Arsenal all set to rebuild their squad this summer

Arsenal are all set to rebuild their squad this summer and their first priority will be to find an agreement with Pierre Emerick Aubameyang to extend his stay at the club, according to Charles Watts of Goal. 

Aubameyang has entered the final year of his deal with Arsenal. The Gunners are on the verge of offering their captain a new three year deal which will see him make significantly more than £200,000 a week which is what his current wages are. 

The club have been locked in talks with the player and his representatives for weeks but no concrete offer has been made as both Arsenal and Aubameyang have been completely focussed on the FA Cup final. Victory in the cup final means that the North London club have qualified for next season’s Europa league and they stand to make as much as £35 million as a result.

Barcelona are interested in signing the Gabonese striker after club president Jose Maria Bartomeu recently said the Catalan club would not be able to sign PSG’s Neymar or Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez this summer due to financial constraints. The Blaugrana view Aubameyang as a more affordable alternative who would significantly improve their attack.

Arsenal want to find an agreement with their talisman at the earliest to avoid losing him to the Spanish giants. They would like to have clarity on Aubameyang’s future very soon as this will have a big impact on their transfer plans. 

If the Gabonese international indicates that he does not see his long term future at Arsenal, the club will have to make a decision on whether to sell the player this summer and find a replacement or keep him and let him leave the club for free next year. 

The North London club will look to move a reasonable number of their players on as they attempt to raise funds for the rebuild. Matteo Guendouzi’s days at Arsenal seem numbered after he failed to apologise to Arteta for his behaviour in the closing stages of the club’s defeat to Brighton more than a month ago. 

He has been training away from the first team on the orders of the head coach. The former Lorient midfielder has been coming in earlier than the rest of the squad and finishing his sessions before they get to London Colney. The Gunners are open to receiving cash-only offers for the French midfielder but are also inclined to include him in swap deals to sign players they are interested in like Altetico Madrid’s Thomas Partey.

It is understood that Mikel Arteta is keen on signing a box to box midfielder this summer and Partey is the club’s primary target. The Ghanaian midfielder has a release clause of £45 million. If they fail to bring him to the Emirates, Porto’s Danilo Pereira is viewed as a viable alternative.

The club is willing to listen to offers for Kolasinac, Elneny, Torreira, Sokratis and Rob Holding. Arsenal are keen on moving Mesut Ozil on. The German playmaker is the highest earner at the club and makes £350,000 pounds a week. 

The Gunners would be able to save £18 million if they managed to sell the former Real Madrid star this summer. Based on what has been said by Ozil and his agent, however, it does not look like he will leave Arsenal this summer, despite the fact that he hasn’t played a single minute of football since the Premier League restarted. 

Alexander Lacazette has two years remaining on his deal and the North London club will have to have discussions with the player and his representatives about his future. Arteta is known to like the French striker but the club must make a decision on whether they would like to offer the 29 year old a new deal or look to move him on this summer. 

Dani Ceballos looks likely to stay at Arsenal for another year and the Gunners are currently in talks with Willian’s representatives to sign the player on a free transfer. 

Philippe Coutinho could sign for Arsenal on loan this summer after being offered to the club by Barcelona who are desperate to move him on. 

Arteta is keen on signing another centre back despite Pablo Mari and William Saliba joining the club permanently. Malang Sarr, who is now a free agent after his contract with Nice expired, is a player the Gunners are interested in. Axel Disasi of Stade de Reims has been linked with the North London club as has Diego Carlos of Sevilla.