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Gossip: Everton 'want Wenger as new manager' while Arsenal 'turn to Arteta' and more

Premier League swap? Could Arsene Wenger be set to join Everton after two decades at Arsenal?
Premier League swap? Could Arsene Wenger be set to join Everton after two decades at Arsenal?

Arsene Wenger must feel as if he doesn’t have a friend in the world right now.

First the fans, then the board, and now even Thierry Henry and Ian goddamn Wright. One by one they’ve all turned against him.

But Wenger does have a friend. Someone who wants to take him away from all this madness, kiss him tenderly on the face and offer him a three-year contract.

That friend is Farhad Moshiri, the Everton majority shareholder who is reportedly set to hand the beleaguered Frenchman and a new start in life.

According to the Star, Moshiri – a former Gunners board member – feels Wenger is “the ideal candidate to revive Everton’s fortunes” and will offer him the Toffees hotseat if and when he is sacked by Arsenal.

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Wenger may well be tempted by the opportunity to try his luck at a new club, rediscover his management mojo have another crack at turning Theo Walcott into the saviour of English football.

He appeared to indicate his interest following the Gunners’ defeat at Brighton yesterday, saying, “When you struggle for confidence, it’s difficult as well when you have just the trousers on. It’s easy to take the trousers off as well, but when you are naked completely you have to find a shirt and try to put it on again, get dressed normally again.”

Let’s hope that was his way of indicating his interest in the Everton job anyway, because the alternative is that he is now insane.

Gunners want Arteta, but so do Everton

The Mirror also suggests Everton’s top managerial target has an Arsenal background, but it’s not Wenger. They say it’s Mikel Arteta the Toffees want.

To make matters more complicated, it is suggested that the Manchester City assistant coach is also wanted by the Gunners as their next boss if Wenger leaves.

Alternatively, Arsenal could bring in Arteta to “assist” Wenger and the Merseysiders would be stuck with Sam Allardyce. Ha.


Across north London, Tottenham are being forced to line up potential replacements for Toby Alderweireld as the Belgian centre-back stalls over signing a new contract.

The Mirror says Bayer Leverkusen’s 22-year-old defender Jonathan Tah has been repeatedly scouted by Spurs ahead of a possible £35m move to White Hart Lane or Wembley or wherever it is that Tottenham will be playing next season.

Man Utd ‘get Dybala boost’

Meanwhile, Manchester United have been “given hope” in their pursuit of Juventus forward Paulo Dybala after Italian outlet Rai Sport claimed there is currently “tension” between the Argentine and the Juve board.

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The Red Devils could face competition from Paris Saint-Germain for Dybala, especially if the Ligue 1 leaders sell Neymar to Real Madrid this summer. Although according to PSG’s sporting director Antero Henrique, the Brazilian is “going nowhere” (Goal).

Elsewhere, Chelsea midfielder Willian says he wants to stay with Blues despite interest from Man Utd (Planeta Sportv), Liverpool want to re-sign their former midfielder Suso – now with AC Milan – as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho (Mirror) and Everton striker Cenk Tosun could also return to his old club but in less triumphant circumstances, with the Toffees trying to “send him back” to Besiktas this summer (Sun). Sadly they are unlikely to get a full refund as the item has been used and all the tags removed.

@darlingkevin