Arsenal transfer news: Lacazette in, Mahrez next?

Alexandre Lacazette signed for Arsenal on Tuesday evening, reports the Daily Mirror, in what the paper says is "a record-breaking £52m deal".

The 26-year-old French forward jetted into London from Lyon for his medical and, once completed, he signed a five-year contract that is expected to make him Arsenal’s top earner on £200,000 a week.

Lacazette was introduced to his new team-mates at the Arsenal training ground and the Mirror says he "may join their pre-season trip to Australia and China".

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The paper claims he won't be the last big name to arrive at the Emirates in the coming weeks, with Arsene Wenger "prepared to carry on spending".

The Arsenal manager is still tracking Thomas Lemar but Monaco have demanded a staggering £80m for their playmaker.

Wenger has yet to respond to the Monaco asking price but, according to the Mirror, he may decide that's too much and turn his attention to Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez, who is said to be "keen" to move to north London.

And Lacazette may be strutting his stuff at the Emirates next season with the support of another French frontman.

Sky Sports reports the gist of an interview Olivier Giroud gave to the Arsenal website in which the 30-year-old discusses talk of a possible summer exit.

Everton, West Ham and Marseille have all been linked with the Gallic goalscorer - with some reports on Merseyside claiming that the Toffees have agreed a £20m fee with Arsenal - but Giroud insists he doesn't want to leave north London.

"I want to carry on my good journey at Arsenal and I always want to give my best," he said. "I would love to win another title, or maybe more, until the end of my contract. The motivation is here, always doing your best to make your family proud."

And might Alexis Sanchez also be back for another term at the Emirates The Sun believes so, with the paper boldly claiming that the Chilean sorcerer "will be staying at Arsenal next season".

How come? It appears that both Bayern Munich and Manchester City have realised they haven't got the readies to meet Sanchez's exorbitant wage demands.

Bayern president Uli Hoeness has reportedly ruled out signing Sanchez, saying: "We are not going to pay... €25m [£22m] a year to get Sanchez."

City are also facing the prospect of a transfer ban because of alleged transfer impropriety and in any case Arsenal are said to be unwilling to sell one of their crown jewels to a Premier League rival.

Arsenal transfer news: Wenger eyes Carvalho and Martins

04 July

Arsenal are planning a double swoop on Sporting Lisbon for William Carvalho and Gelson Martins, reports The Sun.

With Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette expected to sign any day now in a £44m deal, it appears that Arsene Wenger has no plans to ease up on his spending spree. The Sun says

the Sporting pair will likely cost the Gunners gaffer £70m.

Taking Portuguese outlet A Bola as its source, the tabloid claims that Wenger "wants to beef up his midfield options" after growing tired of Arsenal’s fragility in that area in recent seasons.

Carvalho, 25, is a no-nonsense midfielder who has been linked to Manchester United in the past but apparently Wenger is confident he will land the Portugal international, and the same goes for Gelson Martins.

The 22-year-old scored seven times in 43 games last season and The Sun says it's the youngster's ability to operate as a winger or full-back that has caught the eye of the Arsenal manager.

Wenger has also had his eye on Thomas Lemar recently, but Talksport says that Monaco don't intend to play ball as far as a possible move is concerned.

The broadcaster claims the French champions intend to knock back approaches from both Arsenal and Manchester City, the latter being interested in signing full-back Benjamin Mendy.

Having already lost Bernardo Silva to City this summer, and with Tiemoue Bakayoko close to joining Chelsea for £35m, Monaco have decided enough is enough and Talksport says "they are putting their foot down when it comes to Lemar and Mendy".

Arsenal had hoped to lure winger Lemar to the Emirates but that won't happen, with French sports daily L'Equipe claiming it's been told by a Monaco insider that they are "no longer willing to part with any more of their star players".

Finally, the Daily Star says that Wenger is set for "crisis talks with Hector Bellerin" over reports he is being courted by Barcelona.

The Spanish giants have long been linked with the Arsenal defender (who came through the Barca youth set-up) and the Star says Wenger has had enough of the speculation.

When the two meet this week, it's expected that Wenger will tell Bellerin that he can forget about a move to Barcelona and he must honour his Emirates contract.

Arsenal transfer news – Lacazette is on his way

3 July

A done deal – that's the consensus among the British and French media as far as the Gunners and Alexandre Lacazette goes.

It was French TV station Telefoot who broke the news, which was quickly picked up by the likes of the Daily Star, who report that after "a week of intensive negotiations" with Lyon, a fee has been agreed and Lacazette is “set to put pen to paper on a five-year contract".

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has apparently been driving the deal forward and the Star says that the north London club will hand over £46m in return for the Gallic goal-machine.

French sports daily L'Equipe confirms the story and says that Lyon have already found Lacazette's replacement in Real Madrid marksman Mariano Diaz.

The Daily Mirror quotes the figure of £44m as the fee Arsenal will have to pay to secure Lacazette – that will still surpass the £42.5m club record fee they paid four years ago for Mesut Ozil – and the paper quotes Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, saying that the deal will be completed in "one or two days", with reports that the French forward flew to London on Sunday to have a medical.

Meanwhile, The Sun reports that Everton are lining up a "shock £20m raid" for Olivier Giroud and the Toffees are confident that they can beat West Ham and Marseille and sign the French striker.

Everton boss Ronald Koeman has resigned himself to losing Romelu Lukaku this summer (with latest reports claiming Manchester United are ready to rival Chelsea for the Everton frontman), and the Dutchman believes Giroud has the skill set to do a job at Goodison Park.

Giroud has been linked with a move away from the Emirates for a while now, since losing his place in the starting line-up, and the Sun says Koeman "believes he can persuade him that his plans to make Everton a Champions League club offer him his best new career move".

The Gunners are unlikely to stand in his way given that they are so close to signing Lacazette.

Arsenal transfer news: Wenger turns attention to 'unsettled' Robert Lewandowski

30 June

They've failed to land Alexandre Lacazette, been floored in their attempt to land Kylian Mbappe but might it be third time lucky for the Gunners in the summer transfer market? According to Metro Arsenal are considering a "swoop for Robert Lewandowski" amid reports in Germany that he wants out of Bayern Munich.

Chelsea and Manchester United have already been linked to the Poland international in recent weeks, as were Real Madrid when it was rumoured that Cristiano Ronaldo might be leaving. He's not and with Chelsea closing in on Romelu Lukaku and United chasing Alvaro Morata, the options are running out for the 28-year-old Lewandowski.

But German newspaper Sports Bild claims that the striker has become "a surprise target for an increasingly ambitious Arsene Wenger". The Gunners boss knows he needs to beef up his squad and with the London Evening Standard reporting that Lyon have rejected a £44m bid for Lacazette, it now appears he wants the Bayern marksman.

The former Borussia Dortmund man scored 43 goals in 47 games in all competitions last season but if Wenger does want to sign him it's likely to cost the Frenchman in the region of £50m.

Finally, the Daily Express claims that Hector Bellerin "will push Arsenal into sealing a deal with Barcelona next week". Rumours have been growing in recent weeks that the Spanish defender wanted to return to his homeland, and the club where he learned his trade as a teenager, and according to the Express there has already been "an initial enquiry from Barcelona", which the Gunners rebuffed. But Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo claims Bellerin is now set to intervene with the right-back ready to confront Arsenal officials and "pressure the club to let him go".

Arsenal transfer news: Wenger bids £35m for ‘top target’ Lemar

29 June

Having admitted defeat in his pursuit of Kylian Mbappe, Arsene Wenger has instead turned his attention to his Monaco team-mate Thomas Lemar, reports The Sun.

The paper claims that the midfielder, also comfortable down the flanks, is the Arsenal manager's "top transfer target" and he has tabled a £35m bid for Lemar, having had his initial offer of £30m rejected.

The 21-year-old was courted by Atletico Madrid last summer but The Sun says that Wenger has been tracking Lemar for more than two years. He first tried to sign him in 2015 when he was at Caen but lost out to Monaco, who paid just £4m for Lemar back then. His value has rocketed after he was instrumental in helping Monaco win the French title last season.

In confirming the bid for Lemar, the Daily Telegraph also claims that the Gunners have made an official approach for Lyon frontman Alexandre Lacazette, saying that the north London outfit have tabled an offer of £49m, which is expected to increase to £55m with add-ons.

But according to Sky Sports, Lyon have followed Monaco in kicking the bid into the long grass, although it's not known whether they are merely trying to get the Gunners to up their price.

The reason why Arsenal are desperate to sign Lacazette, says The Guardian, is that Manchester City are "increasingly confident" of landing Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean frontman is eager for a reunion with City boss Pep Guardiola, with whom he worked at Barcelona, plus there's also the little factor of money.

The Guardian says that the 28-year-old Sanchez has been offered around £250,000 a week by the Gunners "but could earn closer to £300,000 at City".

The confusion is causing headaches for Wenger, with the Frenchman "minded against allowing his finest player to leave". But if he doesn't sanction a sale now – and The Guardian says City are willing to pay £50m – then Sanchez will likely leave for nothing on a free transfer when his contract expires next June.

Arsenal transfer news: Riyad Mahrez agrees to £35m switch

27 June

This week could see the saga of Riyad Mahrez reach its conclusion with the Daily Star claiming the the Foxes flier is set to sign for Arsenal "after giving up on Barcelona".

At the start of the summer it had been rumoured that the Catalans were coming for the Algerian winger but they never quite made it to the King Power Stadium and consequently, claims the Star, Mahrez is ready to accept Arsenal's advances.

Apparently new Barca manager Ernesto Valverde wants Marco Verratti ahead of the Leicester wideman and so the four-year contract that has reportedly been offered by the Gunners will now be accepted.

Spanish rag Sport claims that Mahrez "has had enough of waiting" and has authorised his agent to set up the move to the Emirates. The Star says that Mahrez will cost around £35m with Leicester acknowledging that's it better to cash in on him while the going's good despite the fact he signed a lucrative new contract 12 months ago.

Still with Barcelona and according to the Daily Mirror Arsenal will have to do battle with the Spanish giants for the right to sign Pedro Neto.

The 17-year-old sensation is rated as one of the most exciting talents in Portugal having broken into the Braga first team last season. It's thought that Man United boss Jose Mourinho has had his eye on the frontman for a while but the Mirror claims it is Arsenal who moved first and tabled a £13.5m bid, which was rejected by Braga.

They're holding out for a club to trigger the full £17.5m release clause and that club could be Barcelona with Valverde of the opinion that the youngster is already ready for top-flight football. But Arsenal haven't given up on Neto and they're expected to come back with a bigger bid, which in true Gunners style is still likely to be too low.