Arsenal information: £80m switch bid ‘imminent’ as Mikel Arteta makes confession

Arsenal are expected to be busy in the final two weeks of the summer transfer window, with Mikel Arteta looking to strengthen the Premier League champions

Arsenal fans are looking forward to another thrilling season as the reigning Premier League champions get set to defend their crown.

Mikel Arteta’s men thrashed Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield on Sunday and look to have an edge over their title rivals when it comes to the quality and depth within their squad. New summer signings Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes both featured from the start and caught the eye.

Arteta is still seeking a flexible defender to cover for the injured William Saliba, plus a world-class attacker to give the Gunners the firepower needed to go one step further in the Champions League after the crushing defeat on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the showpiece of club football in May. However, the North London giants may also have to work on outgoings to fund new recruits. Here’s the latest news from the Emirates Stadium.

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Gyokeres offer ‘imminent’

Spanish publication Sport has claimed Barcelona are set to table a bid for Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres ‘imminently’.

The La Liga champions are hunting for a forward to fill the void left by Ferran Torres after the World Cup winner moved to Paris Saint-Germain for £43m.

Barcelona’s primary target is Julian Alvarez – also coveted at Arsenal – but Atletico Madrid are declining to offload the Argentine to a direct competitor. Consequently, Barca have supposedly switched their focus to Gyokeres.

The report suggested Barcelona would sound out the Emirates Stadium hierarchy and “make movements in the next few hours” to sign the £80m-rated ace.

The Swede, 28, arrived at Arsenal last summer in a transfer worth up to £64m and was expected to finally conclude Arteta’s lengthy hunt for a prolific No.9.

Yet despite netting 21 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign for the Gunners, Gyokeres’ overall contribution fell short of expectations and he frequently disappeared during crucial matches, reports the Mirror.

This sparked speculation about his possible departure earlier this summer, with earlier reports suggesting Arsenal were prepared to include Gyokeres in a player-plus-cash proposal for Alvarez.

Rivals circling for Nwaneri

Fabrizio Romano delivered shocking news during Arsenal’s victory over City on Sunday by revealing the decision has already been taken for Ethan Nwaneri to depart the Gunners within the next fortnight.

He posted on X that the club reached the decision weeks ago to allow the 19-year-old, who was loaned out for the latter half of last season, to leave.

This followed Nwaneri’s absence from the bench for the Community Shield match. The adaptable young player was spotted observing from the sidelines with Gabriel Martinelli, another player strongly rumoured to be on the move this summer, as their colleagues participated in the trophy celebrations at the Principality Stadium.

Romano has since reiterated his claim that several clubs have already approached Arsenal about a potential deal for Nwaneri, including AC Milan, Galatasaray and unnamed German teams. He further stated on his YouTube channel that there is an expectation within Arsenal that Premier League clubs are now likely to enter the competition for his signature.

Nwaneri is reportedly consulting with his agents and family before deciding on his next step following an unsuccessful loan spell at Marseille last season.

Arteta hinted the teen may be on his way, stating ahead of the Community Shield: “I want him to be at the club but something is in the medium-long term what is best for the player as well.

“Ethan needs to play football and if he stays here it’s because we can guarantee that he can have those minutes.”