Arsenal are prepared to offer ‘as much as £25 million’ to sign Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain.

Reports emanating from Spain claim that the Gunners have leapfrogged Italian giants Juventus in the race to sign the wantaway Argentine international.

The 25-year-old told Real officials after the club’s last game of the season that he was looking to leave, six seasons after joining from River Plate.

Gunners boss Wenger is desperate to sign an established striker this summer and believes that Higuain has ‘all the qualities’ to lead the line for the club next season.

Meanwhile, Wenger is said to be reluctant to offer Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini more than £70,000-a-week after recent reports linked the Belgian with a move to Emirates Stadium.

Highly-rated Fellaini is among ‘three to four’ big name players who are being looked at by Arsenal, with Wenger expected to spend most of the rumoured £80m transfer war chest available to him this summer.

Brazil goalkeeper Júlio César is edging closer to joining Arsenal, according to reports.

The QPR shot stopper has held talks with several Premier League clubs after being told he can leave Loftus Road following the Hoops’ relegation.

César, 33, has confirmed that he would prefer to stay in London and Arsenal are considered frontrunners for the Brazilian’s signature.

Various bookmakers, including Bwin Betting, have suspended bets on César moving across West London to North, although he isn’t expected to complete his move until he returns from Confederations Cup duty with Brazil at the end of the month.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is determined to sign an experienced ‘keeper this summer as competition for the inconsistent Wojciech Szczesny.

Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone’s likely departures from Emirates Stadium have forced Wenger to prioritise signing a goalkeeper. Other targets include Gonzalo Higuain and Marouane Fellaini.

Wantaway Arsenal defender Johan Djourou has reiterated his wish to extend his stay at German side Hanover, but admits that a permanent move is unlikely to come to fruition.

The Swiss centre back joined the Bundesliga team on loan in January after finding first team football hard to come by at Emirates Stadium.

Djourou, 26, has since made thirteen league starts for Mirko Slomka’s men and remains hopeful of prolonging his stay in Germany.

“Hanover want to keep me”, said Djourou.

“I know the club is in discussions with Arsenal who aren’t keen on letting me go permanently. My future is uncertain at the moment.”

Meanwhile, reports in France claim Gervinho is edging closer to joining Ligue 1 giants Marseille on loan.

According to Le 10 Sport, both the Gunners’ and Les Phocéens could finalise a deal within the next few weeks.

The Ivorian forward has already insisted he wants to stay in North London.

Pub Tour

The UK is home to a vast number of pubs, so why not make the most of the summer weather and go visit some of the nicer ones. Plenty of them are in luscious country locations perfect for enjoying the sunshine. But don’t just settle for your own town – that just wouldn’t be very adventurous. Here, while you are at it, why not visit the best pub in UK? There should be plenty more out there worth your patronage. Maybe you could even return during the season to watch a game from there.

Watch the Best Premier League Games

There have been a number of classic games to grace our memories over the years. For starters, every Premier League should be able to recall the two 4-3 results from Liverpool-Newcastle United games in the 1990s. A quick glance over those games will expose you to some vintage Premier League action. Because we are so kind, you can find a list of the best premier league games in this site.

Play Online Casino Games

Should the weather not be very good, online casino games might be a good way to spend your time. There are plenty of games with all sorts of themes – some of them are even based on football! You can register with a site really very quickly and begin to start playing their games. To help with your search for gaming options, you can enjoy the best online casino games in this site www.newcasinosonline.co.  That site will cover all of the greatest and latest games to play.

Hopefully that hat-trick of activities will be enough to keep you entertained. We know that it will be difficult, but pretty soon we will be halfway through August and ready to kick off!

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has issued a stark warning to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger – ‘show some ambition in the summer transfer window or I may leave’.

The 27-year-old has been linked with European champions Bayern Munich after impressing against them when the two clubs met in the Champions League last season. Although none of the bwin football betting odds favoured the Gunners before the game, the Frenchman gave them some hope.

Koscielny’s comments echo the thoughts of former striker Robin van Persie who left for Manchester United last summer after issuing a statement criticising the club’s lack of ambition.

“I feel good at Arsenal. I’ve just come to the end of a complicated season, especially the first six months, but it’s over now”, Koscielny told Eurosport.

“I want to win titles and I hope the club has the means. It deserves it. Does the club want to keep me? That question is also there.

“If the club has the means to compete with the best, I have no reason to leave. But if it fights every year for Champions League [qualification] it’s hard psychologically to be under such constant pressure.

“I do not want to go anywhere. Of course I want to know another championship, but it’s complicated.

“I want to lift trophies and to have a winning record. I hope the club will give me the means. If this weren’t the case, I’d look elsewhere.”

The Frenchman came to Arsenal from Lorient three years ago and has since become one of the Gunners key players, flourishing at centre back with countless stand-out performances.

No other player has started more games for Wenger’s side over the last three years than Koscielny, who has made 119 appearances in all competitions since joining in July 2010.

France international Koscielny still has four years to run on his current contract which expires in 2017.

Denilson will leave Arsenal at the end of the month after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.

The 25-year-old has been in Brazil since 2011 on an initial season-long loan with Sao Paulo, which was later extended.

And now it has been confirmed by the players agent that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has agreed to cancel the midfielder’s contract when it expires in a few weeks time.

“I can confirm Denilson and Arsenal have agreed to terminate his contract at the end of this month,” said Tom Soares.

“Denilson is free to move to another club and a number of clubs are interested in him.”

Brazilian midfielder Denilson was tipped for big things when he joined the Gunners from Sao Paulo in a £3.4million deal in August 2006.

However, after making making over 150 appearances for the club his erratic form saw him lose his place before being shipped back to Brazil.

Denilson is among a host of fringe and unwanted Arsenal players who have seen their contracts run down this summer.

Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-Young are also included in the Arsenal betting odds and are expected to be part of the clear-out.

Bacary Sagna has been advised by his representatives to stay at Arsenal until his contract expires.

The 30-year-old’s performances for the Gunners have dipped this season with the club unwilling to offer him more than a one-year extension to his current terms.

Sagna’s advisors are convinced that the former Auxerre man can hold out for a larger signing on fee if he runs down his contract which expires in June 2014.

In demand

Moneybags AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain are both said to be vying for the Frenchman’s signature, but Sagna is yet to make a final decision on his future.

However, Carl Jenkinson’s impressive run of form this season may have already persuaded Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to fast-track his development and make the Englishman first choice right-back.

Signed from Charlton in 2011, Jenkinson has proven to be an adequate deputy for experienced right-back Sagna. Up and coming youngster Nico Yennaris remains another defensive choice for Wenger.

Arsenal have sent scouts to watch midfielders Clement Grenier and Saphir Sliti Taïder in action ‘numerous times’ this season.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has already confirmed his interest in Lyon starlet Grenier while reports emanating from Italy suggest highly-rated Bologna midfielder Taïder remains another potential target.

Grenier, 22, has featured regularly for the Ligue 1 giants this season and Wenger admitted last night that the French international reminds him of former Arsenal star Samir Nasri.

Meanwhile, Italian daily Corriere dello Sport claim Arsenal are competing with Stuttgart and Wolfsburg for Taïder’s signature following the Algerian’s impressive performances in Italy this season.

French tactician Wenger has previously reassured Arsenal fans that the club will be ‘very proactive’ in the transfer market during the summer.

Andrey Arshavin and Sebastien Squillaci have said their goodbyes to the rest of the Arsenal squad ahead of their impending departures from the club.

Both players will officially leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of June, with Arshavin already taking to Twitter to thank Gunners fans for their support during his four years in North London.

Russia international Arshavin has found first team appearances hard to come by this season (1 league app), while 32-year-old Squillaci’s only game was in a 2-1 Champions League defeat at Olympiakos.

Squillaci’s lack of first-team action saw him hold talks with a host of top flight French sides over a possible January transfer, although none of them were prepared to stump up the cash for his reported £45,000-a-week salary.

Similarly, several Arsenal fringe players have been told they will be allowed to leave if other teams meet the club’s asking price for them. The likely departures include Denilson, Marouane Chamakh, Johan Djourou and Andre Santos.

Yaya Sanogo is the latest young starlet to have been plucked from France’s second division by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

The 20-year-old has passed his medical at London Colney and is expected to be confirmed as a Gunners player when his contract expires at the end of June.

Who is Yaya Sanogo?

Sanogo has been capped for the French U-21 side and follows in the footsteps of Arsenal duo Bacary Sagna and Abou Diaby – both products of the successful Auxerre youth set-up.

Worryingly for Arsenal fans, Sanogo’s injury problems have seen him make only eleven league starts this season where he has scored nine goals.

Blessed with great technical ability, acceleration and ball control, Sanogo has already drawn comparisons with the likes of Abou Diaby and Yaya Toure.

Sanogo on the move:

“Arsenal could be a great club for me, I scored nine goals this season with Auxerre and they think I can improve my level in England.”

Wenger on Sanogo:

“I am very confident. He is a young striker who is promising, and has a big talent.”