Gunners exodus?
Arsenal’s failure to secure Champions League football next season may have dire consequences for the club, judging by latest reports.
According to the London Evening Standard, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are “keeping tabs” on Alexandre Lacazette, with the French forward known to be bitterly disappointed at the prospect of more Europa League football.
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The newspaper says that the Gunners are due to hold talks with Lacazette and his representatives, but much could depend on the plans of Atletico forward Antoine Griezmann.
Frenchman Griezmann has been linked with Barcelona and if he does leave then Atletico will look to Lacazette as his replacement. Barcelona, on the other hand, will turn to the Arsenal star if Griezmann stays loyal to Atletico.
Auba’s Insta fears
Arsenal fans are “fearing the worst”, Metro reports, after striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang removed both a picture showing him in his Arsenal shirt and his biography from his Instagram account.
The 29-year-old forward was this week linked with two Chinese Super League clubs, Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG, and is expected to be offered a £300,000-a-week salary.
Many Gooners are panicked by Aubameyang’s Instagram profile changes, though others hope it’s something to do with Arsenal’s 2019-20 Adidas kit launch.
Emery to wield axe to defenders
Arsenal head coach Unai Emery may dump four players this summer as part of a “major rebuild” of his squad, says talkSPORT.
Stephan Lichtsteiner’s forgettable spell at the Emirates has already run its course, and the news site claims that fellow defenders Shkodran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal “could follow the Switzerland international out the door”.
The accident- and injury-prone trio are now regarded as surplus to requirements by Emery, who wants to make what cash he can from them to top up his paltry £40m war chest.
Umtiti pursuit
As for who Emery wants to shore up his back four, the Daily Star says that while his preference remains Barcelona “misfit” Samuel Umtiti, he is also running the rule over RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano.
Umtiti, who is under contract with the Catalan club until 2023, has reportedly asked Barca “not to listen to offers for him because he wants to stay at the Nou Camp”.
That may have prompted Emery’s decision to sent his scouts to watch the 20-year-old Upamecano in action for France’s Under-21s against Belgium on Monday.
The Star claims that Upamecano has been offered a new deal by Leipzig “but is yet to sign it and could be tempted by the lure of the Premier League”.
Meunier talks
Another defender linked to the Gunners is Paris Saint-Germain’s Thomas Meunier, who admits he has held talks with a dozen clubs since January.
Speculation has grown in recent weeks that the 27-year-old will quit the French champions, with Arsenal and Manchester United both chasing the experienced blocker.
Metro says that Arsenal boss Emery is “particularly keen to sign the Belgian”, having worked with him at PSG. The right-back could leave PSG next summer on a free transfer, so it’s in their interest to find a buyer in the coming weeks.
“It’s something that could suit me,” Meunier told Le Parisien newspaper, when asked if he fancied a new challenge. “There have been phone calls since January with interested clubs. There are a dozen clubs, all of which are in the top five of their leagues.”
Emery eyes Samp duo
After signing Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria last summer, Arsenal may return to the Italian club to make a double swoop.
The Sun reports that the Gunners are “ready to blow the majority of their summer transfer budget” on Belgian midfielder Dennis Praet and Danish defender Joachim Andersen.
Arsenal only have around £40m to spend in the transfer window, and bringing in Praet and Andersen could cost them £37m.
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