Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Mario Gotze, Sergi Samper Rumours

The transfer saga surrounding Bayern Munich's Mario Gotze continues to make headlines, as both the player and his agent refuse to rule out a move away from Bavaria amid reports of interest from Arsenal.

Speaking after Bayern's Audi Cup win over Real Madrid, Gotze told ZDF Television (h/t Daily Mirror's James Whaling) he's happy in Bavaria, but he can't speak for the people who employ him:

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From my side, I can say that I'm happy to play here, with these fans, with this club - it's a fantastic job.

I'm very happy with everything around me and with the things that happen here, but there are always two sides to everything.

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Meanwhile, his agent Volker Struth told Tuttosport (h/t Whaling) he can't rule anything out at this particular time:

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Mario has made it clear that his last two seasons have not been idyllic.

However, it's also true that no club has come forward with an offer. Bayern have not ruled out a possible transfer, just as we won't rule out any possible opportunity, to stay or go abroad.

There's still a long way to go until the end of the transfer window, so anything can still happen.

"

The saga has taken on ridiculous proportions during the past few weeks, with each emerging report seemingly contradicting the previous one. Club director Matthias Sammer is convinced the Germany international will stay, per Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), but per Eurosport's Toby Keel (via Reuters), the player himself is not so sure.

It's fair to say the 23-year-old's time with Bayern has been mixed at best. Gotze joined the German champions from rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2013 with tremendous expectations, and so far, he hasn't come close to fulfilling his potential.

He's not a particularly good fit in manager Pep Guardiola's system, where he's given less room to create for himself, the quality that made him such an interesting prospect with Borussia. Despite that, he started the bulk of Die Rekordmeister's matches last season, scoring nine goals in the Bundesliga in the process, per WhoScored.com.

Most of the transfer speculation seems to come from the fact Gotze reportedly doesn't get along with Guardiola, and the rumours went into overdrive when he was quoted as saying Guardiola doesn't talk to him very often, per beIN Sports. The forward later stated those comments were pulled out of context.

Despite all of that, a transfer still seems highly unlikely. Gotze is a supremely talented forward who is still just 23 years old, and he has plenty of time left to find his footing at the Allianz Arena. He's a regular in Guardiola's squad, and while he may not be producing at the rate some thought he would in Bavaria, he's still doing more than enough to earn his spot.

The Gunners would never decline signing such a talented player, but at this point in time, manager Arsene Wenger has no need for another creative forward. It would take a significant fee to lure him away from Bayern, funds Wenger would rather spend on signing another central midfielder or a world-class striker.

Whaling reported the Gunners are “keeping tabs on the situation,” but it's hard to see them do more than that. If Gotze does leave the Allianz Arena―which is unlikely―don't expect the Emirates to be his next destination.

Sergi Samper to Stay With Barcelona?

Barcelona are doing everything they can to curb the transfer speculation surrounding talented midfielder Sergi Samper after the youngster barely saw any pre-season playing time. As reported by Sport (h/t talkSPORT), technical secretary Robert Fernandez said the 20-year-old will be part of the Blaugrana for the foreseeable future.

Fernandez sees his progression within the squad as such: "At first, he will be in the B team, with the option, of course, of being involved with the first team."

Samper ranks among the top talents La Masia has produced in years, but he has been forced to wait for his chance to prove himself with the senior side. His lack of minutes during pre-season didn't sit well with fans, including La Liga blogger Rafael Hernandez:

La Masia, who blogs about Barcelona's top young talents, can only hope Samper has been told to bide his time:

Sergio Busquets, one of the world's best holding midfielders, is blocking Samper's road to Barcelona's starting XI, and as a result, there has been plenty of speculation regarding his future. As reported by Metro's Jason Pettigrove, the Gunners have reportedly been watching him, knowing his buyout clause sits at just £8.5 million.

There's little doubt he would make for an excellent signing, providing some competition for Francis Coquelin and adding depth to a position that sorely needs it. He's too young and inexperienced to immediately lay claim to the starting position, but he has the potential to be among the finest Premier League midfielders in just a few years.

It's tricky to predict how all of this will play out. Samper joined Barcelona when he was just six years old and has probably dreamt of playing for the Catalans' first team his entire life. After all those years, it would be hard to give up on those dreams.

At the same time, it's highly unlikely he'll ever get a fair shot as long as Busquets is around, and a move to Arsenal would at least give him the opportunity to continue his development. Cesc Fabregas earned his move back to the Blaugrana after shining for the Gunners―a similar scenario may not be such a bad idea for Samper.

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