Arsenal round-up: Marseille fuel Batshuayi departure, Arsenal keen on Konate

It was a weekend to forget for Arsenal and their supporters, after a dramatic loss against London rivals Chelsea left them rather furious.

Blues striker Diego Costa could easily have been sent off after lashing out at Laurent Koscielny in the box and to make matters worse the 26-year-old Spaniard then managed to lure Gabriel Paulista into a trap.

The centre-back hit out at the striker and got himself a red card from Mike Dean, which ruined what was an entertaining first-half.

Santi Cazorla was later dismissed by the referee as well and heading into this week’s Capital One Cup clash against rivals Tottenham Hotspur, the Gunners are not exactly full of confidence.

With that in mind and plenty of news to discuss, here is a round-up of all the team issues and transfer speculation surrounding the Emirates.

Marseille president Vincent Labrune has hinted they are powerless to stop star striker Michy Batshuayi departing the Ligue 1 club amid interest from Arsenal. The Gunners are reportedly showing an interest in the Belgian forward and after his fine start to the Ligue 1 campaign, Labrune insists that the supporters of the club should “not get too attached” to their big players. Batshuayi has created six chances in Ligue 1 this season. (Metro)

Meanwhile, it is believed that Arsenal are actually plotting a January move for Marseille’s Batshuayi in an attempt to bolster their attacking options. The Belgian striker only joined the French outfit in the summer of 2014, but with Olivier Giroud not firing on all cylinders and Theo Walcott also struggling, Wenger could be keen on a switch for Batshuayi. The 22-year-old is reportedly valued at roughly £22 million. Batshuayi has a 58% shot accuracy in Ligue 1 this season. (Daily Star)

Arsenal are interested in signing Sion striker Moussa Konate, the player’s agent has confirmed. The 22-year-old has seven goals already this season and is valued at around €14 million (£10m) by the Swiss giants. Antoine Issa Kossoko, Konate’s agent, has now revealed that a number of English sides are keen on Konate and among those are Arsenal – as well as rivals Chelsea – who both have scouts watching the forward. Konate has two goals in one Europa League game this season. (Sunday People, via the Daily Express)

Hector Bellerin insists he is “very happy” with his current situation at Arsenal after signing a new deal with the club over the summer as reward for his good performance. The 20-year-old Spaniard left Barcelona as a youngster to move to England and over the last 12 months he has come on leaps and blounds under Wenger. When asked whether he regretted leaving Spain, Bellerin insisted he couldn’t be happier in the capital. The right-back has completed 6/10 take ons in the league this season. (Sky Sports)