would Arsenal sign to replace the 24-year-old if he were to depart? Tyrick Mitchell Crystal Palace Academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell has been one of the standout stars during a great season at Selhurst Park. Under Patrick Vieira, the north London born defender has come on leaps and bounds, adding an improved attacking threat to his already reputable defensive skills. Having made his debut for England against Switzerland before earning his first start against Côte d'Ivoire, Mi...

Should Arsenal sign some more stars of the Scottish Premiership? By Tom Masters Ahead of the summer transfer window Arsenal will no doubt already be making recruitment plans, with a few key areas holding them back. Mikel Arteta will almost certainly have his eye on a holding midfielder, while with Alexandre Lacazette’s future in doubt it is likely the Spaniard will be looking at bringing in at least one centre forward this summer.    Arteta will be scouring the European market for a bargain, which may mean looking away from the traditional top five European leagues, and instead looking at where Arteta himself came from – The Scottish Premiership.    20 years ago, Arteta made the switch from Barcelona to Rangers for £6m and took to it like a duck to water, scoring on his Old Firm debut and netting several more goals in his debut SPFL season as Rangers went on to seal a domestic treble in 2003.    That season really kick-started the career of Arteta, who spen...

By Matt Wright In seasons gone by   an article assessing Arsenal’s defending would make for tough reading.  In fact, the same applies for the first month of the 2021/ 2 2 campaign when the Gunners let in nine goals in their first three games, without reply.  Let’s  not lie. A lot of us were expecting a long and painful nine months after such a torrid start, but thankfully it’s been one to finally rekindle  optimism among the faithful at the Emirates Stadium.  It’s natural that, with Arsenal now favourites to finish fourth in the Premier League, supporters would focus on the attackers that have made this possible – Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli etc.  However, it’s also been reassuring to know that Mikel Arteta’s men are now less likely to point the barrel at their feet and blow their own toes off at any given second.  That decreased propensity for self-destruction at the back is one of the ways in which the Gunners have improved...

Player Profile: Joel Lopez by Jack Lacey-Hatton Arsenal now possess greater depth at left-back than any other position on the pitch and that now extends beyond the first-team. Joel López Salguero has impressed this year in Arsenal’s development side, and in the coming seasons may be in a position to challenge Kieran Tierney and others. In fact he has already trained with the senior team on several occasions this season, with manager Mikel Arteta clearly keen to get a good look at a player many have tipped to become one of the best young full-backs in Europe. But for those who haven’t tracked his progress so far, let’s dig deeper into Lopez’s background and how he ended up in North London.     Who is he? Lopez was born in Barcelona on March 31 2002, turning 20 at the end of this month. He originally joined his hometown club as a youth team player training at the famous La Masia academy, the centre responsible for Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta among others. Lopez blossomed int...

Player profile: Borna Sosa By Hugo Mirabel Hardy Borna Sosa has recently been linked with a move to not only Arsenal, but also London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham who are believed to be interested in the full-back’s signature. A relatively unknown name to fans outside of the Bundesliga, the 24-year-old Croatian has impressed pundits this season for Stuttgart despite his side facing relegation as they sit 17th in the league. So, who is Borna Sosa? Let’s take a look at the potential summer signing for the Gunners.   Profile:  Born in 1998, he is currently 24 years old and has been at vfB Stuttgart since the 2018/19 season, making 74 appearances across both Bundesliga and the dfB Pokal.  Sosa has scored three goals in that time, two of those coming this season, and has provided 19 assists during his time there, 10 of those coming last season. He is on his way to replicating that again this year, popping up with five assists so far across all competitions.  Sosa mai...

  3 potential captains for next season The captaincy at Arsenal has been something that has changed hands all too regularly in recent times. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped of the armband in December, being replaced by Alexandre Lacazette. However, with the French forward’s own future at the club uncertain ahead of his contract expiring in the summer, it is likely that Mikel Arteta will pick a new captain in the summer. We look at three players who could be in line to take the captaincy next season. Kieran Tierney The current vice-captain, Tierney would be an obvious choice for Arteta in the summer as he is already part of the leadership group. The Scot is a complete professional on and off the pitch and has already captained his country on one occasion. Tierney is also a part of the long-term plan under Arteta having signed a long-term contract in 2021 with his performances also suggesting he’ll be around at the Emirates for some time to come. This commitment could make him...

By Oli Dickson Jefford Arsenal slumped to a third defeat in four league matches with a 2-1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Monday. Martin Odegaard gave Arsenal the lead just before half-time but Richarlison equalised before a stunning finish from Demarai Gray in the 92nd minute sealed three points for the Toffees. Everton had not won in the league since September meaning this result eases some pressure on Rafa Benitez, but there will be some serious questions asked of the Gunners. We take a look at five of the biggest talking points of last night’s encounter on Merseyside. Should Godfrey have been sent off? Everton dominated most of the match, but would things have been different had Ben Godfrey been sent off? One of Everton’s most criticised players this season, Godfrey appeared to stamp on the side of Takehiro Tomiyasu’s face in an incident that led to a VAR check. The check cleared the defender but the incident provoked a strong reaction, with Sky Sports’ Gary Neville and Jami...