The summer silly season is in full swing but we’re still waiting for Arsenal to make their first big splash signing this summer. Arsenal are expected to finalize and announce the arrival of Brighton & Hove Albion central defender Ben White, on a £50m deal, after England has completed their Euro 2020 campaign.
They’ve also closed some minor deals in the meantime, signing Nuno Tavares, 21, from Benfica yesterday on the heels of providing a new contract to young, up-and-coming goallkeeper Arthur Okonkwo the day before. Let’s now take a look at what else is buzzing in the Arsenal transfer rumor mill.
Real Madrid attacking midfielder Isco, 29, could be seeing his time at the Bernabeu coming to an end. According to the Sunday Mirror, both north London clubs are keeping an eye on the situation. AC Milan are said to be interested as well. Reportedly, he could be had for as little as £6 million, given that he has just one year left on his deal and he’s unlikely to renew.
He may not fit in under new manager Carlo Ancelotti’s plans, but moving him could be complicated by the fact that he commands a very high salary. Arsenal, who don’t have European football next season as a selling point to offer transfer window targets, badly need to makeover the midfield.
They still need to replace Martin Odegaard, who went back to his parent club/Isco’s club, Real Madrid.
Sticking with midfielders, Arsenal have reportedly offered Leicester City star James Maddison, 24, a five-year deal, and the iconic number 10 shirt. The Gunners are also willing to double his current £100k per week salary, and this is all according to The AFC Bell.
Just Arsenal have more on the development over at this link. According to this transfer narrative, Maddison’s camp expects Arsenal to return with a new and potentially improved offer within the coming weeks, so this is all just in the nascent stages. Of course, this isn’t going to happen unless Arsenal sell off their fringe players.
Given the financial situation at the Emirates Stadium, they’re likely not going to splash the cash, in the manner they’d need to here, unless they can successfully offload some surplus players.
Finally, club legend Patrick Vieira, who is now the new Crystal Palace manager, wants to bring Eddie Nketiah to south London with him. That’s according to reports in The Sun on Sunday, which claim the England U21 forward can be had for £20 million. That’s all- bye for now.
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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