Arsenal: 4 leading transfer targets this summer

4. Attacking Midfielder – James Maddison

Club: Leicester
Age: 24
Contract expiry: 2024
Asking price: £60m+

David Ornstein spoke on Sky Sports on Friday to discuss any potential move for James Maddison, offering an insight that won’t appeal to too many Arsenal fans (at least those who want him).

"“[Maddison] is not one that I can see developing, it would be a huge stretch of Arsenal’s finances and I’m not sure it’s realistic, especially with Emile Smith Rowe signing a new contract,” he said."

He added that this doesn’t mean Arsenal don’t have the money, but that Smith Rowe is now the priority and while another playmaker to compete/help him is on the agenda, it may not be a significant outlay like Maddison. In other words, an inefficient use of funds.

That doesn’t kill the deal, of course, and previous reports of Arsenal being nowhere near signing Thomas Partey or Nicolas Pepe were turned on their heads, so never say never.

Maddison is the only serious option as far as the public know, with other targets are either not being worked on at present or more likely being kept under wraps. Martin Odegaard is half-dead depending on how lavishly Arsenal want to spend and other moves haven’t stretched beyond more than minor talks.

In the words of Kanye West, this one could go right down to the wire, even through the fire.

Other targets: Houssem Aouar, Renato Sanches, Martin Odegaard