Arsenal plan £100m triple coup – but quartet will be axed to fund moves

Shkodran Mustafi, Mikel Arteta

Arsenal will look to secure the signings of their three top summer targets – once Willian has been confirmed as a Gunners player.

The Brazilian winger looks poised to join the Gunners on a three-year deal from Chelsea. Frank Lampard has revealed his true feelings about the prospective transfer.

However, Arsenal are not prepared to stop there and then plan to work on three more deals worth £100m.

The men in the Gunners’ sights are Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhaes and Dani Ceballos, reports The Sun.

However, the paper warns Arsenal will need to offload at least three members of their squad to fund the move. As such, the paper reckons Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles,  Matteo Guendouzi and Shkodran Mustafi will all be sacrificed.


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The first of those, Torreira, has already responded to reports he is wanted by four Serie A sides.

“I have to think thoroughly about my future. I have a contract with Arsenal and I have to respect it,” Torreira told Sport 890 in Uruguay.

“Obviously, if I were to leave, I would do it for the best possible destination. We have to be calm and wait.

“Last season I played continuously, this one less so.

“This year has been more complicated: I have lost continuity and confidence. I do not like this. At this age I need to play to be called up for the national team.

“Transfer rumours? I’m not aware of anything right now. I need to rest because it was a very long season, I got injured, then there was the coronavirus.

 

“I have a contract with Arsenal, but if I have to change in the future it will be a decision I make for my own good.

Maitland-Niles could also be sacrificed and reports in Saturday’s Paper Talk claimed a huge fee had been put on his head.

Guendouzi, meanwhile, has been linked with a variety of Spanish sides. The latest of those being Villarreal, who are managed by former Gunners boss Unai Emery.

The Gunners hope to raise around £80m by offloading the quartet, while further funds could be made should Mesut Ozil depart.

 

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Gunners target three signings

Arsenal hope to use the money to lure Arteta’s top three targets.

The Gunners are ready to meet the €50m exit fee required to buy the midfielder out of his Atletico Madrid contract. That’s after a cash plus player bid was knocked back earlier this week.

Coming in alongside Partey would be Ceballos.

Dani Ceballos

The 23-year-old quickly fell out of favour under Emery at the season’s beginning, but found greater backing under Arteta.

Indeed, Ceballos appeared in all 12 of Arsenal’s matches after football’s restart.

His loan spell has now expired, however, and the player spoke earlier in the week about his future.

“From today, I am a Real Madrid player and I’m happy about that,” he told Cadena Ser. “Real Madrid have an important game against Manchester City and from then on, I will talk to the club and discuss my future.”

“It’s clear that Real Madrid have great players. They have won the most important title this season, which is La Liga.

“I need to talk to the club and will do so after [Real Madrid’s game] against [Manchester] City and evaluate what is best for me.”

The third player on Arsenal’s wish-list is Lille defender Gabriel.

Reports earlier this week claimed he was desperate to secure a move to the Gunners as soon as possible.

Deals for Gabriel, at £25m, and Ceballos £30m, would take the triple outlay to around the £100m mark.