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    Odegaard ‘offered to three of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals’ after Madrid list ‘heartbroken’ ace on transfer market

    MARTIN ODEGAARD has reportedly been offered to THREE of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals with the ‘heartbroken’ ace facing a permanent Real Madrid exit.The Norwegian, 22, joined Arsenal on loan from Los Blancos in January and the Gunners are keen to snap him up for good after a string of impressive performances.
    Arsenal loanee Martin Odegaard is set to be sold by Real Madrid this summerCredit: Getty
    And 90min reports Madrid have decided there is no room for Odegaard as they plan to rebuild the squad.
    It is a decision which is said to have left the former teenage wonderkid ‘heartbroken’.
    The report states Odegaard is upset after being told to find a new club but that he would favour a full-time move to the Premier League.
    Arsenal could struggle to muster the £40million Madrid are looking to recoup.
    The report suggests the Spanish side have already spoken with three of the Gunners’ Prem rivals as they look to get the best deal for their asset.
    Chelsea have been linked with hijacking any Arsenal move for Odegaard with their deep pockets meaning the Blues could swoop in after Mikel Arteta and Co failed to agree an option to buy in the player’s loan deal.
    Madrid are reported to be looking to offload Gareth Bale and Dani Ceballos with £150m of loan talent up for grabs as they seek a headline move for Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.
    Arsenal risk missing out on Europe entirely as they sit ninth in the league after Saturday’s crushing 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.

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    Gunners fans have already joked that Jurgen Klopp was tapping up Odegaard after the pair embraced on the pitch at the end of the game on the weekend.
    The North Londoners only have eight games to change their domestic situation or hope they can win this year’s Europa League to receive the cash injection clubs get for qualifying.
    They face Slavia Prague in the quarter finals first leg on Thursday.
    The Emirates brass need some income if they are to cough up the £200,000 a week the player is looking for as well as the sizeable transfer fee.
    French champs Paris Saint-Germain and Serie A leaders Inter Milan are also thought to be monitoring his situation.
    However, the new Norway skipper is not thought to be keen on an Italian Job.
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    Arsenal line up transfer swoop for highly-rated defender Dan-Axel Zagadou after 21-year-old’s impressive run at Dortmund

    ARSENAL are reportedly lining up a transfer swoop for Borussia Dortmund defender Dan-Axel Zagadou.The Gunners are primed for a busy summer transfer window and are actively looking at the 21-year-old French centre-back.
    Dan-Axel Zagadou could be the answer to Arsenal’s defensive problemsCredit: Getty
    Mikel Arteta is hoping to help shore up the defence which has leaked 32 goals in 29 Premier League games this season and left his side ninth in the table.
    Journalist Duncan Castles, speaking on his podcast The Transfer Window, claims the North Londoners have identified Zagadou as a ‘strong option’ in the heart of defence.
    He reports the club believe they could land their man for as little as £25.5million and they are ‘preparing a deal’ with ‘quite a lot of work done on that’.
    Left-footed Zagadou is seen as an ideal partner for Brazilian Gabriel in the Arsenal back four.
    Zagadou arrived on a free from PSG in 2018 and only has one year left on his contract at Signal Iduna Park – but could have played his last game in the famous yellow shirt already.
    He has been restricted to just 13 games in all competitions this season after struggling with knee problems and a muscle injury.
    And the defender has had the rest of his campaign KO’d by knee surgery, meaning the Gunners must risk pushing for a deal for an injured player or holding out for a potential free transfer at the end of his deal.
    But they would undoubtedly face plenty more competition when the young prospect is available for no fee.
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    Arsenal offloaded two centre-backs in January and will look to bolster their squad at the end of the season.
    German Shkodran Mustafi, 28, swapped the Emirates for Schalke after falling out of favour under Arteta.
    And veteran Greek ace Sokratis joined Olympiacos – who Arsenal saw off 3-2 on aggregate in the Europa League last 16.
    The 32-year-old had his Gunners contract terminated by mutual consent before signing a deal until summer 2023 despite reported interest from injury-hit Liverpool.
    Calum Chambers is thought to be largely surplus to requirements and has often been used at right-back rather than through the middle.
    Former Chelsea man David Luiz will be 34 later this month and Pablo Mari has struggled with his share of injury problems as Arsenal look to nail down a centre-back partnership that can deliver clean sheets next season.

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    Man Utd and Arsenal looking to steal Thierry Small, 16, from Everton in transfer deal as ace yet to sign pro contract

    MANCHESTER UNITED and Arsenal are hoping to pinch Everton starlet Thierry Small with the 16-year-old yet to sign professional terms at Goodison Park.The teenage sensation was promoted to the Under-23s side at the back end of last year and youth boss David Unsworth backed him to become a first-team regular on Merseyside.
    Thierry Small could snub Everton for a move elsewhereCredit: Getty
    Small became Everton’s youngest player ever in January when he came on in the 3-0 FA Cup win over Sheffield United aged 16 years and 157 days.
    He is considered the best left-back in the country for his age group and his lightning runs down the wing have even drawn comparisons with Bayern Munich’s Canadian star Alphonso Davies.
    SunSport understands The Toffees have offered the starlet a three-year professional contract but Small has yet to make a concrete decision on his future.
    Talks are set to continue this month with the star eager to play football.
    Next season will be the final year of his scholarship terms and Everton could still recoup a transfer fee of around £400,000 if Small leaves before the end of his training contract.
    Small is wary about a lack of opportunities since his debut and limited time training with Carlo Ancelotti’s first team.
    Everton are understood to be desperate to hang onto the highly rated youngster.
    But first choice Lucas Digne and back-up Niels Nkounkou, 20, are ahead of Small in the pecking order.
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    Ancelotti has even preferred to re-jig his side and use Ben Godfrey and Alex Iwobi out wide rather than blooding the youngsters
    United and Arsenal are both monitoring his progress but could miss out with Small’s focus firmly on breaking into men’s football.
    Bayern were keen to add Small to the list of young British talent, including England stars Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho, that have moved to the Bundesliga but any hopes of a transfer abroad have been scuppered by Brexit.
    Rules now ban 16-18-year-olds from moving into Europe.
    Prem sides Brighton and Leeds are both understood to be prepared to offer Small a more direct path into a top flight first team.
    And Championship high flyers Brentford are also keen on bringing Everton’s Under-16 Player of the Year from last season into the fold.
    Small’s uncle Bryan played for Aston Villa in the Prem and the youngster started out at West Brom.
    He moved to Everton’s academy set-up aged 11 and already has bagged a sponsorship deal with Puma.
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    Arsenal ‘to ramp up Christopher Nkunku transfer interest with £27m summer move in works for RB Leipzig winger’

    ARSENAL have reportedly stepped up their interest in RB Leipzig winger Christopher Nkunku as they prepare to make a £27million bid this summer.The 23-year-old French forward has continued his superb spell with the Bundesliga side this season, scoring six times and assisting five more in the league.
    Nkunku has managed 11 goal contributions in the Bundesliga so far this seasonCredit: AP
    His stellar 2020-21 campaign comes after he managed 13 assists last season, with only Thomas Muller and Jadon Sancho providing more in Germany’s top flight.
    And according to Sky Sports, his relentless consistency for Leipzig has caught the eye of Mikel Arteta.
    The Arsenal boss will be looking to bolster his attacking options in the summer as uncertainty continues over the future of a number of his players.
    Martin Odegaard is set to return to Real Madrid at the end of his loan spell with the Gunners.
    And Alexandre Lacazette has been linked with a move away from the Emirates with just year remaining on his contract.
    Then there is the issue around Willian, who has failed to make any real impact since joining the club last summer.
    But Nkunku will not be whisked away from Leipzig easily as the German club are currently experiencing interest in a number of their top players.
    Dayot Upamecano has already signed for Bayern Munich, with his centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate also heavily linked with Liverpool.
    Club captain Marcel Sabitzer is also rumoured to be considering a move away, with Tottenham said to be interested in him.
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    Martin Odegaard sits top on the list of Arsenal’s top chance creators in all competitions this season
    Nkunku made the brave decision to leave Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 in his search for more first team minutes.
    And while he had played 29 times for the Ligue 1 champions in his last campaign before departing the French capital, he insists he does not regret the decision.
    “I wouldn’t say it was easy for me to leave PSG,” he told Kicker.
    “But I had to go for the sake of my development. I wasn’t playing enough in Paris. I made the right decision.
    “The package here in Leipzig is perfect: the structures, the philosophy, the sporting objectives, the opportunities which young players have to grow at this club.”
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    Arsenal transfer boost with Duvan Zapata open to Prem move from Atalanta after becoming boyhood fan back in Colombia

    ARSENAL fans may be able to dream of the club landing Duvan Zapata after the striker opened the door to a Premier League move.The Atalanta star, 30, has been a Serie A mainstay since signing for Napoli in 2013.
    Duvan Zapata (left) has refused to rule out a Premier League transferCredit: Getty
    But a move to England could be on the cards after he revealed his love for watching Prem matches while growing up in Colombia.
    And Arsenal’s interest may well be piqued by his past Gooner tendencies.
    When asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport about a switch to England, Zapata replied: “In football, never say never.
    “As a boy in Colombia, the Premier League was shown the most.
    “I supported Arsenal and woke up early on the weekend to watch their games on TV.”
    Zapata has hit 14 goals for Atalanta this season as the Bergamo club continue their impressive assault on the Champions League.

    Knocked out in the last-16 by Real Madrid, La Dea sit fourth in Serie A and will contest the Coppa Italia final in May.
    Inter Milan are ten points ahead and six clear of second-placed AC Milan, with a game in hand.
    And Zapata fired a barb at the Nerazzurri, insisting that their dominant form has been a result of their early exit from European competition.
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    Asked whether Inter are the best team in Italy, he noted: “Honestly, not for me.
    “They won but they suffered against us, like all the times they have faced us. Results do not always reflect each team’s merits.
    “I believe that Inter are first because they have had more time to work on the fine details, after being eliminated in Europe.”
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    Arsenal outcast Lucas Torreira wanted by Boca Juniors in summer transfer – the club midfielder supported as boy

    BOCA JUNIORS are reportedly considering a bid for Arsenal exile Lucas Torreira.The midfielder was sent on loan to Atletico Madrid last summer but has failed to make a lasting impression on the Spanish club.
    Lucas Torreira has started only three league matches on loan at Atletico MadridCredit: Getty
    Largely used as a substitute during Los Rojiblancos’ LaLiga title push, he is set for an uncertain summer while under contract at Arsenal for two more years.
    One option emerging for Torreira is a return to South America with Boca Juniors.
    According to ESPN, the Argentine club are eyeing the 25-year-old amid their pursuit of a new defensive midfielder.
    Torreira grew up in the Uruguayan town of Fray Bentos, next to the border with Argentina and only a few hours away from Boca’s home city of Buenos Aires.
    He has previously described supporting Los Xeneizes and stated last year: “My love for Boca was born many years ago.
    “We are a very footballing family and Uruguayans watch a lot of Argentine football, and I have been passionate about Boca from a very young age.”
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    Arsenal are set to continue their squad overhaul in the summer having already cut high-earning fringe players such as Mesut Ozil and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
    Following a busy January window, SunSport revealed the Gunners’ hopes of getting David Luiz and Matteo Guendouzi off the wage bill as well as Torreira.
    A host of clubs including Lazio, Fiorentina and Monaco are said to be interested in signing the player.
    Boca are also reportedly seeking a striker in the summer and have been linked with Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani.
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