SETTABLOID

Jadon Sancho has proven exactly why Arsenal must broaden their search for a new winger in the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old winger, who suffered defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night, has been briefly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium as Mikel Arteta looks to further bolster his squad after another trophy-less campaign.

The Gunners are now four years without a piece of major silverware. While Arsenal managed to take the Premier League title race down to the final day, they dived out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich.

The north Londoners also lost to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in the FA Cup third round and West Ham swept them aside in the Carabao Cup round of 16. With Arteta eager to strengthen his team and Sancho facing an uncertain future at Manchester United, Arsenal have been urged to make a ‘dynamite’ signing.

Speaking to Grosvenor Sport last month, Emmanuel Petit said: “I was saying how impressed I was with Jadon Sancho in the Champions League on commentary – he looks like a new player, so fit, thin and explosive.

“He’s like dynamite on the pitch, so explosive on the ball, so hard to catch. He’s back to his best and Man United look so far away from them, so if Arsenal want him, why not?

“You can put the best player in the world at Man United at the moment and they’d look average in two months. This is easily the worst Man United side I’ve ever seen.

“So many average players and Casemiro looks so poor. It must be so hard to be a Man United fan when you see the history of the club. They must be thinking: ‘What is going on?’”

Despite suffering defeat to Real Madrid, Sancho has largely impressed since joining Borussia Dortmund on loan in January. The England international featured 24 times for the German giants this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

Speaking on TNT Sports ahead of the Champions League final, Jose Mourinho insisted that Erik ten Hag must take some blame for how Sancho’s situation at Old Trafford. The former Chelsea manager said: “As a player we know his talent.

“For sure the kid made mistakes. But for sure also his manager was not able to get the best out of him. I think in this case for sure they [Manchester United] look at it and try to analyse what happened at Man United and what he found at Dortmund.”

With that being said, the Champions League final has proven exactly why Arsenal shouldn’t go for Sancho this summer. While Gabriel Martinelli struggled to impress on the left-wing at times this season, Leandro Trossard performed brilliantly when called upon, forcing himself into the starting lineup for next season.

For now, it remains to be seen whether or not the Gunners will pursue for a move for Sancho in the summer. But if they do, Arsenal must be ready to fork out a substantial fee for his signature, knowing the Red Devils won’t strengthen a Premier League rival without a price.

Arsenal and Manchester United are in the race to sign one of the best passers in Europe this summer transfer window, according to a recent report.

Mikel Arteta’s men came close to winning the Premier League title but ultimately fell just short, losing out to Manchester City.

Arteta will be desperate to go one better next term and it seems he’s already identified a midfielder to bolster his ranks.

That said, he could cost just £20m.

According to Goal, Arsenal target Youssouf Fofana, who is statistically one of the best passers in Europe, could be available for a discounted price tag of £20m this summer.

The 25-year-old’s contract at the Ligue 1 outfit expires next year, so it could be the final chance for Monaco to receive a sizable transfer fee.

United have also been put on red alert after his valuation emerged and could rival The Gunners for his signature.

Arsenal are keen to add Fofana to their midfield ranks, with Thomas Partey potentially departing.

Ahead of his EURO 2024 commitments with France, Fofana hinted at a Monaco exit when speaking to the press.

“I have spoken about it with the hierarchy, it isn’t a secret,” the 17-cap international said.

“We had exchanges and they agreed to accompany me in this new stage. If (a move) doesn’t happen, I still have a year left and I will be happy to stay.

“We were in agreement that we would accompany each other in this process in which everyone should be a winner, be it me or the club.”

Arsenal will look to sign a goalkeeper, a left-back and a new central midfielder this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen the squad’s depth.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke explained that Arsenal want to bring in replacements for Aaron Ramsdale, 26, Oleksandr Zinchenko, 27, and Thomas Partey, 30.

Ramsdale has been expected to leave the Emirates after falling out of favour, but Zinchenko may be a surprise name on the chopping block after moving in and out of the team under Arteta.

Partey, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his contract and the club have begun searching for possible replacements to play alongside Declan Rice.

Arsenal want three new signings as first-team stars tipped to quit

Ramsdale will look to move elsewhere this summer, just two years after arriving for £30million, after his position in the team was taken by the signing of David Raya.

The goalkeeper made just 11 appearances for Arsenal this season, with only six of those coming in the Premier League.

Zinchenko arrived from Man City in 2022 as Arteta looked to add winning experience to his squad, but injury issues and rotation meant he featured just 27 times in the league in the just-completed season.

An exit is now expected to be on the table if interested clubs come calling.

Partey finds himself in a similar position to his teammate, with injuries casting a cloud over his latest season at the club, and with just one year left on his deal, he is viewed as a sellable asset.

In other news, Tottenham could sign Ivan Toney in a £40million deal.

Arsenal could be handed a rather tricky 2024/25 Champions League fixture schedule due to the new format of the competition that commences from September

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal will be determined to go far in the 2024/25 Champions League following their quarter-final elimination this season. Heading to Bayern Munich on the back of a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners were unfortunately knocked out following a slender 1-0 defeat in Bavaria.

This campaign’s edition of the competition draws to a conclusion on Saturday evening as Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund go head-to-head for Europe’s top prize at Wembley. It will be all change in the Champions League from next season onwards, with a 36-team league phase replacing the previous group stage that featured 32 teams.

Arsenal and their Champions League rivals will face eight games in total in the league phase and the top eight in the league advance directly to the round of 16. The teams from ninth to 24th will then compete in the knockout round play-offs for a place in the final 16.

In order to establish the fixtures, all 36 teams will be split into four pots of nine based on coefficient rankings. Each team will then be drawn against two other teams from each pot, with one game coming at home and the other away.

This in turn determines each team’s eight league fixtures as they battle it out for a place in the round of 16. So which pot will Arsenal be in for the Champions League league phase draw?

As the pots are based on coefficient rankings, Arsenal will find themselves in pot 2 for the draw in August. Other teams set to feature in pot 2 include: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Atalanta, Benfica and Club Brugge.

Shakhtar Donetsk could very well join them in pot 2 as they will qualify for the league phase rather than having to go through the play-offs courtesy of the Champions League winner rebalancing providing that Real Madrid win the Champions League final on Saturday evening. If it is Borussia Dortmund who prevail in tonight’s showpiece finale in London, Eintracht Frankfurt will qualify for the league phase and Shakhtar remain in the play-offs.

In terms of pot 1, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Barcelona are the nine teams that make up the top pot. Pot 3 and 4 will very much depend on which teams come through qualifying, with seven teams set to qualify through the play-off round in order to make up the 36-team league.

Teams such as Celtic, AS Monaco, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona and Brest look set to take their place in pot 4 ahead of the league phase draw on Thursday, August 29.

With all teams drawn against two teams from each pot, Arsenal and their fellow Champions League rivals could be handed an incredibly tough league phase draw. That in turn should make for a very interesting 36-team league with so much at stake heading into the final few games at that stage of the competition.

Qualified teams as things stand

UEFA Europa League winners: Atalanta

England: Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa

Spain: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, Atletico Madrid

Germany: Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig

Italy: Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus

France: Paris Saint-Germain, AS Monaco, Brest

Netherlands: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord

Portugal: Sporting CP

Belgium: Club Brugge

Scotland: Celtic

Arsenal have been handed a boost in their pursuit of a rumoured transfer target this summer after it emerged that they are in pole position to get a deal done.

Gunners chasing a striker

Mikel Arteta’s side are looking to push on from their second consecutive second-placed finish in the Premier League, and have identified their frontline as an area requiring an upgrade this summer.

They have been strongly linked with a move for Benjamin Sesko, but the RB Leipzig man remains very much a project striker at this point, and he will not guarantee goals immediately.

There is also plenty of competition for his signature, with Manchester United and Chelsea both interested in the Slovenian striker. But Arsenal could pull off a masterstroke by signing an alternative to the 20-year-old.

Osimhen links with Chelsea and Arsenal

Now, it has been claimed that Arsenal are in pole position to sign Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen this summer. The Gunners are among the clubs who have held a longterm interest in the Nigerian striker, who has a £112m release clause written into his £250,000 a week contract in Naples, a fee that would represent a transfer record for most clubs.

Dubbed a “phenomenal” striker by then Cagliari boss Walter Mazzarri when his side faced Napoli back in 2021, he has gone on to prove that analysis correct in the years gone by, attracting interest from England’s elite as a result.

Arsenal have made their first move to sign one of their key transfer targets.

The Gunners are expected to sign a new striker this summer. Many feel they are just one prolific number nine away from dethroning Manchester City, and it looks like Mikel Arteta has identified that.

The transfer window hasn’t opened yet, but Arsenal are not messing around. They have just launched a bid to sign a top-class striker.

Arsenal make opening bid to sign Benjamin Sesko

Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign Benjamin Sesko for a long time.

The RB Leipzig forward is a wanted man. He has been on the radar of multiple clubs in recent weeks, including Chelsea.

However, Arsenal are said to be the frontrunners to get him, and Edu Gaspar has made his first move to to seal the deal.

Football Transfers reveal that Arsenal have tabled a bid to sign Sesko. The fee is reported to be in the region of €55 million (£46.8m), and the Gunners are hoping it will be accepted.

Sesko’s release clause currently stands at €65 million (£55.4m), so Arsenal’s opening offer falls some way short of what Leipzig would ideally want.

Arsenal have a major advantage in their pursuit of the services of Chelsea full-back target Quilindschy Hartman.

According to a report from The Evening Standard, Quilindschy Hartman seems to have his heart set on a move to Arsenal. The Feyenoord full-back, who is currently recovering from a serious injury, is on the wishlist of quite a few Premier League clubs on the back of his impressive rise. Chelsea are one of the clubs who have been monitoring him. But, it seems the Gunners have a massive advantage in the pursuit of his signature.

Hartman has come up the ranks at the Dutch club, and he has been a part of their first team since the summer of 2022. Over the two years, he has only gone from strength to strength. His performances have also helped him break into the Dutch national team.

Chelsea are one of the clubs who have been tracking the full-back for quite some time now. They want to reinforce their defence and are looking to strengthen at left-back this summer despite having Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell in their ranks.

While the Blues have been working on a potential transfer for a while now, they are not the only club linked with him. Arsenal also have an interest in his services. Mikel Arteta already has some quality options in the left-back position with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior at his disposal.

On top of that, Takehiro Tomiyasu could also fill in when needed. However, they could still be in the market for a long-term left-back option. Hartman will be an ideal candidate given the kind of rise he has had and the consistent performances that he has put in at Feyenoord.

The Gunners have received a boost in their pursuit as the player would prefer joining the North London club if they do make the first move. Chelsea are still in the mix because any transfer is unlikely before he returns from his injury.

Arsenal hero Lukas Podolski has hinted that he wanted one former Tottenham Hotspur player to join the Gunners in 2023.

The German spent three years on Arsenal‘s books after joining them from Koln in 2012. He scored 31 goals and provided 15 assists for Arsene Wenger‘s side in just 82 appearances, which is not a bad return at all for someone who mostly played out wide.

There have been a few strikers who have worn Podolski’s number nine shirt since he left the club, but he has now suggested that he wanted a former Tottenham player to wear it at Arsenal last year.

Lukas Podolski says Arsenal should’ve signed Harry Kane in 2023

Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world.

The Englishman decided to leave Tottenham at the end of the 2023/24 season, and if it was possible, almost every club in the world would’ve loved to sign him.

However, only Bayern Munich emerged as serious contenders for his signature, and he moved to the Allianz Arena for a club-record fee.

The striker caused Arsenal all sorts of problems when he was at Tottenham, and he came back to haunt the Gunners in a Bayern Munich shirt in the Champions League as well in April.

Kane, branded as ‘underrated’ by the Mirror, has since been phenomenal for Bayern, directly contributing to over 50 goals in his debut season.

Podolski has noticed that, which is probably why he thinks Arsenal should’ve signed him when he wanted to leave Tottenham in 2023.

Speaking about his old club, Podolski told the Daily Mail: “They’ve made a huge step forward, but at the moment they are playing with Kai Havertz up front.

“They brought in Declan Rice but if they really want to compete next year they need a No 9, a target striker who scores goals.”

When asked which striker Arsenal should sign, Podolski went back to last summer and claimed that Kane would’ve been the one for the Gunners.

He said: “Harry Kane was the one who wanted to change, but with his history of Tottenham, of course it is not possible to move to Arsenal.

“That is why he moved to Bayern Munich. It was a good move for Bayern Munich and him. He was the only option on the market.”

Podolski brutally trolls Kane after what happened since his Spurs departure

Podolski would’ve loved Kane at Arsenal, but that didn’t stop him from having a little dig at the former Tottenham man.

The German is adored by Gunners fans even to this day. He once even celebrated with the away supporters at White Hart Lane following a North London derby win.

Podolski knows all about the rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham, and he has now made a joke about what has happened to Kane since joining Bayern.

The former Gunners attacker has mocked how Kane left Spurs to win trophies and then, in the very same season, Bayern went the entire campaign without lifting any silverware.

“Kane is scoring goals but I see the story already when Bayern Munich are third in the Bundesliga and out of the Champions League,” Podolski said.

“Maybe we have another good story like Tottenham – move to Bayern and don’t win anything!”

Arsenal are keen on signing the Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana during the summer transfer window.

According to HITC, Arsenal have already made contact with the French midfielder’s representatives regarding a summer move. Monaco are prepared to sell the player this summer as he enters the final year of his contract with them. They will not want to lose him on a free transfer next year.

It is fair to assume that Fofana will be available for a reasonable price because of his contract situation and it remains to be seen whether Arsenal can get the deal done. The Gunners are keen on signing a combative central midfielder this summer and Fofana would be the ideal acquisition.

He could form a quality partnership with Declan Rice. Arsenal have looked at players like Martin Zubimendi as well, but the Real Sociedad star is not keen on a move away from Spain right now. Fofana would be a quality alternative for the Gunners and he would be a cheaper acquisition as well.

Youssouf Fofana might fancy Arsenal switch

The Frenchman will be hoping to prove himself in the Premier League. He has the physicality and technical attributes to do well in English football. It will be interesting to see if Arsenal come forward with an official proposal to sign him in the coming weeks. The Gunners certainly have the financial muscle to get the deal done. They are one of the biggest clubs in the world and Fofana will be tempted to join them. He will hope that the two clubs can iron out an agreement soon.

The midfielder will hope to test himself at a higher level and the opportunity to play in the Premier League regularly can be hard to turn down. Arsenal have been pushing for the league title since last season, and they will be hoping to go all the way next season. They need to plug the gaps in their squad and improve the team in order to compete with Manchester City. Apart from a quality central midfielder, they should invest in a reliable goal scorer as well.