Arsenal transfer news

LEICESTER are reportedly lining up a shock swoop for Arsenal outcast Nicolas Pepe.The 27-year-old is surplus to requirements at the Emirates and will be allowed to leave before the transfer window shuts.
Nicolas Pepe seems certain to depart Arsenal before the transfer window closesCredit: Getty
Ligue 1 side Nice have been heavily with bringing the winger back to France – three years after he left Lille to join Arsenal in a £72million deal.
Pepe was left out of Mikel Arteta’s matchday squad on Saturday that beat Bournemouth 3-0 due to his talks with Nice over a loan deal.
But it has now been claimed that the Ivory Coast international is a shock target for Leicester.
According to Media Foot, the Foxes could look to hijack Nice’s move for Pepe as boss Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his attack.
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Though they fail to state whether the Midlands outfit are eyeing up a loan or a permanent move.
Still, it is understood that Nice are in pole position to sign Pepe.
There has also been talk that Arsenal will allow Pepe to join the French side on loan with a £15m option to buy clause.
Commenting on the player, Arteta admitted that it is “possible” he could be heading out the door.
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He recently said: “Until the end of the window, it’s possible that anything can happen with any player.
“What we can communicate we always do when it’s the right moment.
“We discussed that we have a big squad and we’ve made some decisions and allowed some players to leave.”

Arsenal have already identified his replacement, with the club in talks with Wolves over wide man Pedro Neto.
It is understood that Arsenal are prepared to offer as much as £35m for Neto.
But Wolves are looking for at least £50m for the 22-year-old. More

ARSENAL are trying to negotiate a deal for Wolves winger Pedro Neto but will not be held to ransom for the Portuguese international.Manager Mikel Arteta has been looking to replace Nicolas Pepe all summer and has identified Neto as a potential signing.
Pedro Neto has admirers at Arsenal who could bring him in to replace Nicolas PepeCredit: Getty
But after being priced out of a deal for midfielder Ruben Neves earlier in the summer, Arsenal are wary of Wolves’ demands for their 22-year-old wide player.
It is understood that Arsenal are prepared to offer as much as £35million for Neto, who arrived at Molineux in an £18m double transfer with Bruno Jordao when he joined from Lazio three years ago.
But Wolves are looking for at least £50m despite just signing a ready replacement in £27.5m Goncalo Guedes.
And that is a price which Arsenal are reluctant to pay after already spending £120m this summer on Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos.
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They are also resigned to taking a massive hit on Pepe, the £72m club record signing who is set to join Nice on loan with an option to buy next summer for around £15m.
And Pepe’s imminent departure leaves Arteta short on competition for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli with the extra demands of the Europa League this season.
But Neto only signed a new Molineux five-year contract in March after missing most of last season with a serious knee injury.
And boss Bruno Lage has made it clear that he wants to keep the player unless someone makes the kind of offer which the club cannot refuse.
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With only ten days remaining before the transfer window closes, Arsenal do not want to get sucked into any last-minute buying.
After winning their opening three games to top the Premier League for the first time in six years, Arteta says: “We know where we are short and where we have to add more firepower.
“If we can do something we will do it, but it has to be the right player.
We only want top quality, otherwise it’s not worth it.
“If we don’t get anyone, I’ll be totally happy with the squad I have.”

Arteta’s biggest issue right now is keeping everyone he already has on board happy after naming an unchanged team for their first three games.
With Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu all now fully fit, Arsenal are almost spoiled for choice.
And Arteta admits: “The first weeks of the competition are tricky because we’re only playing once a week.
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“There’s no Europa League and no cup ties, so we’re going to have to manage the frustrations of players who sometimes are not even going to be in the squad.
“But it’s a long season and everyone will have their opportunities.” More

SAVVY Arsenal have managed to save themselves a whopping £101million in the last two years by flogging a number of deadwood players.One of Mikel Arteta’s biggest jobs when he took charge in December 2019 was reducing the wage bill after inheriting an over-paid side.
Arsenal boast the highest net spend from any Premier League season since last summerCredit: Reuters
And slowly but surely the Spaniard has managed to save the Gunners a hefty sum of cash.
According to football business Twitter account Swiss Ramble, Arsenal are £101m better off since the summer of 2021.
This has been due to selling the likes of Joe Willock for £25m to Newcastle last year in what was their only major cash sale.
Though the likes of Lucas Torreira and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were shipped out on loan to Fiorentina and Roma respectively where they received almost £2m in loan fees as well as having their wages covered.
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Meanwhile David Luiz and Willian were released to save a combined £290,000-a-week in wages, with Sead Kolasinac and Calum Chambers allowed to join Marseille and Aston Villa on free transfers in January.
And Arsenal paid former skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang £7m as they ripped up his contract to allow him to link up with Barcelona on a free earlier this year.
It has been claimed that Arsenal have saved an incredible £16.1m in wages after the first year from releasing the 33-year-old.
Moving onto this summer, Matteo Guendouzi was sold to Marseille for £9m, Torreira signed for Galatasaray in a £5m transfer and Bernd Leno joined Fulham in a deal rising to £8m.
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Defenders Konstantinos Mavropanos and Daniel Ballard also departed on permanent deals to Stuttgart and Sunderland respectively for a combined £5m.
In total, Swiss Ramble have stated estimated annual savings have come to £101m, with £62m saved in wages and £39m from player amortisation.
But while Arsenal have saved a pretty penny, they have also splashed the cash with no Premier League side boasting a higher net spend in the last two seasons than them.
Their net spend is a staggering £218m – £1m higher than London rivals Chelsea – though the Blues could overtake the Gunners before the transfer window slams shut on September 1.
Big money signings include Ben White [£50m], Gabriel Jesus [£45m], Oleksandr Zinchenko [£32m], Fabio Vieira [£34m] and Martin Odegaard [£30m].
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Their transfer activity has been a huge gamble for Arteta and technical director Edu as they look to bring Arsenal back to the Champions League for the first time since 2017.
But their strategy appears to be working as they currently sit top of the table having won their opening three games of the season. More

ARSENAL are reportedly targeting a stunning transfer move for Shakhtar Donetsk ace Mykhaylo Mudryk.Foot Media claims the star – nicknamed the “Ukrainian Neymar” – has emerged as a late target for Mikel Arteta this summer.
Arsenal are lining up a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk ace Mykhaylo MudrykCredit: Rex
The Gunners boss remains convinced he needs an attack-minded central midfield added to his squad.
Lucas Paqueta had been Arteta’s top target, but Arsenal have no intention of meeting Lyon’s £55million asking price.
Mudryk is believed to be available for £17m in the final days of the transfer window.
And Arsenal are now weighing up the possibility of making an offer for the talented 21-year-old.
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Mudryk has made 26 appearances for Shakhtar, scoring twice.
It’s not the first time he’s been wanted by a Premier League side, with Brentford having a bid rejected in January.
Mudryk confirmed at the time that he was keen on joining the Bees, but would respect Shakhtar’s final decision.
The ace declared: “I want to thank Brentford for the offers.
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“To end up in the Premier League at 20-years-old is fantastic but the final decision is down to the club President.
“Had the offer come in a year or 18 months ago, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought – I’d have asked the club to let me go without hesitation.
“To end up in the Premier League, aged 20 is amazing. But since Srna & De Zerbi (Shakhtar coaches) took charge everything has changed. I have support.
“I currently have a long contract and all of my thoughts are tied to Shakhtar. 
“I will use all my power to help the side win in all competitions that we are taking part in.” More

NICOLAS PEPE has been dropped from Arsenal’s squad to face Bournemouth.The Gunners’ record signing has not featured in either of their opening two Premier League matches against Crystal Palace and Leicester.
Pepe has been linked with a loan move to Nice this summerCredit: Getty
And he has now been discarded from Mikel Arteta’s squad altogether ahead of the clash at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening.
Pepe has been linked with a loan move to Nice before the end of the summer transfer window.
He is thought to be keen on leaving the Emirates in search of more game time, despite arriving for £72million in 2019.
He has scored 27 goals in 112 appearances since joining from Lille three years ago.
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But he has largely been a disappointment since coming to England with a big reputation.
The Ivorian’s agent was allegedly spotted at Nice’s stadium over the weekend as he looks to secure a move for his client.
If Pepe joins Nice he will team-up with former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey.
The club is owned by Jim Ratcliffe, who is interested in purchasing Manchester United, and he is splashing the cash this transfer window.
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They have already signed Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and remain keen on Blackburn striker Ben Brereton Diaz.
Ratcliffe is using his British links to secure deals and bolster the squad as he aims to get them competing in the Champions League after narrowly missing out last season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal can go top of the Prem table with a win over Bournemouth.
Arteta’s men have started the campaign with back-to-back wins and will be looking to continue that form away at Scott Parker’s newly-promoted Cherries. More