Arsenal have submitted their opening bid to sign an ex-player of theirs who’s been praised for his work rate, as Edu Gaspar and co look to strike a reunion at London Colney.
Arteta targeting four key signings at Arsenal this summer
Mikel Arteta is aiming to make it third-time lucky next season in Arsenal’s mission to beat Man City to the Premier League crown, having narrowly lost out to the Sky Blues in two of their most recent title races.
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Arsenal pushed City to the final day last campaign and accumulated an impressive 89 points, which would’ve been enough to win the league in the vast majority of Premier League seasons previously.
However, Pep Guardiola has set a very high bar and one which Arteta’s side must match. The north Londoners are set to begin their pre-season preparations soon with a friendly tour of the USA, which commences in Los Angeles on July 24 against Bournemouth.
Arsenal are also believed to be targeting four key signings before the summer transfer window closes, with the possible additions of a new goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward (Simon Collings).
Arsenal will hope to have wrapped up a deal for Bologna starlet Riccardo Calafiori by that point, as reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano claims Arsenal are closing in on a deal for the Italian after agreeing personal terms.
Edu and the wider recruitment team will also be optimistic about trimming the squad by that date as well. Many members of Arteta’s squad face uncertain futures, like goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has been widely tipped to leave after losing his number one spot to David Raya.
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Aaron Ramsdale’s stats for Arsenal in all competitions |
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|---|---|
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Appearances |
89 |
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Goals conceded |
99 |
|
Clean sheets |
32 |
|
Bookings |
2 |
|
Minutes played |
8,040 |
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via Transfermarkt |
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“It’s a matter of when Ramsdale leaves, not if,” said reliable Arsenal correspondent Charles Watts recently.
“The key thing for Arsenal is getting value for money. I saw an initial fee of £15 million mentioned in reports last week and that is quite frankly ridiculous. Arsenal signed Ramsdale for nearly £30m two years ago and he has developed into a far better keeper since then.”
The goalkeeping department could see a slight reshuffle, but even if Ramsdale stays, there is a belief that Arsenal want to bring in former player Daniel Bentley from Wolves as a third-choice, 15 years after he left the academy.
Arsenal submit opening bid for Bentley as Wolves respond
According to reliable journalist David Ornstein, sharing news on The Athletic’s live blog this week [July 10, 08:12], Arsenal have now submitted an opening bid to sign Bentley from Wolves.
However, Edu and co will be disappointed, as it has been rejected out of hand. Wolves deemed the offer “considerably short” of their valuation for the 30-year-old, and will only consider selling for a suitable proposal.
The 6 foot 2 shot-stopper is rumoured to command a price tag of around £1 million, according to Alan Nixon, so Arsenal wouldn’t exactly have to push the boat out for a player who “works his socks off” according to Gary O’Neil.
