Arteta also needs to sell playersplaceholder image
Arteta also needs to sell players | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal could land a significant chunk of cash from one Premier League club this summer.
Arsenal could pawn off two players to one Premier League rival this summer as they look to balance the books. The Gunners are expected to be bold in the transfer market this summer, requiring signings aplenty if they want to win the Premier League title next time around.
Mikel Arteta’s squad was short of depth last season, leading to injuries having a big impact on their season. It was a disappointing campaign for the Gunners, and while big spending is likely this summer, Arteta will now have a greater expectation to get the job done when it comes to winning silverware.
Arsenal are likely to spend at least £100million and likely more, but they must also balance the books under current Profit and Sustainability rules. As part of that, they will need to sell players who are now part of Arteta’s immediate plans, and it is now being claimed that two of those players could join one club.
Reiss Nelson spent last season out on loan with Fulham, helping them to a very impressive season, and it should be no surprise that the Cottagers are said to be interested in striking a permanent deal. The Sporting News claim Fulham are currently in talks with Arsenal over a permanent deal, and it has been reported elsewhere that Arsenal will demand £20million, but that may include add-ons.
The same report also claims that Fulham are in talks over a possible deal to sign out of favour defender Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian is likely to leave this summer having struggled for game time last term, falling down the pecking order after the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori. Zinchenko made 15 Premier League appearances last season. Reports have claimed Arsenal want at least £17million to seal a deal this summer.
What Zinchenko has said about his future
Zinchenko was asked about his lack of game time and what his future holds in March. He said: “I don’t know yet to be honest,” he said, when asked about his future. “If I would know, I could tell [you]. It’s still a long way to go until the end of the season.
“I think we are at the stage and the most interesting period of the season, where every single game is a final and you never know what is going to happen in football.”
What Marco Silva has said about Reiss Nelson
Nelson suffered a serious injury blow in the second half of the season, and addressing that injury, Fulham boss Marco Silva said: “It’s a really tough moment for us. Of course, first of all, for the player, we feel really sorry for him, because he worked really hard to be back after the first hamstring injury.
“It was a moment that we all were excited about him coming back, because he was really important for us before the injury last December. He did so, so well, and we know that in his best level he is capable to help us to win football matches and to be stronger. Himself, us, all of us were excited about him, and when he was really ready to be in contention again for the game, he felt the other hamstring in the other leg. Not the same injury, completely different injury in the other leg.
“He got surgery there, and could be out until the end of the season. I don’t want to give a timescale that is 100 per cent sure, but it could be out until the end of the season, unfortunately for him, and for us. It’s a big blow for us, definitely. He was really unlucky with these two injures in a short period of time, and long-term injures, unfortunately for him. When he was ready and was there, you can feel his quality, and you can see that he’s a player that fits really well, understood well what we need from him. Very good guy, good lad, and another one that makes our dressing room be at the level that I like to see, and the environment and the friendship that’s inside.”
Continue Reading