Arsenal ‘lead candidates’ to land £50m-rated star but could ‘miss out’ on defender transfer

Arsenal are now Stateside as they continue their pre-season preparations.

The Gunners opened their pre-season account with a win over Nurnberg last Friday, and they wil return to action against Everton on Sunday as part of their USA tour.

Mikel Arteta and his men will spend a week and a half across the pond, hoping to return much better prepared for the new season.

In the meantime, the Gunners will continue their efforts to add to their squad after a busy summer already.

With that in mind, we have rounded up all the latest transfer news and rumours concerning the Gunners:

Martinez blow

Arsenal have fallen behind in the race to sign Ajax centre-back Lisandro Martinez, according to reports.

The Evening Standard claim Manchester United have taken the lead in the race to pull off a deal, with Ajax asking for around £45million.

It seems the Gunners have missed out on the defender, and they are now likely to move on to different targets.

Paqueta links

In better news, Arsenal are said to be the leading candidates to sign Lyon star Lucas Paqueta.

According to UOL, the Gunners are now prioritising a move for Paqueta after missing out on a deal for Raphinha.

The report names Arsenal as a ‘main candidate’ to complete a deal, with Lyon holding a £50million valuation.

It’s reported the Gunners will try to land the Brazilian for a lesser value.

Youngster chase

Arsenal are said to be one of a number of clubs to be chasing Aston Villa starlet Carney Chukwuemeka.

According to 90min, the Gunners, along with Newcastle, have joined the race, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool also interested.

Chukwuemeka has just one year remaining on his deal at Villa Park, and he is being heavily linked with a move away this summer.