football.london rounds up their latest understanding for the final week of the summer transfer window for Arsenal, including Julian Alvarez, Kenan Yildiz and Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli and Julian Alvarez look to set feature heavily in the final week of Arsenal's summer transfer window
Gabriel Martinelli and Julian Alvarez look to set feature heavily in the final week of Arsenal's summer transfer window
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(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
This is the penultimate transfer round-up of the summer window. Arsenal kicked off the campaign in style and sit only behind Brighton because of just how bad Aston Villa looked, which bodes well for next week, when the Gunners travel to Villa Park the day before transfer deadline day.
Yet, despite the club looking rather impressive, a piece of silverware in the cabinet already and the title defence well underway, there still remain question marks to answer with less than eight days remaining of this window. There are both incoming and outgoing queries, which may not all be resolved before the time quickly ticks down to a close.
One area which was resolved was the priority for the club, in defence. Ezri Konsa was signed for £55million plus £4million in add-ons on a four-year deal with an option to extend by a further year. Mikel Arteta has his right-back/centre-half hybrid that provides experience, passing composure and duel numbers any defender would be envious of.
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Both the incoming and outgoing questions that remain are linked, particularly in the forward area, which is where we begin. Gabriel Martinelli had been the subject of a £38million offer from Galatasaray that the player was simply not open to.
There have been a lot of question marks about how the club have handled their outgoing business once again. In the case of Martinelli, there is some similarity to the case of Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Two players who went into the summer with their mind set on Arsenal. Granted, Martinelli’s post to Instagram at the end of the season had the vibe of a ‘this could be the end’ to it but upon reflection and with the understanding that the player was happy at the club and wasn’t looking to leave, it now comes across far more as an emotional appreciation after seven years trying to get the club to a title.
football.london understands that Andrea Berta has been working to understand the potential value of plenty of players in the squad. There has been pressure to bring in funds for players after many years of falling very short compared to their rivals in this particular area.
It explains why Chelsea and Manchester United were approached through an intermediary regarding their interest in Lewis-Skelly. But there is some scrutiny on the rise as to the communication internally.
Arsenal transfer target Julian Alvarez was booed off the pitch by his own supporters after expressing a desire to leave Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal transfer target Julian Alvarez was booed off the pitch by his own supporters after expressing a desire to leave Atletico Madrid.(Image: (Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images))
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football.london understands that Lewis-Skelly was genuinely surprised when the news exclusively broke of his name being touted with an exit. Which it therefore is no surprise why we saw such a reaction when he scored against Como, how he celebrated the FA Community Shield win and also the reaction from the fan base overall – each time his name is read out, the cheer is the loudest for any player in the squad inside the Emirates Stadium, and it was again on Friday against Coventry City. Before the game, Arteta had explained in detail the difficulty of having challenging conversations with players about why their minutes could be limited or even that a move away might be the right step for them.
“It's a great question,” Arteta replied when question about this particular challenge. “It's a really, really tough moment.
“We need to face that reality. But I think you need to face it with a real honesty and transparency because when you are on the other side, that's exactly what you need. You might not like what you've been told, but if it's truthful, if it's the reality, if it's honest, and it's going to help you to make better decisions and have more clarity for the next steps in your career, you have to do that.
“These are always very difficult conversations, but they need to be done. It's like when a player doesn't feel that he belongs or he's important. He wants to have a different chapter. I think that communication has to exist and it has to be both ways.
“We all know that at the end, everything has a start and has an end. When it comes to the end, I think our duty, our responsibility is to do it in the best possible way, maintaining the respect and admiration for the player and the relationship, but understanding that at the end, we need to make football decisions.”
He was also asked directly by football.london whether he was confident Lewis-Skelly would be an Arsenal player come the end of the window to which he, thankfully and finally, delivered the definitive response of: "100%."
But after the game against Coventry, former striker Ian Wright, who has worked very closely with the club and is known to be close with many of the squad, threw a grenade into the conversation when speaking with Sky Sports after the win.
“The way Gabriel Martinelli is being treated is making me feel uncomfortable,” Wright said. “He always gives 100%, he’s scored some important goals.
“He’s not being spoken to, he doesn’t know what’s going on - I know this.”
Now, football.london understands through sources at the club that Arteta did indeed speak with Martinelli as to his absence from the matchday squad before the game. Perhaps instead the lack of awareness is more so regarding whether the club were exploring options to find a buyer.
This would align with Lewis-Skelly too, although it would be fair to say more broadly, there was an expectation that the club would look to upgrade the left-hand side. But Leandro Trossard’s early exit might have then complicated Martinelli’s position.
The facts are now that Al Hilal are engaged in talks with Arsenal to find an agreement for the Brazilian, with the player now more open to a switch, football.london understands. The club will be aiming to significantly break their £35million sales record, which has stood since 2017 with the exit of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
In his place, were he to leave, however, is even less clear. So far, the club’s attempts to sign a left forward have proven unsuccessful despite strong interest in both Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior.
The reality has been that the quality of players that could improve this title-winning side has not been prevalent in the window and aligned with the club’s valuation of such players. In the case of Rogers, it saw Chelsea steal in and pay the £117million fee, a figure the club would have needed to rip up their principles to match.
Kenan Yildiz is a player the club appreciate and would be willing to spend big on; however, both Juventus and even the player have so far not shown the necessary willingness to engage to make a deal a reality.
Julian Alvarez appears to be, therefore, the last hope of a major incoming. The player was whistled loudly as he returned to the Spanish capital and played for Atletico Madrid in their 2-2 draw with Villarreal.
He was even seen to be advised to leave the field at full-time rather than join his current teammates in clapping supporters. Perhaps through fear of even more reaction.
Atletico do not want to lose the player, however, football.london understands that were a club outside of Spain, specifically outside of Barcelona and Real Madrid, to approach with a fee well in excess of £100million, then they would be more amicable in talks. But the bigger challenge Arsenal have faced is getting the encouragement from the player’s side over a move.
Alvarez has had his heart set on a switch to Barcelona. And with so little time remaining and each day that passes, the chances of this one happening appear to be dwindling.
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Arsenal could go into the campaign losing Martinelli and not replacing him. This would no doubt see Eberechi Eze become far more needed on the left of the front three this season.
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