The latest situation with Arsenal’s summer transfer dealings with news of potential signings and departures.
Arsenal may have finally been crowned as Premier League champions once more, but that doesn’t mean that they’re content with the players currently at their disposal – the Gunners look likely to be highly active as the summer transfer window rumbles on.
Prior to Thursday, the only done deals had been the free transfer of former Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier and the permanent signing of loanee Piero Hincapié, but that’s a situation that looked likely to change quickly – and the Gunners have already confirmed their latest signing.
With at least one of those deals set to be completed imminently, we’ve looked at the current state of play for Arsenal in the transfer window, including the players they could sign and sell before deadline day.
Tzolis has signed – but another forward remains a priority
Christos Tzolis scored 22 goals in 52 games for Club Brugge last seasonplaceholder image
Christos Tzolis scored 22 goals in 52 games for Club Brugge last season | Getty Images
On Thursday, Arsenal confirmed the arrival of Greek winger Christos Tzolis following a success medical, giving Mikel Arteta a first new face of the summer who’s likely to challenge for first-team minutes.
Tzolis, who is expected to cost £34m including add-ons, will essentially fill the void left by Leandro Trossard, who has departed for Besiktas – a utility forward who can fill a number of roles across the front three according to need. But the Gunners still want to add a nailed-on starter.
Morgan Rogers had been their first choice but they valued the former Aston Villa man at around £80m and were unwilling to match the £117m price tag ultimately paid by Chelsea. That’s sent sporting director Andrea Berta back to the drawing board.
Their preference would be to sign Atlético Madrid’s Julián Alvarez, but his current club have made it plain that he is not for sale despite the player publicly stating that he wanted to leave – and even if something were to change, the Gunners would almost certainly face stiff competition from Barcelona.
That might make PSG’s Bradley Barcola a more realistic target. The French side publicly value Barcola at £100m, a fee Arsenal are unlikely to pay, but privately there is an acknowledgement that they are likely to lower the asking price assuming that they can get a long-rumoured deal for RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande over the line.
Assuming that deal takes place and Barcola does subsequently become available, they are likely to find themselves battling Liverpool for his signature, with the 23-year-old earmarked as Mohamed Salah’s successor at Anfield. Another name in the frame should Alvarez and Barcola prove to be out of reach is Nico Williams, a long-standing target. Arsenal appear to have cooled any interest in AC Milan’s Rafael Leão for now, but Milan are willing to sell and he could be a back-up option if things go awry.
Bruno Guimarães negotiations ongoing
Arsenal & Newcastle remain at least £10m apart in their valuation of Bruno Guimarãesplaceholder image
Arsenal & Newcastle remain at least £10m apart in their valuation of Bruno Guimarães | Getty Images
The other key target for the summer is a new midfielder, and it’s no secret that Arsenal’s primary target is Newcastle United and Brazil star Bruno Guimarães – bids of up to £65m have already been rejected and the Magpies want to keep Bruno, but are weighing up their options after the 28-year-old stated his desire to leave St. James’ Park.
Newcastle will sell at £80m as it stands, but that’s a valuation that Arsenal don’t want to match. It’s currently unclear as to whether it will be possible to find a middle ground, or whether there is any chance that Arsenal could accept Newcastle’s terms later in the window. A resolution does not appear to be imminent.
Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is another player widely admired at the Emirates, but a firm price tag of £85m makes a deal look like a distant prospect as it stands. It’s a similar story with rising star Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille, who looks more likely to end up at Manchester City right now thanks to a similarly steepling asking price. It’s not currently clear whether Arsenal have a more affordable target in mind if efforts to sign one of their primary targets should fail.
The confirmation that William Saliba will miss a significant period of time due to a serious back injury has also made Arsenal consider a deal for a centre-back to provide cover. John Stones is a serious option, albeit one being considered by a number of teams, while some reports suggest an interest in Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa – although we have found no evidence that any enquiries have been made for the 28-year-old as yet. Villa would likely demand a substantial transfer fee, making such a move look relatively unlikely.
Who could leave Arsenal this summer?
Arsenal are hoping to offload Gabriel Jesus in the coming weeksplaceholder image
Arsenal are hoping to offload Gabriel Jesus in the coming weeks | Getty Images
With Trossard already gone and Jakub Kiwior making his loan move to Porto permanent, Arsenal have started the process of clearing out players they now deem surplus to requirements – but they have still yet to find a buyer for Gabriel Jesus.
AC Milan look like a possible destination, with recent reports suggesting that the Gunners could lower their asking price in order to make a deal more plausible. Milan missed out on Champions League football this season and have a relatively limited transfer budget, so Arsenal will have to settle for a lower-than-anticipated fee if they are to send Jesus to Serie A.
The club also want to find a buyer for Reiss Nelson, with several clubs around the continent having made tentative enquiries – but there is no evidence that a firm frontrunner has emerged as yet.
Arsenal are prepared to listen to offers for Gabriel Martinelli, whose contract expires in 2027 although the club have the option to extend it by a further year. They will only sell the Brazilian if they can find a new left winger beyond Tzolis, so any negotiations are being kept on ice until that situation is resolved.
Several reports suggested that Ben White would also be available for sale, with a number of Premier League teams potentially interested, although no offers have been made with teams seemingly preferring to wait and see how he recovers from the injury which ruled him out of the World Cup. He could still leave, but it would likely be a deal that took place later in the transfer window.