Mikel Arteta sanctions key Arsenal exit as Folarin Balogun price set

20 August 2023 , 02:00

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Arsenal's summer transfer window efforts had been going swimmingly up until the opening day, but Jurrien Timber's injury has changed the landscape.

The Gunners had forked out north of £200million on Timber, Kai Havertz and club-record signing Declan Rice, but will now be without the Dutch defender for at least seven months due to an ACL injury. As a result, there are now rumours Mikel Arteta could dip into the market once again to sign a defensive reinforcement.

However, many pundits and Gunners fans alike feel the emphasis at the Emirates should now be on selling to cancel out some of their spending this summer. That said, some of Arsenal's stars are proving harder to shift than first anticipated.

With that in mind, here are all of the transfer talking points surrounding the Arteta's side on Sunday, August 20.

Arsenal green light Partey exit

Arteta is believed to have given Thomas Partey's potential Arsenal exit the green light amid speculation linking the Ghanaian with a move to Galatasaray.

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Multiple clubs across Europe have been linked with a swoop for Partey this summer, including Italian titans Juventus, while he has been tipped to spark interest from the Saudi Pro League. However, it is Turkish Super Lig outfit Galatasaray who have made their interest concrete and opened transfer talks.

Galatasaray are interested in signing Thomas Partey (Getty Images)

Turkish publication Takvim have claimed that Gala have already lodged an £8.5m bid for the midfielder, which was swiftly rejected by the Gunners.

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Tavares deal up in the air

Nuno Tavares has struggled to settle in north London and spent just one season actually playing for the Gunners before he was shipped off out on loan to Marseille for the entirety of last term.

Nuno Tavares' potential move to Nottingham Forest is now off (AFP via Getty Images)

It looks increasingly unlikely that the Portuguese ace will be able to turn the tide on his Arsenal career and interest had been growing from elsewhere, including from Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest. Steve Cooper's side were thought to be mulling over a £30m bid for the left-back, but agreeing personal terms proved too difficult a task.

As a result, it is now believed that Tavares' switch to the City Ground is now unlikely as other potential suitors enter the race, with the prospect of remaining at Marseille on a permanent basis still not ruled out.

Chelsea want Balogun

Folarin Balogun is valued at over £40m (Jose L Argueta/Getty Images)

Chelsea have been informed of Arsenal's £40million asking price for in-demand academy graduate striker Folarin Balogun as they aim to strengthen their attacking options.

22-year-old Balogun has been the subject of significant interest from across the continent this summer after a stellar season on loan in Ligue 1 with Reims last term. Premier League clubs Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are all keen, as are Inter Milan and Monaco.

Chelsea's interest in the player is legitimate as the Blues look to find a forward that can replace the soon-to-be outgoing Romelu Lukaku, Sky Sports reports.

As Mirror Football reported earlier on Friday, The Gunners will not part ways with the US international for less than £40million. Whether there would be a premium on top of that price when doing business with a direct London rival remains to be seen.