Inside a fortnight until summer transfer window deadline day and Arsenal FC still need to drastically strengthen their squad. Yes, they have made some decent moves in the transfer market this summer, but out of European competition for the first time in a quarter century, and embarrassed in the season opener, the north London club has a whole lot of roster improvement work left to do.
Let’s take a look at the latest buzz in the Arsenal transfer rumor mill, starting with a very familiar face, Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard.
According to ESPN, Arsenal are closing in on a deal worth around €40 million to take Odegaard from Real Madrid on a permanent basis, after he impressed in north London while on loan during the second half of last season.
There weren’t many bright spots last season but this midfield maestro was one of them. He returned to Madrid with the aim of trying to break into the team, but he is not a part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans this campaign.
While personal terms are yet to be agreed, this deal should be sealed soon. ESPN FC reports that “the key breakthrough was Madrid’s decision earlier this month to drop their asking price from €60m to €45m.”
Elsewhere, earlier this week we heard of FC Barcelona being interested in acquiring Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and that they were willing to send Phillippe Coutinho the other way.
Sounds like a fascinating swap deal involving a couple of overpriced and overrated forwards. According to the Mirror, Arsenal are making progress in pursuing the Brazilian, having hired Toni Lima, a former Manchester United and Inter Milan scout who first discovered the former Liverpool winger.
Coutinho, who was a top three most expensive player when he was sold to Barca from the Merseyside club, has mostly flopped at the Catalan club, but he’s had some nice moments while on loan with Bayern Munich.
That said, it’s hard to believe that this is actually going to happen, amid new reports that Barca will give Coutinho Lionel Messi’s old No. 10, which is obviously now vacant.
Yeah, I just don’t see that concept sitting well with Barcelona supporters.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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