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Arsenal face transfer battles on multiple fronts as £100m release clause debate rages

Arsenal could be busy in the summer transfer window as they look to bolster their squad ahead of another potential Premier League title challenge alongside Manchester City.

The Gunners finished second last season, two points behind City, and Mikel Arteta is keen to add to his squad going into the 2024/25 campaign. A new centre forward and midfielder are among the positions that Arsenal could strengthen, with a plethora of names linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Another position the Gunners seem keen to add another player too is on the right wing. Arsenal are making strides to sign Girona star Viktor Tsygankov, who has scored eight goals and added seven assists in 30 appearances this season. He has been impressive, and the Gunners have already ‘made contact’ to sign him, according to AS.

Bruno concern

Newcastle are increasingly concerned about the prospect of losing Bruno Guimaraes this summer.

The Brazilian, who joined the Magpies for £42million from Lyon in January 2022, only signed a new deal last year to make him their highest earner, but it also included a clause that could see him move this summer. His release clause is understood to be worth around £100m, which if met, would represent a club record sale.

Although the Magpies insist they are confident he will remain on Tyneside, their failure to qualify for European football and Man City’s potential pursuit of the midfielder has changed things, according to HITC. Arsenal are also said to be admirers of the 26-year-old but have little appetite of triggering the release clause.

football.london says: With the Gunners not having the biggest budget to spend due to FFP rules this summer, they should hold off spending another £100m on a midfielder. Edu and the Arsenal board would be more astute going to spend that money on a striker and potentially adding a cheaper midfielder instead.

It’s understood that Arsenal won’t trigger the release clause anyway, but the Gunners should opt to sign someone such as free agent Wilfred Ndidi, who is capable of playing in a number of positions in midfield and would be a cheap squad option with plenty of Premier League experience.

Sekso rival

Chelsea are confident that they can rival Arsenal to sign Benjamin Sesko if they progress in their plans to bring in a new centre forward this summer.

Sesko, 21, has enjoyed an impressive second-half of the season for RB Leipzig. The 21-year-old scored in each of his final seven Bundesliga appearances this campaign and has already been linked with a mega-money move away from Germany, despite only joining Leipzig last July.

Arsenal are said to be interested in signing the Slovenian international. Alongside the Gunners, Chelsea and Manchester United appear to be keen on his services. Sesko has a €65m (£55m) release clause in his current deal, though a bidding war between a number of clubs could increase that price.

But now, according to Evening Standard, Chelsea believe they can still go head-to-head with Arsenal for Sesko, despite not being able to offer him Champions League football. While the Gunners are thought to have been given encouragement that they hold an early edge over Sesko, that will not deter Chelsea.

‘I Was Signed to Replace Pique But Only One Man at Barcelona Would Speak to me’

Jean-Clair Todibo’s career thus far has been a turbulent one for a player who is still only 24 years of age. After making his breakthrough at Toulouse FC as an 18-year-old, the central defender was snapped up by five-time Champions League winners Barcelona in the 2019/20 winter transfer window. However, it did not transpire to be the dream move that Todibo would have wished, as he was immediately farmed out to Schalke 04 where he struggled to break into the starting lineup and on his return he was loaned to Benfica where he failed to make an appearance before being recalled.

It was OGC Nice where he finally found some joy, with his loan move to the Ligue 1 side being made permanent the following summer. All in all, between 2018 and 2021 the defender was on the books at five different clubs across four different countries before finding stability at Nice. In a recent interview with Amazon Prime France, he explained what went wrong during his time in Barcelona.

Todibo on what went wrong in Barcelona

“I just wanted to play”

Since his move to the South-East of France, Todibo has flourished and shown why he was so sought after as a young player. Now that he has found this stability, he was able to open up on his time at Spanish giants Barcelona and why he felt it did not work out for him in Catalonia. In an interview with the press, via Mundo Deportivo, Todibo put his turbulent time in Spain down to the lack of first-team opportunities granted to him, stating:

This lack of opportunity and communication is highlighted when Todibo added that he was supposed to be “Pique’s replacement” but never really got a chance for himself.

Legendary Spanish defender Gerard Pique was a key part of one of the greatest teams to play the game at Barcelona during the early 2010s and he went on to retire from football at the end of 2022. The Catalan club opted to look in other directions than Todibo when deciding who would replace the Spaniard, with fellow Frenchman Jukes Kounde taking his place alongside Uruguayan Ronald Araujo at the heart of the Barcelona back line.

Todibo Statistics vs Barcelona Central Defenders since Season of Piqué’s Retirement (2022/23)
Player	Age	League Appearances	Pass Accuracy %	Tackles made per 90	Interceptions made per 90
Jean-Clair Todibo	24	64	89.1	2.2	1.3
Jules Koundé	25	63	88.9	1.3	0.8
Ronald Araújo	25	47	88.7	1.3	0.6

Todibo’s Turnaround

Nice star learned when “playing with great players at Barcelona”

Despite things not working out in Spain, Todibo has kicked on since his move to Nice and has been a consistent performer at the back for the French side over the last three seasons. Whilst there have been several managerial changes at Nice, the centre-back has been a near constant, making 117 appearances for Les Aiglons to date.

He earned his first French national team cap in September 2023 in a Friendly against Germany before going onto make his competitive debut in Euros qualifying against Gibraltar in November of the same year and Todibo has given some credit for his development to Barcelona. The defender believes he “learned a lot training and playing with great players at Barcelona” and he has taken any lessons learned on board as he moves forward and continues his career.

Todibo is likely to be in high demand as we enter the summer transfer window, but having finally settled at a club, with a contract that runs until the summer of 2027 and with his market value at an all-time high, it may take a sizeable fee to pry Todibo away from the Ligue 1 outfit.

Wherever the Frenchman is playing his football next season, he will be hoping to be involved in European competition, with Nice having finished fifth to secure a UEFA Conference League spot for the 2024/25 season. Despite the challenges he has faced he has developed into a very promising defender, and with a lot more senior football under his belt than when he moved to Spain five years ago, the 24-year-old has proven that he deserves opportunities to play at the highest level.

1 GOAL, 4 ASSISTS: BARCELONA STARS SHINE IN SPAIN’S DRUBBING OF ANDORRA

Barcelona’s stars took their place centre stage on Wednesday night, as Spain made short work of Andorra on the international front.

Luis de la Fuente’s troops marked their return to action a short time ago, welcoming minnows Andorra to the Estadio Cívitas Nuevo Vivero amid ongoing preparations for the upcoming European Championships.

When all was said and done, Spain emerged on the right side of a predictably one-sided scoreline, by five goals to nil.

Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal proved himself the star of the show, notching a 20-minute hat-trick during the 2nd-half.

As alluded to above, though, also shining on the night were several leading members of new boss Hansi Flick’s Barcelona squad.

Amongst Spain’s starting XI against Andorra were all of Pau Cubarsí, Pedri, and Ferran Torres.

The first laid on the assist for La Roja’s opener for Ayoze Pérez, with Ferran having been responsible for an assist of his own, as well as the last of his side’s five goals.

That was not all, though.

Emerging from the bench for a 2nd-half cameo was another Barcelona talent, in Fermín López.

This marked the 21-year-old’s international debut, just rewards for what marked a stellar close to the campaign in Catalunya’s capital.

And, safe to say, Fermín made it a bow to remember, notching a pair of assists – one for Oyarzabal and one for Blaugrana teammate Ferran – amid a brilliant showing off the bench.

2024 GOLDEN BOY RANKINGS LEAKED, WITH BARCELONA STAR ON TOP

The current rankings for the prestigious Golden Boy award have on Wednesday leaked online.

And they place a headline member of the attacking ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona as the leader to take home the prize.

The player in question? Lamine Yamal.

Wide-man Lamine is of course fresh off a historic breakout season at Barcelona.

Despite still being just 16 years of age, the winger – already a fully established Spanish international – appeared in all but one of the Blaugrana’s La Liga outings, notching five goals and eight assists in the process.

In turn, it should come as little surprise to hear of Lamine leading the way to be crowned ‘Golden Boy’, by Italian outlet Tuttosport.

The accolade, handed out on an annual basis, aims to recognise the standout U21 player from across Europe’s top leagues across the year.

Also featuring in the leaked standings is another Barca starlet in Pau Cubarsí, whose performances at the heart of the Catalans’ backline has seen him climb into 8th.

Barcelona could take advantage of market opportunity to sign Man City striker

In recent years, FC Barcelona have brought in several players from Manchester City.

Back in 2021, the Blaugrana signed Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero while they shelled out the big bucks on Ferran Torres in January 2022.

Last summer saw the Catalans rope in Joao Cancelo on loan from the Cityzens, with the club being keen on furthering his stay next season as well.

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s long-standing interest in Bernardo Silva is no secret, although he is no longer a priority target following Hansi Flick’s arrival.

Another Manchester City that Barça have been fascinated by is Julian Alvarez. The Argentine striker is a player that the Catalans admire and have previously looked into the possibility of signing him.

Julian Alvarez could leave Man City

Now, as per journalist Hernan Castillo, Julian Alvarez is very likely to leave Manchester City in the summer transfer window.

The former River Plate prodigy has had to play second fiddle to Erling Haaland during his time at the Etihad Stadium and as such he might be considering a departure in the summer.

Atletico Madrid, for one, have been showing an interest in the 24-year-old but he is unlikely to join Los Rojiblancos.

Barcelona could capitalise

Although there is no mention of Barcelona looking to sign him currently, Alvarez’s willingness to leave could open the doors for the Catalans to revisit their interest in the World Cup winner.

With Vitor Roque’s continuity uncertain, Barça could need another striker and have been looking at potential options.

Given that they have admired Alvarez for some time now, he could also be added to the list of possible options to reinforce the No. 9 slot.

The 24-year-old has proven himself capable of performing at the highest level and could prove to be an enticing market opportunity for Barcelona.

Barcelona set sights on 18-year-old Brazilian defensive prodigy

Barcelona continue to monitor the Brazilian market for up-and-coming talents to reinforce the squad with an eye on the future.

Vitor Roque was signed from Athletico Paranaense last year while the Catalans held a strong interest in Estevao Willian, although they decided to pass up on his acquisition due to multiple reasons.

Now, it appears that another exciting young player from Brazil has caught the attention of Barcelona.

Barcelona eye Rafa Venancio

Indeed, as per Joaquim Piera of SPORT, Barcelona have set their sights on Corinthians’ defensive starlet Rafa Venancio.

The 18-year-old is a centre-back who plays for the Brazilian outfit’s Under-20 side, having made six appearances.

Venancio did the pre-season with the Corinthians’ senior setup and has been on the bench for a couple of matches but is yet to make his debut.

The teenager is a left-footed defender, 1.85m tall, who stands out for his good technical skills and sound defensive nous. He fits the profile of centre-backs Barcelona are always looking for while also being able to play at left-back.

Contact already made

The report further states that Barcelona have already made contact with Venancio’s entourage over a possible transfer this summer.

In fact, the 18-year-old’s agent has already visited the Barça offices and held several meetings with the technical staff to discuss the operation.

The idea would be for Venancio to be a part of the Juvenile A setup next season while also staying in the dynamics of the reserve team.

But Barcelona are not the only club interested in Venancio as two clubs from Italy are also keen on signing him.

So, it will be interesting to see if the Catalan giants press ahead with the pursuit of the Brazilian prospect.

Barcelona hold concrete interest in 27-year-old Spain midfielder, Juventus also keen

Barcelona are on the lookout for reinforcements in the midfield department heading into the summer transfer window.

Joshua Kimmich has been touted as the priority target for Barça, but the Catalans are also looking at several other options.

One of those alternatives, Guido Rodriguez, appears to be off the list, with the technical staff looking at a different profile as the system will likely change to a 4-2-3-1 under Hansi Flick.

As such, reports earlier today suggested Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino could be an option for Barcelona this summer.

Merino a concrete option

Providing an update, Fabrizio Romano now reports that Mikel Merino is indeed a concrete target for Barcelona.

Indeed, the 27-year-old former Newcastle United midfielder is now very much on the list of midfield targets for Hansi Flick and Barça heading into the summer.

Merino has been a big success at Real Sociedad and has become a regular for the Spanish national team as well.

The Spaniard is well-suited to playing in a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1 setup owing to his all-round abilities.

The fact that his contract with Sociedad expires in the summer of 2025 means that he could be available for a reasonable price as well.

Juventus also interested

However, as per the update from Romano, Barcelona are not the only club interested in Merino at this moment as Juventus also admire the Spanish international a great deal.

However, what bodes well for Barça is that the Bianconeri are prioritising a move for Teun Koopmeiners at this moment. It should leave the field clear for the Catalan heavyweights to go after the Spaniard.

Man Utd player tipped to join rivals Arsenal after being axed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe

An outgoing Manchester United player has been tipped to join Arsenal in a shock summer swoop.

The Red Devils announced their summer clear-out on Wednesday, releasing a total of seven players.

They remain in contract talks with both Tom Heaton and Jonny Evans but among the notable names of the list were Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane, whose deals have both expired.

The pair said their farewells at Old Trafford after the win over Newcastle last month, while Varane signed off by helping the United beat City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

Sides in Saudi Arabia have been linked but former Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna believes his old side should make a cheeky approach.

Sagna saw his compatriot at the Champions League final and thinks he would be a shrewd addition and give extra cover for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of Arsenal’s defence.

“I actually think Raphael Varane would be a brilliant signing for Arsenal,” he told Coin Poker.

“He would be perfect cover for either [William] Saliba or Gabriel & could step into the team when either of those players needed a rest or if they were to get injured.

“Varane would be a perfect fit for the vibe of the club because of his winning mentality & personality. I saw him a couple of days ago at the Champions League final, he still has that desire & competitiveness to play at the top level for a few more seasons. As an addition to the squad, I think he would be perfect.

Sagna also thinks United should make a move for another United star, advocating a transfer for Marcus Rashford after a disappointing season which saw him left out of England’s Euro 2024 squad.

“I would love to see Marcus Rashford at Arsenal,” he added.

“I think if you added Rashford to Arsenal’s attack, with the pace that he has, Arsenal would destroy the opposition.

“Adding Rashford to an extremely talented squad would be a frightening prospect for Arsenal’s rivals.

“It would be a brilliant capture and I think there is room in the squad for a player of Rashford’s ability because Gabriel Jesus won’t be able to play every game and Kai Havertz can also play in a number of roles.

“Rashford joining Arsenal would be a wonderful signing for the club and a real statement of ambition.”

The last player to leave United for Arsenal was Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who joined as part of the swap deal with Alexis Sanchez.

Academy graduate Danny Welbeck also signed for Arsenal from United in 2014.

Exclusive: Arsenal submit big offer for Bundesliga star as Fulham surge into lead for Gunners striker

Arsenal are in the market for a new striker this summer as Mikel Arteta tries build a squad capable of beating Manchester City to the Premier League title.

Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that a big offer is on the table for one striking target and there is also an exit coming closer for a popular squad member

Benjamin Sesko is highly admired at the club and we understand an offer is on the table, which the Gunners believe will convince the forward to pick them over their rivals.

Sources say Sesko is “impressed” by the project at the Emirates and is taking time to consider all the offers, with Chelsea also interested in him.

The talented 20-year-old joined Leipzig last summer and has scored an impressive 18 goals in 42 appearances for the German club so far.

His arrival at Arsenal would be the final nail in the chances of Eddie Nketiah landing a starting place in the side and he is set to leave the club this summer.

However, one club is making a big push to land the England international.

Fulham leading the race for Eddie Nketiah

TEAMtalk can confirm Fulham have placed Nketiah high of their list of summer targets. Conversations are ‘ongoing’ over a deal for the Arsenal striker, with an official offer being ‘prepared.’

Marco Silva and his team have been trying to sell the fact that he would be their starting striker and want him to lead the line at Craven Cottage in the coming season.

Sources sate that they 25-year-old is considering his options and although he has a strong relationship with Mikel Arteta he accepts he needs to move on for the sake of his career.

The Spanish manager has a strong bond with the forward and would be happy for him to remain in the squad but has made it clear he will not be the main man for the Gunners.

Everton have also looked at Nketiah but there is no major movement with that at this time due to the club’s uncertainty around ownership and key players leaving the club.

Arsenal tipped for 11 summer transfer signings as Mikel Arteta aims to bridge Man City gap

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be fully aware that this summer transfer window is an important one for the Gunners.

In the past two seasons, his side have pushed Manchester City close but have ultimately missed out on the title. For their first attempt at unseating City, the Gunners collapsed dramatically and disappointingly to end up completely off the pace come the end of the season.

In this campaign, Arsenal appeared to learn their lessons and managed to push City all the way to the final day. However, a slip-up against Aston Villa during the run-in ultimately cost them and the Gunners had to settle for runners-up again.

What will be encouraging for Arsenal is that they are showing progress. Arteta’s side were able to compete in the Champions League on their return to the elite European competition.

But Arsenal need to find that extra one per cent which can push them over the line and Arteta will hope it is a case of third time’s the charm. To close that small margin, the Gunners will most likely look to the summer transfer market to see who can add quality to their team.

A centre-forward is expected to be top of their list in the summer as while goals were not an issue, the recognised strikers in the squad did not bring the hauls expected. A winger to accompany the variety of forward options at the club could also be targeted while central midfield is expected to be strengthened.

Ivan Toney, Brentford – 13/8

Toney’s teammate David Raya is expected to make his switch to Arsenal permanent this summer and the English forward could join him according to the bookies. The striker seems destined to leave the Bees especially if he has a good Euros and it appears Arsenal are well in the race to sign him.

Benjamin Sesko, RB Leipzig – 7/4

Reports last week suggested Sesko had decided to join Arsenal this summer so it is no surprise to see him as one of the favourites to join the club. Last season, he bagged 18 goals in 42 appearances for the Bundesliga side.

Victor Osimhen, Napoli – 4/1

Like Toney, Osimhen is almost certainly leaving his club this transfer window. The Nigerian has become a consistent goalscoring threat in Serie A and Napoli’s president believes he will move to the Premier League or PSG.

Alexander Isak, Newcastle United – 5/1

There was a lot of talk surrounding Arsenal’s interest in Isak last month but that appears to have softened in recent weeks. Still, he fits the profile of centre-forward Arteta would like to add to his squad.

Pedro Neto, Wolverhampton Wanderers – 5/1

The first non-centre-forward to make it onto the list is Neto. Wolves’ star winger continued to impress this season despite injuries and the West Midlands club’s precarious financial situation means he could be a player on the move this summer.