A member of Mikel Arteta's squad at Arsenal is said to have already agreed to join West Ham, and they're pushing to completely seal a deal by the end of this week.
Players who could be sold or loaned out by Arsenal
A quartet of senior first team squad players in Cedric Soares, Mohamed Elneny, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares have already departed the Emirates Stadium, but many more could well follow them.
Arteta sees £51k-per-week ace as a potential bargain signing for Arsenal
The Spaniard thinks he represents good market value.
ByEmilio GalantiniJul 16, 2024
Soares and Elneny waved goodbye to London Colney after their contracts expired on June 30, with both men yet to find a new club. Meanwhile, Arsenal agreed a deal with Sevilla to loan them Lokonga for a season, which includes a £10 million option to buy him outright next summer.
Tavares joined Lazio on an initial loan deal as well, but the Portuguese has already put pen to paper on a five-year deal due to the fact his purchase will become mandatory next year for around £7.5 million.
Bukayo Saka
7.67
Declan Rice
7.38
Martin Odegaard
7.37
Kai Havertz
7.16
Gabriel Magalhaes
6.99
WhoScored
These transfers have freed up more space in Arteta's squad and provided some relief for the wage bill, though it remains the case that Arsenal could offload a few more interesting names before summer deadline day on August 30.
Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Thomas Partey, Aaron Ramsdale and Kieran Tierney are all being regularly tipped to leave the club as well, with Arsenal reportedly open to selling for the right offers.
Partey has entered the final 11 months of his contract and played just 14 Premier League games last season, while Arteta has decided Tierney is not in his plans after the Scotsman spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad.
Another player attracting interest, and who finds himself on the fringes of Arteta's squad, is Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson. The 24-year-old started just one top flight match last season, making 14 out of his 15 league appearances off the bench.
Nelson agrees to join West Ham as they chase imminent Arsenal deal
The £100,000-per-week ace will find it difficult to secure regular game time ahead of the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and any potential new forward signings – so perhaps the time is right for him to find a new home.
According to TEAMtalk, that landing spot could well be across London at West Ham. Julen Lopetegui's side are believed to be pursuing the forward with real intent, and have made the best offer to him out of any other interested side.
They add that Nelson has agreed to join West Ham from Arsenal, and the Hammers are pushing to seal a deal for him by the end of this week. There is no mention of a price tag in the report, but other media sources have claimed Nelson could cost around £25-30 million.
Arteta has called Nelson a "special" player before, and he's seriously impressed in flashes. However, given the competition for minutes at Arsenal, a move to West Ham could be ideal given the player gets to remain in the English capital.