Arsenal hoping to complete double transfer before Chelsea

Arsenal need to sign players. It’s incredibly tedious reading every social media post by the club bombarded with unrelated demands to bring in some new faces, but you do sympathise with people.

Supporters are already resigned to kicking off the Premier League season with zero points from three matches, and watching on at a miserably weak bench in the 2-0 defeat at Brentford didn’t help to alleviate any concerns.

The squad needs help. Arteta needs help. Arsenal need help.

Can that come in the form of signings? It’s clear as day that new additions are required and even if that won’t suddenly rescue Arsenal from this slump, it will ensure the manager can have more at his disposal to try and solve the issues.

Arsenal hoping to complete double transfer before Chelsea fixture with Mikel Arteta under serious pressure to pick up Premier League points

Harbouring dreams of Andre Onana, James Maddison, Manuel Locatelli and Lautaro Martinez at stages of the window, what has transpired has been mostly underwhelming.

That should pick up with what looks set to the inevitable arrival of Martin Odegaard on a permanent deal from Real Madrid this summer. Well documented already, the Mail report that this is a deal Arsenal are looking to get wrapped up in the coming week. If successful, he may come in before the Chelsea clash.

Talk of Odegaard picked up pace ahead of the opening day defeat, with the Norwegian being left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad to face Alaves in their La Liga opener. The decision not only clarifies the club’s stance, but also weakens their position to drive a hard bargain, you’d imagine.

In regards to the fee, various reports have the figure ranging from €40-€50m, with some suggestions that Arsenal could start out at €30m and work their way up. Having a player on the books who doesn’t fit into your plans, wants to leave and has two years left on his deal means there is definite room for negotiation.

Equally, Arsenal can’t dally around, which as per the Mirror (relayed by Arsenic) they are set to do. It’s reported that Odegaard’s agents will fly into London on Sunday to thrash out an agreement, with the deal hoped to be wrapped up by Friday.

Additionally, it won’t be a permanent signing, and instead another loan in which the Gunners will pay the 22-year-old’s full salary before being given first refusal on him in the coming summer. That fee is then said to be in the region of £30m. However, given it is a first refusal, the figure can certainly change.

However and whenever this happens, it certainly looks like happening. But who else will be joining?

Continued…

Arsenal Still Want Aaron Ramsdale Signing This Summer

This part of the report is…interesting.

As well as Odegaard it’s added that Arsenal are still hopeful of bringing in Aaron Ramsdale this summer, despite talks breaking down over a large gap in valuation.

Appearing to close in on the Sheffield United goalkeeper, a face-to-face meeting failed to strike an agreement and the Gunners instead moved on to other targets. The only deal breaker would be if the Blades significantly lowered their asking price.

There is little indication that they will do so, therefore this claim needs a healthy amount of scepticism attached to it.

However, in the aforementioned Mirror report, it’s stated that Ramsdale is so crestfallen over what would have been a ‘dream’ move for him that he is considering handing in a transfer request in order to force his way to the capital.

That’s all well and good, but asking to leave is unlikely to suddenly convince Sheffield United to accept £8-£10m less for him than they were. While the club may not want to keep on to an unwanted player, it’s a lot of money to make up.

Other than that, the only way this situation changes is if Arsenal suddenly become so desperate that they return to Bramall Lane and cough up the dough the Blades are after. They wouldn’t do that, surely?

Watching Bernd Leno’s kicking no Friday, maybe they will.