Arsenal played their second pre-season fixture of the summer on Friday evening with a meeting against German side Nurnberg as part of their Germany training camp.
The Gunners started pre-season with a 5-1 win over Ipswich last Saturday and will soon head to America for friendlies with Everton, Orlando City and Chelsea. The club then play Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium in three weeks’ time.
Mikel Arteta’s side have already made four signings this summer with the permanent acquisitions of Gabriel Jesus, Marqunihos, Matt Turner and Fabio Vieira, but it is likely more will follow.
Mirror Sport has the latest transfer gossip surrounding Arsenal and a season prediction from a former Gunners captain.
Why Bennacer left Arsenal
The Gunners have been credited with transfer interest in AC Milan’s Algerian international midfield Ismael Bennacer, who helped Milan to win the Serie A title last season. Bennacer spent two years with the Gunners between 2015 and 2017 but never actually played a Premier League game for the club, with his only appearance coming in an EFL Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Reports in Italy, as published by football.London, have claimed that Bennacer could be the subject of a £34m bid from Arsenal to re-sign the midfielder who helped Milan with the Serie A title just two months ago.
Back in December 2020, Bennacer told Goal that due to his age, he lived in a hotel when first moving as he didn’t want to live with a family he didn’t know and that he felt the pressure of a big move to England at such a young age.
Would Ismael Bennacer be good signing for Arsenal? Have your say in the comments section.
Gallas expects London race for fourth
Former Gunners captain William Gallas is expecting another of his former clubs, Tottenham, to challenge the sides above them in the Premier League next season. However, he also expects fourth place to be contested between north London rivals Spurs and Arsenal as it was last term.
Arsenal missed out on a return to the Champions League last term after being narrowly pipped to fourth place by Spurs, with the Gunners’ return to European football seeing them take part in next season’s Europa League alongside Manchester United.
Speaking to Metro, Gallas said when asked who will make the top four: “I don’t want to, but I have to put [Manchester] City because they look like they are going to be very strong. So City, Chelsea, Liverpool definitely. Then the same problem, Arsenal or Tottenham, I don’t know.”
Arsenal ‘pushing hard’ to complete £42m deal
French media outlet Media Foot have claimed that the Gunners will beat Newcastle United to signing Lyon playmaker and Brazil international Lucas Paqueta this summer.
Reports claim that despite the Magpies making a £34m bid to sign Paqueta, who is close friends and former club teammates with Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal will attempt to convince Paqueta to move to the Emirates Stadium instead.
Of the Gunners’ four signings already this summer, two have been Brazilian, with Arsenal signing winger Marquinhos and striker Gabriel Jesus from Sao Paulo and Manchester City respectively.
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