Arsenal wrapped up their pre-season preparations with a thumping 6-0 win over Sevilla in the Emirates Cup on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners ran riot in the opening stages and were 4-0 up by the 19th minute as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus struck quick-fire braces. Jesus then wrapped up his hat-trick midway through the second half and Eddie Nketiah added a sixth as Mikel Arteta's side ended pre-season with a convincing success.
It has been a positive summer for Arteta's men, who have won all six of their friendlies in front of fans and are looking in fine fettle ahead of their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Friday. But Arteta is still searching for more signings to add to the five he has already made so far, while there could be some outgoings.
Mirror Football takes a look at all the latest transfer stories coming out of the Emirates Stadium…
Mari refuses Fenerbache move
Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has refused to join Turkish side Fenerbache, according to journalist Luca Bendoni. The centre-back has been linked with a move away from the Gunners this summer, with his game time set to be limited during the 2022/23 season.
The 28-year-old is one of seven Gunners players up for sale after being deemed as surplus to requirements by Arteta. The Super Lig side reportedly lodged a bid for the Spaniard earlier in the week as they look to replace Kim Min-jae following his switch to Napoli.
However, Mari has supposedly refused to join Fenerbache after he remained as an unused substitute in the Gunners' thrashing of Sevilla. The reason behind this is not yet known, with a number of other clubs interested in the player.
Everton join Paqueta race
Another player that Arsenal could be set to miss out on this summer is Lyon playmaker Lucas Paqueta, who has been strongly linked with a move to the Gunners in the transfer window but is yet to agree any deal with Mikel Arteta’s side.
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According to Calciomercato, Premier League rivals Everton have joined Arsenal in the race to sign the attacking midfielder, with Lyon said to be open to a sale for the player if a respectable bid comes in, despite the Brazilian only joining in 2020.
The Gunners have already added Fabio Vieira to their midfield this summer, along with Marquinhos and Gabriel Jesus to their attack, but Arteta and technical director Edu are keen on adding another midfielder who can be a reliable source of goals to their ranks. However, there is plenty of competition for his signature.
Enquiries made over Jarrod Bowen
Another striking option for Arsenal this summer is West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen, with the Gunners’ interest in the England international well publicised of late, although it has now been revealed that they have made enquiries to the Hammers over a potential transfer.
That’s according to CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs, who has revealed to Give Me Sport that Mikel Arteta’s side have enquired about adding him to their squad this summer, although the East Londoners are desperate to keep him following an impressive season that yielded 17 goals and 13 assists in all competitions.
Jacobs said that “Arsenal have definitely made an enquiry around Bowen to see what the situation is”, but have been told that the Hammers don’t want to sell, although he also mentions that it might not be impossible for the Gunners to persuade them.
