VfB Stuttgart have confirmed that they turned down a Bundesliga record bid of €25 million from Bayern Munich for star striker Mario Gomez…

The powerful striker has had sensational back-to-back seasons with Stuttgart and has been linked with clubs all around Europe, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Milan and Roma.

However, a poor Euro 2008 - his first showing on the big stage - cooled much interest from around Europe, but Bayern Munich remained in the hunt to lure yet another striker to the Allianz Arena, where they already have Lucas Podolski, Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose.

Bayern have inisted that they are not yet out of the hunt and will swoop for Super Mario next year. Stuttgart, meanwhile, are satisfied to have maintained their stance.

“We didn’t want any team’s money,” said Stuttgart manager Horst Heldt. “We wanted to keep Germany’s player of the year.”

Ref From Hans Schmidt, Goal.com

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted he is taking a gamble in signing Werder Bremen winger Amaury Bischoff.

Having signed French-born Portugal Under-21 international midfielder Amaury Bischoff from Werder Bremen, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted the capture is something of a gamble.

He said of the 21-year-old: “Bischoff is a new player that is young and promising with talent.

“He has had a long break due to surgeries on his groin injury and we may have to wait two to three months for him to reach full fitness, and it is a gamble on his talent.”

Bischoff was a youngster with French clubs SR Colmar and Strasbourg before moving to Bremen in 2005. He can play either in the centre of midfield or on the right, and was a regular at youth level for Werder.

He made just one senior appearance for the Bundesliga club, against Celta Vigo in the Uefa Cup in 2007.

Although he has played for France’s Under-18 team, in 2007 he elected to train with Portugal and has appeared for their Under-21 side.

Ref From Mark Hinton, Goal.com

Arsenal are reportedly at least £7.5 million richer today as a direct result of David Bentley’s switch from Blackburn to Tottenham.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Bentley’s original move from Arsenal to Ewood Park in 2006 included a 50 per cent sell-on clause, which has now reaped major dividends for the club that he used to be a trainee with.

Spurs are reported to have paid £15 million for Bentley, with the fee even likely to increase up to £17 million based on performance milestones such as appearances.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, in the meanwhile, has extended another oliver branch to former keeper Jens Lehmann following their 3-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart yesterday.

Lehmann, 38, opted to return to Germany after having been left to languish on the Arsenal bench last season once Wenger abruptly decided that Spanish stopper Manuel Almunia deserved to be the new No. 1.

“He will always be remembered as a great goalkeeper, a good influence and a super professional,” said Wenger.

“We had our differences but always with respect. As long as a guy comes in in the morning and gives 100 per cent to do well then you respect him.”

Ref From Derek Wanner, Goal.com