Arsenal 'lead race' for Premier League star amid fresh transfer windfall boost

Arsenal are said to be leading the race to sign one of the Premier League’s standout players from the season just gone. The Gunners are reportedly in the market for more competition at the top end of the pitch, needing to be more creative and on a more consistent basis if they want to bridge the small gap to Manchester City.

One of Mikel Arteta’s reported targets is Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, a player who is being eyed by a number of clubs this summer. The winger struggled with injury in the early part of the season, but his 10 goals and six assists in just 16 league games allowed Crystal Palace to climb the table rapidly, with the Eagles ultimately securing 10th spot.

Now, according to The Mirror, Arsenal are in prime position to sign Olise, while Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United are also said to be interested in a deal. The spanner in the works could be that the Gunners are reportedly prioritising moves for a central midfielder and central striker, meaning they could be overtaken in any transfer race.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner seems to be confident about keeping Olise, recently saying: “I am very confident they'll be here because they have contracts and no one has told me they'll be leaving. I think what we have done is that we have shown them that Crystal Palace have ambition.

"We have shown them how we want to play, which path we want to go down, which journey we want to ride together. They can show their strengths, qualities and personalities and express themselves. They fit together. This is what we can do. If something else happens, then this is football. But Crystal Palace will be able to build a new Selhurst - because it will cost a lot of money."

On top of all that, Olise is said to be commanding a fee as high as £60million, but there is good news for Arsenal in that they may get a small financial boost. That’s because Sturm Graz chief Andreas Schicker says he already has an ‘appointment’ with Arsenal to discuss a transfer involving Mika Biereth.

The 21-year-old joined Sturm Graz on loan in the winter and has become a regular across all competitions, but there is no option to buy in the deal. “Yes, we will want to try to get Mika permanently. We have an appointment with Arsenal next week”, the sporting director told Bold. “Perhaps they will present a price that is manageable for us. We can push our limits a little for a player like him.”

Biereth is currently valued at £6million by Transfermarkt, and his departure could help top up Arsenal’s transfer kitty and ease - if only a little - the club’s financial fair play concerns. Biereth won the Austrian Bundesliga title this season, beating RB Salzburg to top spot by just two points. Biereth, a Denmark under-21 international, made 15 league appearances for the Austrian club in all, scoring five times.