Mikel Arteta eager to secure services of Dani Ceballos for another season; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang close to signing new contract
Friday 21 August 2020 07:34, UK
Following the arrivals of Willian, Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares at the Emirates Stadium, Sky Sports News looks at Arsenal's transfer plans for the rest of the summer window.
Sky Sports News understands Dani Ceballos signing on loan for Arsenal again next season remains a possibility.
Talks are ongoing between the Gunners and his parent club Real Madrid over securing another loan deal for the midfielder, with Ceballos believed to be keen on staying at Arsenal.
Ceballos is expected to link up with Zinedine Zidane's side for pre-season training, ahead of the 2020/21 La Liga campaign, while negotiations continue.
He is under contract at Real Madrid until 2023, and has featured in 56 games for the club since his arrival at the Bernabeu from Real Betis in 2017.
It is unlikely that Arsenal will be able to negotiate a permanent deal for the 24-year-old, but head coach Mikel Arteta is intent on securing his services for again for next season.
Ceballos exclusively told Sky Sports last month that he is enjoying life playing under Arteta and remains open to staying at the Emirates Stadium.
He featured in every FA Cup game for the Gunners on their way to lifting the trophy, and played 24 times in the Premier League this season.
Lille have told Sky Sports News that three clubs have met their asking price for their Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes, with those sides believed to be Arsenal, Everton and Napoli.
Lille says that the player will decide his future this week and then a deal will be finalised with his chosen club.
Arsenal are in the market for a left-footed central defender. If Gabriel arrives, then Arsenal would have eight central defenders in their squad.
David Luiz has signed a one-year extension, while Pablo Mari and William Saliba have recently joined the club.
Rob Holding, meanwhile, has three years remaining on his deal, and those four are expected to be who Arteta chooses from next season.
Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis have entered the final year of their deals - and there are no signs that their contracts will be renewed at this stage. Calum Chambers has two years left and his versatility could yet see him play a role.
Mesut Ozil has previously indicated he is staying at Arsenal for the remainder of his contract but it is clear he is not in Arteta's plans.
Ideally, Arsenal would like to offload the former Germany international to get his huge wages off the payroll but that is easier said than done. Ozil has entered the final year of his contract and appears happy to see it out.
The 31-year-old has not played a single minute for the Gunners since the Premier League restarted, the club have maintained that he has been absent from matches with a back injury.
An agreement is close between Arsenal and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over a new three-year contract for the Gabon international.
The player sent out a cryptic tweet of an hourglass emoji as the forward is close to ending speculation about his future with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Arsenal like Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey - but any moves that require significant outlays would require sales of current squad players.
Matteo Guendouzi has fallen out of favour under Arteta and his age and profile could generate substantial money.
Alexandre Lacazette is attracting interest from Juventus, and the French forward was often dropped in favour of Eddie Nketiah at the end of the campaign.
Lacazette has two years remaining on his contract and there are no musings yet of a new deal.
Arteta likes him and is not looking to sell the striker, but he may be one to keep an eye on as Arsenal look to rebuild.
Arsenal could also generate funds with the potential sales of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mohamed Elneny, Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sead Kolasinac, but it will be very difficult to get such a huge turnaround of ins and outs in one summer transfer window.
All the latest news, analysis and rumours from the window in one place.
The summer transfer widow will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.
A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday, October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
