Jubilation at London Colney as Arsenal set to sign Kylian Mbappe on a world-record fee of £259million, Medical booked as Arteta plan to hunt Man city back
Arsenal may have been one of the busiest Premier League clubs in the transfer window this summer but Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar are showing no signs of resting on their laurels.
A whopping £200million ($258.8m) has been shelled out on three new recruits already, with Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz all arriving.
Despite the flurry of signings, more and more players continue to be linked with a move to north London. It’s suggested a new wing-back and right attacking-midfielder is of interest at London Colney though funds will have to be raised through player sales before Arteta can add to his squad.
With Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli spearheading the Gunners’ attack, any further business in the final third will be much-needed competition ahead of the return of Champions League football.
According to 90min, Arsenal remain interested in Barcelona and Spain forward Ferran Torres. The winger has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium since 2021, with Arteta working with the 23-year-old at Manchester City beforehand.
The report suggests that Torres is on the club’s shortlist alongside Michael Olise, with Ajax playmaker Mohammed Kudus also on their radar.
football.london says: A move for Torres makes perfect sense. A player who has been of interest to Arteta for a number of years, the Spain international would provide brilliant competition for all three attacking positions in Arteta’s squad.
Described as “brilliant” by Pep Guardiola in 2021, Torres was tipped by his former boss to play as a No.9 as well as out wide. As often portrayed when discussing transfer rumours involving Arsenal, he ticks the bill extremely well in the sense of playing in a range of positions.
The major stumbling block will come in negotiations. Barcelona aren’t expected to allow the forward to leave for cheap after he helped them win the La Liga last season. With over £200million spent already, the purse strings may be too tight to make a move this time.
Elsewhere, a new transfer option to sign PSG star Kylian Mbappe has emerged that could be of interest for the Gunners. According to BBC reporter Simon Stone, the Parisians are open to allowing Mbappe to leave on loan this summer.
The idea of the thinking is that he would run his contract down in Paris playing for another club, with them receiving funds from a loan fee. A possible loan deal comes after reports surfaced that PSG had accepted a world-record £259million bid from Al Hilal.
football.london says: Mbappe’s saga looks to be ending this summer. PSG’s decision to accept a move from Saudi Arabia is all well and good on their end but the continued doubts that the striker will approve a move to the Middle East remain a problem.
Signing Mbappe on loan, of course, makes sense. However, his blockbuster wages will ultimately become an issue. Not only that, but the well-known fact that the striker wants a move to Real Madrid in 2024 means the temporary move isn’t smart business.
Every club interested in Mbappe faces the financial difficulties that the move brings. Chelsea, Inter Milan and Tottenham are also interested, though I think it’s fair to agree that Mbappe’s presence in the Premier League is a far-fetched vision.
