
Arsenal
Premier League • England
Arsenal transfers: Mikel Arteta enters race for CL winner as Chelsea forced into a corner over summer deal

Reports claim Arsenal are interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz but only if his asking price is significantly reduced.
The 23-year-old has been at Stamford Bridge for three seasons after moving from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2020. The Germany international has shown glimpses of the form that earned him a move to west London. However, he was one of a number of Blues stars who underachieved in 2022-2023 as Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League.
They ended the campaign with a whimper, taking only two points from their last four games.
And, with an expensively-assemble and bloated squad, there will inevitably be a few exits in the off-season.
Havertz looks vulnerable to a transfer, with two years left on his current contract.
Read Madrid seemed keen on the man with 12 international goals, with Carlo Ancelotti said to be a big fan of the star.
However, with Todd Boehly wanting in the region of £70m for the forward, their interest appears to have waned.
A report by 90Min claimed Los Blancos have now ‘backed away’ from signing Havertz.
That has left the way open for others to make a move, with the Gunners said to be interested.
Mikel Arteta oversaw a superb campaign by the Gunners which saw them return to the Champions League.
Finishing second behind Manchester City is far from a disgrace, with Pep Guardiola’s charges still gunning for a treble.
The Spanish tactician will strengthen this summer and Havertz is a player he is thought to covet.
Work to do on Havertz price tag
Havertz has made 139 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, scoring 32 goals.
He enjoyed 30 starts among 35 top-flight games in the season just finished, bagging seven goals.
However, it is thought he might be open to a new challenge after seemingly stagnating at the Bridge.
A move to Real would certainly be a huge boost to his career but it will not happen on the figures being quoted.
Arsenal too have baulked at the proposed fee and are unwilling to pay more than £50m.
Chelsea will need to reconsider what they are asking, according to The Telegraph. But they need to get rid of several players this summer and do not want to price themselves out of a possible transfer.
They believe £70m is the correct valuation for Havertz as he still has two years left on his deal.
The German has given no indication that he would be willing to extend his stay and therefore the club needs to move fast.
They do not want him to be in the same situation in 12 months time when his value will have dropped even further.
Having spent so much money during the past 18 months, Chelsea need to get some back into the coffers.
Other clubs know their situation and will be prepared to wait to get the best possible deal.
New Blues chief Mauricio Pochettino is said to want to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
He will not come cheap and cost any potential buyer around £70m. Therefore Boehly needs as much as possible from the sale of Havertz, if he does end up leaving the Bridge.