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Berta is close to finalising a huge deal | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
All the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Arsenal as they prepare to kick off their pre-season fixtures.
Arsenal are now closing in on their first pre-season fixture, returning to action in Singapore next week. The Gunners have a busy few weeks as they jet off around the world ahead of the start of the new Premier League season.
In the meantime, the Gunners will now be all-out in their bid to finally land a new striker after efficiently addressing their other areas of need, assuming Cristhian Mosquera and Noni Madueke arrive as expected. Here we round up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Emirates Stadium.
Gyokeres boost
Arsenal are now reportedly very close to wrapping up a deal to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres after weeks of negotiations. According to David Ornstein, the final details of the deal are now being wrapped up after an agreement was reached worth around £63.7m in all.
According to the report, Gyokeres’ agent has waived his fee to help the deal go through. Gyokeres has been staying away from Sporting’s summer camp in a bid to push through a deal, so this always looked like a deal that would be done eventually. Now the Gunners face a tense wait to see if the final details are ironed out without a hitch.
Rodrygo claim
Journalist Sam Mokbel has claimed that Arsenal are still ‘very interested’ in Real Madrid winger Rodrygo despite closing in on Noni Madueke. “In terms of Rodrygo, Arsenal are very interested, very interested in him," said Mokbel.
“I think they’ve spoken to the relevant parties connected to the player to see whether he’d be up for it. I think they’ve got a positive feedback, as I understand it, that he would certainly give it serious consideration. But what I, being absolutely frank, what I’m hearing is that the finances attached to that deal, not necessarily just the fee, but the fee will be hefty.
“I think you’re looking in excess of £70m, probably closer to £80m to get that deal done. I think the wages, he’s one of the European football elite players, right? So he will be commanding a big, big wage. So Arsenal can do it, but I think they need to be creative in how they can accomplish that deal, but also make sure that they’ve got money coming in to ensure that the books are balanced because as we’ve already spoken about, they really had a significant spend."
Madueke questioned
Paul Merson has questioned Arsenal’s incoming signing of Noni Madueke. He wrote on Sky Sports: “I am flabbergasted by Arsenal signing Noni Madueke. I’m shocked. If Arsenal went and bought any player from Chelsea, he’d have been the last one I thought they’d sign.
“I just don’t see it. It’s a lot of money for a player who is not a prolific goalscorer. He’s the sort of player that has a good game here and a good game there, but that’ll be it. The consistency of performance isn’t there.”
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