They've got their finger on the trigger and according to the Daily Mail it's French striker Loic Remy who is in Arsenal's sights. The Gunners are said to be confident that they'll sign the Queens Park Rangers frontman as soon as they "trigger the £8 million clause" in Remy's contract.
Currently at the World Cup with Les Bleus as they prepare for their quarter-final clash with Germany, Remy was loaned to Newcastle last season, scoring 14 goals in 24 games, and the Mail says Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger intends to snap up Remy as well as one other striker in the summer – either AC Milan hitman Mario Balotelli or Real Madrid hotshot's Morata.
Meanwhile Gazzetta dello Sport says Manchester United have tabled a £32m bid for Fiorentina and Colombia midfielder Juan Cuadrado. Taking its cue from the Italian rag, Talksport claims that United are determined to land the man "wanted by Arsenal".
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In recent weeks the Gunners have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old Cuadrado – though to be fair they've been linked with most players in that time – but Talksport says that the Red Devils' new boss, Louis van Gaal, has "sanctioned a mega-money move" for the versatile playmaker who tomorrow will be hoping to inspire his country to victory over Brazil in their World Cup quarter-final clash.
The news will be a blow for Arsenal who were impressed by Cuadrado's ability to play across all the outfield positions, though his preferred role is in the midfield.
Meanwhile, according to the Daily Express Mikel Arteta will remain loyal to Arsenal despite interest from Athletic Bilbao. The Spanish outfit have been sniffing around the 32-year-old veteran midfielder in recent weeks, viewing Arteta as the man to replace Ander Herrera, recently unveiled as a Manchester United player.
Arteta has one year left on his current deal and with Arsene Wenger likely to baulk at offering a long-term deal to a 30-something next summer speculation has been mounting that the Spaniard will leave for Bilbao. But agent Inaki Ibanez has moved to scotch those rumours, telling Spanish paper El Mundo Deportivo: "This is totally false. Mikel has no interest in leaving Arsenal."
Elsewhere Liverpool are reconsidering their options on Fabio Borini now that Luis Suarez is almost certain to leave Anfield this summer for Barcelona. The 23-year-old Borini had been set to join Sunderland a month ago, but that was before Suarez took a bite out of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. As a result the striker looks set to remain on Merseyside in the hope that more first team opportunities will come his way with Suarez no longer around.
Speaking to Italian website Calcionews24, Borini's agent, Marco De Marchi declared: "I would not be surprised if there were other clubs who want him, because I consider him a complete striker. But for the moment, all I can say with certainty is that Fabio has returned to Liverpool to stay."
Finally Goal.com report that QPR have announced their presence in the Premier League by "looking to steal a march on their rivals" with an audacious bid for Jamaal Lascelles. Apparently Manchester City and Liverpool had been expecting to slug it out for the services of the highly rated Nottingham Forest defender, but that was before newly promoted Rangers came knocking. The 20-year-old has tickled the fancy of Harry Redknapp and the wily old guv'nor is said to be ready to make Forest an irresistible offer for the England Under-21 international.
