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Arsenal and Watford target Yoann Gourcuff 'joins Tring Athletic'

Pranksters run riot on France international's Wikipedia page after claiming former Lyon midfielder will play in the Molten Spartan South Midlands League

Jack de Menezes

Tuesday 18 August 2015 12:08 BST

Former Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff (Getty Images)

Earlier this summer France international Yoann Gourcuff was being touted as a possible free transfer for Arsenal, although since leaving French side Lyon at the end of last season Premier League newbies Watford have been linked with the attacking midfielder.

However, in what appears to be the most bizarre transfer story in recent memory, Gourcuff has stunned fans across the globe and joined Molten Spartan South Midlands League side Tring Athletic.

Or has he?

Eagle-eyed fans across the Channel noticed that Gourcuff’s Wikipedia page had been updated to state his current club as Tring, having played for the likes of AC Milan and Bordeaux before joining Lyon in 2010.

Despite being earmarked as a star in the making – and a Football Manager favourite to boot – Gourcuff failed to meet his potential and the Ligue 1 side finally cut ties with his last month, leaving him free to join another club.

Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

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1/10Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Petr Cech

The goalkeeper position has been cause for concern at Arsenal since Jens Lehmann left the club in 2008, but Cech could be the man to finally bring some stability to the role. While Arsenal’s famed attack has never been a problem, their defence and goalkeeper have remained a problem area, but at least with Cech in the side they finally have a safe pair of hands at the back.

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Thierry Henry

The club legend caused a bit of a stir when Arsene Wenger splashed out £11m on a player who had failed to cut it at Juventus. But something at Arsenal clicked for Henry, and he went on to become the club’s all-time record goalscorer, netting 226 goals in 369 games in all competitions and having his statue erected outside of the Emirates to immortalise his legacy at the club.

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Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Patrick Vieira

The man who led Arsenal to the ‘Invincibles’ season arrived in 1996 for the low fee of £3.5m, and he went on to become a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League. One of the best midfielders to have graced the top flight, Vieira’s exit left Arsenal a hole that to this day they are yet to fill.

Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Cesc Fabregas

Stolen from under Barcelona’s nose, a 16-year-old Fabregas arrived in Arsenal’s academy with high hopes of being a first-team regular in a short space of time. He did exactly that, going on to become a key cog in the team that reached the 2006 Champions League final before taking on the armband after Henry’s exit. However, a lack of silverware and the allure of returning to Barcelona saw him depart for close to £30m.

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Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Dennis Bergkamp

The Netherlands forward recently saw the 20th anniversary of his move to Arsenal come and go, and it gave Arsenal fans the perfect chance to relive some of his greatest moments at Highbury. Having made his name at Ajax and struggled with Inter Milan, Bergkamp brought ‘Total Football’ to north London and left a legacy that sees him remain one of the greatest players to have graced the Premier League.

Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Nicolas Anelka

The striker may have only been at Arsenal for two full seasons and left before he’d even turned 20, but his impact – both on the field and increasing his value – is matched by very few. Arsene Wenger spent just £500,000 on the Frenchman when he was 17 years old to bring him in from Paris Saint-Germain, and he was instrumental in the double-winning season of 1997/98 when Arsenal clawed back a 12-point gap in less than three months to beat Manchester United to the title, plus he scored in the FA Cup final victory against Newcastle. He left at the end of the following season, with Real Madrid splashing over £22m to sign him in the summer.

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Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Sol Campbell

Much like the move for Cech, Campbell caused controversy when he came from a rival club in Tottenham Hotspur. The problem for Spurs fans’ is that the centre-back ran down his contract to leave White Hart Lane on a free transfer, and to this day remains a hate figure for the club due to joining their north London rivals. However, he gave Arsenal five years of loyal service to the Gunners which included a headed goal in the 2006 Champions League final, and he returned to the club in 2010 to help them amid a defensive crisis before retiring in 2011 after a short stint with Newcastle.

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Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Robert Pires

Pires cost Arsenal just £6m in 2000 and grew into a firm fan favourite in the ‘Invincibles’ side. His style of play completely suited the Arsenal way, but it was a separate Arsenal policy that brought about his exit as he was only offered a one-year contract when he wanted double that. Villarreal came calling, and he left following the 2006 Champions League near-miss, yet remains a frequent visitor to both the Emirates and Arsenal’s London Colney training base.

Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Marc Overmars

Another Dutch great that played for both Ajax and Arsenal, Overmars arrived in London in June 1997 for £7m and lit up the Premier League immediately. His winning goal against Manchester United in 1998 swung the tide in the Gunners’ favour as they surged to the title, and when he moved to Barcelona in 2000, the club made the best part of £20m profit on his re-sale.

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Arsenal's 10 best Premier League signings

Gilberto Silva

Often the man forgotten in the incredible ‘Invincibles’ side, Gilberto’s full effect was seen after he left the club in 2008. Much of his impact went unnoticed, but once he left it was clear to see that Arsenal could not cope with out his defensive nous and ability to protect the back four. Francis Coquelin has shown signs that he could be the first player to fill that role to a similar level since Gilberto left, but he still has a long way to go.

Yet much to Tring’s surprise, one prankster edited his Wikipedia page to trigger talk of a move to the Hertfordshire semi-professional club just off the A41. When Twitter posts began to appear debating the move, the club soon became aware of their ‘new star signing’.

The club’s official website decided to fuel speculation of a move by releasing a tongue-in-cheek statement, claiming the 29-year-old was tempted to Athletic by chairman Mick Eldridge with the offer of a “bottle of SidePocket (one of Tring Brewery’s famed ales) & two bags of Cheese and Onion crisps”.

Gourcuff has been linked with Arsenal during his career (GETTY IMAGES)

In a further development, Lyon were soon replaced on his Wikipedia page by Arsenal, and with the France international available on a free this season, he could soon become the next Kim Kallstrom at the Emirates – providing he’s not turning it on at the Grass Roots Stadium.

It's worth adding though that until the club or player decide to confirm any deal, Yoann Gourcuff definitely hasn't joined Tring Athletic.

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