Arsenal Transfer News: Gonzalo Higuain Lies Slammed, Morgan Schneiderlin Rumours

Rumours linking Gonzalo Higuain with a move away from Napoli are nothing but "lies," according to his brother and agent Nicolas.

The player's representative suggested rumours a move to Arsenal provided by Calcio Mercato (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star), can be swatted away as conjecture.

David Amoyal, writing for GianlucaDiMarzio.com, reported the agent's message: "I've been in Argentina since January, we haven't had any contacts with other clubs because Gonzalo is a Napoli player. Everything else are lies."

Antonio Calanni/Associated Press

This is unlikely to fill Arsenal supporters with surprise after Higuain looked set to join the club in 2013 before securing a switch to Serie A. The Argentinian was often overshadowed at Real Madrid but has outlined himself as a key player in Naples, per OptaFranz:

B/R UK's James McNicholas recently discussed how Higuain could fit in at the Emirates:

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If Higuain was to be a starter at Arsenal, it would surely have to be alongside (Olivier) Giroud. One option would be to make use of his versatility to play him wide on the right.

Although Higuain has been exclusively a centre-forward for Napoli, during his time at Real Madrid he was regularly shunted onto the flank. ...

Higuain is not exceedingly quick, but he has intelligent movement and a poacher’s instinct. With Mesut Ozil deployed just behind, it could be a devastating combination.

"

McNicholas also spoke to B/R UK's Ryan Bailey about how Arsenal can launch a genuine title challenge:

In other transfer news, manager Arsene Wenger has reportedly cooled his interest in Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin.

He "had been tracking" the Frenchman according to John Cross of the Mirror, but Francis Coquelin's emergence on the first team has reportedly made the boss prioritise other areas heading into the summer transfer window.

Schneiderlin is tailor-made to patrol Arsenal's midfield. He is a hard tackler, dominant in the air and an underrated distributor of the ball.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Saints boss Ronald Koeman has watched one of the Premier League's most powerful central-midfield partnerships grow with Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama impressing this season, but it seems Wenger will save his funds for alternative additions.

Coquelin's energy is infectious. He's the type of player who steams about the centre with his head down, making tough—often close-to-the-mark—challenges. In the era of UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, Wenger is perhaps smart to save his funds for an investment in another area.

This grittiness has been missing from the Gunners' play for years, so Coquelin's progression into the first team has been pivotal to the nine-game unbeaten run which has seen Arsenal move to second in the Premier League and secure a second successive FA Cup final appearance.

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

The season will be deemed a success if Wenger's men finish one place behind likely champions Chelsea with a trophy in the cabinet. Decent investment is still needed, but Wenger's men are heading into the summer in confident fashion.