Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Rice’s preferred destination named amid Man City interest, Timber wants to join, £65m Kai Havertz set for medical
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news, gossip and rumours from Arsenal in talkSPORT's live blog.
The summer window is almost open and Mikel Arteta is out to boost his squad to give them the best chance of mounting another title charge next season.
The Gunners came close to a first Premier League title in 19 years having finished five points behind champions Manchester City.
With City's dominance unlikely to waver and the clubs who finished below them set to get stronger, Arsenal are now set for huge activity both in and out of the Emirates to maintain their status alongside the elite.
Top stories
- Arsenal's second Declan Rice bid set to be REJECTED by West Ham
- Southampton will demand a £50million fee for Arsenal target Romeo Lavia
- Thomas Partey could be allowed to leave Arsenal
- Arsenal have bid rejected by Chelsea for Kai Havertz with player open to Emirates Stadium transfer
- Arsenal chief drops Ilkay Gundogan transfer hint
Follow our live blog below for all the latest news from Arsenal…
Sandro Tonali’s imminent £60million move to Newcastle could provide an unlikely boost to Arsenal.
The Serie A giants have been heavily linked with a move for Gunners striker Folarin Balogun this summer and now the club may be able to afford his £35m price tag.
football.london claims that the USMNT international will be free to leave the Emirates in search of more game.
Arsenal are reportedly set for a midfield clearout this summer.
The Evening standard clam that Thomas Partey is attracting interest from Juventus and clubs in Saudi Arabia and he is available for the right price.
Granit Xhaka is set to depart for Bayer Leverkusen but Arsenal will only sanction his sale if they complete a move for Declan Rice.
The report adds that Albert Sambi Lokonga is another expected to depart, with Burnley keen on a move.
Arsenal could sanction the departure of Thomas Partey this summer, according to reports.
The Ghana international has two years left on his deal at the Emirates, with no talks planned to extend his stay.
A moved to Saudi Arabia has been mooted, but according to Sky Italy, the midfielder is keen to make the move to Turin.
The news outlet states that the 30-year-old has been identified as the ideal replacement for Adrien Rabiot, should he leave Juventus this summer.
It has been said that Partey has agreed to join the Old Lady, who are prepared to pay Arsenal between £15.4million-£17m.
A three-year contract is claimed to be on the table for the former Atletico Madrid star.
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has been left unsettled by the impending arrival of Kai Havertz, according to reports.
The Sun claims that the 24-year-old faces being pushed further down the pecking order following the signing of Havertz at the Emirates.
The report adds that Nketiah’s stance has put a string of Premier League clubs – including West Ham, Crystal Palace and Fulham – on red alert, but Arsenal are in no rush to move him on.
Manchester City are yet to turn their interest in Arsenal target Declan Rice into a formal bid.
The Manchester Evening News claim City are weighing up the pros and cons of signing the West Ham captain.
It has been said that despite City being able to match West Ham’s £100million asking price, they are reluctant to spend extravagantly.
The Citizens are desperate to bolster their defence with Aymeric Laporte facing an uncertain future, as RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol continues to be linked.
The MEN have also declared that Rice is not seen as a direct replacement for Barcelona-bound Ilkay Gundogan as he does not provide the same goal threat as the German.
Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has claimed he rejected a move to West Ham before joining the Gunners.
On how his move to the Emirates came about, Kiwior told Wprost: “No, it was more about the league.
“I had an offer from West Ham United before, which I turned down. They weren’t on the table, but they showed up. Then Arsenal came along and that was something special for me.”
Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has claimed Declan Rice is ready for Arsenal – but he admitted that he’s not sure he’s their first priority.
He told Neue Online Casinos: There have been some rumours about Arsenal before, but they seem to be increasing again. I’m not 100% convinced this is the first position Mikel is going to strengthen first, but he is a really strong candidate.
He has done so well at West Ham; I’ve watched their last few games and he has shown exactly why people are talking about him so highly. It’s not going to be an easy transfer because of the high price, but the market is crazy nowadays – you have to pay expensive fees for good players.
Declan Rice is ready for a big move, he has given a massive contribution to West Ham, so let’s wait and see what happens in the transfer market. West Ham are more than entitled to listen to offers for their player in the market, it won’t be only Arsenal trying to sign him in the window.
There will be big competition for Arsenal to try and sign him, from across Europe.
Normally you see this sort of price for strikers, not central midfielders. It feels quite high, even though there is no doubting the quality of the player, but it does feel like a very high price.
When you compare him to other players who play in a similar position and have moved for big money, he offers a different perception and the price is totally different. Ultimately, it will all depend on the needs of the market.
Declan Rice would like some assurances from Manchester City if he is to choose the club over Arsenal.
The Daily Star claims that the West Ham captain wants a guarantee that Pep Guardiola will stay as manager, with the Spaniard’s current contract due to expire in 2025.
The report adds that Rice is seeking a long-term role at City and is keen to play a key part from the start and avoid the trend set by Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips by spending a season on the sidelines.
Manchester United are hopeful their third offer for Arsenal target Mason Mount will be accepted by Chelsea, talkSPORT understands.
United are preparing an offer of £55m plus add-ons, taking the overall package to around £60m.
Mount has made it clear he wants to move to Old Trafford despite interest from the Gunners and is seen as a priority target by United manager Erik ten Hag.
David James says it’s an 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 choice for Declan Rice to choose Manchester City over Arsenal.
He said: “Declan Rice is top drawer and Man City are the best team in Europe, probably going to be the best in the world in a few months when they win the Club World Cup and if Declan Rice is part of that he deserves to be so all the best to him if it happens.
“Why would he want to play for Arsenal? One team is the European, FA Cup, Premier League champions and the other is neither, or none.”
Manchester City star Jack Grealish has dropped a major hint around Arsenal target Declan Rice’s future.
The West Ham skipper seems set to depart the London Stadium with Manchester City and Arsenal both desperate to sign him.
Despite the Citizens entering the race late, talkSPORT understands the Gunners are still hopeful of completing a deal.
But judging by Grealish’s social media activity, Rice could be on his way to the Etihad.
The England international has liked a post on Twitter from a West Ham fan account, who tweeted, “Westchester City,” in reference to City’s interest in Rice.
Hello and welcome back to talkSPORT’s Arsenal blog – our top story this morning is…
The Gunners remain Declan Rice’s preferred destination, talkSPORT understands.
Manchester City are showing a strong interest in the West Ham captain and are weighing up a big-money offer.
But Arsenal are still hopeful of doing a deal for their main transfer target this summer and are set to table another bid.
Mikel Arteta’s side have already made two offers for Rice this summer with the latest worth up to £90million.
But West Ham value their prized asset at more than £100million.
That fee would not be a problem for Premier League champions Manchester City, who West Ham are now expecting to enter the race.
City’s interest and the lure of playing for Pep Guardiola could be a major lure for Rice.
Arsenal are set to face competition from Manchester City for Declan Rice’s signature after seeing their first two offers rejected by West Ham.
However, the Daily Mail report the Gunners are hopeful of beating their Premier League rivals to Rice because Mikel Arteta sees him as the club’s future captain.
He wouldn’t immediately replace Martin Odegaard but is expected to form a part of the leadership group.
The London giants are going to make a third offer for Rice, with the Hammers looking for £100million to sell their captain and Rice favours a move to the Emirates over any other destination because he knows he would be a key player.
Sam Allardyce believes that Manchester City will win the race to sign Declan Rice.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have also been linked with a move for the West Ham star, however Pep Guardiola’s side have now entered the race and are growing in confidence.
Asked who will sign him, Allardyce told the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: “Man City – and someone will go the other way.
“If I know Moysey [West Ham boss David Moyes], there would have to be a player in the deal for him and that would mean it would be easier for the club who is buying him because they wouldn’t have to pay David Sullivan’s asking price.
“It would be over £100million in total but it would be so much under that if they include a player that would take the deal over £100m. And then David gets a new player he needs.”
Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe is part of the England team kicking off their European Under-21 Championship campaign against the Czech Republic.
The game is NOT on television, but there IS live commentary on talkSPORT 2, with a live blog of all the action right here on talkSPORT.com.
Arsenal have been linked with a host of stars since Mikel Arteta’s appointment but there have been plenty that have got away.
The Spaniard guided the Gunners to a second place Premier League finish last season however it may have been so different with names that slipped through the net.
Here talkSPORT takes a look at the ones they nearly signed and put together a pretty decent staring XI.
Arsenal reportedly have a secret weapon in their pursuit of Jurrien Timber.
The Daily Mail claim Timber is ‘keen’ to move the Emirates and the Gunners advantage over their Premier League rivals could come in the form of the club’s former head of recruitment.
Sven Mislintat, who spent two years at the Emirates between 2017 and 2019, is now in charge of transfers at Ajax having been named their director of football in April.
Kalvin Phillips could hold the key to Man City’s pursuit of Declan Rice, according to Simon Jordan.
He told talkSPORT: “There are a variety of ways this deal can be done, and if there’s a situation where West Ham are prepared to let Declan Rice go in exchange for something in return…
“Suddenly you’re doing a £75m deal with cash, plus you’re taking Kalvin Phillips, and you’re making it happen that way.
“That might not be the case, it might be unfair to put him [Phillips] in the equation.
“But West Ham are going to have a need, they’re going to have to replace this player and Phillips might be the makeweight.”
Dwight Yorke says it should be an easy decision for Declan Rice to sign for Man City this summer.
“Declan Rice will have to sit down and decide what is the best choice for him in the summer,” Yorke told Lord Ping.
“I don’t think money will be an issue, but you’re leaving West Ham to go win trophies and to play in the Champions League.
“Does Rice want to leave London? He could stay and play for Arsenal who have a project full of young guys there who are trending in the right direction. Chelsea are going through a transition, would he want to go into an uncertain period at the club? Manchester United are the biggest club in England, but would he want the pressure of playing for such a big club? It will be a personal choice.
“If it was me and Manchester City were interested, then they would be the first choice because of how they play and the trophies they win.
“I wouldn’t rule Manchester United out because they’re on an upwards trajectory and want to get better. I wouldn’t go to Chelsea at the moment because of the disgruntled team.
“Arsenal would be a good choice if I wanted to stay in London, but Manchester City would be my first choice and Manchester United second.”
Arsenal have now been handed a further blow in the race for Declan Rice.
West Ham are expecting Manchester United to also enter the bidding for Rice, report The Times.
The Red Devils aren’t willing to meet the Hammers’ £100million valuation of their captain, but are willing to include players in a part exchange deal.
Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire are two stars United are said to be willing to include.
talkSPORT understands West Ham are interested in McTominay, while the Hammers are also open to offers for Tomas Soucek who has one year left on his current deal at the London Stadium.
Declan Rice is ‘open to any move’ this summer.
That’s according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who has provided an update on the situation surrounding the West Ham captain’s future this afternoon.
“Manchester City have decided to bid for Declan Rice after calling West Ham last Friday to be informed,” the journalist wrote on Twitter.
“Man City also checked player’s side — understand Rice is open to any move so deal depends on the clubs now.
“Arsenal, planning to bid again since last week.”
Thomas Partey is reportedly getting closer to an Arsenal exit.
The Athletic claim that the Ghanian’s representatives and the club itself are both working on potential exit solutions for the midfielder.
The report adds that the situation is not believed to be advancing rapidly but there is interest in the 30-year-old from clubs in Saudi Arabia.
Arsenal have been handed a major boost in the pursuit of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Timber has agreed to join Arsenal and the club are advancing on full agreement on personal terms.
The report adds that negotiations will follow between Ajax and Arsenal in the next hours and days but a new bid from the Gunners is expected soon.
Manchester City have a secret weapon to beat Arsenal in the race to land Declan Rice.
Well, that’s according to Simon Jordan, who predicted yesterday that Kalvin Phillips could be used as a makeweight – a move that would greatly benefit West Ham.
Responding to Phillips’ comments that he wants to stay at City this season, Jordan said: “What Kalvin Phillips says and what Pep Guardiola tells him might be two different things,” says Simon Jordan.
“If he says he wants to stay at Man City and Guardiola says, ‘that’s very commendable son, by you ain’t playing’, then his attitude will have to change.
“There are a variety of ways this deal can be done because West Ham are going to have a need, they’re going to have to replace this player and Phillips could be the makeweight.
“Suddenly you’re doing a £75m deal with cash, plus you’re taking Kalvin Phillips, and you’re making it happen that way.”
Arsenal have been joined in the race to sign Declan Rice by Manchester City.
The Athletic report that City are expected to make an opening offer for the West Ham midfielder.
The report adds that it is believed Arsenal are getting closer to a fee that the Hammers are chasing having had two official offers rejected already.
