Arsenal are making moves behind the scenes as a busy summer of transfer activity gets underway. The transfer window officially opens on June 15 – but that hasn’t stopped manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta from already making approaches.
Early reports claim the Gunners could be one of the more active English clubs in the coming months and that they may equal the club record £250million they spent on new players last summer. It means they are not resting on their laurels despite winning their first Premier League title in 22 years.
Arteta openly stated as much after the heart-breaking Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, where he identified a lack of game-changers as the key difference between the two sides on the night.
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Now, Mirror Football takes a look at two of the latest transfer stories involving the English champions.
View 3 ImagesTonali has been linked with Arsenal since January(Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal have reportedly made calls in recent days in an effort to secure Sandro Tonali’s signature. The Newcastle midfielder, 26, emerged as a transfer target late in the January window, when Arsenal were alerted to his interest in a move.
A deal did not materialise and no concrete offer was made but speculation has persisted in recent months that the Gunners remain keen on signing Tonali. Now, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Arsenal recently made contact to gauge his availability.
Should they land Tonali, he will be added to an already stacked midfield base which features Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Christian Norgaard. But Arteta is understood to see Tonali as vital squad depth as Arsenal are expected to play around 60 games again next season.
Newcastle’s lack of European football means Tonali could push to leave Tyneside three years after joining the Magpies. However, Manchester United are also reportedly keen on landing the midfield workhorse.
View 3 ImagesKenan Yildiz is not for sale (Image: (Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images))
Arteta and Berta have been forced to abandon their plan to sign Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz. It is clear that Arsenal are prioritising signing a left winger in the coming months.
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Yildiz, valued at around £86m, has regularly been talked about as one potential arrival, given how brilliantly he has performed in Italy in recent seasons. The Athletic reports that the Gunners even made an approach to sign the Turkey international, only for the Serie A giants to inform them in “no uncertain terms” that Yildiz is not for sale this summer.
As a result, Arsenal are now exploring alternative options. Other left wingers linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium recently are Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and PSG’s Bradley Barcola.
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