Arsenal news and transfers LIVE – Gimenez move, Williams update, Osimhen deal

Ivan Toney has admitted he will be ready if a big club comes calling for him this summer.

The Brentford talisman was strongly linked with a move to Arsenal in January, though a move for the England international failed to materialise.

There remains a strong possibility the ex-Peterborough United stat will be sold this transfer window, offering the Gunners a possible second chance at a deal.

Discussing the prospect of joining a top side this summer, Toney told talkSPORT: “Obviously, if it was to come, I would be ready regardless. But I’ve got to remain focused and not let other things and other noise get the best of me and just focus on what I need to do for my club.”

Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams has reiterated he remains happy at his current club.

Williams penned a contract extension at Bilbao back in December, keeping him in Spain until 2027, though Arsenal, Chelsea and other Premier League clubs have been linked with a move.

Speaking out on his future, he told Cope: “I am very happy in Athletic, is the club that has given me everything, the one who has betted on me to the fullest.

“Bilbao is my home, I am very happy and what I want to do is to focus on the Euros and the rumours, I do not know what is going to happen.

“I have said to my agent that I do not want to know at all until the Euros are finished.”

Benjamin Sesko has explained why he turned down transfer interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United to pen a new deal at RB Leipzig.

“I had a good first year at RB Leipzig and am incredibly happy to be here,” he told the club’s website. “Team, club, city, fans – the overall package is simply outstanding for me. The early contract extension was therefore the logical next step for me. Even though I didn’t play or score as much in the first half of the season, this phase was very important for me and my development.

“I feel a lot of trust and appreciation throughout the club and that is crucial for being able to perform to my full potential. In the second half of the season in particular, I was able to give something back with my goals. We have a team with great potential and a balanced mix of young and experienced players.”

Catalin Cirjan has joined Dinamo Bucharest following his departure from Arsenal.

It was announced recently that Cirjan will be leaving the Gunners at the end of June.

The 21-year-old Romanian spent last season on loan at Rapid Bucharest but struggled for game time, making just 19 appearances.

Arsenal are close to completing the permanent signing of David Raya from Brentford.

The Gunners are set to activate the £27million option in his contract after impressing on loan during the 2023/24 season. Raya conceded just 31 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions, keeping 20 clean sheets. He played an integral part in Arsenal boasting the best defensive record in the Premier League.

And now, Raya is set to seal his return to the Emirates on a permanent basis. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners are ‘completing formal documents’ for the transfer of Raya to Arsenal.

Arsenal could say goodbye to a number of players this summer as Edu attempts to move on some of the club’s unwanted stars.

With the summer window opening on Friday, Edu can begin getting to work and reshaping Arteta’s squad. While players are expected to arrive in the coming months, several stars are also expected to leave.

Kieran Tierney, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga all spent last season away from the club on loan and it’s likely they will be moved on by Edu.

Read the full story here.

New Juventus boss Thiago Motta has made Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior a priority summer transfer target after he was appointed as the new boss of the Turin club.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Motta is keen to add Kiwior to his squad as they prepare for a return to the Champions League.

Leicester winger Stephy Mavididi would like to face former club Arsenal on the opening day of the season.

When asked about his preferred opponents up first, Mavididi, who spent some time as a youngster at the Gunners, said: “Gimme Arsenal pls.”

Mavididi scored 13 goals in 48 appearances for the Foxes last season.

Arsenal are planning to make a move Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams this month after tracking his progress for some time.

Mikel Arteta has driven their interest in signing Williams, who has a €50million (£42.3m) release clause in his contract, and the Gunners are expected to step up their efforts soon, according to Caught Offside.

Kylian Mbappe has hailed France team-mate William Saliba as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League after an impressive season with Arsenal.

He told Ouest-France: “This season, he has become a very important player for Arsenal and is among the best centre-backs in the Premier League.

“He is starting to get minutes with us. It’s now up to him to find his place. For me, he has all the qualities to, in time, be a starter with Les Bleus. look at his journey with the pride of an older brother.”

Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamman has slammed Kai Havertz and doesn’t think the Arsenal forward is a good enough goalscorer to start up front for Germany at Euro 2024.

He told Prime Casino: “Havertz, he is not a centre forward. He had a decent end to the season, but for me he still flatters to deceive most of the time. I think he’s capable of so much more.

“Is he the presence up there that will score the goals for Germany and get us deep into the tournament? I’m not sure that he is. Versatility is good, but he’s at that stage of his career where he needs to define his role.

“If you asked a hundred people what his best position is, you would probably get a lot of different answers. He’s not a centre forward, but he’s not prolific enough to score goals or create chances as an offensive midfielder.”

Arsenal are monitoring the situation of Porto’s Diogo Costa ahead of a potential summer move.

Costa has been one of the standout goalkeepers in Europe over the last couple of years and was impressive in the Champions League against the Gunners during the 2023/24 season. The 24-year-old remarkably conceded just 38 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions, keeping 17 clean sheets.

Despite this, Porto could be forced to sell Costa this summer. Portuguese newspaper O Jogo have reported that the Dragons may need to make a big sale and Costa is a serious candidate to leave the club. It’s claimed Costa has attracted interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City – with those three keeping an eye and scouting him recently over a possible swoop in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal have made contact with Victor Osimhen’s representatives, according to reports in Italy.

The Gunners are after a striker and Osimhen has already made it clear that he wants to quit Napoli this summer. He scored 17 goals in 32 matches during the 2023/24 season.

According to Il Roma, Arsenal have made contact with Osimhen’s camp ahead of a potential move.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in a move to sign Feyernoord striker Santiago Gimenez.

According to the Evening Standard, the Gunners are keen on the Argentine and tracked the forward during the 2023/24 season. He scored an impressive 26 goals in 41 matches in Arne Slot’s final year in charge.

Hello and welcome to our Arsenal transfer live blog.

Stay tuned for the latest updates from the Emirates with the transfer window set to open tomorrow…

We’ll be back again early tomorrow morning with more throughout the day. Ciao!

Arsenal are completing the documents to make David Raya a permanent player, Fabrizio Romano reports.

He is expected to become a summer signing after his loan at the Emirates Stadium last season.

He will, in effect, be the ‘first’ transfer of the window.

It will be sorted once the summer window is officially open, which is on Friday!

Former Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny has been appointed as part of the sporting management set up at Ligue 2 side Lorient.

Koscielny, who made 353 appearances and spent nine years during his time at the Emirates, retired from professional football in March 2022 after ending his career at Bordeaux. Since hanging up his boots, Koscielny transitioned into a coaching role with Bordeaux before joining Lorient under manager Regis Le Bris last summer, initially working with the Under 17s.

Discussing his decision to move to Brittany as sporting director, Koscielny explained: “My wife and I were contemplating our future in Bordeaux, but finding opportunities was complicated. Brittany was our top choice, so I reached out to Loic Ferylle, the president of Lorient, to discuss my plans, and the doors opened.”

Fulham are reportedly eyeing up a move for Kieran Tierney.

The left-back has been linked with a transfer back to Celtic after Arsenal made him up for sale.

The Gunners would prefer a permanent move for the player and with Fulham preparing to possibly let Antonee Robinson go amid interest in him, Tierney has been touted as a possible replacement.

Arsenal will look at Joshua Zirkzee, Evan Ferguson, and Viktor Gyokeres as alternatives to Benjamin Sesko this summer.

Ben Jacobs says that the trio are the shortlist for a new striker after missing out on their top target.

The striker market is certainly an interesting one, and it would take a lot for Arsenal to prize Zirkzee away from AC Milan at this stage, especially with Manchester United also in the mix.

Arsenal target Joshua Zirkzee has been called up to the Dutch squad for Euro 2024 to replace other Arsenal target Brobbery.

It will give fans (and the club) a chance to watch the player for what is likely to be the first time for many.

AC Milan are in talks with the player’s agents currently, Fabrizio Romano says, but he will be in Germany for the Euros in the coming weeks!

Liverpool are said to have entered the race to sign Benfica midfielder Joao Neves.

Arsenal are amongst the teams – along with Manchester United and Chelsea plus more, we expect – to have been linked with the player.

The Reds reportedly are preparing a formal offer to be made soon and that they plan to trump their rivals.

According to Italian publication Calciomercato.com, AC Milan are in the market for a centre-half who’s comfortable on the left of the two. The report has named Jakub Kiwior of Arsenal and Diogo Leite of Union Berlin as two players who the Rossoneri are interested in.

Calciomercato adds that the German club could demand around £15.2m (€18m) for the 25-year-old defender, while it remains unclear how much the Gunners would want for the Polishman.

Speaking on the Premier League’s official YouTube channel while discussing Premier League stars competing at Euro 2024, Thierry Henry said: “You go to any town in and around Paris and you will find players.

“It’s a state of mind, it’s a way of living. When you’re in a one-vs-one with him, you’re like, ‘Okay, you’re not going anywhere, big man!’ I think this year he was, for me, the best centre-back in the league.”

Gary Neville has revealed which holding midfielder is better at defending – Rodri or Declan Rice. Speaking on The Overlap: Fan Debate Euros Special podcast, the former Manchester United defender said: “If we were playing a bigger team, a better team, I’d be worried.

“I’ll be honest with you, with that three [Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden] in midfield, I just would be. I just don’t think it gives that back four enough protection.

“And I don’t think he’s [Declan Rice] the most…he’s not a Rodri, in terms of defensive, sort of, if you like, stability.”

Victor Osimhen’s agent has spoken to Arsenal while a potential move to Chelsea is ‘slipping away’, it is claimed. In a column for II Roma, Italian journalist Giovanni Scotto said: “He will take some time because the Nigerian shouldn’t move before July.

“He’s waiting for the Premier League, with his agent who has spoken to Arsenal, while Chelsea seems to have slipped away. In the background remains Paris Saint Germain and obviously the Saudi Arabia scenarios.

“This could be the final alternative: Without offers in Europe, it seems certain the Osimhen will receive an offer from either Al Hilal or Al Ahli last summer had one worth 40 million per season.”

Diogo Costa could be on the move this summer. According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, Porto may be forced to make a big sale this summer, and the goalkeeper has been earmarked as a ‘serious candidate’ to leave.

The report states Costa has been monitored by several top European clubs for a while now, including Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea. O Jogo add that the 24-year-old has a £63.3m (€75m) release clause.

According to GiveMeSport, Arsenal want to sign a young and versatile left-back this summer. The report states that the Gunners like Jorrel Hato, although he’s now expected to stay at Ajax.

It’s said that Milos Kerkez has also been discussed by Arsenal. GiveMeSport adds that Chelsea and Manchester United have established ‘more serious interest’ in the Bournemouth ace recently. The Cherries don’t want to sell the Hungarian, who they value at around £35m.

Arsenal have been given a major boost to their hopes of signing Alphonso Davies. According to Spanish outlet Diario AS, the 23-year-old left-back has rejected Bayern Munich’s latest contract proposal, with his current deal set to expire in June 2025.

The report adds that there’s growing optimism at Real Madrid that a transfer can now be completed. Diario AS have outlined that the German club want £42.2m (€50m) for Davies, but Los Blancos are only willing to spend £25.3m (€30m).

Should the Gunners make a move for the defender?

Speaking to Evening Standard, Declan Rice said: “We know what we’ve got to do to win. We’ve got no excuses. The Euros are the last thing now that can really help me get over the hurt.

“Seeing Italy lift that cup in front of us last time: that feeling’s still in our belly. We want to get that now. Putting on that shirt before a major tournament again: that is such a good feeling. I feel like we’re ready… I’m ready.”

Lionel Messi has revealed he expects to end his club career at Inter Miami. When asked if the MLS outfit will be his last club in an interview with ESPN, the 36-year-old winger replied: “Yes. I think so, yes. Right now I think it’s going to be my last club, yes.”

He’s featured 29 times for Inter Miami during his first year at the club, scoring 25 goals and providing 16 assists. Messi played against Arsenal six times in the Champions League during his career, netting nine and setting up two.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Youssouf Fofana is expected to leave AS Monaco this summer. The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Arsenal lately as Mikel Arteta hopes to bolster his midfield options.

The report states that Paris Saint-Germain are not interested in Fofana, leaving the door wide open for the Gunners to get their man…

Speaking to Gambling Zone, Alan Smith said: “I don’t think Arsenal want to change Rice’s game, he did so well playing on the left side of the centre and getting into the box in the second half of the season.

“I think Arsenal will be looking for someone to come in and play deep, the role that Thomas Partey was performing towards the end of the season. If Partey were to leave the football club, that creates an opening.

“I like Douglas Luiz. I think his games come on an awful lot under Unai Emery. He’s shown that he can take on those strict orders of Emery. He’s got to do as he says, and that bodes well for the player’s character and his willingness to be disciplined out on the pitch…”

According to Spanish journalist Miguel Angel Diaz via COPE, Andriy Lunin has seen his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti go cold, which could open the door to a move this summer. The report states has named Arsenal as a potential suitor.

Thibaut Courtois suffered a nasty injury at the start of the season, so the Ukraine international played the bulk of the 2023/24 campaign for Real Madrid. He impressed but he wasn’t selected for the Champions League final, partly due to illness.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have ‘made a proposal’ to sign Ryan McAidoo from Chelsea, and it’s said that they’re leading the race for his signature. The report states that the Blues youngster is ‘expected to leave’ Stamford Bridge this summer.

Following his impressive performances for the Chelsea Under-18s, McAidoo earned a call-up to the England Under-17s in March. He enjoyed a pair of cameo appearances off the bench in wins against Northern Ireland and Hungary in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification.

Arsenal are interested in improving the forward line this window and one player being closely monitored is Nico Williams, football.london understands. The Athletic Bilbao star, 21, impressed for the Spanish side last season, scoring eight goals and assisting 17 in 37 appearances.

Capable of playing on either wing but perhaps more comfortable on the left, Williams reportedly has a €50million (£42.1million) release clause in his contract. The winger is part of Spain’s Euro 2024 squad and has also attracted interest from Barcelona and Tottenham.

Arsenal sporting director Edu spoke about Arsenal’s impressive goalscoring ability amid links to a striker earlier this year and it appears that the Brazilian is open to improving the front line.

Elvis Basanovic has revealed Benjamin Sesko was faced with ‘great temptation’ before signing a contract extension with RB Leipzig. The 21-year-old striker was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal before deciding to sign a new deal at the Red Bull Arena.

“As a football agent, it’s easy to talk about developing top talents… until you are faced with great temptation,” wrote Basanovic on Instagram. “In that moment, your values and vision are truly tested.

“When we say we are a leading agency in this part of Europe for the quality development of young talents, we mean it. We do what we say — and we say what we believe! Development is key. Step by step!”

Arsenal set a number of new club records during the 2023/24 campaign. The Gunners won more games than in any other Premier League season (28) and also scored more goals that in any other Premier League campaign (91).

In fact, only Manchester City scored more goals (96) than Mikel Arteta’s side last term, which is perhaps no surprise considering they have the likes of Erling Haaland in their squad. Despite Arsenal’s prolific scoring form, however, there have been cries for the club to sign an out and out No.9 this summer.

Benjamin Sesko was heavily linked with a move before he committed his future to RB Leipzig, while the likes of Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres and Joshua Zirkzee are just a handful of other names linked with a transfer to Emirates Stadium. The plan, however, was to never sign a prolific striker this summer.

Read the full story, here.

Arsenal will have to pay €75m if they are to sign Benjamin Sesko next summer as details of the forward’s new deal were revealed.

According to Bild, although there is no “release clause” in the forward’s new deal it does contain a “gentleman’s agreement” that would allow him to leave Leipzig for a fixed fee.

Sixteen-year-old Chido Obi-Martin reportedly heading for an exit from Arsenal after holding ‘advanced talks’ with Bayern Munich.

According to the Mirror, the forward, who has rejected a scholarship offer from the Gunners, is now in discussions with the Bundesliga giants over a summer move to Germany. Obi-Martin is said to also have attracted interest from Borussia Dortmund.

Borussia Dortmund forward Niclas Fullkrug says he is happy to play second fiddle to Kai Havertz for Germany at this summer’s European Championships.

Arsenal forward Havertz enjoyed a fine debut season at the Emirates and is expected to lead the line for Germany this summer, who will be looking to win the competition on home soil.

Speaking on his role as Havertz’s deputy, Fullkrug said: “The coach makes the decisions. We footballers were always taught to be competitive in our youth academies. That’s why we all want to play.

“But you always have to remember: It’s for a big and good cause. Kai has my absolute support and I wish him every goal he can score. You have to accept your role and see it as motivation. The important thing is that we all stay with a positive feeling.”

Arsenal are being linked with a move for Champions League-winning goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

The Ukrainian is contracted with Real Madrid until 2025 but has reportedly been offered a new five-year contract with the club. However, reports in Spain claim that Lunin has offers from clubs in Europe, including Arsenal, and could look to quit the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.

It is claimed one of the reasons Lunin could look to leave the 15-time Champions League winners is due to having a “cold relationship” with Carlo Ancelotti.

Lunin starred in Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final win over Manchester City but was benched for the final victory over Borussia Dortmund.

Benjamin Sesko is reportedly set to snub interest from Arsenal and Manchester United and pen a new deal with RB Leipzig.

The 21-year-old Slovenia international had been tipped for a big-money move to the Premier League this summer but, according to Fabrizio Romano, has decided to extend his stay in the Bundesliga.

It is claimed the contract with improved terms will include a “gentleman’s agreement” to facilitate a future exit.

Good morning and welcome to football.london’s LIVE Arsenal transfer blog.

If yesterday is anything to go by then it promises to be a busy day of paper talk. On Tuesday, of course, it emerged that Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko was set to snub interest from the Premier League to stay with RB Leipzig.

Meanwhile, Andriy Lunin of Real Madrid and Joshua Zirkzee of Bologna are being linked with summer moves to the Emirates Stadium.

Grab yourself a brew and stick with us as we bring you all the latest Arsenal news.