Wenger is poised to hit back the only way he knows how, with Mathieu Flamini and possibly Alexander Hleb leaving the Emirates.

He sent top scout Steve Rowley to watch 18-year-old Camacho score twice for Atletico last weekend.

Camacho is an attacking and, more importantly, goal-scoring midfielder who would be ideal to play beside Cesc Fabregas.

The teenager was captain of the Spanish under-17 team that dazzled in recent tournaments and Arsenal will move in fast to sign him.

Atletico will want £15million even though Camacho has played only 11 times for them.

Arsenal will have a real fight on their hands as Atletico look good to qualify for the Champions League and will not want to part with their best young players - a problem Chelsea are finding in their pursuit of striker Kun Aguero.

But the fact Wenger has good contacts in Spain and sent trusted ally Rowley for a final look at Camacho suggests he thinks he has a chance.

The 22-year-old was watched by Gilles Grimandi, who is in line to be named the Gunners’ new director of football, as Italy beat Portugal on penalties at the European Under-21 Championship on Thursday to qualify for the Olympic Games. The Roma play-maker was named man-of-the-match for a superb display and spectacular long-range strike in the 2-2 draw with England the previous week.

And that display was enough for Grimandi to be dispatched to Holland to run the rule over the elegant midfielder.

All of Europe’s leading clubs had representatives monitoring the Championship. Aquilani was acknowledged by the scouting fraternity as one of the true stars of the tournament.

ARSENAL have won the race to grab Lyon winger Hatem Ben Arfa.

Gunners boss Arsène Wenger beat Liverpool. Chelsea and Manchester United to land the Tunisia-born star.

And Wenger has agreed a £16million deal for the 21-year-old, who was called into the French national team last season as a replacement for Louis Saha.

The Belgian centre-back had been on the radar of the Arsenal boss prior to his move to the Bundesliga for £5.1million two years ago.

Now Wenger believes the 22-year-old star, rated one of the best young defenders in Europe, is ready for the Premier League.

Kompany has Champions League experience having played against some of the top teams in Europe during his days at Anderlecht.
He sparked the interest of Chelsea during the reign of Jose Mourinho after impressing against the Blues. But after moving to Hamburg Kompany rejected a move because he didn’t want to follow the examples of a string of top players whom he believed had moved to Stamford Bridge only to see their careers stall.

Kompany said then: “Chelsea came in for me but I refused although I could have earned double what I had at Anderlecht. I would rather never go to Chelsea than go at a bad moment.”

Arsenal were were joined by AC Milan in the race to sign goal keeper Heurelho Gomes, who is set to quit Dutch club, PSV Eindhoven in the summer.

Milan have confirmed that they have agreed a four-year contract with Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini.

The out-of-contract France international underwent a medical on Monday and has reached an agreement that will keep him at the San Siro until June 2012.

A statement on Milan’s official website read: “Milan would like to confirm that we have signed a contract that will tie the French player Mathieu Flamini to the Rossoneri from 1st July 2008 till 30th June 2012.”

On the agreement, Flamini told reporters: “I am very happy, thank you.”

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Uefa.com: “Flamini is a very good player - we saw this when he played against us in the UEFA Champions League. This is an excellent signing.” (more…)

Birmingham defender Martin Taylor was given a straight red card for his challenge on Eduardo in the third minute.

“The tackle was horrendous and this guy (Taylor) should never play football again,” Wenger told BBC television.

“I’ve seen some bad ones before but you are not always punished with a broken leg.

“The minimum is that the season is over and we’re scared it is much longer.”

Wenger later issued a statement saying his initial comments about Taylor had been “excessive” while the club also said the striker had undergone surgery and was resting.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish said Taylor was very upset about the injury.

“He’s absolutely distraught, he’s not that type of player,” he told Sky Sports television. “He didn’t feel he made that much contact with Eduardo.”

Wenger said there was a school of thought that Arsenal could only be stopped by using rough play.

“It goes along with the idea… that to stop Arsenal, you have to kick Arsenal,” he said.

“That kind of thing was waiting to happen. It’s not acceptable. If that is football, it’s better to stop it.

DISTRAUGHT PLAYERS

Arsenal’s players wandered around the pitch looking stunned and Sky television said they would not replay the incident because the pictures were too horrific.

Eduardo was rushed to hospital and medical staff at the ground were also reported to be shocked at the seriousness of the injury.

“He is a fantastic guy and to see him in such pain and the shape of his leg was very difficult to take for our players,” added Wenger, who said Eduardo had broken his leg and ankle.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, 24-year-old Eduardo moved to Croatia aged 15 to join Dinamo Zagreb as an apprentice although he later returned home to play on loan for two seasons at Bangu, a minor club in Rio’s sprawling western suburbs.

After obtaining Croatian nationality, he made his full international debut against Ireland in 2004 and is one of a number of Brazilians playing for other national sides.

Eduardo, who joined Arsenal in July, was looking forward to playing for Croatia at this year’s European championships.

Television commentators drew a comparison with the injury to Coventry City defender Dave Busst, whose career ended after he suffered a compound fracture of his right leg against Manchester United in 1996.

Play was interrupted for 10 minutes before Busst was carried off and blood from his wounds was washed off the pitch. (Reporting by Brian Homewood, Editing by Justin Palmer and Alison Wildey)

David Beckham has been given the No 23 training kit, but he won’t be playing for Arsenal in the FA Cup third round at Burnley tomorrow.Arsene Wenger welcomed the former Manchester United midfielder to Arsenal training yesterday, where he will be working on improving his fitness for the new MLS season and England’s friendly against Switzerland on February 6. (more…)

Spursworm:

unbeliveably wenger has somehow buily another title wining team. whilst we wallow in mediocrity gooners are racing to another title.

I dont think they will… they simply dont have the depth and quality of man u. Lets see what happens come march when they are in the champs league, fa cup aswell, little fabric will run out of breath and they are completely loss. Man u arguably have the best team player for player to play in England. Im convinced they will not only dominated England, but also Europe, which still pisses me off tbh because when the fuck is our time gonna come?we8campbell

wait till african nations. half their team will be off