Arsenal transfer round-up: 2 new links; 3 rejected offers; 2 updates and 1 huge story
Aug 10, 2016 at 11:23 PM
It has been déjà-vu all over again for the Arsenal fans with the manager unable to get his hands on most of his top transfer targets for yet another summer transfer window.
Arsene Wenger, who is desperate to add a world class striker to his squad has not been able to add any big name to his attacking options and with less than a week left for the start of the season, he will have to hurry up to get his hands on other players he wants.
The manager is currently in the market not only for a striker but also for a defender having seen the likes of Per Mertesaker and Gabriel picking up injuries in the pre-season.
So let’s take a look at all the stories coming out of the Emirates today:
Gunners want James Rodridguez:
The Madrid attacker was impressive in his debut season in Spain but has slowly fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu. Zinedine Zidane, the manager at Real Madrid has not spoken about the Colombian international recently and with this unrest at the moment, Arsenal want to take advantage of it.
Rodriguez is set to cost around the £60m mark and it will be interesting to see if Wenger is ready to meet the asking price this summer.
Napoli set to steal top Arsenal target?
Arsene Wenger is desperate for a striker this summer and has been looking at Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi as a possible option this summer. They have failed in their previous attempts to sign the Argentine and it is now understood that they may miss out on the 23-year old.
Recent reports have suggested that Serie A outfit Napoli want to sign the Inter Milan man in a £50m deal as a replacement for Gonzalo Higuain who has moved to Juventus earlier this summer and that talks have already opened between the player and the club ahead of a move this summer.
Arsenal’s transfer target just got costlier:
Another of Arsenal’s striking target that they are not able to lure to the club is Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette. The French international was supposedly offered a club-record contract extension ahead of the next season.
And it is now understood that Lyon want to out-price all his potential suitors by slapping a £60m price tag on the 25-year old. Arsenal were unwilling to meet his initial valuation of £50m and with this news, the Gunners are effectively out of a chance to sign the Frenchman.
Mahrez bid rejected:
Recent reports revealed that Arsenal’s top transfer target Riyad Mahrez is in favor of a move to the Emirates this summer even after Claudio Ranieri, the manager at Leicester City insisted that he is not for sale.
That has reportedly seen the Gunners make a £30m bid for the Algerian earlier today. However, it is understood that the Premier League champions have rejected that bid and that Arsenal are already preparing an improved bid for the winger in the coming days.
Wifried Bony the new target?
Manchester City are set to allow Ivory Coast international Wifried Bony to leave this summer with Pep Guardiola reportedly not happy with what he has to offer to the club.
Arsenal, who are in the market for a striker are now linked with a move for the 27-year old who moved to City in a £25m move last January. With just over an year left in his contract, Bony may be available at a cheaper price but it is to be seen if he is the right man in Wenger’s mind.
Arsenal unable to tie Sanchez and Ozil to new contracts:
Arsenal have not been able to find the kind of success in terms of silverware that is expected of a squad of their caliber. This has seen the manager fear for the futures of his star players in Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
The former La Liga duo are entering their penultimate year of their contract with the club and failed to agree terms with the Emirates outfit leaving the Gunners with an additional headache of keeping star players for years to come.
Ozil to move back to Real Madrid:
In the latest story of the day, Real Madrid are linked with a move for Arsenal’s star player Mesut Ozil.
The German, as revealed before, has not agreed to sign a contract extension at Emirates and it is now understood that Zinedine Zidane may be interested in bringing the German midfielder back to the Bernabeu a few year after the club let him go.