Unai Emery has insisted that there’s no truth linking Arsenal with a January move for Real Madrid’s out-of-favour goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
The 32-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu since the summer arrival of Thiboult Courtois from Chelsea leading to rumours of an impending £14 million exit.
The Costa Rica international further fuelled speculation this week by posting what appeared to be a farewell message on social media, in which he stated: “Thanks for everything.”
“Not true,” replied Emery when asked about interest in Navas in his pre-Blackpool press conference.
The Spaniard then added: “We never speak about one goalkeeper because I think – and it’s true – we are very happy with the three goalkeepers we have now. We’ve never spoken about Keylor Navas.”
Given we have limited funds to spend on new recruits and wages, the idea of bringing a new high profile keeper to the club would be a bit odd. It’s pretty obvious we need to focus on improving our defensive options right now, starting with at least one centre-back.
How do such stories even stick?! There’s absolutely no justification for Navas to Arsenal — requirement wise or money wise.
People get paid to tell lies
Because you clicked on the story with that headline? People like to read transfer stories, be it to shake ther heads in disbelief and exasperation abuot such sories or to be it to believe them.
It’s not just clickbait since even Emery had to comment on this
The players agents are hugely to blame as well. They will just ring into a journo and say that someone on their books is nailed on to join a certain club. Just to get their clients names on Sky Sports as a sort of advert to any potential suitors who maybe on the market for, in this case, a keeper. Transfers are genuinely the wild west. I’m so surprised that in 2019 there is no real financial regulations or any proper governance surrounding them. Even though so many clubs have limped into administration over the last decade or so, and… Read more »
I think the weak spot for regulating is the lack of will from a certain league or two in which 1 or 2 clubs are so outscale rich and big that they keep that entire country’s football relevant.
If transfers were balanced and regulated they couldn’t just go over the odds to stay on top.
Allow me to play devils advocate here: Reigning in transfers through regulation will ultimately lead to salary caps, which while it might make the leagues more competitive, will also lead to the assistance of the ownership class, thus reducing player (employee) power over a very short career which offers many of them little to no pension. This would require a players union, which would lead to league stabilization around specific teams, and likely push big teams into the European super league which has been spoken about already. Yes, it’s it’s a lot of speculation, but given that it’s prevalent in… Read more »
Interesting point, but I don’t think the countries of the big leagues want to stop it, I mean aside from bribes being a nice source of income for some governments.
Football is a business as much as its a game and I’m sure the crazy money the prem clubs are spending/receiving gets accounted for in the uk economy.
@Badaab I am fairly sure attempting to cap someone’s right to earn as much money as possible is a human rights violation, so salary caps cant really happen. And I think you’ve missed my point a bit as well. The governance that needs to be introduced to football transfers is around player agents, any type of brokers surrounding the deals, third party player ownership, and all of the murky waters around English clubs paying huge sums of money to random offshore bank accounts to acquire player signatures, and everything else in between. If these agents were operating on Wall Street… Read more »
A salary cap would violate European competition law. Even if the UK leaves the EU, it is inconceivable that the Premier League would handicap itself by unilaterally allowing a salary cap.
In the United States, a salary cap similarly violates anti-trust laws, but there is an exception if it is pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement with a players union.
That came out of nowhere. Definitely sounds like a bit of a silly link.
This one doesn’t even need a Poo-o Meter
Yup, it rather needs an utter bullocks meter.
I’m having a feeling that he’s coming.Cech may depart and we need 2 keepers competing….also he seems to be a team man and most importantly knows one or two things about WINNING…
I’m not sure that Navas would be the right man but we certainly need a top class keeper to replace the error prone Leno.
It’s not really one of the things we ‘need’ right now.
A new top keeper certainly is. Leno is plainly not good enough
Martin how do you square off calling me poisonous and stupid when I say I want a different type of midfielder to the feeble and clearly inconsistent Mesut Ozil! But when you want a different keeper to Leno your not being poisonous or stupid? Surely We’re just two people with varying opinions on the makeup of our team on an Arsenal discussion board? Anyway….. Leno is now officially my new favourite player, not because I think he has amazing talent ori like his character, but because I know how much itllpiss off Martin every time he starts 🙂 Leno Leno… Read more »
You lads should consider growing up
I believe Leno has made the same amount of errors leading to a goal as Alisson. He’s just not as pretty. Even De Gea hasn’t been perfect.
Give Leno a fsir chsnce mate.
That’s not how the vast majority of this fan base works unfortunately
And navas would do what exactly? Provide back up to all 3 defensive positions?
Help ozil maintain form and fitness?
Convince Ramsey to stay?
Push ESR on to be world class?
Stop teams hitting us on the break after 20 mins of sitting back absorbing our attack?
Seems like all he would do is cost us a tonne in wages, provide us an extra year of not looking for a keeper(replacing Cech) and upset the GK balance we seem to have.
Also Charlie sheen claims to know all about winning, shall we sign him up as a replacement for Welbz?
His ‘playing style’ worked wonders for fowler.
Ready to throw Leno our after less than half a season of starts. Yeah, we need an upgrade alright…with some of the fan base.
Lenos only making those mistakes because of the blokes making terrible positional decisions in front of him.
How many goals have Arsenal conceded due to Leno’s errors ? This label you stick to him isn’t fully justified.
I have a feeling that your feeling is not right
I’ve heard that we’re in the process of signing a telegraph pole to replace Mustafi. It’s got better positional awareness and doesn’t slid in at every opportunity.
Total nonsense. Everyone knows that Emery is looking to replace Mustafi with a wheelie-bin. If there’s enough left in the wage budget, we could also see a loan deal for three cinder blocks roped together to replace Lichtsteiner.
“Sir, three cinder blocks are missing”
“There’ll be no hospital then, I’ll tell the children”
You laugh but I heard that bin is wheelie good!
Training cone will do me.
Anyone notice also whenever they read an article about a transfer, no matter who it is, they always say ‘who has been previously linked with Arsenal’
What I find really interesting is the fact that, despite not buying anyone at all last summer, and despite their manager making it crystal clear that they currently have no money to spend, the football media still run story after story after story stating…”and Spurs are in a race with Arsenal to buy X player”.
There is only one Invincibles. Liverpool take note. 🙂
@Magneto, that is the only good thing to come out from that match, as far as we are concerned (unfortunately).
I’d really not get too excited for this window, I hope it isn’t but it’s likely to be rather quiet for us. Just read an article about how since Kroenke joined the EPL circus that both he and Middlesbrough’s Steve Gibson are the only two owners not to inject the slightest sum of their personal treasure pots. So I’m just a real cheery guy at present ? ?
Not sure why we are not in for a loan for Eliaquim Mangala from City. He’s a free agent in summer as well. Former French international and we have no cash!
Because he’s shizenhouzen
Please no; I was amazed at how crap he was when he played for City.
I suspect it is because he was total shite
I thought it wasn’t possible to loan someone who is a free agent in the summer?!
Samba is a free agent, just saying haha.
Djourou too says he won’t mind coming back to Arsenal
We’d finally have someone who could get on the end of our corners, instead of them turning into counter attacks for the opposition!
And a right back.
And an offensive midfielder.
And a winger.
Liverpool’s unbeaten run has ended. The pretenders to the crown – not the league title that usually last only a season, the real one that spans decades / centuries – the Invincibles.
It turns out that going through a whole season undefeated is quite hard to do.
We are the Invincibles!!!! And Santi scores twice against Real. At least some good news.
Don’t care much for Navas as a signing. Investment needed much more elsewhere on the pitch.
Decided to check if he was playing for Real tonight, he isn’t but I saw that Santi scored twice against them. Glad he’s back playing football, just wish it was for Arsenal still. We could sure use some of his magic feet.
On happy news. Santi scored a brace
Good news for him.
Bad news for the people that decided to cut him
Good!
Now let’s get on with signing at least one player who will improve our defence..
Just bring back Scezza ffs!
I’m quite surprised at the way that this story is being dismissed as if it’s the most ridiculous link ever. Leno’s a good keeper, and has room for improvement, but he’s not world class. If there is a keeper who is of a similar (potentially better?) calibre for the low price of £14m, surely we should at least consider it? Personally; with Cech likely to be on the way out soon I’d really like to see us push for a keeper in the same bracket as De Gea, Allison, Ederson and Oblak when some funds become available. I just don’t… Read more »