Arsenal have 'good chance' of completing £16.5m transfer as Gary Neville questions summer deal

Arsenal now have a weekend off to recover and process the fact they are now all-but out of the Premier League transfer race. The Gunners drew with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, and Liverpool’s win over Newcastle United means the gap is now 13 points.

Mikel Arteta’s men have a game in-hand, but they do not look capable of catching an almost unstoppable Liverpool side. Here we round up the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding the Emirates Stadium.

Garcia deal ‘likely’

Arsenal are said to be likely to sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia this summer having attempted to sign the young Spaniard previously. Diario AS report that there is a ‘good chance’ the Gunners will wrap up a deal ahead of next season.

It’s reported that Espanyol rejected a £16.5million offer from Arsenal next summer, but it’s now claimed the Catalan club would accept the same offer ‘without hesitation’ as they look to cash in on their talented stopper this summer. Espanyol are four points above the drop zone in La Liga, and Garcia has been key to their efforts in their first season back in the second tier.

Sterling deal motives doubted

Gary Neville believes Arsenal did not want to sign Raheem Sterling in the January window, with the Gunners ultimately landing him on a season-long loan. “Do you know what I think they’ve done? In the last part of the summer transfer window, I’m not sure Arsenal wanted to sign Raheem Sterling,” Neville said on The Overlap. “I’m not sure Arsenal, as a club, wanted him. I think Arteta’s thought Sterling can play in all the positions up top and has basically told the club to get him in as cover.

“I think that’s what he said. He can play across the frontline so Arteta has looked at him as his second or third striker. They’ve ended up backing him and I think that’s put them off doing another deal in January of the same ilk because they’re thinking we brought Sterling in and Arteta hasn’t really used him.”

Merson on Odegaard

Paul Merson believes Martin Odegaard has taken a step back from last season, with the Gunners struggling to create in the absence of four starting-calibre forwards between Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Merson told Capital Football: “I don’t think Odegaard has hit the heights of what he did last year, nowhere near! I think if he can step it up and if he starts playing well and as well as he can play then I think whoever plays as a front three will have more of a chance. It's gonna be a makeshift front-three now. Nwaneri, Sterling and Trossard will probably be the front three.”

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