Arsenal Transfer Reliability Guide

On-field performance for The Gunners has dipped over the last few seasons but the club retains a massive fanbase who follow the club for news on transfers every single year.

YouTube fan content from channels like Arsenal Fan TV keeps the club’s audience really engaged with happenings at the London Colney base.

This article shall simply serve as an Arsenal guide for journalistic reliability, which will enable you as the reader to filter the true transfer stories from the false ones.

So here goes:

Table Of Contents
  1. Arsenal transfer tier of reliability
  2. Who is The AFC Bell?
  3. Is David Ornstein reliable?

 

Arsenal transfer tier of reliability

NameMedia Outlet / CountryTier RankingReliability Rating
Official Club Sourcewww.arsenal.comTier 0
David OrnsteinThe AthleticTier 1
Fabrizio RomanoItalyTier 1
Charles WattsGoal.comTier 1
BBC SportUnited KingdomTier 1
AFC BellTwitter: @TheAFCBellTier 2
Gianluca Di MarzioItalyTier 2
Amy LawrenceThe AthleticTier 2
Chris Weatleyfootball.londonTier 2
Mohamed BouhafsiRMC SportTier 2
James MacNicholasThe AthleticTier 2
The GuardianUnited KingdomTier 2
The AthleticUnited KingdomTier 2
James OlleyEvening StandardTier 3
Mark OgdenThe IndependentTier 3
Alexis BernardLe10SportTier 3
Mark IrwinThe SunTier 3
Sam DeanDaily TelegraphTier 3
Simon CollingsEvening StandardTier 3
Manu LonjonEurosportTier 3
Jeremy WilsonDaily TelegraphTier 3
Guillem BalagueSky Sports / FreelanceTier 3
James BengeCBS SportsTier 3
Andy BurtonSky SportsTier 3
Raphael HonigsteinGermanyTier 3
Sami MokbelDaily MailTier 3
L'EquipeFranceTier 3
The TimesUnited KingdomTier 3
BILDGermanyTier 3
The IndependentUnited KingdomTier 3
The TelegraphUnited KingdomTier 3
El ConfidencialSpainTier 3
Gianluca Di MarzioItalyTier 3
MARCASpainTier 4
Sky SportsUnited KingdomTier 4
ASSpainTier 4
Mundo DeportivoSpainTier 4
SPORTSpainTier 4
SportBildGermanyTier 4
Kaveh SolhekolSky SportsTier 4
Dharmesh SethSky SportsTier 4
John CrossThe MirrorTier 4
football.londonUnited KingdomTier 4
Cadena SERSpainTier 4
Muzzy OzcanSpainTier 5
Tancredi PalmeriItalyTier 5
AFC HorseUnited KingdomTier 5
The MetroUnited KingdomTier 5
The SunUnited KingdomTier 5
Daily MailUnited KingdomTier 5
The MirrorUnited KingdomTier 5
AFCAMDENUnited KingdomTier 5
Geoff ArsenalUnited KingdomTier 5
90min.comUnited KingdomTier 5
Bleacher ReportUSATier 5
Caught OffsideUnited KingdomTier 5
Joe.co.ukUnited KingdomTier 5

 

Who is The AFC Bell?

Having come to the fore for Arsenal transfer news last summer, The AFC Bell has earned a spot as a tier 2 source for Arsenal transfer reliability.

According to Arsenal TSN, AFC Bell was a Twitter account which claimed that Thomas Partey would join Arsenal well before the summer transfer window of 2020.

The account also doubled down on its prediction when the Partey-to-Arsenal news quietened down as Atletico were rumoured to extend the Ghanaian’s contract for a few more years.

However, on the transfer deadline day of 2020, The AFC Bell was the first source to break the news of Arsenal activating Partey’s release clause.

In fact here’s a small tweet excerpt from David Ornstein where the Athletic reporter congratulates the account for breaking the news:

 

Is David Ornstein reliable?

Mr. Ornstein formerly worked for the BBC – 12 years as a sports journalist and correspondent at the organisation – but switched media allegiances as he moved over to The Athletic in October of 2019.

Even though his ties with the London side have grown more distant in the last few years, he is still among those at the pinnacle of dependable reporting for the club.

In fact in the past he has personally attested to taking the approach of “getting it right, rather than getting it first”, meaning that he verifies each piece of information he receives for accuracy before updating his followers and the general public.

Samuel Waihenya
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