Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Kaya Kaynak

Kylian Mbappe verdict, Romeo Lavia chance, Aurelien Tchouameni doubt - Arsenal transfers rated

It's been a busy summer for Arsenal so far. We're not even midway through July, but the Gunners have already completed one transfer with two more imminent so far.

The first deal to be completed was one for Chelsea's Kai Havertz for a fee of up to £65million. That is set to be followed by moves for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, which should take the summer spending over £200million.

Edu has no intention of stopping there, however. Arsenal will continue to be linked to plenty of players before the transfer window slams shut on September 1. Here football.london gives their verdict on the likelihood of them arriving at the Emirates Stadium.

Kylian Mbappe

Once again this summer, the biggest saga in world football looks likely to surround Kylian Mbappe. The 24-year-old signed a two-year contract extension last summer, but PSG are determined not to lose him on a free transfer. Something will have to give.

There have been some suggestions that Mbappe is a fan of Mikel Arteta's project at Arsenal. Still though, it's probably safe to assume that the Frenchman will not be on his way to the Emirates Stadium this summer. His preference has always been Real Madrid, and with the amount of money Arsenal have already spent this summer, it's hard to see the Gunners being able to afford him.

Romeo Lavia

One deal that does look far more likely is one for Romeo Lavia. It will likely depend on outgoings though. Arsenal are willing to accept a suitable offer for Thomas Partey, with the Ghanaian having just two years left on his contract. If the 30-year-old were to leave then he would need replacing.

Lavia is one of the players Arsenal are said to be considering. The Gunners would like to make that position considerably younger this summer, with Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny their current other options in the number six role. At 19-years-of-age Lavia fits the bill. Southampton would need to climb down on their £50million asking price though before a deal can be struck.

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta already has £45m Bukayo Saka Arsenal back-up plan after pre-season experiment

Moises Caicedo

In January, Arsenal went hard to get Moises Caicedo. The Gunners wanted both him and Declan Rice back then, but it seems far less likely now.

Brighton are said to want north of £100million for the Ecuadorian this summer. It's hard to see Arsenal offering that now. They still do have an interest in Caicedo, but Chelsea appear to have stolen a march in the race for him. At this point in time, it appears Stamford Bridge is his more likely destination, with Roberto De Zerbi having confirmed that he will leave the Amex.

Aurelien Tchouameni

Given the potential that Arsenal go back in for a midfielder you could probably make more of a case for Aurelien Tchouameni coming to Arsenal. After the signing of Jude Bellingham, the Frenchman may have some concerns over his game time with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos still being at the club.

Still though this one looks unlikely for Arsenal. Again you've got to look at the financials. Tchouameni would command big wages, and his fee would be pretty large too. Make no mistake, he'd improve the squad, but it's hard to see this one happening sadly.

Ivan Fresneda

Arsenal held meetings with Fresneda's representatives in January and indicated that they could be back in for him in the summer. Now though they have struck a deal with Ajax for Jurrien Timber.

The plan is for Timber to play at right-back and invert on that side in the way Oleksandr Zinchenko does on the left. That would appear to put a spanner in the works of a deal for Fresneda, particularly when you consider Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both at the club. A move for the Spaniard looks unlikely currently, but he is certainly a player who Mikel Arteta really likes.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.