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Tuesday 12 December

Ozil staying put

16:15: Mesut Ozil will sign a new contract with Arsenal, according to the bookies!

The Mirror reported that Arsenal would make one last push to keep Ozil, 29, at the Emirates with Manchester United and Barcelona both said to be interested.

However, bookmakers Betway now make him 1/5 to extend his stay in north London by signing a deal worth £275,000-per-week before the end of the season.

Betway’s Alan Alger said: “Mesut Ozil may be able to sign a pre-contract with foreign clubs from January, but we think the Gunners will pull out all the stops to persuade the German to sign a new contract in the New Year.

“The Arsenal hierarchy are expected to offer Ozil a bumper deal worth £275,000-per-week in the coming months and he’s now heavily favoured at 1/5 to extend his stay at the Emirates before the end of the January transfer window.

“Barcelona looks Ozil’s most likely destination if he is to sign a pre-contract agreement, with the Catalan giants 8/1 to agree a deal for the 29-year-old.” 

Man Utd in Mkhitaryan talks

12:20: Manchester United have had showdown talks with Henrikh Mkhitaryan about his future.

TransfermarketWeb say Jose Mourinho sat down with the Armenia international to discuss his transfer plans.

Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan both want to snap him up.

And it happens to come on the same day that Arsenal have made a last-gasp bid to keep Mesut Ozil.

Ozil is Mourinho's top choice to replace Mkhitaryan at Old Trafford.

Wenger on Giroud

Arsene Wenger has spoken out on Olivier Giroud after his request for more game time.

“No, he’s not a sub for me. He’s a very good player,” Wenger said.

“I have plenty of good strikers. I cannot play them all together. I speak to all my players. 

“It’s very hard to discuss what we speak about openly. You know enough already, you know? 

“He’s a very important player. I have great respect. I am a great admirer of Giroud. 

“Look how many French caps he has won here. He has not wasted his time.”

Thomas Lemar klaxon

07:45: Nobody was more linked to Arsenal back in the summer than Monaco winger Thomas Lemar.

And, with the January window looming, reports he could move to north London have started to resurface.

L'Equipe say Arsenal are ready to renew their interest in him, as well as Liverpool.

But Chelsea are now ready to enter the race for his signature with Antonio Conte desperate to get the Blues back to their best.

N'Zonzi fee agreed?

07:25: Reports claim Arsenal have agreed a fee to sign Steven N'Zonzi from Sevilla.

Spanish outlet El Gol claim the Gunners are prepared to pay £32.7million to sign the former Blackburn man.

And a further £2.6m will be paid in bonuses.

He could be a replacement for one of Jack Wilshere or Santi Cazorla, whose futures remain in limbo.

Giroud exit hint

07:05: It would not be an understatement to say Olivier Giroud has divided fans during his time at Arsenal.

And, having struggled for game time ahead of the 2018 World Cup, the France international has admitted he could leave on loan next month.

"I have the World Cup at the back of my mind weekly, almost daily. Each time I go onto the pitch, it's to be more clinical and keep on track for the World Cup," Giroud told L'Equipe.

"During international get-togethers, the coach usually warns me against that [leaving Arsenal]. He has told me the things he wanted to tell me, which is totally logical and I understand. He wants me to play more.

"If I wasn't able to leave this summer, it was because of the opportunities I had. It wouldn't have been good to leave for leaving's sake, but it's certain that eventually, even in January, I'm going to have to ask myself the question again," the French forward explained.

"It won't be easy to find the right solution and take the right decision, but we'll look at the opportunities."

Good morning

06:45: Good morning and welcome to Express Sport's LIVE Arsenal news blog.

The Gunners are currently gearing up for their Premier League clash with West Ham at the London Stadium tomorrow.

But, in the meantime, there are three huge transfer updates on Thomas Lemar, Olivier Giroud and Steven N'Zonzi. 

So stay tuned for all the latest from the Emirates Stadium.