Real Madrid ‘wanted’ Arsenal signing as Jamie Carragher issues Gunners transfer verdict

Arsenal are off to a flyer this season despite suffering their first defeat of the campaign.

The Gunners were too vulnerable at the back at Old Trafford after placing plenty of emphasis on attacking at the other end.

As a result, Arsenal now have a one in the loss column, and they will be keen to bounce back as they take on Everton this weekend.

Before then, the Gunners take on FC Zurich in the Europa League, and ahead of that clash, we have rounded up all the latest transfer news and rumours surrounding the Emirates Stadium.

Jesus revelation

Arsenal snapped up Gabriel Jesus for around £50million in the summer window, but it seems they were helped by a certain factor at Real Madrid.

“Arsenal new-boy Gabriel Jesus was also a priority target for Carlo Ancelotti this summer, but it was never a concrete negotiation because Real Madrid didn’t have room for a non-EU player,” Fabrizio Romano wrote for Caught Offside.

“That has now changed with Vinicius receiving Spanish citizenship, but at the time he was another non-EU player in the Madrid squad, so a move for Jesus was not possible.

“Ancelotti is now happy with his current squad. Real will focus on the striker situation next summer but there is still no strategy activated, whatever speculation there may be about a new move for Kylian Mbappe or other big names.

“Certainly, it seems highly unlikely that Jesus will be on the market again because Arsenal are more than happy with him.”

Carragher verdict

Jamie Carragher has issued his verdict on Arsenal’s summer spending.

“The thing with Arsenal, I really like what’s happened in the last two windows,” he said on The Overlap.

“You can see there’s a plan in terms of ‘we’re going to go for young players. I think you made the mistake of going for Willian, Cederic, and David Luiz, overaged players.

“I think the players that you’ve brought in have been really brave, and they weren’t people who would’ve taken them, and the position you’ve found yourselves in, you can’t go and get Champions League.

“So you’re almost having to build this young team. I can’t look at many of the transfers over the last couple of years and thought this is a disaster.

“He looks a good player, Odegaard coming in, Ben White’s at right-back, Saliba, Zinchenko, Jesus, Martinelli for a pittance really, you didn’t pay too much money on him.”