Gooner Talk

Arsenal have drawn Schalke, Olympiacos and Montpellier in the Champions League draw.

The annual draw took place in Monaco on Thursday and saw Arsene Wenger’s side pitted in Group B with the current French and Greek champions.

French new-boy Olivier Giroud will face Montpellier who he only left in July, while Gooners can look forward to another trip to Athens for the third time in four years as Olympiacos await.

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Arsenal have opened talks with Chelsea over a possible transfer deadline day move for defensive midfielder Michael Essien, according to Sky Sports.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger wants to add a defensive midfielder to his ranks before tonight’s 11pm deadline and talks with Chelsea officials have begun over bringing the Ghana international to Emirates Stadium on a season-long loan.

The Frenchman’s original target was Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila but it attitude problems combined with his club’s stubborn refusal to discuss the prospect of a sale have seen Arsenal withdraw their interest in him.

Fenerbahce and Everton have also made enquiries for the 29-year-old who made just 14 league appearances in an injury-plagued season for the Blues last term.

Keep up to date with all the Transfer Deadline Day news on our Twitter and Facebook pages.

With transfer deadline day just hours away Arsenal have still yet to complete their summer clear-out of squad players and high wage earners.

Andrey Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh, Sebastien Squillaci, Nicklas Bendtner and Park Chu-Young have been on the transfer list for almost two months.

Freeing up the budget for wages was one of Arsene Wenger’s top priorities this summer, but it’s no surprise that the club have encountered difficulties in shifting the aforementioned players, given their hefty salaries.

Although exciting for supporters, tomorrow’s deadline day could prove to be another nerveracking one for Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis.

We’ve compiled a list of the players Arsenal want out and where they could be kicking footballs in the near future.

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Arsenal are working on deals which will see forwards Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh leave the club before transfer deadline day on August 31.

The news of Bendtner leaving the Gunners is nothing new. In March, he was linked to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala and German club Hannover 96, as Sunderland reportedly were not interested in making his loan move permanent.

In August, Bendtner was said to be interesting several Bundesliga clubs, including Borussia Dortmund and Hamburg but both clubs withdrew their interest after being put off by the Dane’s high wage demands.

However, Italian giants Fiorentina are said to be ‘hopeful’ of signing the 24-year-old following ‘progressive’ discussions with Arsenal officials earlier last week.

Another forward who Arsenal hope to broker a move away from Emirates Stadium is Marouane Chamakh. According to reports in France, Spanish side Malaga are close to signing the 28-year-old Moroccan on a season-long loan.

Chamakh’s wages are expected to be heavily subsidised as part of an unofficial ‘feeder link’ agreement which was agreed when Santi Cazorla completed his £12 million switch from Andalusia to north London earlier this month.

Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone looks likely to start for Arsenal against Stoke today after Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski were ruled out through injury.

The third choice shot stopper made just one appearance in a Gunners’ shirt last season, as a substitute during Arsenal’s 3-1 Champions League defeat by Olympiacos.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger appeared confident on Friday that Szczesny and Fabianski would both be available, but fitness staff at the club feel they could ‘aggravate’ their respective injuries’ if involved in today’s game.

Mannone can expected a tough encounter at the Britannia Stadium later this afternoon where previous visits have seen Arsenal beaten on three of their last four visits.

Our Twitter feed will keep you updated with all the action against Stoke, click here to get involved.

What we are hearing at the moment is the typical anti-isms that always seem to come out to after a player leaves to ensure they are not missed. We, the fans, propagate this and it makes us feel better. The so-called ‘unprofessionalism’ of Alex Song is only an issue now that he has left. It did not bother us when he made 11 assists last year, and yet knowing a player with such conduct has gone does provide an abstract relief. I like knowing that, for the most part, the squad is full of hard working sportsmen.

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Neither Lukas Podolski nor Olivier Giroud can do what Robin van Persie can.

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