9am Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Xhaka trolled, Aouar update, Carragher criticism, North London derby defeat reaction

TALK TO FRANCK

Arsenal and Tottenham are reportedly set to battle it out for AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie who could set them back £45million.

Calciomercato reports the North London rivals are both interested in the Ivorian midfielder who has impressed in Serie A.

Kessie’s partnership with Ismael Bennacer in the middle of the park has helped the Rossoneri storm to the top of the Italian league.

The 23-year-old’s current contract runs until June 2022 but Milan are hopeful of securing a renewal with the player said to be happy at the club.

They value him just short of the £50m mark as his stock has rocketed since the start of the season.

TRIGGER HAPPY

Piers Morgan continued his war of words with Mesut Ozil with yet another furious rant on Good Morning Britain.

This time the TV host slammed Ozil’s lack of game time, claiming the closest he’ll get to kicking a football is on the PlayStation.

He said: “I want to say good morning to Mesut Ozil who has been trolling me overnight.

“It’s been a hell of a long journey from being world champion to playing on you PlayStation and trolling Arsenal fans on Twitter.

“You can’t even get into the Arsenal squad and you’re gobbing off on Twitter with me. At least I’m at work, at least I’m putting a shift in.

“The last time you won a game for Arsenal was about 1912.”

TURKISH DELIGHT

Mesut Ozil has a ’90 per cent’ chance of ending his Arsenal nightmare in January and joining Fenerbahce.

The Germany ace has been frozen out at the Emirates after he was excluded from the club’s Premier League and Europa League squads.

His deal current in north London expires in the summer but Arsenal are eager to get him off the wage bill sooner rather than later. And their prayers could be answered by the Turkish giants.

Fenerbahce’s club congress member Murat Zorlu claims Ozil is closing in on a move in January.

He told Sport Digitale: “A source, who’s very well connected to the club has told me that Mesut Ozil is likely to become a Fenerbahce player during the next transfer window.

“I would say 90 per cent he will join us in one month.”

GOOD MORNING ARSENAL FANS,

Jamie Carragher slammed the Gunners as ‘tactically a shambles’ after their abject defeat against Spurs.

He told Sky Sports: “Arsenal did not play well. They were awful, defensively and on the ball, from minute one.

“This idea that because you’ve had possession, you’ve played well – I’m flabbergasted.

“They never had one chance in the game when they ‘should have scored’.

“I thought tactically Arsenal were a shambles.”

Meanwhile, Mesut Ozil is one of the best players in the world at picking out a pass, reckons Freddie Ljungberg.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Arsenal’s former interim boss – who left his coaching role at the club in August – said: “When you have possession or need to find that pass, I don’t think there’s many better players than Mesut at doing that.

“Of course, you lose a bit defensively, but that’s the decision they have made.

“I don’t know why the decision has been made that he is outside of the squad, so they can’t use him.

“But for those things, I don’t see there’s many better players in the world.”

And finally, Troy Deeney thinks Arsenal could sack Mikel Arteta if they lose to Burnley next weekend.

The SunSport columnist told TalkSPORT: “I fancied Arsenal to get a result [against Tottenham] because they’re that kind of team to just pull one out the bag.

“But Arsenal are in trouble. They’re very much in trouble.

“I’m happy it’s at home [vs Burnley] but if they were playing Burnley away this week I’d be very nervous for them.

“Arteta has to come under criticism ultimately because of where they are. I’ll go out on a limb here and if they lose next week he’s massively under pressure.

“If they lose and the ones around them win and they’re more looking backwards rather than upwards he’d be under pressure to keep his job.”

ART OF WAR

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher does not think Mesut Ozil is the answer to Mikel Arteta’s problems.

ON FRED ALERT

Mesut Ozil is one of the best players in the world at picking out a pass, reckons Freddie Ljungberg.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Arsenal’s former interim boss – who left his coaching role at the club in August – said: “When you have possession or need to find that pass, I don’t think there’s many better players than Mesut at doing that.

“Of course, you lose a bit defensively, but that’s the decision they have made.

“I don’t know why the decision has been made that he is outside of the squad, so they can’t use him.

“But for those things, I don’t see there’s many better players in the world.”

MOON LANDING

Jamie Carragher claimed Arsenal looked as if they had been in outer space before their trip to Spurs.

He told Sky Sports: “I thought tactically, Arsenal were a shambles. So poor. What I couldn’t believe when I was watching it, this has happened so much during Mourinho’s career, even if you don’t watch Tottenham this season, you’d know what they were going to do.

“It’s almost like this Tottenham team and Mikel Arteta were being transported into this game from the moon. And they didn’t know who Mourinho was, they’d never seen Tottenham play and honestly I was flabbergasted at what I had watched and some of the things I had heard after the game. They were so poor.

“The big frustration, I loved Arteta when he first came in. I still love him, but I loved him because he went into big games and when he came up against teams who were far better than him, he altered his idea. He changed it at times last season.”

ARSENE-L

Jamie Carragher has laid into Arsenal following their derby defeat to Spurs.

He told Sky Sports: “I couldn’t believe some of the things I heard after the game. Some of…