While Arsenal will be focused on the Premier League restart, speculation continues to link them with possible transfers ahead of next season.
After being appointed in December, Mikel Arteta will hope to stamp his mark on the squad this summer after a relatively quiet January transfer window.
Things have certainly improved under the Spaniard thus far, and so bringing in players better suited to his ideas and style of play will surely help Arsenal kick on and compete.
According to the Metro, Arsenal are ready to submit a bid for Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu in the coming weeks, with the report adding that he is said to be valued at around £23m.
The 19-year-old bagged three goals and six assists this past season, while he has been capped twice at U21 level by Turkey to suggest that he has a bright future ahead of him for club and country.
Time will tell if Arsenal’s offer is enough to convince Feyenoord to green light an exit, but it appears as though they are serious about the push to sign him.
Meanwhile, Dani Ceballos has conceded that his intention is to succeed at Real Madrid, thus perhaps ending any thoughts of an extended stay in north London.
As noted by the Metro, the Spaniard will see his spell with Arsenal come to close at the end of the season, and it sounds as though his intention is to prove his worth at the Bernabeu.
“I have not spoken to Zidane, he is now focused on his players,” he told Onda Cero about his future plans. ‘When my loan contract ends I will be a Real Madrid player again. My goal is to succeed there.”
That will be a blow for the Gunners if they wish to keep him, as it doesn’t appear as though Ceballos is ready to spend another year or even more at the Emirates.
Elsewhere, the Telegraph report that Arteta will launch a personal bid to convince talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to commit his future to Arsenal.
The 30-year-old is edging closer to the final 12 months of his current contract, and given he has bagged 61 goals in 97 games for the club, it is fundamental that they keep him.
With Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona all linked with a swoop, Arteta is ready to step up and try and convince his prolific captain to stay by making his case directly to the player and his father, detailing how he will be central to his plans to get Arsenal competing again.
Whether or not it’s enough remains to be seen, but all concerned will be desperately hoping it has a decisive influence.
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“The motives behind Project Restart are possibly 100% financially driven rather than integrity driven.” – Which Premier League star said this? Click here to read more.
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