Your morning Arsenal transfer round-up on Monday, May 29.
Martinelli's instruction
It wasn't just Granit Xhaka that was serenaded by Arsenal fans after the 5-0 demolition of Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The Swiss midfielder score two on what could be his last match for the club and was the centre of attention throughout.
With a contract expiring in 2024 he is now expected to leave the club this summer. William Saliba is in a similar position, even with his option for an extra year. He isn't one on the way out but with players across the league running down their deal, it's one that Arsenal won't want to drag on.
Saliba hasn't been involved for nearly over two and a half months, now, after going off injured in the Europa League loss to Sporting CP. His absence coincided with the collapse of the title challenge.
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He proved his worth during an impressive debut season in England and teammate Gabriel Martinelli was amongst those keen to point it out on the final day as Arsenal fans came together to applaud him for his efforts. The underlying message is certainly that a new deal is needed as soon as possible.
Read the full story, here.
Double transfer battle
Arsenal will have to beat off competition from Chelsea in order to not only sign Declan Rice but also to take Mason Mount off their hands. The 24-year-old has just over 12 months left on his contract and will be sold this summer if a deal cannot be agreed to extend.
He has a preference to join Manchester United, who are also interested, it has been reported. However, Arsenal have shown their desire to add a new midfielder to the squad quickly whereas the Red Devils are looking elsewhere on the pitch first.
According to transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, there will be a bidding war at hand. "This is what they (Chelsea) want, they want to start a bidding war for Mason Mount," he said.
“They want more than £80 million for Mason Mount. But he’s out of contract next summer and this is not an easy situation to handle because the expectation around the player is for the price tag to be different, to be less than £80m.
Read the full story, here.
Declan Rice message
One of Arsenal's top summer targets has been sent a clear message heading into the summer. Declan Rice is expected to finally leave West Ham this summer with Arsenal amongst the interested teams.
For the Gunners he is their priority signing but have to battle with Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich to make it happen with the 24-year-old rated as one of the world's best. There is also an emotional connection to consider, too.
Rice is his club's captain and is adored by the Hammers fans. After their final day of the season loss to Leicester he was greeted with cries of 'one more year' from the travelling supporters.
Read the full story, here.
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