Arsenal are closing in on the start of their Premier League season, with just two weeks to go until the start of the new campaign. The Gunners return to North London to take on Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, and they will face Lyon in their final pre-season outing next weekend.
In the meantime, Mikel Arteta will be working on new deals, still needing to address some key areas ahead of kick-off, with midfield and out wide the priorities. Here we round up all the latest news and rumours surrounding the Emirates Stadium.
Nketiah blow
Arsenal are now set to miss out on a transfer windfall, with French giants Marseille now set to look elsewhere after a bid for Eddie Nketiah. The Gunners reportedly offered around £23million for Nketiah, but they now look set to sign a different forward, all-but ending their Nketiah pursuit.
Fabrizio Romano said on X: “Youssoufa Moukoko has decided to join Olympique Marseille! Despite bids from more than five clubs around Europe, Moukoko wants OM project; personal terms agreed. Negotiations underway between OM and BVB on loan deal with buy option clause. Here we go, soon.”
Alvarez links
Arsenal are being linked with a move for Manchester City star and reported Chelsea target Julian Alvarez. According to The Mirror, the Gunners are considering the Argentine as they look to add competition up top this summer.
Alvarez has already admitted he is considering his future, wanting more regular starts, while Pep Guardiola has said the club will respect his decision, once he makes one. Though, if City are to sell, it’s likely to cost any buying club more than £70million, making it a very pricey deal.
Arsenal favourite Ray Parlour likes the look of the Gunners’ reported signing Mikel Merino. “They’re looking at Thomas Partey, he might be on his way out, so they do need a little bit of strengthening in that midfield,” Parlour told talkSPORT. “It [Merino transfer] gives Declan Rice a little bit more license to go forward if you’ve got another holding midfielder in there. I know he plays like that for England in that holding role, but I like to see Declan get forward.
“And as I’ve said before, I’m a little bit of an old-fashioned midfielder, I like the box-to-box players. It’s just using your common sense as a midfielder, if someone runs past you that is playing alongside you and gets forward, you just fill in for him, and vice versa, it’s very, very straightforward.”
