Mikel Arteta worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City between 2016 and 2019 before taking over at the Emirates Stadium, and the Spaniard wants to bolster his Arsenal squad even further ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Gunners have already completed the signing of Kai Havertz this summer, with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber set to be announced in the coming days. Arteta isn't content with resting on his laurels, though, and is set to return to Manchester City and demand two more players.
According to Catalan outlet El Nacional, Arsenal want to sign Kyle Walker and Julian Alvarez, in a deal that would be worth €76m overall.
Walker seems a feasible option, considering the 33-year-old has just one year remaining on his current deal and reports have repeatedly linked him with a move to Bayern Munich. He did spend eight years at Tottenham Hotspur, though, potentially complicating any deal from his side.
The publication suggests Walker would cost €16m, with Transfermarkt valuing him at €13m.
While Walker fought his way back into the first-team at Manchester City for the run-in to their historic treble, his failure to start the Champions League final has reportedly left him open to a move away from the Etihadthat Arsenal were looking to sign a Bundesliga centre-back before switching their focus to Jurrien Timber instead.
The Ajax star is closing in on a switch to The Emirates, with the formalities of the deal almost done as he prepares to make an initial £36million move to north London.
Timber’s brother, Shamier, posted an image on his Instagram stories on Sunday evening showing a farewell party celebrating the big-money transfer.
An image of Timber in an Arsenal kit was knocked up on a giant banner surrounded by balloons, alongside a message reading: ‘Jurrien’s goodbye party! See you in the streets of London.’
However, things could have been very different, with Romano revealing that the Gunners were after RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan earlier this summer.
Romano made his claim in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, although it now appears highly unlikely that the player will leave.
Leipzig do not need to sell, having offloaded Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool for a deal that could end up pocketing them £60m.
Arsenal pick Timber over Simakan
And, speaking about Simakan, Romano said: “Mohamed Simakan – As previously reported, he was one of the names on Arsenal’s list in defence this summer. But Arsenal instead ended up signing Jurrien Timber so I think they’re fine with him, I don’t see another movement in that position honestly.
“The situation for Simakan is now quiet and also, Leipzig already made big money with the sale of Dominik Szoboszlai.”
Simakan staying put is perhaps no surprise, given that Josko Gvardiol is poised to join Premier League champions Manchester City.
The Croatian, who is regarded by many pundits and experts alike as the world’s top centre-back, has already held talks with City over a potential £86m move to The Etihad.
As for the Gunners, they expect to announce the capture of impressive Ajax star Timber early this week.
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