Arsenal and Gianluigi Donnarumma: Silly season is here

Arsenal are ‘reportedly’ interested in AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. If you had not realised that we are in the silly season, this is proof that we are.

I truly do love football. I presume everybody reading this loves football also. The professional game, the amateur version, the kickabouts at the park, the evenings spent playing five-a-side, the discussions in the pub, the documentaries on the box.

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But if there is one part of football that really makes me question why in the world I am so invested in the sport, it is transfer season, especially the build-up to the transfer window in the modern, media-driven age. I really do hate it.

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Every year, there are the same ridiculous rumours trotted out to try and trip up fans and amass as many clicks as possible. Players are linked that will never, ever sign, ‘reports’ are completely and utterly fabricated with no shred of sourcing or evidence — or even logic sometimes — and fans seem to lap it up.

I am aware that sometimes I am a part of the problem. We at Pain in the Arsenal will talk about some of these rumours, in part because we feel responsible to cover every angle of the club, no matter how ridiculous. I remember when I completely disregarded any Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang links, for example.

But on Monday, I may well have encountered the most stupid transfer ‘rumour’ ever. Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The report comes from The Daily Star. This, obviously, is the first problem, a tell-tale sign that there is little truth to the rumour. But The Daily Star have not done any actual reporting on this issue. They are simply quoting Italian publication TuttoMercato Web and this piece here. I would recommend clicking on that link to see just how unprofessional that publication is.

Pain in the Arsenal is a blog. We never claim to have inside information, we will never report ‘fake news’ and only ever comment on other reports or news that has genuinely been passed to us. But that is not what The Daily Star is. They are reporting this as fact, that Arsenal are genuinely interested in pursuing Donnarumma.

You do not need me to spell out just how ridiculous that is. The price, the fact that Bernd Leno was signed just a year ago and has been excellent in his first season, — The Daily Star actually suggest that Unai Emery has doubts over whether he is good enough at the highest level, and that this is why he is ready to pursue Donnarumma — the noticeable lack of need at the position with both David Ospina and Emiliano Martinez set to return from respective loan deals.

Not in a million years are the Gunners going to sign Donnarumma. So, if you had any doubts that we are in the silly season, they should surely be settled now. This indeed is the silly season, and I absolutely hate it.