Arsenal to complete 5 out of 7 transfers with £58m deals

Arsenal are getting there. A window full of fanbase panic, internal struggle and rumours galore, the August 31 deadline is closing in with Mikel Arteta edging nearer to the promised land of a squad he is more content with.

Bringing in three players thus far, the work completed has seen Arsenal bolster their worrying left-back department with the addition of Nuno Tavares to supplement Kieran Tierney. Not a signing to set the pulses racing, it was nonetheless a vital piece of business.

Ben White came into fill the gap left by David Luiz’s permanent departure and the temporary exit of William Saliba. His debut against Brentford was far from reflective of what the club hope his £50m acquisition will bring, but it’s early days.

In midfield Albert Sambi Lokonga wasn’t expected to be regular first team addition but having performed a huge u-turn on Granit Xhaka’s future, the club ended up replacing the Swiss with the Swiss and therefore the Belgian’s arrival can be framed as Dani Ceballos’ replacement, more than anything. He’s looked incredibly promising.

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Arsenal to complete 5 out of 7 key transfers with £58m outlay on deals for Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard this summer window

The last of those three deals was completed three weeks ago and the period since has been fraught with the danger of turning a toxic environment into a chemical wasteland with the opening day Premier League defeat adding to the struggles of shifting unwanted deadwood.

But Arsenal are getting there.

Having seemingly pulled the plug on a deal to sign Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United, the selling club softened their already expensive stance with a valuation that, while cheaper, remains, y’know, expensive.

Back at the negotiation table with all sides confident of a deal being struck as per numerous sources, aided by the work of agents and Ramsdale’s desire to return to the top tier of English football, a transfer that could total £28m edges closer.

Having previously shown unwillingness to pay an upfront fee of more than £20m, some reports state that with add-ons included it could total the aforementioned number, while others have the figure slightly lower at £24m. If the add-ons include playing in the Champions League Arsenal can rest a sigh of relief.

Backup goalkeeper – this deal is with a view to replacing Bernd Leno at some stage – fell into the non-negotiable bracket this summer and while Ramsdale will (could) arrive as one of the most universally unwanted players by supporters, the club have secured their number one target at a fee they feel reflects his value.

The second one also appears somewhat imminent and it’s a bargain, truth be told.

Continued…

Arsenal to Sign Martin Odegaard for Bargain £30m

Martin Odegaard is coming back.

Did he ever leave? Such was the regular updates and overwhelming adoration from the club to take the Norwegian back it’s almost as if he just spent a few months in Spain working on his fitness.

Not even handed a number by Real Madrid let alone chosen for the squad to face Alaves on the opening day, Carlo Ancelotti’s feelings couldn’t have been clearer.

There was talk of a loan move for the 22-year-old but as per The Athletic it will be a permanent deal, one worth around £30m. Work is still to be done but there is a general acceptance, as has been reported, that this deal will be completed with a willingness on all sides to get this over the line quickly.

Considering Arsenal sold Joe Willock for around £25m, Odegaard has effectively replaced the academy graduate for £5m. Framed that way, any doubters of the Willock deal have to see this as superb business. Yes, how he fares remains to be seen, but that move looks increasingly suave from the club given Willock never hit the heights in red and white, had no concrete interest barring Newcastle and isn’t joining a rival.

While this deal isn’t signed off on yet, the feeling is that it will be before Arsenal host Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, the venue of Odegaard’s last competitive fixture. It was his first in front of the fans and one of his better displays for the club.

Captain of the Norway team, it’s easy to forget Odegaard is only 22 years old. He won over the coaching staff and his teammates during his six month loan in north London, demonstrating excellent work ethic and leadership the club have sorely lacked. All of which doesn’t mention his actual ability. That’s not bad, either.

With a huge ceiling, considering he arrived in mid-season, in a COVID-19 environment, carrying an injury, was in a poor side only just starting to improve and then picked up another injury, there is plenty more to come from him.

Time will tell. However, for just short of an additional £60m, Arsenal look like getting up to five of the seven transfers they sorely needed prior to the window beginning.

Another midfielder would be preferred, but as it stands they’re lacking a right-back and a striker, both of which are dependent on sales. Can they do it? They have less than two weeks and still need to get Ramsdale and Odegaard to dots the i’s and crosses the t’s.

It looks like they will. Now to the rest.