Barca eye Alex
With Arsenal missing out on direct qualification to next season’s Champions League, after failing to finish in the Premier League top four, the Gunners are in danger of having their squad cherry-picked should they not win the Europa League this month.
Barcelona, for example, “have set their sights on a shock £70m summer move” for Alexandre Lacazette, reports the Daily Express.
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Apparently the Spanish champions scouted the French striker during last Thursday’s 3-1 win over Valencia in the Europa League semi-final first leg, and he’s seen as the man to replace the ageing Luis Suarez.
If true, such an offer would place Gunners boss Unai Emery in a quandary. While Emery values Lacazette, who has scored 35 times in 85 appearances for Arsenal since moving from Lyon in July 2017, the club is seriously short of transfer funds.
According to the Express, Lacazette is an associate of Barca’s technical secretary Eric Abidal but “no formal talks have been opened yet”.
Welbeck on his way out
Danny Welbeck will not be offered a new contract by Arsenal, reports Sky Sports, and the injury-prone 28-year-old frontman will be allowed to leave on a free transfer this summer.
Since arriving at the Emirates on a five-year deal from Manchester United in 2014, Welbeck has managed only 16 goals in 88 league appearances.
Sidelined since November with an ankle injury picked up against Sporting Lisbon, Welbeck has lost the faith of Emery, who said: “I spoke with the club and this situation, and the decision is he is going to leave.”
Tracking Tielemans
The Daily Mirror says that Arsenal are one of a number of Premier League clubs keeping a close eye on Leicester City loan star Youri Tielemans.
The Belgium midfielder has impressed since arriving in January from Monaco and the Mirror says that the Foxes are considering making the move permanent in a £40m deal but they “face competition for his signature”.
Tielemans, 21, has caught the eye of Arsenal chief Emery but Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers is ready to fight for the young playmaker’s hand, saying: “I’m sure the club will do everything they possibly can to bring him in.”
After Under
Italian outlet Calciomercato reports that Roma could be forced to offload some of their squad in the summer to make ends meet, and one of the players expected to be dumped is Cengiz Under.
Having failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, Roma are facing a period of financial strife and the club’s American owners will have to trim the wage bill.
The Gunners were first linked to Turkish winger Under in January and it’s expected that they will make a play for him next month.
Premier League final fixtures
Sunday 12 May (3pm)
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Manchester City
- Burnley vs. Arsenal
- Crystal Palace vs. AFC Bournemouth
- Fulham vs. Newcastle United
- Leicester City vs. Chelsea
- Liverpool vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Manchester United vs. Cardiff City
- Southampton vs. Huddersfield Town
- Tottenham Hotspur vs. Everton
- Watford vs. West Ham United