SETTABLOID

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.

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 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.

Arsenal are once again attempting to overturn Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. For the past two seasons, Mikel Arteta’s men have fallen agonisingly short of winning a first title in 20 years, and the task to overthrow them doesn’t get any easier.

City managed to make it four in a row when they pipped the Gunners to the post in May but after some big summer deals and yet more improvement on the pitch, Arteta was able to push Pep Guardiola even further. They now have the challenge of going one step more and reaching the summit themselves.

It promises to be a big summer in this sense for both camps. Arsenal are aiming to make the most of their positive momentum while City yet again look to go where nobody has ever been before. It makes for another transfer window of key decisions.

Here, football.london has taken a look at what City have been up to so far and the impact it might have on Arsenal.

De Bruyne exit

Kevin De Bruyne has admitted that it could soon be time for him to leave Manchester City. Speaking to Dutch publication HLN, he said, “I still have one year left on my contract, so I have to think about what could happen.

“My eldest is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play for City. Once the moment comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way.”

An exit for the Belgian would be a significant blow to City after he managed four goals and ten assists from just 18 appearances last season. He has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

“At my age you have to be open to everything,” he continued. “You’re talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.

“Then you have to think about what that could mean next. But at the moment I haven’t had to think about that yet.” He finished: “If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money. Before that I had to play football for 15 years. I may not even reach that amount yet.”

Alvarez also out?

De Bruyne isn’t the only one who has been linked with a move away though. Julian Alvarez is also said to be attracting attention, this time from Spain.

The Argentine is reportedly a top target for Atletico Madrid after they moved on from Girona’s Artem Dovbyk. It is suggested in Marca that even though Diego Simeone’s side cannot compete financially with City, they are looking to try and take advantage of any possible opportunity and have started their attempts to bring Alvarez.

Madrid, it is written, will try and sway Alvarez not with finances but game time and the chance to make himself the main man. It is also theorised that Kylian Mbappe’s arrival at Real Madrid could force Rodrygo out of the door and toward City, therefore adding yet more competition for Alvarez.

Michael Olise is being linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer transfer window. Chelsea are also reportedly interested in the Crystal Palace winger.

The Eagles ended the 2023/24 Premier League campaign in fine style, winning six of their last seven matches with Olise scoring four goals and providing three assists in those games.

Oliver Glasner really turned things around at Selhurst Park and he has a wealth of talent at his disposal next season. That is, if they all stay put, with rumours surrounding a number of his players, not just Olise.

And that begs the question, is Olise the right player that Arsenal are targeting from Palace this summer? Could they go for someone different? Our football.london writers had their say…

The most interest this summer will likely be in Michael Olise, but if I were Arsenal I think it could be a waste of time targeting him. While the Gunners could certainly use him in attack, they face a similar problem to Spurs a few years ago – convincing someone to play second fiddle to the first name on the team sheet.

With Tottenham it was Harry Kane; with Arsenal it’s Bukayo Saka. Would Olise agree to join Arsenal to be a back-up? With so many clubs interested in him, it’s doubtful.

Personally, I’m a sucker for watching Ebere Eze play football – he’s perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing footballer when in full flow. I’d move for him and have a midfield of Eze, Rice and Odegaard.

Don’t say it to their faces, but Crystal Palace are the Brighton of 12 months ago. Everyone wants to snatch up their impressive young talent, and isn’t there an array of options?

Adam Wharton would be quite the signing in Arsenal’s midfield as an alternative to Thomas Partey or potential replacements Amadou Onana, Martin Zubimendi, and Bruno Guimaraes.

Eberechi Eze could be the new and improved Emile Smith Rowe, making more of a play for a starting role than the Hale End graduate has in recent years. Marc Guehi would provide depth at centre-back as well as a genuine challenge for a minutes.

The real standout is Michael Olise though. He is truly a cut above not only these Palace players but frankly most in the world. It could take Bukayo Saka to a new level if Olise joins because he wouldn’t settle for a backup spot. Olise really is good enough to push the Englishman as well, he’s that good.

Olise is simply the sort of player that you don’t turn down. Sign him and fit him in somewhere. Transfer first, think second.

Don’t say it to their faces, but Crystal Palace are the Brighton of 12 months ago. Everyone wants to snatch up their impressive young talent, and isn’t there an array of options?

Adam Wharton would be quite the signing in Arsenal’s midfield as an alternative to Thomas Partey or potential replacements Amadou Onana, Martin Zubimendi, and Bruno Guimaraes.

Eberechi Eze could be the new and improved Emile Smith Rowe, making more of a play for a starting role than the Hale End graduate has in recent years. Marc Guehi would provide depth at centre-back as well as a genuine challenge for a minutes.

The real standout is Michael Olise though. He is truly a cut above not only these Palace players but frankly most in the world. It could take Bukayo Saka to a new level if Olise joins because he wouldn’t settle for a backup spot. Olise really is good enough to push the Englishman as well, he’s that good.

Olise is simply the sort of player that you don’t turn down. Sign him and fit him in somewhere. Transfer first, think second.

Mikel Arteta has been handed a huge update on two of Arsenal’s midfield transfer targets. Thomas Partey is still expected to be sold this summer, and thus the Gunners are in the market to sign a replacement with one spot in Arteta’s midfield very much open.

While the aim of the upcoming trading period is tailored to raising the floor of the squad rather than the ceiling, as football.london understands, the Gunners have an obvious gap to fill. Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice performed superbly in the 2023/24 season, with Partey joining them for the final few games of the season.

During his injury absence, it was often Jorginho who filled the deep-lying role, however he is not quite capable of playing twice a week on a regular basis. As such, Arteta and sporting director Edu will both likely know a new marquee midfielder is needed.

In terms of options, Arsenal have been linked to Bruno Guimaraes, Douglas Luiz, Amadou Onana, Youssouf Fofana and Martin Zubimendi. With varying asking prices for all six, it is seen as likely that the latter name, given the €60million (£51million release clause in his contract, is acquired, especially following Arteta’s hint that the Gunners will not be spending big.

“[We] look again,” the Arsenal boss told CNN when asked about transfers. “All the margins, squad-wise, the process that we have at the football club, our methodology, especially on how we can make our players better, more competitive, more consistent and cause them to raise the level and be better than the previous season

“I think our focus has to be with what we have already in house. How can we be better? There are margins and there are players that can still develop and be better and that’s the objective that we have.”

Even with Arteta’s admission, a too-good-to-turn-down opportunity could be on the horizon with someone like Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, because of his contract situation, available for potentially as little as €35million (£29.7million), as per Mundo Deportivo.

The Germany international, alongside Zubimendi, has been linked to a Barcelona transfer however club president Joan Laporta has now confirmed neither are in the plans. Speaking to ‘The Presidential Podcast’ on Barca One, he said: “I don’t think we will go for big names, as well as we don’t plan to sell our stars. We’re looking for new winger and new midfielder. We also have our own talents who could cover those position.”

Barcelona leaving the race for both players could open the door for Arsenal to strike with Zubimendi, still considered a target despite claims he is happy in Spain, and Kimmich signings that would greatly improve Arsenal.

Alexander Isak insists he is happy at Newcastle United and is not looking to leave the club this summer as he continues to be linked with a move to Arsenal. The 24-year-old moved to St James’ Park for a club-record fee of £63m in August 2022 and has since scored 37 goals in 65 games for the Magpies, who he helped fire back into the Champions League for the first time since 2004.

Earlier this year, Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales admitted that the club could be forced to sell some of their biggest names to comply with the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play Rules, and, as a result, the futures of Isak and Bruno Guimaraes have been speculated.

However, Isak has insisted he has not thought about leaving St James’ Park this summer nor had any indication that the club would be willing to sell him to rumoured suitors Arsenal or Barcelona.

“I’m really, really happy at Newcastle,” Isak told Fotbollskanale. “I had the best season of my career. You can’t underestimate that. I love everything about the club, the fans, the city.

“I don’t really have any thoughts of moving or anything like that. I’m having a great time and I’m very happy with my life.

“It’s not something I speculate about. Within the team or the club, there has been no talk or drama around it. I have not received any information from the club that they would have to sell me.”

The forward, who finished third in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot with 21 goals, also admitted he was pleased with his form in the closing months of the campaign as Newcastle secured a seventh-place finish.

“It’s been good, especially the second part of the season,” added Isak. “I had some hiccups and injuries in the first part. It was a bit difficult to find the flow, but in the last few months, I’ve been playing regularly and getting continuity. It has shown in the performances too.”