Welcome to the football.london transfer briefing. To help you keep on top of all things Arsenal going on in the market we've got the latest noises coming from social media, journalists and so-called ITKs, rounding up what's what in the world of the Gunners.
Rice sends clear message
Declan Rice is reportedly waiting for Arsenal to match West Ham's £100 million valuation after Manchester City failed in their opening offer of £90m.
The Gunners have, so far, had two bids turned down for the England international and remain the frontrunners to sign Rice. football.london understands a third bid will be lodged in the coming days, with the club well-aware of the 24-year-old's preference to move to the Emirates Stadium.
football.london says: The saga continues. A bidding war has commenced which is exactly what Arsenal were not hoping for. However, they remain in a strong position to secure the signing of the summer.
It's a simple procedure from here. If Arsenal's imminent third bid is close to West Ham's preferred fee, they will almost certainly get their man. If not, they face losing out to their closest Premier League rivals and back to square one.
The fact that Rice prefers a move to north London over treble-winners Man City speaks for itself and should be the motivation behind Stan Kroenke coughing up the fee needed.
Holding close to exit
Arsenal defender Rob Holding is reportedly in talks with Turkish side Besiktas. It's said that the centre-back could leave the Gunners on loan this summer ahead of Jurrien Timber's arrival from Ajax.
The Express have claimed the 27-year-old has been the subject of a permanent offer elsewhere.
football.london says: Last season's performances probably justify the decision to allow Rob Holding to leave the club. He was never bad, but was certainly far off in comparison to his teammates.
Timber's signing only pushes him further down the pecking order at Arsenal and only being able to play in a single position goes against the key ingredient that Mikel Arteta looks for in players. When looking across his options in defence, they can all take up two or more positions in the starting XI but Holding can't.
Some supporters may be sad to see him leave after joining in 2016 under Arsene Wenger. But with Arsenal preparing to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League next season, the time now feels right.
