Arsenal transfer news live - Rice makes feelings clear, new contract handed out

Ex-Gunners target Aouar finds new club

Roma have confirmed the signing of Houssem Aouar following the expiration of his contract at Lyon.

Back in 2020, the midfielder was strongly linked with a move to Arsenal.

(Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

Arsenal 'target Leicester's Timothy Castagne'

Leicester City may undergo somewhat of a mass exodus this summer following their relegation, with Youri Tielemans having already left for Aston Villa

And Belgian international Timothy Castagne is now emerging as a target for Arsenal, who want more depth in the right-back position.

Gunners reach Reiss Nelson agreement

Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson has agreed to sign a new four-year deal with the club, as his previous contract was due to expire at the end of this month.

Mirror Football understands that Gunners academy graduate, 23, was in talks to join Crystal Palace before Arsenal promptly stepped up their efforts and secured his services until 2027.

Reiss Nelson (Getty Images)

Rice holding out for Arsenal move

Arsenal have strengthened their lead in the race for Declan Rice after it emerged that Bayern Munich are now concerned over their chances of signing him.

Rice, 24, has played his last ever game for West Ham, according to owner David Sullivan, having led the Irons to an historic Europa Conference League final victory over Fiorentina on Wednesday as captain. Now the England international has his eyes on playing for a Champions League club, which both Arsenal and Bayern are.

The two sides' interest has been well-documented in recent weeks, with German giants Bayern even holding talks with Rice and his father over a potential £95million move recently. However, Mirror Football understands that that Rice would prefer to remain in the Premier League which hands Arsenal a huge boost.

Read the full story HERE.

Arsenal lose eight players and sign three as January transfer window closes

(Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Odegaard named player of the season

Martin Odegaard has been crowned Arsenal's player of the season, amassing 55 per cent of the supporter vote.

The midfielder finished as joint top-scorer and laid on seven assists in all competitions.

Gundogan opts for Barca move

Ilkay Gundogan looks set to snub Arsenal and instead join Barcelona.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Gundogan will pen a three-year deal to move to the Nou Camp.

Arsenal had offered him a lucrative deal themselves, but the German is instead set to take a pay cut to replace Sergio Busquets.

Pepe return gives Arteta headache

French side Nice have confirmed that Nicolas Pepe will return to Arsenal this summer, choosing not to enter negotiations over a permanent deal.

Pepe spent the season on loan in the south of France, making a total of 28 appearances as injury blighted his campaign. Despite managing to score eight goals and register one assist, the Ivorian winger largely failed to impress and Nice - who are owned by prospective Manchester United buyer Sir Jim Ratcliffe - announced on Friday that he'll be heading back to North London.

His predicament adds to boss Mikel Arteta's many headaches as he attempts to raise funds, with the 28-year-old remaining Arsenal's record signing at £72million, having joined from Lille in 2019.

Read the full story HERE.

(Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

Simons responds to Arsenal rumours

Xavi Simons has cleared up confusion over his contract clause at PSV as Arsenal continue to pursue the highly rated Dutch star.

The attacking midfielder, 20, came through the ranks at Barcelona before joining French giants PSG, and broke into the first team during the 2021/22 campaign. But despite making enough appearances to pick up a Ligue 1 title winners medal, his failure to hold down a regular place saw him leave for Holland last summer.

And he duly excelled in the Eredivisie, making 48 appearances in all competitions, scoring 22 goals and notching 12 assists. His form has prompted reports that he's attracted the interest of a number of top level clubs, with Arsenal seemingly leading the race as Mikel Arteta seeks reinforcements to this squad.

Read what Simons had to say HERE.

(OLAF KRAAK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Nice confirm Pepe return

Nicolas Pepe will be returning to Arsenal after Nice confirmed the end of his loan spell in the south of France.

The Ivorian winger, 28, scored eight goals and registered one assist in 28 appearances in what was an injury-hit campaign.

Arsenal paid Lille a club-record £72million for Pepe's signature in 2019.

Kante gives Arteta headache

N'Golo Kante is on the verge of signing a lucrative contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad and sealing his Chelsea exit after seven years at Stamford Bridge.

The Frenchman is out of contract with the Blues at the end of this month and has opted against prolonging his stay in West London, instead opting for a two-year deal thought to be worth around £86m a season with an option for a further year.

Delegates from Al-Ittihad flew to London to hold talks with Kante on Tuesday and reached an agreement with the former Leicester man. This, in turn, could spell bad news for Arsenal and their transfer hopes this summer.

More HERE.

N'Golo Kante is set to leave Chelsea at the end of his contract (Getty Images)

Jorginho to Lazio latest

Arsenal are considering whether or not to sell Jorginho to Lazio.

The Italian midfielder, 31, only arrived at the Emirates in January but is wanted by former boss Maurizio Sarri, who he worked alongside to great success at Napoli.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Arsenal may agree to sell the Jorginho for a similar fee to the €13.5million (£11.5m) which they paid Chelsea for his services just over five months ago.

However, Lazio can't afford his current salary, so plan to offer him a long-term deal with lower wages.

Jorginho has enjoyed a promising start to life as an Arsenal player (Getty Images)

Gundogan edging towards Barcelona

Arsenal look set to miss out on Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona.

According to Sport, City's deal to sign Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea has pushed Gundogan closer to the Camp Nou.

The Germany international, 32, has already negotiated a three-year deal with Barca, as his City contract expires at the end of June.

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Arsenal's secret weapon in Rice race

Arsenal are now thought to be Declan Rice's next destination and the Gunners may have a secret weapon of theirs to thank for beating out the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta is a long-term admirer of the West Ham captain and is rumoured to have placed Rice on his transfer wish-list some time ago. He is edging closer to landing the England international's signature and a formal bid is expected to be lodged from the Gunners in the coming days.

The Arsenal boss is a man who knows what he wants and will deploy a number of tactics to get it. That includes, it would seems, getting former team-mates in on the act.

Read the full story HERE.

(Getty Images)

Arsenal adopt stubborn Rice approach

Arsenal are sticking to their guns in the transfer market as they bid to strike an agreement with West Ham for Declan Rice.

The Hammers talisman, 24, has emerged as Mikel Arteta 's top summer transfer target and is set to be the subject of a structured £92million proposal from the Gunners in the coming days now that West Ham's season is over.

However, it remains to be seen if Arsenal's offer will meet the demands of West Ham chairman David Sullivan, who is believed to value Rice at more than £100m. Talks over a deal are advancing, though, and the Hammers have already identified several targets to bolster their squad with the funds they would bank from selling Rice.

More HERE.

Declan Rice (Thomas Eisenhuth/UEFA)

Rice boost as Man Utd face harsh reality

Manchester United's uncertain financial situation means that their hopes of signing Declan Rice are slim.

According to the Athletic, executive co-chairman Joel Glazer has internally expressed concern regarding the prospect of big-money incomings such as Rice this summer.

United are fans of the West Ham captain, 24, but Arsenal lead the race.

Declan Rice is set to leave West Ham this summer (Getty Images)

Cancelo talks and his preference

Arsenal will face competition in their bid to sign Manchester City's Joao Cancelo this summer, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona in the running to sign the full-back.

According to Sky Sports, Arsenal have engaged in 'early verbal talks' to sign the Portuguese full-back, with his Man City future uncertain in the wake of a training ground bust-up with Pep Guardiola following the World Cup.

However, Cancelo's own preference has been revealed to be a move to a La Liga club, with Real Madrid and Barcelona the leading candidates.

Read the full story HERE.

Joao Cancelo's transfer preference has been revealed ((Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images))

Caicedo bid being prepared

Arsenal are preparing a fresh transfer bid for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to London World.

The Gunners are readying an offer which is similar to the £75million package rejected by Brighton in January.

Caicedo, 21, will be allowed to leave the Seagulls this summer should their asking price be met.

Moises Caicedo has been linked with a move to Arsenal (Getty Images)

Good morning

Hello and welcome to today's live Arsenal transfer blog!

We've got plenty on the agenda, so let's get straight into it.

Saka second in player of the season vote

We revealed yesterday that Arsenal fans had voted Gabriel Martinelli as the third placed finisher in their player of the season poll.

And now the official club website has confirmed Buyako Saka has finished second.

After 48 games, 15 goals, and 11 assists, it was some campaign for the 21-year-old.

Arsenal's pursuit of Caicedo takes a twist

Arsenal were reportedly closing in on Brighton star Moises Caicedo after agreeing terms with the star, but that saga has seemingly turned.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are currently leading the race to sign the Ecuadorian midfielder, with the valuation set between £70million and £80million. Romano claims that Caicedo hasn't agreed personal terms with any club, contrasting previous reports.

Arsenal confirm Nurnberg friendly

Arsenal have confirmed a pre-season friendly against FC Nurnberg next month.

The Gunners will take on the 2. Bundesliga side at Adidas' HQ during a training camp in Germany.

Sporting director Edu said: “We're excited to begin our pre-season schedule at adidas HQ, and thank adidas for hosting us again at their world-class campus. Our match against 1. FC Nürnberg is another good opportunity to help Mikel and the squad prepare ahead of the new season.

Rice makes his feelings clear on Arsenal transfer plan

Declan Rice was reluctant to be drawn into speculation over his next move amid reports linking him with a move to Arsenal.

The England international, 24, has been tipped to leave the London Stadium at the end of the season and has emerged as Mikel Arteta's top summer transfer target in recent weeks.

Recent reports have claimed that Arsenal planned to approach West Ham over a blockbuster deal for their talisman once they had played in the Europa Conference League final, which they won on Wednesday night. Even though the Gunners are now poised to firm up their interest, Rice was reluctant to entertain the idea of moving on in the aftermath of West Ham's big win - although he refused to rule out a move completely.

Click here to read the full story.

Rice warned off Arsenal move

Premier League icon David James has warned Declan Rice off making a move to Arsenal this summer.

"I think he is in a similar situation as Harry Kane, whereby West Ham fans would not begrudge him a move. Personally, I would love to see him play abroad for two reasons," he told King Casino Bonus.

“The first, from a selfish point of view, is that I wouldn’t have to see him playing against West Ham! He’d undoubtedly cause them all sorts of problems as well, because he is such a solid professional and would take the emotion out of it.

"But secondly, for him personally, he would gain so much experience from playing abroad. You look at the success of Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, there is no reason why Rice couldn’t follow suit and go and become a legend with a foreign club, before returning to the UK as a much more developed player.

“He could experience football in the same way I did when I was very late in my career; experiencing a new culture, becoming a more rounded player. I think we would all be able to enjoy Declan Rice on another level.”

Lazio eye Jorginho move

Lazio are lining up a move for Jorginho, with Maurizio Sarri keen to reunite with the midfielder.

The Italian still has a year remaining on his contract at Arsenal. But Sarri is hopeful he can convince him to return to Serie A.

According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, Sarri has held talks with club president Claudio Lotito, with Jorginho one of the names mentioned.

Rice exit confirmed by West Ham owner

West Ham owner David Sullivan has confirmed that Declan Rice has played his last game for the club after winning the Europa Conference League.

"I think it has to be [his last game]. We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can't ask for a man who has committed more to us this season. In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement - or several replacements," Sullivan told talkSPORT.

"It's not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down. It's cost him £10million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages). And he wants to go. You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there."

Click here to read the full story.

Arsenal miss out on Guerreiro

Arsenal are set to miss out on Raphael Guerreiro, with the Portugal international heading to Bayern Munich.

The Gunners had been eyeing Guerreiro as a potential target, but reports now suggest that he has instead reached an agreement with Bayern.

Terms have been agreed for a three-year contract, with his arrival at the Allianz expected next week.

Rice's transfer admission throws curveball to Gunners

Declan Rice has thrown a curveball at Manchester United and Arsenal by admitting he may yet stay at West Ham beyond this summer.

Rice captained the Hammers to winning the Europa Conference League on Wednesday night. Jarrod Bowen scored a last-minute winner to beat Fiorentina in the final of the competition in Prague, with Rice having been at his imperious best.

The 2-1 victory means that the England international became the first West Ham player since Bobby Moore in 1965 to lift a European trophy. But there has been intense speculation about his future, with a belief that he will depart the London Stadium this summer.

Click here to read the full story.

Good morning

Good morning and welcome to Mirror Football's live blog for all the latest Arsenal transfer news.

Record signing to leave the Emirates for free

A development over the imminent return on Arsenal's £72 million man Nicholas Pepe.

The club are prepared planning to terminate his contract if he can't be sold this summer, according to a report from Football London.

He spent this past season on loan with Nice, scoring eight goals in all competitions, including six in Ligue 1.

Arsenal boosted by Bellingham move

Arsenal were never in the race to sign Jude Bellingham this summer, but they'll be relieved the teenage star isn't heading to a Premier League rival either.

Liverpool had long pursued the English international, whilst Man United's interest had long cooled. But Borussia Dortmund have agreed a deal with Real Madrid for around £108 million.

Of course, the Gunners could still face him in the Champions League....