Reports on Sunday claimed that Arsenal have agreed terms with Romelu Lukaku as they continue their search for a striker after Jamie Vardy decided to do everyone a favour and stay at Leicester.
The report came from journalist Emanuele Giulianelli who writes for TribalFootball and ‘co-operates’ with FIFA Weekly, Panenka, FourFourTwo and others according to his Twitter profile.
No, we don’t know what ‘co-operates’ means in this context either.
Perhaps they’ve published some of his tweets like we’re about to do and we’ll get added to his illustrious list. I doubt it though.
He tweeted:
Despite Chelsea pressing, Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Lukaku. An offer will be submitted.
— Emanuele Giulianelli (@EmaGiulianelli) June 24, 2016
Now, far be it for me to question a man who ‘co-operates’ with so many big name players (seriously, what does that mean?) but we’re going to stick our neck out on this one and call bul**hit on it.
Why?
That’s simple – how have they agreed terms with the player if they haven’t even submitted an offer?
It seems highly unlikely to me that Everton, who want to keep their forward, would just go ‘sure, have a chat, get back to us whenever with an offer, whatever’.
It’s just nonsense.
A look at his timelline on Twitter sees him making a lot of claims, and with him providing no sources for many of them we must assume that he is gathering the information for himself.
He gets an awful lot of transfer news directly for someone who only ‘co-operates’ with the major players while writing for TribalFootball.
His is allegedly an extensive contact book, so extensive it provides him with updates, in 24 hours, on Mkhitaryan:
Mkhitaryan will join Manchester United for €38mln
— Emanuele Giulianelli (@EmaGiulianelli) June 25, 2016
Pjaca:
Milan in pole position for the Croatian wonderkid Marko Pjaca.
— Emanuele Giulianelli (@EmaGiulianelli) June 26, 2016
Tolisson:
After the bid rejected, Napoli ready to make a higher offer to Lyon for Corentin Tolisso. Bid expected by Tuesday.
— Emanuele Giulianelli (@EmaGiulianelli) June 26, 2016
Candreva:
Candreva wants to follow Antonio Conte at Chelsea. With an offer around £20mln Lotito could accept to let him go.
— Emanuele Giulianelli (@EmaGiulianelli) June 25, 2016
I also did a search on our site to see what other gems he’s come up with. These are the stories we have him tagged in:
Have Arsenal really asked Chelsea about Zouma? Unlikely
Leicester want Walcott/Mahrez swap – report
Journalist confirms Arsenal bid for striker rejected (Benzema)
Benzema medical on Monday – report
Arsenal eyeing second Villarreal player – report (Bruno Soriano)
Benzema to Arsenal rumour refuses to die
Wenger denies Benzema interest despite reports
(These are only from August last summer. After being repeatedly attacked by DDoS we had to rebuild our database from scratch, so these are all we have on this site.)
If you ask me, I’ve no idea why one of those publications he ‘co-operates’ with haven’t snapped him right up. He sounds like an information goldmine.
I know I could be wrong.
I know that there is the possibility that a journalist no-one has really ever heard of and has yet to get an Arsenal-related rumour correct, could have fostered links inside many of the major clubs in world football yet still choose to write for Tribal Football.
I know that Everton could have let Arsenal talk to Lukaku without making a bid.
How do I know this? Because anything is possible.
Is it probable, though, that is the question?
No.
The world might have gone crazy around me, but I haven’t quite got there myself.
Yet.