Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Houssem Aouar, Thomas Partey, Boubakary Soumare – plus Premier League latest
The Gunners appear to be making progress to boost Mikel Arteta’s squad before the deadline on Monday
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal have just three days to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s squad after defeating Liverpool again on the pitch to prove the progress taking place under the Spaniard. The summer transfer window shuts on 5 October, with the penalty shoot-out win further boosting morale at the club, but now the Gunners must strengthen after the champions exposed their limitations in the first of the two recent meetings between the sides.
Midfield is still seen as the key area to strengthen and the lengthy pursuits of Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey and Lyon’s Houssem Aouar are ongoing. Sales are needed to fund those moves however, and Lucas Torreira is seemingly on the verge of joining Atletico, while Matteo Guendouzi and Mesut Ozil are seen as expendable but lack suitors. A cheaper alternative midfield target for Arsenal is Boubakary Soumare, with Lille ready to sell imminently.
Elsewhere, Sead Kolasinac could be heading to Borussia Dortmund, while Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe could earn loan moves to further develop with increased game time not available at the Emirates. Premier League clubs are thought to be keen on the youngsters. And in defence, Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis and Calum Chambers also appear to be available as the Gunners look to cut their squad down. Follow all the latest transfer news, rumours and done deals:
ARSENAL RECEIVE AOUAR BOOST
Arsenal’s chances of signing Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has increased, after the French side signed Brazilian Lucas Paqueta from Milan.
Arsenal have been in talks with the Ligue 1 side for weeks over a deal for the 22-year-old, a first bid was rejected but it’s thought that The Gunners will return with an improved offer.
Their chances of getting a deal over the line improved when Lyon announced the signing of Paqueta from Milan for a fee in the region of €20m yesterday.
Paqueta had been surplus to requirements in Italy after falling down the pecking order at San Siro.
Paqueta was signed by Milan for €35m from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2019.
ARSENAL INTERESTED IN ROMA MIDFIELDER
Arsenal and Spurs are said to have declared interest in signing Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara, states The Sun.
Diawara only signed for Roma a year ago from Napoli, but is said to be unhappy at his exclusion from the starting XI for last week’s game against Juventus.
The Sun state that Diawara’s agent, Daniele Piraino, was ‘angry’ at seeing his client dropped to the subs bench, and that Diawara himself is now considering his future away from the club.
ATLETICO SET TO RAISE TORREIRA OFFER
Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are set to raise their offer for Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira, according to the Daily Mail.
Torreira has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates in recent times and has reportedly struggled to acclimatise to England.
The player had been linked with a move back to Italy with Torino, but the clubs couldn’t agree on a deal.
Atletico have since stepped forward and, according to the Mail, have already had one offer rejected by Arsenal.
The Mail states that the La Liga giants will return with an improved bid to take Torreira to Spain.
Arsenal would then use the money from the sale of Torreira to make an improved bid for Lyon’s Houssem Aouar.
AOUAR WANTS ARSENAL MOVE
Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar would like a move to Arsenal, states The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
Both clubs have been locked in talks for weeks regarding a move, and a first Arsenal bid was rejected last week by the French side.
Speaking on his podcast, Ornstein gave an update on the Aouar situation:
I understand [Aouar] would like to come to Arsenal and that negotiations have been very cordial between the two Brazilians, Arsenal’s technical director Edu and Lyon’s sporting director Juninho.
There have been a lot of public comments from Jean-Michel Aulas, the Lyon president, but I don’t think that has disrupted things behind the scenes.
It’s whether Lyon, who are in a pretty sticky financial situation and I’m told that they need to sell, accept what Arsenal are able to propose.
I don’t know exactly what Arsenal’s financial situation is going into this final week and whether it’s contingent on freeing up space in the squad and also finances, but that’s going to be a really interesting one.
NO SUITABLE OFFERS FOR OZIL OR GUENDOUZI
Arsenal are trying to move midfielder Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi on from the club, but are yet to receive any suitable offers, state Sky Sports.
Ozil is in the final year of his contract extension, signed in January 2018, and earns in the region of £350,000-a-week at the Emirates.
Guendouzi meanwhile has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal, and with the club looking to sign Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey, is surplus to requirements.
Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth gave an update on the duo:
"You get the impression that Arsenal’s chances depend on how many sales they make and how much money they can raise,” said Sheth.
“As far as Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi are concerned though, no suitable offers have come in for either player thus far, but we are expecting quite a frantic end to things at the Emirates.”
WRIGHT BACKS AOUAR MOVE
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has backed the Gunners plans to make a move for Houssem Aouar as he feels the 22-year-old would fill a missing role in Arsenal’s midfield.
Wright believes the Gunners lack creativity in the middle of the pitch and as such they are not maximising the potential of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
He says that it is imperative that Arsenal sign Aouar as he could plug that gap but if the Lyon midfielder doesn’t sign then Dani Ceballos may be the answer.
Wright told Premier League Productions:
"Like I say the creativity from the midfield is a problem at the moment, the sooner they can sort that out the better,
"I think Dani Ceballos can play a bit further up and push on, especially if we’re going to player a counter-attacking style,
"You cannot play a game and not get a guy as potent as Aubameyang in the game and get him some chances,
"Mikel [Arteta] has to do something to get him into it. Unfortunately with Xhaka and Elneny – yes they can take the ball from the centre halves – but they can’t progress it into the forward areas. That’s what Mikel has got to worry about,
"[They need] Someone who they can pass the ball to, who is comfortable to receive it with someone on his back, who can pop it off, who can turn it round the corner.
"From there Arsenal can play but we can’t do that at the moment. That’s why it’s imperative we get [Houssem] Aouar from Lyon.
“He’s someone that can get on the ball and get the forwards going. you saw the chances that [Dani] Ceballos made when he came on. that’s what Arsenal need.”
ARSENAL HAVE AOUAR COMPETITION
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas states that Arsenal have competition for midfielder Houssem Aouar,
Arsenal have seen a first bid for Aouar rejected, believed to be in the region of £32m. However it’s believed that the north London side will return with an improved offer.
Juventus and Manchester City were linked with a move for the 22-year-old in the past, and they could be the clubs Aulas is referring to.
Aulas said: “We know that three big clubs are interested in him. Two in the short-term, one in the long-term. Not much has happened.
“All the clubs can't give us financially what Lyon wants. We could see ourselves lose two players (Aouar and Barcelona target Memphis Depay).”
UNITED DENY MAITLAND-NILES RUMOURS
Manchester United have dismissed reports they are in for Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
German reports suggested a deal was close to being agreed, with “80 per cent of the deal and paperwork complete”.
But the MEN revealed United have denied any interest in the former Wolves target, who would cost in excess of £20m.
GUENDOUZI TO MARSEILLE
Matteo Guendouzi could join Marseille on loan.
The Arsenal star has fallen out with Mikel Arteta and Telefoot report a return to Ligue 1 is on the cards.
The Gunners want a permanent deal, but OM only want a loan - talks are underway.
NO SWAP DEALS FOR GUENDOUZI
Arsenal have been trying to raise funds so that they can bring in one of their key targets in Thomas Partey or Houssem Aouar.
The Gunners saw an offer of £32 million rejected by Lyon for Aouar but now they intend to up their offer.
To do so they’ve been trying to offload some of their deadwood players with moves rumoured for Sead Kolasinac and Lucas Torreira.
But one player they’ve had trouble selling has been Matteo Guendouzi. Italian journalist, Fabrizio Romano, told Arsenal TV why the club are finding it hard to sell the player. He said:
"We will have to say what will happen with Guendouzi,
"They offered him to Italian clubs, also to Atletico Madrid, also to Paris Saint-Germain, they all said 'no'.
"It's the same for Inter Milan and Tottenham for Tanguy Ndombele and Milan Skriniar.
"Inter say he is €60m and Tottenham say for me he is €30million but it's a big problem if you want to do a swap deal.
"The same is happening for Guendouzi. They have made an important valuation on the player of around €40million.
"To go to Paris Saint-Germain, to Atletico Madrid to Juventus offering the player.
"They were looking for a swap deal but couldn't find any agreement, which I think is normal.
"In this summer, I don't think anyone will pay €40m for Guendouzi."
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