Author: Staff Writer

Richard Law has arrived in Costa Rica ahead of negotiations with C.D. Saprissa for striker Joel Campbell.

The 19-year-old Costa Rica international is one of this summers most sought after youngsters after a hugely impressive Gold Cup campaign. A move to La Liga looked increasingly likely last month, but Arsenal have made the first move.

The pacy frontman, who can also play on the left wing, has been watched by the club on numerous occasions. Now, South America executive Law has touched down and is ready to try and do a deal. Law is in charge of Arsenal’s transfers and operations in America, and is a respected negotiator who speaks a number of different languages.

He was in Argentina last month attempting to sign Vélez Sársfield midfielder Ricardo Álvarez, but that broke down over the club’s refusal to match Inter Milan’s structured offer.

Campbell is about to enter the final year of his contact, and Saprissa are believed to value his services at around £2 million. However, Arsenal will have to move fast, as he links up with the Costa Rica Under 20 squad shortly ahead of the Under 20 World Cup. Joel had previously suggested he wanted a transfer to be concluded before then.

Sol Campbell is back at Arsenal for a third time.

The 36-year-old, a free agent after leaving Newcastle United in May, has been granted permission to use London Colney as he bids to build up his fitness and find a new club. Campbell ended up signing a short-term contract in January 2010 under similar circumstances, but there are no plans to offer the Arsenal legend a chance to prolong his stay this time.

Sol joined Newcastle last summer, after rejecting a one year contract offer by Arsenal, in favour of better terms. However, he only played seven times for the Magpies, before Alan Pardew agreed to release him at the close of the season.

Campbell is now training with the Reserve team.

Arsenal kicked off their pre-season with a 4-0 win against a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur. Goals from Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Carlos Vela and Tomáš Rosický secured the win.

The game also saw Ryo Miyaichi and Jenkinson make their debuts, while a number of fringe youngsters also featured. How did they fair? Here’s my analysis.

Ryo Miyaichi
Miyaichi’s must anticipated debut whet the appetite for more. He began a little rusty on the ball, but showed a good work rate without it, chasing players down and not being afraid to make tackles. He linked up well with Gibbs, as the pair provided a real attacking spark down the left.

Ryo’s weakness is his pass selection after beating a full back. He didn’t seem to find the balance early on, but grew in confidence and provided a number of deep crosses as the half progressed. His skills, pace and raw enthusiasm were welcome qualities in the midfield. Tired late on, but impressive nonetheless.

Carl Jenkinson
Many criticised Arsene Wenger for signing £1 million Jenkinson at a time when Liverpool and Manchester United spent big on young English players. His debut, albeit against lowly opposition, gave enough indications that Wenger has got it spot on again.

Tall, strong and deceptively quick, Carl was clearly targeted with long diagonal balls. After initially struggling, he grew into the right back role and worked up a good understanding with Walcott. At home attacking or defending, his composure on the ball was impressive. Jenkinson has all the qualities to be a worthy back up to Bacary Sagna.

Other Mentions
Vito Mannone, Emmanuel Frimpong and Armand Traoré all came on at half time, all with points to prove. Mannone had little to do, but was harshly penalised for holding the ball too long in the box, leading to an indirect free-kick. Frimpong also saw little of the ball, but did keep play moving with a number of simple passes.

Traoré will get a chance to show his worth at left back during pre-season, and he left a good impression after a solid second half. A number of well timed and productive runs showed a better intelligence in selecting forays forward, while he also appared more composed in his defensive duties. A good start that he’ll look to build on.

All in all, a good run out.

Arsène Wenger stepped his sides training schedule this morning, as Arsenal prepare to face their first challenge of the Asia tour, a friendly against a Malaysia XI.

The highlight of the session saw wingers Theo Walcott and Ryo Miyaichi race each other, with both finishing almost identically. Ryo, who boasts impressive sprint times, also featured on the left wing of a practice game, with Samir Nasri in the centre. A possible indication of how the team will lineup tomorrow.

Elsewhere, the session finished with a penalty shoot out, but there was no pressure. Jack Wilshere took the first spot kick, and after scoring, received a swift kick to his behind from goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny.

You can follow updates from tomorrows fixture on our Twitter feed.

Kristoffer Olsson jets into London this week to begin his Arsenal career. The 16-year-old arrives from Swedish outfit IFK Norrköping.

Olsson agreed to sign for Arsenal in March, following two successive trials. He then made his debut for Steve Gatting’s Under 16’s at the Ferroli Cup, only for mistranslated quotes to emerge, suggesting the transfer was not yet complete. However, sporting director Tony Martinsson has now ratified the deal.

“I can confirm that the deal is done, but I won’t comment on any numbers. But we are pleased with the deal.”

Liam Brady will be splashing out a large proposition of his budget on Olsson, with a development deal worth £293,000 agreed. The money will help Norrköping grow their Academy system, and although the cash is a welcome bonus, Martinsson would have liked the player to stay.

“We are happy, but we would have preferred Olsson staying at IFK and develop into a first team player. He wanted this opportunity, so we won’t stand in the way of that.”

“Now that Kristoffer has made up his mind, I hope he doesn’t come back in a couple of years – I hope he comes back after a long, successful career to finish it at IFK.”

Olsson will begin training with Steve Bould’s Under 18’s this week.

Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Lokomotiv Plovdiv winger Nenad Lukić by offering him a trial.

The 18-year-old left winger was watched by Arsenal during Serbia’s Under 19 qualifying fixtures, where he scored six goals. Manchester United and Chelsea were also there, as were Olympiakos and Hoffenheim. However, Arsène Wenger has made the first move.

Lukić has been invited for a trial at London Colney, with a view to a possible a transfer. It’s not yet clear whether the player will accept the offer or wait and see if Arsenal firm up their interest with an offer, but the race for the youngster is hotting up.

Nenad currently plys his trade for Plovdiv after moving from Partizan Belgrade last season. A pacy, skillful and creative winger, the exciting wide-man is rated as one of Serbia’s brightest prospects.

Levante have agreed to re-sign Brazilian forward Wellington Silva on loan. The 18-year-old spent the final six months of last season in Valencia, but is set to move for the whole of the next campaign.

Silva is due in Spain tomorrow afternoon for a medical, where he will then join the rest of the squad at their training base in La Manga. Talks are still ongoing with the Gunners over Pedro Botelho.

Wellington has struggled with a number of personal problems since signing officially in January, and has already had one appeal for a work permit rejected.

Arsenal fly out to Asia this weekend ahead of the friendlies against a Malaysia XI and Hangzhou Greentown, all designed to help promote the club worldwide.

Yet while the tour is very much focused on commercialization, a select few in the 23-man squad know this tour means a lot more than just two foreign friendlies. For the first time in good few seasons, there are realistic places in Arsène Wenger’s first-team squad available.

The travelling party includes only two Reserve team prospects, Ryo Miyaichi and Emmanuel Frimpong, as I told you yesterday. Miyaichi’s inclusion is partly down to the manager wanting to take a look after his stunning spell on loan with Feyenoord last season, and partly because of the obvious boost it gives Arsenal to have a Asian player on the Asian tour. Frimpong is named as back up to Song, but he’s already been around the setup for a year or so.

Emmanuel Eboué, Abou Diaby and Łukasz Fabiański all failed to prove their fitness in time to travel, while Nicklas Bendtner and Manuel Almunia were left behind. Those exclusions, plus the sale of Gael Clichy, hand significant opportunities to some players.

Kieran Gibbs and Armand Traoré will both hope to prove their worth at left back, with Wenger not keen to give Pedro Botelho a run out. Traoré has failed to attract any interest since completing his loan spell at Juventus, but he returns to London Colney a vastly improved player. He now needs to show it.

New signing Carl Jenkinson should get a chance as Bacary Sagna’s deputy, and Vito Mannone is fit and ready to show his good form on loan at Hull City was no fluke. Almunia’s exclusion and Fabiański’s lack of fitness present him with a real chance to show his best.

There will be various other subplots in Asia, but working with Wenger in the 23-man group will give the manager a better chance to run the rule over them. More of the youngsters, including Kyle Bartley, will get chances at the Emirates Cup and beyond, but solid performances in Asia can help some seal places, or at least get a firm foot hold in Wenger’s plans.

For many, this tour is about now or never, in their quest to break through.

Arsène Wenger will select his squad for the forthcoming trip to Asia today, with only a select few youngsters poised to be included.

Arsenal jet off to Malaysia on Sunday, ahead of friendlies against a Malaysian XI and then Hangzhou Greentown, in what is seen as a trip focused entirely on commercialisation. That means the opportunity to impress that some players had been hoping for won’t come until the clash with FC Cologne, or the Emirates Cup.

However, Wenger is expected to include a handful of the most prominent candidates for first-team places next season. Those include Emmanuel Frimpong and Kyle Bartley, while Young Guns has learnt Ryo Miyaichi is all but certain to travel, subject to international clearance. The club are yet to decide whether to persure a work permit appeal for the winger.

Oğuzhan Özyakup, Conor Henderson and Chuks Aneke are some of the outside chances, but all three have handed their passports in and have been carefully assessed since returning to pre-season training on Monday.

Wellington Silva and Pedro Botelho are both poised to miss out, as the club seek to finalise La Liga loans for the duo.