Arsenal in contact with Youssouf Fofana over summer move

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have established contact with Youssouf Fofana over a potential transfer to the Emirates in the summer.

According to a report from L’Equipe, Arsenal are looking at ways to further reinforce their squad ahead of next season. Their manager Mikel Arteta is desperate to add another world-class midfielder to his team and Youssouf Fofana is one of their targets with the Frenchman potentially available for a cut-price fee.

Fofana’s time at Monaco to end soon

Fofana joined AS Monaco in the winter of 2020 from RC Strasbourg and he has only gone from strength to strength since. The midfielder has established himself as a mainstay in the French club’s first team and his consistent performances have also earned him a spot in France’s Euro 2024 squad.

The 25-year-old has been a standout performer for Monaco for the last few campaigns but it seems he won’t be around for next season. His contract at the club runs out in just over 12 months and there have been no talks about a potential extension.

Monaco’s CEO Thiago Scuro has earlier confirmed that the door is open for the French international. They are willing to negotiate his departure in the summer with his contract running. It seems they do not want to risk losing him for free.

Arsenal keen on Fofana’s services

Arsenal are the ones looking to make the most out of the situation. Mikel Arteta’s team have fallen short of the league title in each of the last two seasons and they now want to further bolster their squad in an attempt to get their hands on the silverware.

Arteta feels signing another top-quality midfielder will help them take the next step. He wants someone who can form a double pivot in the midfield alongside Declan Rice and Fofana could be an ideal fit. The 25-year-old is capable enough to feature as a defensive midfielder as well as a bit further up the pitch.

The Gunners have already held talks with the player’s representatives as they look to land him at the club. While they have held discussion, nothing concrete has happened yet and the race for his signature remains wide open for other interested clubs.

 

ANOTHER BARCELONA STAR CALLED UP FOR EURO 2024

Yet another member of the first-team ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona has on Thursday been afforded a call-up for the upcoming European Championships.

The player in question? Andreas Christensen.

Christensen, for his part, is of course fresh off a solid campaign in Catalunya’s capital.

After being shifted into a new role at the base of midfield by the since-sacked Xavi, the former Chelsea man impressed, adding some much-needed solidity in the middle of the park.

All told, Christensen racked up 42 appearances across all competitions, proving himself one of the most dependable presences in Barcelona’s squad.

In turn, on Thursday, it should come as little surprise to hear of the 28-year-old being rewarded by way of a call-up for Euro 2024.

Christensen has been afforded a place in Denmark’s squad for the summer showpiece in Germany, joining a host of recognisable names from across the continent in Kasper Hjulmand’s ranks:

Four reasons why Barcelona management is hugely impressed by Hansi Flick – report

The next time Barcelona take to the field, they will be under the guidance of a certain German tactician named Hansi Flick on the sidelines.

A sextuple winner with Bayern Munich, the coach is hungry for titles and will hope to improve his record in his latest appointment.

What has remained unclear for so long, however, was the reason behind Barcelona’s sudden infatuation with Flick in recent weeks which eventually led to his arrival.

After all, they had ruled out his name not too long ago for a lack of experience in multiple countries.

Helena Condis of COPE provides an update on the same through her latest report.

Four key reasons

As relayed by the COPE journalist, there are multiple reasons why Flick left a positive impression on Barcelona’s administration.

For starters, the new manager displayed real faith in the current lot of players and sees tremendous potential in the team as opposed to Xavi who the board believed did not trust the players.

Flick’s long homework on La Masia and detailed understanding of players in the academy particularly impressed the administration.

The new Barcelona manager. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)

Another factor that played a role in convincing Joan Laporta & co. was the clarity Flick possessed on Robert Lewandowski and his utilisation next season.

Xavi, after all, felt the Polish star was past his productive years and wanted to offload him, but the German tactician is likely to give him a key role.

The third area that won the board’s trust was Flick’s confidence in the team’s pillars including Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo and Pedri. Like Deco, the German sees the trio to be key to his team’s success.

Last, but not the least, the new manager understands Barcelona’s limitations on the transfer front. Despite pushing for Joshua Kimmich as a new defensive midfielder, he is aware that the move is complicated and will thus not overpush.

Barcelona new manager must choose between two centre-backs to retain this summer

The summer transfer window will present great challenges to Barcelona as they are battling Financial Fair Play problems.

Heading into the summer, Barcelona find four of their current players are not registered with La Liga for next season with those players being Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Inigo Martinez, and Vitor Roque.

Of the four, Gavi and Balde’s registration will be the top priorities leaving the futures of Martinez and Roque uncertain.

Roque’s fate will be decided based on his pre-season performances, while Martinez’s situation could depend on multiple factors.

Flick needs to choose

Indeed, as per MARCA, the fate of Inigo Martinez next season will lie in the hands of new manager Hansi Flick, who will need to choose between the veteran defender and returning loanee Eric Garcia.

When Xavi was in charge, the Spaniard’s continuity was taken for granted, but with the new manager at the helm, there are no more guarantees.

Meanwhile, Eric Garcia is returning from a successful loan spell at Girona and has made a strong case to be included in the squad for next season.

Having both players on the books would be excessive considering the number of centre-backs already at the club.

As such, Flick will now assess their performances in pre-season before taking a call on who he retains.

Barcelona could owe Martinez compensation

Martinez signed for Barcelona last summer, penning a two-year contract, but was registered for only one season. As such, the former Athletic Club defender is not registered for the next season.

And if Barcelona fail to get his registration successfully completed, the report suggests that the club might owe some compensation to the player.

‘I’LL BE READY’ – BARCELONA STAR’S FIRST WORDS TO NEW BOSS HANSI FLICK

The details of an exchange between newly-appointed Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick and defender Alejandro Balde have today been revealed.

Barcelona can sign Man City superstar on favourable terms thanks to ‘special clause’

For a long time now, Bernardo Silva of Manchester City has been a dream target for FC Barcelona.

Last summer, the possibility of a transfer was looked into, but the financial situation meant that nothing materialised and the Portuguese ace ended up signing a new contract with Man City.

As part of the new deal, Silva convinced the Premier League champions to insert a relatively affordable release clause worth £50 million (€58 million).

And, for a while now, it has been suggested that Barça are eager to go after Silva this summer and could sanction some sales to generate funds to match his release clause.

But the departure of Xavi Hernandez and subsequent appointment of Hansi Flick as new manager led to the belief that Barcelona might call off their pursuit of the 29-year-old.

Special clause makes it easy for Barcelona

However, now, TV3 has come forward with a fresh report stating that there is a ‘special clause’ in Silva’s new contract with Manchester City which would make it easy for Barcelona to sign him.

Indeed, as mentioned previously, the Portuguese international has a release clause worth £50 million (~€58 million).

But as part of a special clause in Silva’s Manchester City contract, Barcelona would be allowed to make the payments to the Premier League giants in three equal instalments of around €19 million.

If it is indeed true, the signing of Silva could become quite feasible for the Blaugrana.

The decision is therefore in the hands of the new coach and the sporting director. It remains to be seen whether Flick wants to go for the Portuguese playmaker and whether he also fits in with Deco’s plans.

Two Barcelona stars could be called up for double international duty this summer

Xavi may no longer be the coach of Barcelona, but it is safe to say that he has left a legacy that will be remembered for decades to come.

The latest call-up of the Spanish National Team for the Euros confirms the same.

Apart from Pedri and Ferran Torres, who have been mainstays for La Roja for a while now, Luis de La Fuente called up three players who Xavi gave debuts at the highest level – Fermin Lopez, Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal.

The final list is yet to be published, but one assumes all three players will make the cut and travel to Germany with the squad. In fact, the likes of Yamal and Cubarsi could even start on the biggest stage.

The Olympic plan

While the European Championships kick off in June, Spain face a dilemma over their selection for the Olympic games which start ten days after the Euro finale.

As revealed by SPORT, the RFEF count on two Barcelona youngsters to make the squad for both tournaments – Cubarsi and Lopez.

Unlike Yamal who will be a bonafide starter in the European Championships, the duo are not expected to have as much prominence in Germany and could thus serve as the protagonists for the tournament in Paris.

Needless to say, a lot will depend on how many minutes they play in the tournament next month.

Yamal, meanwhile, could be rested for the Olympics if he indeed starts regularly in the preceding tournament. At 16 years of age, managing his minutes is of paramount importance.

A change in format

The same report furthers that the upcoming quadrennial event in France is expected to feature a change in rules when compared to previous iterations.

Until the last Olympics, teams were only allowed to keep 18 players in the loop with four replacements allowed to enter the dynamics only if there was a serious injury.

This year, however, teams are likely to be able to call up 22 players. Of them, 18 can be picked at random for any game while the remaining four cannot be used as substitutes for the game in question.

If indeed Cubarsi and Lopez are to play in the Olympics, they will miss the beginning of next season for the club. Their fitness, needless to say, will be Barcelona’s primary concern.

Arsenal eye Thomas Partey replacement as Edu contact already made in four-way transfer battle

Arsenal have identified another potential Thomas Partey replacement with the midfielder expected to depart this summer. Despite a promising end to the 2023/24 season, Partey remains likely to leave the Gunners over the next few months with injury problems plaguing his last few campaigns.

With Mikel Arteta’s side fighting for the Premier League title, Partey started six of the last nine games which perfectly showed his importance. “We need him because he’s a top player, a very important player for us and you can see on the pitch as well what kind of impact he can have for us,” Arteta said in a press conference.

“He’s our player, he’s got one more year’s contract and I’m really happy with him.” Despite that admission and the 30-year-old’s desire to stay, selling Partey is probably the best outcome for both parties with a move to Saudi Arabia likely.

Considering Arsenal’s internal exit stance on Partey being known for some time, the Gunners have already targeted several potential midfield replacements. Martin Zubimendi, Bruno Guimaraes, Joshua Kimmich and Amadou Onana have all been linked with a stunning new update on the latter’s future at Everton made clear recently.

While those four names have been of interest to Arsenal for some time, links to AS Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana have gathered pace with the 25-year-old expected to leave France this summer. “He [Fofana] is probably one of the players that we are open to selling. We will see the opportunities that he has,” club CEO Thiago Scuro revealed last month via Get French Football News.

Following his superb season at Monaco, interest is strong in acquiring his services with Arsenal joined by AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in having already made contact with the players’ representatives, according to a report from L’Équipe.

Fofana is said to be valued at just €30million (£26m) because his contract expires next summer but that price could increase if several clubs enter a bidding war. The France international has already offered an update on his future but he was coy on confirming his final decision with the expectation his future will be resolved after the European championships.

“We haven’t yet spoken about it with the sporting director,” he told Get French Football News in April. “He will allow me to finish the season so that there aren’t too many things in my head and if I then go to the Euros with the France national team, we will speak about it upon my return. We haven’t dwelt on it.”

EXCLUSIVE: Benjamin Sesko says yes to Arsenal transfer as Gunners line up £45m deal

Arsenal now appear to be in pole position for the £45m-rated forward as the Slovenia international prefers moving to the Emirates after finding himself at the centre of a transfer battle

Benjamin Sesko favours a move to Arsenal this summer.

‌RB Leipzig striker Sesko is being courted by a host of clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United while there is strong interest from Italy. But Arsenal now appear to be in pole position for the £45m-rated forward as the Slovenia international prefers moving to the Emirates after finding himself at the centre of a transfer battle.

‌That is a huge boost for the Gunners with Mikel Arteta eyeing a young striker who can develop and work in tandem with Kai Havertz who was a revelation for Arsenal last season. His agent Elvis Basanovic has been to Arsenal matches this season and Sesko – who turns 21 on Friday – would fit the bill.

RB Leipzig are prepared to sell this summer if they can broker the right deal even though he has only been with them for the past year but has been within the same “family” of clubs, having joined Red Bull Salzburg in 2019.

‌Sesko is in the Slovenia squad for the Euros and they will face England in the Group stages at the tournament in Germany this summer. He is 6ft 5in, has a good goal record and is not the only name on Arsenal’s shortlist but they have been tracking and scouting him all season.

‌Sesko could cost Arsenal around £45m

They have also looked at Ajax star Brian Bobbey while Brighton ’s Evan Ferguson has been linked but both Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak are no long on the radar.

‌Arsenal are unlikely to make a superstar signing this summer but are in the market for an up-and-coming No9 and a winger while they may move for a midfielder if Thomas Partey ends up departing.‌

They will have cash to spend but Arsenal are expecting departures with Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe potential exits while Bayern Munich are watching developments on Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Arsenal ready to pay high commission fee to sign Zirkzee

According to Corriere dello Sport (via SportWitness), Arsenal are prepared to pay a high commission fee to sign Bologna centre-forward Joshua Zirkzee this summer.

The London heavyweights have been fancied to land a new centre-forward and they have been linked with plenty of names. Zirkzee is one of those and Corriere dello Sport claim that Arsenal have the upper hand in the pursuit.

AC Milan are also interested in the former Bayern man, but they could find it difficult to recruit him due to the hefty commission required for agent Kia Joorabchian to secure an agreement.

Zirkzee has a release clause of £34 million in his current deal at the Serie A outfit. Joorabchian plans to demand £9m-£13m which Arsenal would have no problem in paying to sign the striker.

Talented striker

The Dutchman had a good 2023/24 campaign with 12 goals and 7 assists to his name. He was a key catalyst behind Bologna’s fantastic league season which saw them qualify for the Champions League.

Bologna would ideally prefer to keep him for another year or so, but they could be helpless, considering there are several European clubs including Juventus, who are interested in triggering his release clause.

Arsenal could have the advantage over the Serie A giants due to their better financial power. The Gunners could be willing to pay a higher agent fee to put themselves in pole position to sign the 22-year-old.

Zirkzee has similar traits as Kai Havertz in the final 3rd. He has an aerial presence and can hold-up play effectively. The young striker also possesses good positional sense and can dribble past opponents with pace.

As per Understat, Zirkzee scored 12 league goals last season with an xG of 9.11. With better creative players around him at Arsenal, he could develop into a potent goalscorer for the London club in the long run.

If Arsenal were to sign him, there could be at least 1 departure from the frontline. Eddie Nketiah could be the player to make way, having barely got off the bench during the 2nd half of the 2023/24 season.