Arsenal eye ending contract of drastically devalued player, PLUS other top trending stories.
Arsenal are reportedly considering terminating winger Nicolas Pépé's contract early, following his fall from favour under Mikel Arteta. This comes despite the club's successful summer transfer window which saw the acquisition of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurriën Timber. Pépé joined Arsenal in 2019 for a record fee of £72m, but his value has since plummeted to £15.5m. The 28-year-old Ivory Coast player spent last season on loan at Nice, scoring eight goals before a knee injury.
Arsenal's £38m signing, Jurrien Timber, may be sidelined for several months due to a significant knee ligament injury. His injury could potentially delay or prevent the predicted exit of Kieran Tierney from the club. Tierney, who had been expected to leave before the September 1 transfer deadline, might be moved up the pecking order. This comes amid interest from Newcastle United and Celtic to sign Tierney. Meanwhile, Gunners' Oleksandr Zinchenko is still recovering from a muscular injury.
Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney is likely to leave the club before the transfer window closes after being omitted from the season's first match. Tierney fell to a backup role last season after only starting six Premier League games. Real Sociedad is currently the frontrunner to sign the Scotland international, but Arsenal wants a permanent deal while Sociedad prefers a loan. Newcastle United, who have already spent £130m on transfers this summer, could also compete for Tierney but in a loan arrangement.
Newcastle United is reportedly interested in bringing Arsenal's Kieran Tierney to St James’ Park on a loan deal. Despite Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's previous assurance that Tierney was in their plans, the defender was conspicuously absent from a recent match's squad. Celtic is also still in the race for Tierney, with both clubs considering similar loan deal arrangements. Arsenal is asking for £25-30 million for a permanent transfer but is also considering a loan as an option.
Arsenal will begin the 2023-24 Premier League campaign against Nottingham Forest, aiming for the title after a narrow miss last season against Manchester City. Opta's supercomputer has simulated the upcoming season's results, providing an average points prediction for each team. Other first-weekend games include Crystal Palace and West Ham United's matches at Sheffield United and Bournemouth, along with Fulham's game at Everton. Premier League fans can look forward to a London derby between Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur and a Chelsea-Liverpool match at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal winger, Marquinhos, is set to continue his development at Nantes with a season-long loan. The 20-year-old Brazilian joined Arsenal from Sao Paulo last summer in a £3m deal, but made only six appearances for the club, scoring once in the Europa League. The loan deal with Nantes does not include a purchase option or obligation. Noted for his positive attitude, he has won the respect and admiration of Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta.
Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne is set to be sidelined for an extended period following a hamstring injury sustained during their opening Premier League match against Burnley. Manager Pep Guardiola expressed concern about the repeat nature of the injury, which had seen de Bruyne limp off during the Champions League final in May. De Bruyne has been a crucial player for City, contributing 31 assists and 10 goals last season. Despite the setback, Man City secured a 3-0 victory over Burnley, with Erling Haaland scoring twice and Rodri securing a closing goal.
Wolverhampton Wanderers enter the 2023/24 Premier League season amidst managerial changes, with newly appointed head coach Gary O’Neil replacing Julen Lopetegui. Despite concerns of the team being relegated due to the upheaval and lack of transfers, a new data model from BetVictor using the Monte Carlo method and Poisson distributions suggests a different outcome. The model, which simulates each team’s 38 matches 10,000 times, expects the Wolves to remain in the Premier League.
Arsenal's Declan Rice is reportedly persuading fellow England player Harry Maguire to join West Ham United, his former club. West Ham's David Moyes is prepared to spend £60 million to sign Maguire and Scott McTominay from Manchester United. Meanwhile, Serie A team Inter Milan continues to show interest in Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu, even though Arsenal is not keen to sell the player. They are reportedly ready to put forward a £16 million offer to convince Arsenal.
Arsenal is looking to strengthen its side with a potential swap deal for Inter Milan's Nicolò Barella, offering Folarin Balogun and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Arsenal's interest in the highly sought-after player is 'concrete and serious'. Inter Milan is said to be seeking at least £68 million for Barella, who scored nine goals and ten assists last season. The Gunners have already spent £200 million on signings Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, and Kai Havertz this summer.
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