Mikel Arteta is ready to sell £160m worth of talent to bring in two new Arsenal signings; while Liverpool are plotting a huge new deal for Virgil Van Dijk, according to Friday’s Paper Talk.
ARTETA TO WIELD AXE TO BRING IN TWO NEW SIGNINGS
Arsenal could receive around £160m if Mikel Arteta decides to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and a string of other players to fund moves for two top stars.
The Gunners saw of their hopes of securing Champions League football next season take a huge hit after they crashed out of the Europa League to Olympiakos on Thursday night.
That meaans only a top-four finish (top-five if Man City fail to overturn their European ban) will see them play in Europe’s premier competition and could prompt a fire-sale if they don’t get there.
According to football.london, Arteta could receive a significant cash windfall if he starts offloading players at the end of the season.
Aubameyang is Arsenal’s main asset, but the striker is out of contract in 2021 and Barcelona retain a long-running interest in the experienced £80m plus-rated Gabon international.
The report adds, with very specific figures, that Shkodran Mustafi might be available in the summer for around £13.5m, while Sokratis Papastathopoulos could fetch a fee of around £16.2m.
Sead Kolasinac’s place in the first-team is also now under threat following the emergence of youngster Bukayo Saka, while Mohamed Elneny and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – who both out on loan at Besiktas and Roma respectively – also look to have no future at the club.
It would appear that a defensive rebuild is Arteta’s top priority this summer, with the Daily Star claiming that Tottenham and Chelsea target Dayot Upamecano is wanted as a partner for William Saliba, who is currently on loan at Saint-Etienne.
The RB Leipzig star is valued at €65million (£55.6m) but the Gunners would face a major battle to grab his signature.
Another player on Arteta’s radar is Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey.
The 26-year-old Ghana international has a tantalising £42m release clause in his current Atletico contract and his game is well suited to he rigours of the Premier League.
AND THE REST
Liverpool are planning to offer Virgil van Dijk, 28, a new contract that would make the Netherlands international the highest-paid defender in the world (Daily Mirror)
Manchester City are weighing up a summer move for Everton defender Mason Holgate (Daily Mirror)
Jonjo Shelvey is in line for Newcastle comeback tomorrow against Burnley (Daily Mirror)
The Premier League is losing one of its most respected executives Peta Bistany (Daily Mirror)
Premier League clubs are trying to get their summer transfer business done early amid fears the Euros and Copa America will affect deals (Daily Mirror)
Aymeric Laporte fears he will be out for weeks in a fresh injury blow to Manchester City (The Sun)
Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane, 26, aims to be back playing in April as his recovery from a tendon injury is going better than expected (The Sun)
Kepa Arrizabalaga fears his Chelsea career is in limbo after being axed by manager Frank Lampard (The Sun)
Lyon have threatened to sue their own fans if they keep depicting manager Rudi Garcia as a clown on social media (The Sun)
Oldham face another financial crisis with the tax man chasing £70,000 debts (The Sun)
Jose Mourinho is reportedly ready to go to battle Manchester United and Everton over RB Leipzig’s Swedish star Emil Forsberg (The Sun)
Harvey Elliot is set to sign his first professional three-year deal with Liverpool this summer (Daily Express)
Chelsea are ready to pursue Houssem Aouar in the summer and will reportedly lodge a £42m bid for the Lyon midfielder (Daily Express)
Real Madrid are set to challenge the red card Sergio Ramos received in Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester City (Daily Star)
Manchester City are facing a three-pronged investigation by the Premier League which could lead to further sanctions on top of the two-year Champions League ban imposed by UEFA (Daily Mail)
Daniel Sturridge is reportedly set to reject a move to Aston Villa this summer because of his desire to play in the Champions League with Trabzonspor (Daily Mail)
Sheffield United players are not due to receive any bonuses if they qualify for Europe this season, underlining the scale of their achievements in the Premier League since promotion last summer (Daily Mail)
Dele Alli will tell disciplinary chiefs the controversial coronavirus video that landed him a Football Association charge was not racist but a misjudged joke (Daily Mail)
The EFL has been accused of a ‘whitewash’ after an independent review concluded the body could not have saved Bury FC (Daily Mail)
Manchester United are still hopeful that England Under-20s midfielder Angel Gomes, 19, will stay at Old Trafford despite his current contract expiring in June (Manchester Evening News)
Arsenal insisted on all training ground visitors filling out medical forms yesterday in the first sign of concern amongst Premier League clubs over coronavirus (Daily Telegraph)
Championship clubs have failed to agree on a proposed salary cap of £20m (Daily Telegraph)
Aston Villa will target Marseille’s French midfielder Morgan Sanson, 25, if they stay in the Premier League this season (Birmingham Mail)
Christian Doidge’s dream of representing Wales could be about to come true after national boss Ryan Giggs admitted the Hibs striker is on his radar (Daily Record)
