Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Club release official statement complaining that £50m Arsenal target is being ‘bombarded’ this summer
The club of a player Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to sign this summer has now complained that their star man is being ‘bombarded’.
As we get deeper into July, it’s becoming more clear who Arteta and Edu will be targeting to improve their squad this summer.
It seems as if Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori will be the start of the club’s business, a left-footer who will effectively replace Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Although, Calafiori’s agent is now having to help Arsenal and Bologna thrash out a deal given the two clubs are struggling to agree a fee.
In midfield, it currently seems as if Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino could be Arteta’s preferred option.
Arteta loves Merino’s physicality, a player who is now flourishing for Spain at Euro 2024.
Merino could be Arsenal’s new Granit Xhaka, shoes that are still yet to be filled.
That being said, Arteta’s preferred offensive signing is said to be Merino’s Spanish teammate Nico Williams.
Arsenal will face stiff competition from Barcelona to sign Williams, who have been very public in their pursuit.
Athletic Club say questions regarding Nico Williams’ future have been ‘uncontrolled’
Williams has been angered by Barcelona’s public pursuit, which perhaps could work in Arsenal’s favour later in the window.
And following Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s recent comments about his eagerness to sign Williams from Athletic Club, the club have complaining about questions Williams is constantly facing in the media.
Athletic said that Williams had been asked ‘about his future in an excessive and uncontrolled manner’.
They stated: “Nico, a footballer who is very committed to Athletic Club, has been subjected to a bombardment of questions about his future in an excessive and uncontrolled manner, when he is concentrating on playing in the European Championship with the Spanish Football Federation, which has not been able to protect him.
“Respect between all the actors that make up football is a fundamental basis, or so we see it at Athletic Club, which does not have as a formula to subject players with contracts in other clubs to public pressure in order to try to incorporate them.”
READ MORE: Ian Wright’s comments about Arsenal signing Ollie Watkins in 2021 are now very interesting
The lengthy statement continues to state that the club consider themselves to have an ‘attractive, winning project’ which means they can keep their top talent.
Of course, if Arsenal do end up making a move for Williams, they may feel as if all this ill-feeling towards Barca’s pursuit could end up working in their favour.
Arsenal already look set to beat Juventus to Calafiori, and it would be a real coup if they could beat Barcelona to a top Spanish talent too.