Arsenal must ‘open purse strings’ for £17m transfer as ominous ‘receptive’ claim made

Arsenal have eight remaining Premier League matches to confirm their spot in next year’s Champions League competition.

Currently in a tight battle with Tottenham Hotspur, the two north London rivals will be hoping to oust the other to claim the fourth spot in the Premier League and have a chance in UEFA’s biggest European competition in the 2022/23 season.

The Gunners will hope to put their recent losses to Brighton and Crystal Palace behind them as they take on Southampton this weekend.

They will then battle it out against Chelsea and Man United before a potential Champions League deciding fixture against Spurs takes place in May.

Mikel Arteta will hope that the upcoming summer transfer window can bolster their chances to progress more next season and here are the latest rumours.

Gunners hopeful to add Galatasaray star to squad

Reports from the Star Gazetesi, via Sport Witness, have claimed that Arsenal are hopeful of signing the Super Lig star Kerem Akturkoglu next season.

The 23-year-old can be used across all three attacking positions but has spent the majority of the 2021/22 season on the left wing, scoring 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.

The Gunners have now joined Spurs, Lyon, Atletico Madrid and Wolfsburg in the battle for the young Turk but it is also suggested that Arteta would have to ‘open the purse strings’ to ‘start negotiations’ with the Istanbul Club.

At the moment, the report is claiming the Turkish side would want a fee of around £17 million for their star player.

Arsenal look set to lose loan

The Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed that Arsenal’s Pablo Mari is enjoying his loan spell at Udinese and will hope to stay in Italy after the summer.

The Spaniard failed to secure a role under Arteta’s plans last season and although he is expected to return to London this summer, he has made it clear he would prefer to stay where he is.

Speaking to the Italian news outlet, Mari has said: “It’s the right league for me. Very tactical. I try to bring the attacker towards me.

“I really like having the ball and here it can be done and then there is the battle and I like having a battle on the pitch. I would like to stay in Italy.”

The 28-year-old joined Arsenal from the Brazilian side Flamengo on a loan that was later made permanent for £7 million in 2020 and will have two years left on his Gunners contract this summer.

Barcelona keen for Gunners defender

The Catalan media have been widely circulating Barcelona’s interest in the Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

The newspaper Sport claimed that Camp Nou ‘like’ the player and are hoping to negotiate a summer deal with the Gunners player.

They have then updated their article by suggesting that Barcelona would have to include some players for the agreement to be finalised.

Magalhaes is reportedly ‘expectant and receptive’ about the chance of moving into La Liga but given that the Brazilian 24-year-old is currently valued at £40 million, it is likely that Barcelona would have phenomenal difficulty in signing him.

Sport has noted that there is an ‘excellent relationship’ between the Catalan side and Arsenal’s technical director Edu, so any negotiation deals are set to be amicable.

Arsenal miss out on Napoli target

The Nigerian international Victor Osimhen has quickly risen to become one of Europe’s hottest topics but Arsenal will have been disappointed to learn that he is unlikely to leave his current club, Napoli.

Speaking to Football Italia, Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda has said: “There are no problems. Victor has already proved his close bond with this club.

“Osimhen is a young striker and with the right tips, his development is natural. Luciano Spalletti improves the player he works with.

“Everyone is happy about how things are going, Napoli are a precise choice for the striker’s development, as a man and as a footballer.”

Arsenal and Manchester United have both been linked with hoping to sign the 23-year-old but it would appear that they would be better to focus their energies elsewhere, for this summer at least.