ARSENAL have reportedly had an offer accepted for Gabriel Magalhaes with the player now set to choose between the Gunners and Napoli.
Meanwhile technical director Edu says the signing of Willian will signal the beginning of a big overhaul at the club.
Get all the latest news and transfer gossip from North London here…
PARL OF WISDOM
Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has called on his former club to sign out-of-favour Manchester City defender John Stones.
The 26-year-old has been linked with Chelsea in recent weeks but Parlour would like to see him turn out at the Emirates.
He said: “I think there will be a lot of clubs interested. Will he go? I'd love to see him at Arsenal.
“Whether they can get the money up front and have the money to buy him is another matter.”
GABRIEL BID ACCEPTED
Arsenal have had a bid accepted for Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, according to reports.
Le 10 Sport claim the Gunners and Napoli have both had offers of £27million plus bonuses accepted and are now waiting on adecision from the player.
Arsenal have already added French central defender William Saliba to their squad this summer but adding a left-footed centre-back, such as the Brazilian, is a priority for Mikel Arteta.
Napoli have led the race for Gabriel for some time though, and the Gunners will have a fight on their hands to convince the 22-year-old his next destination should be north London.
GOOD MORNING GUNNERS FANS
Thomas Partey has been told to snub Arsenal and stay at Atletico Madrid because “they always have Champions League football”.
The stark warning came from his Ghana national team boss CK Akonnor who wants the midfielder to stay pout this summer.
Reported by CitiSports, Akonnor said: “Honestly, I wouldn’t want him to move to Arsenal because with Atletico, he will always play Champions League football.
“His position is guaranteed and he will always play.
“With Arsenal, I’m not too sure. Arsenal fans will kill me [for saying he should not join the Gunners].
Meanwhile, Arsenal chief Edu has hailed the arrival of Willian on a free transfer from Chelsea.
He said: “To balance the squad properly, we need to sell players, to buy players and that takes time, not just day and night.
“It will take time but with Willian, we've started a big process. We've identified the needs in the squad and he's the one to start to rebalance the squad as we want to.
“I am really excited and really happy to have a player like Willian because I'm convinced he'll be the one to impact the team straight away.”
Finally, Alan Smith reckons William Saliba can be Arsenal's very own Virgil van Dijk.
Smith said: “Saliba, by all accounts, has tremendous potential as a classy defender in the Virgil van Dijk mould.
“I can just imagine Arteta on that training ground, working hard with the 19-year-old to instil good habits.”
TOUGH SAL
Alan Smith reckons William Saliba can be Arsenal's very own Virgil van Dijk.
The centre-back is finally ready to play for the Gunners after joining from St Etienne.
Smith said: “Saliba, by all accounts, has tremendous potential as a classy defender in the Virgil van Dijk mould.
“I can just imagine Arteta on that training ground, working hard with the 19-year-old to instil good habits.
“Depending on how that goes, we might see the Frenchman let loose early on. Next to whom is another matter though.”
THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Arsenal are ready to axe eight senior stars this summer.
Mikel Arteta has informed chiefs he has no use for some big names in his squad, claims The Star.
The players reportedly are threat are Alexandre Lacazette, Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Shkodran Mustafi, Mohamed Elneny, Calum Chambers and Matteo Guendouzi
WHERE THERE'S A WILL
Arsenal chief Edu has hailed the arrival of Willian on a free transfer from Chelsea.
He said: “To balance the squad properly, we need to sell players, to buy players and that takes time, not just day and night.
“It will take time but with Willian, we've started a big process. We've identified the needs in the squad and he's the one to start to rebalance the squad as we want to.
“I am really excited and really happy to have a player like Willian because I'm convinced he'll be the one to impact the team straight away.”
WHEN THE PARTEY’S OVER
Thomas Partey has been told to snub Arsenal and stay at Atletico Madrid because “they always have Champions League football”.
The stark warning came from his Ghana national team boss CK Akonnor who wants the midfielder to stay pout this summer.
Reported by CitiSports, Akonnor said: “Honestly, I wouldn’t want him to move to Arsenal because with Atletico, he will always play Champions League football.
“His position is guaranteed and he will always play.
“With Arsenal, I’m not too sure. Arsenal fans will kill me [for saying he should not join the Gunners].
“I hope that, and I’m sure money issues will come in, but I hope that whatever he asks for, Atletico will be able to pay.”
GUNNER GO
Arsenal are reportedly set to offload Lucas Torreira in a swap deal with Roma for Amadou Diawara.
Italian paper Il Romanista reports Torreira has agreed to the deal after Arsenal decided against a £45million move for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey.
Club chiefs appear to have found a cut-price option by bringing Diawara in without splashing any cash.
Roma had reportedly slapped a £27m asking price on the 23-year-old.
WELCOME MATT
Unai Emery is keen on linking up with Matteo Guendouzi at new club Villarreal.
Football Insider claims the unwanted Arsenal midfielder looks set for a move to Spain this summer.
Old boss Emery is ready to sign Guendouzi on loan with the option of a £30m switch in 2021.
Guendouzi would become the second Gunner to join Villarreal this summer after they signed Francis Coquelin from Valencia.
PIE IN THE SKY
Arsenal fans are dumbstruck after seeing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang listed as a MIDFIELDER in the new Fantasy Football season.
The veteran has spent most of his career playing as a central striker.
But his time at Arsenal has seen him mainly deployed on the left.
However, Aubameyang continues to be Arsenal's top scorer with a striker's haul.
And fans are baffled as to why he's now being classed as a midfielder.
SMITH EXCITED BY SALIBA
Alan Smith believes Arsenal have signed their very own Virgil Van Dijk in new defender William Saliba.
The Gunners signed Saliba from Saint-Etienne last summer but allowed the French side to keep him on loan for the 2019-20 season.
Smith said: “Saliba, by all accounts, has tremendous potential as a classy defender in the Virgil van Dijk mould.
“I can just imagine Arteta on that training ground, working hard with the 19-year-old to instil good habits.
“Depending on how that goes, we might see the Frenchman let loose early on. Next to whom is another matter though.”
NO JOEL HEIST
Arsenal are not considering a move for Sporting Lisbon teenager Joelson Fernandes, says his agent Kia Joorabchian.
The Gunners were rumoured to have had two bids rejected for the 17-year-old winger earler this month but these claims have been refuted by Joorabchian.
He said: “He's young and a phenomenal talent, but we've never, ever spoken about him to Arsenal.
“I've probably seen about 25 articles about him and Arsenal and it's so untrue, because I've never even spoken about him, I've never even mentioned him to Arsenal.”
SANLLEHI LATEST
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has released a joint statement with son Josh following the sudden departure of head of football Raul Sanllehi.
Sanllehi was in charge of Arsenal's transfer strategy and the Kroenkes thanked him for his hard work in a statement posted to the club's website.
They said: “Raul has made a big contribution during his time with us and will always be a part of the Arsenal family.
“We thank him for all his hard work and expertise and wish him every future success.”
PARTEY POOPER
Thomas Partey has been told by Ghana coach Charles Akonnor to reject a transfer to Arsenal.
The 27-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to north London but the Gunners have so far been unable to afford the midfielder's £45million release clause.
Akonnor said: “Honestly, I wouldn’t want him to move to Arsenal because with Atletico, he will always play Champions League football. His position is guaranteed and he will always play.
“With Arsenal, and Arsenal fans will kill me [for saying this], I'm not too sure.”
WOODMAN TO SWANSEA
Newcastle goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is set to head back to Swansea City on loan next season.
The 23-year-old had been targeted by Arsenal, as well as Scottish champions Celtic, following an impressive loan spell at the Liberty Stadium.
The Gunners were looking at Woodman as a potential replacement for the injured Bernd Leno before Emiliano Martinez's emergence.
Woodman kept 12 clean sheets in 43 appearances for Swansea in 2019/20.
SANLLEHI LEAVES ARSENAL
Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi has left the club with immediate effect.
His role will be taken over by managing director Vinai Venkatesham.
Sanllehi's departure comes days after it was reported the club were launching an investigation into the club record £72million signing of Nicolas Pepe last summer.
Several key members of the Gunners' recruitment department were among the heavily-criticised 55 staff redundancies announced at the club this summer.
LEEDS IN FOR MARTINEZ
Leeds United are among the teams chasing Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The 27-year-old claimed this week ten clubs in Europe have enquired about his availability following an impressive end to the season for the Gunners.
After an injury to first-choice Bernd Leno, Martinez enjoyed his first run in the team since joining Arsenal eight years ago.
The Argentine stopper helped Mikel Arteta's side to FA Cup glory and an eighth-place finish in the Premier League.
Martinez wants assurances over whether he will remain first-choice once Leno returns before committing to the Gunners.
COUT-ING CORNERS
Arsenal have “proposed a formula” for signing Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona this summer.
The Brazilian has spent this season on loan at Bayern Munich and scored twice for the German giants in their 8-2 thrashing of his parent club in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Bayern decided not to take up the option to sign Coutinho permanently meaning he would return to Barca this summer.
Mundo Deportivo claim Arsenal have proposed taking the 28-year-old on loan with an option to sign him permanently next summer, in a similar format to the Bayern deal.
Barca though, “need to sell” and will wait as long as possible before sanctioning any loan move.
NO GUEN DO
According to L'Equipe, Arsenal have had a swap bid rejected for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.
The Gunners offered frozen-out midfielder Matteo Guendouzi in return for the 22-year-old but the bid was rejected by Lyon.
It is understood the Ligue 1 side would prefer a transfer fee paid in full rather than a swap deal.
Aouar has contributed nine goals and eight assists for Lyon in 2019-20 and is also being tracked by Les Gones Champions League quarter-final opponents Manchester City.
TORR-AWAY
Lucas Torreira is keen to join Roma this summer as the Gunners line up a swap deal involving the Uruguayan.
Arsenal have been in discussions regarding a potential player exchange for Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara, 23, with Torreira going in the other direction.
The two clubs maintain a good relationship after agreeing to extend Henrikh Mkhitaryan's loan spell in Italy last week.
Torreira, 24, is likely to leave Arsenal this summer after failing to settle in London and a return to Serie A appears to be on the cards, with AC Milan also linked to the midfielder.
CLEAR-OUT
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants to clear out as many as EIGHT first-team players this summer, according to reports.
After confirming the signing of Willian yesterday on a free transfer, sporting director Edu admitted the club will attempt to rebalance the squad in the transfer window.
The Star claims the futures of Alexandre Lacazette, Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Shkodran Mustafi, Mohamed Elneny, Calum Chambers and Matteo Guendouzi are all in doubt.
Ozil and Guendouzi were both frozen out by Arteta following the season's restart while Mkhitaryan and Elneny spent this season out on loan at Roma and Besiktas, respectively.
'BIG PROCESS'
Technical director Edu says Arsenal's signing of Willian is only the start of a big process to rebalance the Arsenal squad, with large numbers of players arriving and leaving.
In a statement that will be music to Gunners fans' ears, he said: “To balance the squad properly, we need to sell players, to buy players and that takes time, not just day and night.
“It will take time but with Willian, we've started a big process. We've identified the needs in the squad and he's the one to start to rebalance the squad as we want to.
“I am really excited and really happy to have a player like Willian because I'm convinced he'll be the one to impact the team straight away.”
VILL-AIN OF THE PIECE
Matteo Guendouzi could be set for a reunion with Unai Emery at Villarreal.
According to Football Insider, the Spanish club have made a £30m loan-to-buy offer for the French midfielder.
Guendouzi has not played for the Gunners since grabbing Neil Maupay's throat during a 2-1 defeat at Brighton.
And with Edu promising an overhaul this summer and the club keen to recruit Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey, he is highly likely to be one of the players to be shown the door.
Whether Arsenal will want more of the fee to be paid up front however, remains to be seen.
MORNING ARSENAL FANS
It was a momentous day for Gunners supporters after their club finally sealed the signing of Willian on a three-year deal following the Brazilian’s Chelsea departure.
Upon his arrival at the Emirates, he told his new club’s official website: “I decided [to join] because Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world. They have a new project with Mikel Arteta.
“I think this club deserves to shine again and I want to be a part of this project – to be a part of the Arsenal family is amazing. I'm very happy to do that.
“I come to try to win trophies, because this club deserves to win again, and I think you have to do the best as possible to win every game.”
One man that won’t be arriving in North London, however, is Joelson Fernandes, after his agent Kia Joorabchian rubbished rumours.
He told talkSPORT: “Today I read something about Joelson Fernandes, that Arsenal made an offer.
“He’s young, phenomenal talent, but we’ve never spoken about him to Arsenal.
“I’ve probably seen like 25 articles about him and Arsenal and it’s so untrue. I’ve never mentioned him to Arsenal.”
Meanwhile, FA Cup hero Emi Martinez has revealed that TEN clubs have registered an interest in him since his heroics.
He told Marca: “I want to stay at Arsenal, but if I play more minutes.
“Because on a personal level, I have an age, I am in a game confidence that I need to add as many minutes as possible.
“I am in the sights of ten teams in Europe. But I can’t say who those clubs are, because it’s nothing concrete.”
ICYMI – WHAT'S LEFT IN THE ARSENAL?
Arsenal have completed the free transfer signing of Willian but fear they could miss out on their other top targets, writes Mark Irwin.
Hopes of other quick deals are fading for Mikel Arteta as he tries to launch a major overhaul of his squad.
Atletico Madrid are refusing to lower their £45million asking price for Thomas Partey after Italian Champions Juventus joined the chase for the Ghanaian midfielder.
The Gunners are also in danger of missing out on Lille centre-half Gabriel Magalhaes, who looks to be heading to Napoli if the Italians sell Kalidou Koulibaly to Manchester City. And they have not made any progress in talks with Real Madrid to extend Dani Ceballos’ loan deal after the player returned to Spain last week.
Arsenal are still trying to offload a number of squad players including Matteo Guendouzi, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sokratis and Mohamed Elneny to raise funds.
But unless they can be sold quickly Arteta could be forced to lower his sights in terms of potential new recruits.
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