Arsenal handed asking price ‘boost’ as talks set to begin over permanent exit for £26m midfielder

Arsenal will be looking to strengthen their grip on a top four spot this weekend when they face Leeds United.

The Gunners’ top four and north London rivals Tottenham face Liverpool this weekend, potentially offering Mikel Arteta’s men the chance to extend their lead.

Speaking of Arteta, it was confirmed on Friday that the Spaniard has penned a new contract until 2025.

That will be seen as a big boost for Arsenal given the improvements made over this season, in partiocular.

But attention will quickly turn back to the top four race, and as the build-up to the Leeds clash continues, we have rounded up all the latest transfer news.

Ekitike boost

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Reims forward Hugo Ekitike over recent days,

The striker has also been linked with Tottenham, and ESPN say the winner of the Champions League battle is likely to move into pole position in the race.

According to the report, there is an additional boost, with the 19-year-old being available for just under £13million.

Though, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have also been linked.

Arteta’s good news

Arteta has sent some good news to Arsenal fans ahead of this summer.

After signing a new contract with the club, the Spaniard was asked about his goals for the summer, and he made it clear that the club doesn’t want to lose any key players ahead of next season.

“What we want to do is improve the team, the squad. Obviously, we know there’s not one player who doesn’t have a margin to improve or evolve in this way of playing or his career,” he said.

“We want to retain our best players, for sure and we want to add into that, more quality and depth to be competitive.”

Torreira update

One player who doesn’t fit into that criteria is midfielder Lucas Torreira.

It seems the Uruguayan’s days at the Emirates Stadium are over, with a permanent exit on the cards following his loan deal at Fiorentina this season.

According to Calciomercato, Arsenal are expecting things to move quickly over the coming weeks, and it’s reported talks could begin after Fiorentina face Roma this weekend in a crucial clash in the battle for Europe in Serie A.