Guendouzi goodbye to the Gunners?
Paris Saint-Germain have their heart set on Matteo Guendouzi, even though Arsenal are unlikely to settle for less than £60m for the midfielder, according to reports.
The 19-year-old has been one of Arsenal’s standout players this season, and his performances in the midfield have not gone unnoticed over in Europe.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The French champions are expected to lose Neymar to Real Madrid at the end of the season, and look set to spend some of the proceeds on Guendouzi.
The Daily Mirror reports that the Gunners, in turn, will use their earnings to sign highly rated Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt, who comes with a £70m price tag.
For Ever Banega
The possible loss of Guendouzi may also see Arsenal recommencing their pursuit of Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega in the summer, with Unai Emery said to be desperate to bring the 30-year-old to the Emirates.
Despite his advanced years, Banega has the complete confidence of the Gunners boss, after the pair worked together at both Sevilla and Valencia.
The Daily Mirror says that Banega is Emery’s “first choice to replace Aaron Ramsey” and that the Spaniard would have made his move in January but for a lack of funds in the club kitty.
Emery is expected to get the green light at last in June, with Banega likely to “cost around £17m as he has a buyout clause”, the newspaper adds.
Full-time talks
Meanwhile, the Daily Star says that Denis Suarez is set to be signed on “a full-time basis” at the end of the season.
Despite only making three appearances off the bench for the Gunners since arriving from Barcelona on loan last month, Suarez has impressed with his enthusiasm and is smitten with life in north London.
All that remains is to work out a deal with Barca, and the Spanish club are reportedly ready to offload Suarez for good in June.
Punt on Pope
Arsenal are planning a swoop for Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope in the summer, as the club looks to replace the retiring Petr Cech, says Football.London.
Pope is struggling for game time at Turf Moor, behind Tom Heaton and Joe Hart, and is expected to jump at the chance to head south to the Emirates.
Burnley is believed to want around £10m for England international Pope, who should be keen to challenge Gunners goal-stopper Bernd Leno for the No. 1 shirt.