9pm Arsenal transfer news LIVE: David Luiz red card DECISION, Ozil Fenerbahce debut, Tierney injury RETURN, Firpo links

EVAN ALMIGHTY

Arsenal are reportedly interested in beating Tottenham to the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan N’Dicka.

The 21-year-old centre-back has caught the attention of both Premier League clubs in North London after emerging as a key part of the Bundesliga side’s rise to fourth in the table.

And according to Bild, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is keen to get in ahead of Spurs to secure N’Dicka in the summer window

LU BLEW IT

Yannick Bolasie has questioned the decision to uphold the red card shown to David Luiz.

CASH GUZZLERS

Arsenal have made a profit on just EIGHT transfers in the last ten years.

Since 2010, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been the biggest money spinner while Mesut Ozil represented the largest loss.

ICYMI

Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal’s ‘incredible’ work in the January window as he insisted the Gunners are starting to resemble his long-term vision.

Arteta said: “The first transfer window was a very rushed one because I just arrived. The other two we had a little more time.

“If you see the amount of transactions we’ve done in this window, it’s incredible. Credit to the club, credit to Edu for the work that he’s done because it’s not easy to get the amount of things that we’ve done in one window.

“I know that most of them was to get some players out and create some space around the team, but it’s still not an easy thing to do in this window or this market.”

GOAL OF THE MONTH

Kieran Tierney’s wonder solo goal against West Brom and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s settler vs Newcastle is up for the best January strikes.

RON-BELIEVABLE LINE-UP

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the best footballers on the planet.

And they have played alongside plenty of other world class talent during their glittering careers.

SunSport has collated a best XI of players the pair have played alongside for club and country including one Arsenal legend…

GIOR DROPPING

Giorgio Chiellini says he was a fool to turn down Arsenal as a teenager.

He told Goal: “In hindsight, I was a fool to decline that offer.

“I was 16, I played in Serie C, I got a huge offer.

“I didn’t feel ready. If I had accepted, it would have given the impression of betraying Livorno.”

CALF WAY UP

Emile Smith Rowe revealed his superstition behind why he wears his socks low.

He said: “I try to be free in my mind.

“There’s one thing I do, which is wear my socks low.

“I feel like that gives me a lot of freedom, I don’t know why. It’s just a little superstition.

“I feel like I always have a lot of freedom on the pitch all the players give me confidence and that makes it even easier for me.”

NO MAR OF THAT

Neymar has hinted that the Premier League does not interest him – having been turned off by the game’s physicality.

He told the Mail: “I do not get to watch a lot of the Premier League.

“But I have heard that there’s a lot of physical contact involved in the game.

“But the French league also has too much physical contact!”

PAT ON THE BACK

Patrick Vieira has joined the race to become the new Bournemouth manager.

The former Gunners midfielder is being linked with the role, while ex-Chelsea pair John Terry and Frank Lampard are also being talked up as potential candidates, according to The Mail.

LU-SING OUT

David Luiz will serve a suspension after losing his appeal against a red card in Arsenal’s defeat to Wolves.

The Gunners confirmed in a statement on Thursday that they were ‘disappointed’ having ‘worked really hard’ to have the ban quashed.

It read: “The Football Association have confirmed to us that the red card given to David Luiz on Tuesday against Wolverhampton Wanderers will stand.

“We have worked really hard to overturn David Luiz’s red card.

“We presented our case to the FA but are disappointed that our appeal has been unsuccessful.

“We accept the FA’s decision and continue our preparations for Saturday’s match against Aston Villa.”

SEASON STATS

It has been an incredibly topsy turvy season so far for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

Here are all the stats you need to know.

GUNNED DOWN

Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini has lifted the lid on his failed move to Arsenal in 2001 as he claimed he was a ‘fool’ to reject the club.

The Italy international claims the Gunners offered him a huge salary when he was just 16, but felt it would be a betrayal to leave Livorno.

Arsene Wenger was keen to bring the defender to North London, but Chiellini has revealed he was too loyal to Livorno, a decision he now regrets.

The nine-time Serie A champion has stated that he was offered a whopping 200million Italian Lira-a-year by Arsenal, which was roughly around £66,000-per-year.

Speaking to So Foot via Goal about his failed move, the 36-year-old said: “In hindsight, I was a fool to decline that offer.

“I was 16, I played in Serie C, I got a huge offer for just under 200 million lira-a-season.

“I didn’t feel ready. If I had accepted, it would have given the impression of betraying Livorno.”

EXPECTATION VS REALITY

Here’s how the Premier League table would look based on expected points.

The xG Premier League table is based on a complicated mathematical formula, taking into consideration things such as quality of chances created by teams each game.

ARTFUL DODGER

Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal’s ‘incredible’ work in the January window as he insisted the Gunners are starting to resemble his long-term…