Arsenal face Spanish side Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Emirates Cup on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners have so far faced AC Milan, Tottenham Hotspur, Villarreal and Newcastle United during their pre-season campaign, and they will now host Athletic in their final friendly of the summer at The Emirates
Mikel Arteta’s side begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on the opening weekend, before hosting Leeds United in their first home match.
In the build up to the new season, it has emerged that Spanish giants Real Madrid could be willing to include one of their most important players in a swap deal for an Arsenal star.
As reported by Spanish outlet Defensa Central via GiveMeSport, the La Liga side could be willing to offer winger Rodrygo as part of a swap deal to land Arsenal centre-back William Saliba.
The report claims that the Spanish side are on the hunt for defensive reinforcements and have identified the Frenchman as their top target.
Saliba is a target for Real Madrid (Photo: Sipa US/Alamy)
Arsenal, meanwhile, have been linked with a move for Brazilian winger Rodrygo, whose future in the Spanish capital remains uncertain.
It is claimed that Real are open to the prospect of allowing the winger to leave for the right price, however they are aware of interest from the Gunners and could therefore look to agree a swap deal.
Rodrygo, 24, has scored 69 goals and provided 51 assists in 270 games for Real Madrid since joining from Santos in 2019.
Saliba, meanwhile, has established himself as one of Europe’s most impressive central defenders in recent seasons, having broken into the first team at The Emirates in 2022.
The France international is under contract at Arsenal until 2027 and the London side are hoping to agree a new long-term deal in order to ensure his future remains at the club.