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A "very exciting" young Arsenal player has now told the club that he's leaving – informing them of his decision in the last 48 hours.

Players tipped to potentially quit Arsenal this summer

Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny are two senior names included in the Gunners' 22-man release list for 2024, with the pair joined by a host of academy players as sporting director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta swing their axe.

Arsenal table opening bid for £34 million star after claim he wants to join

The Gunners have submitted an offer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 22, 2024

Thomas Partey is also widely expected to depart Arsenal, having entered the final 12 months of his contract and fresh off the back of a season where he made just 14 Premier League appearances. The Ghanaian suffered from a plague of injury problems last term, and the time could now be right for Arteta to green-light his exit.

Alongside the 30-year-old, it is rumoured that Arsenal have told Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney they're free to leave, as the north Londoners look to trim their combined £270,000-per-week salary off the wage bill.

Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Aaron Ramsdale, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares all come as other players who could be sold by Arsenal, especially considering Edu will want to bolster the club's transfer kitty.

There are also matters to resolve regarding some of their academy players. Youngster Mika Biereth, who enjoyed productive loan spells at Motherwell and Sturm Graz in Austria last season, could well be on the move permanently. Indeed, Sturm Graz director Andreas Schicker confirmed they're in talks to sign Bereth this week.

“Now the European Championship finals are coming up, everyone is waiting and is in the role of observer. Patience is required in the transfer window this year,” he said. "I’m in talks with Arsenal. I’ve spoken to Mika; he’s always felt comfortable with us.”

As well as Biereth, another exciting young Arsenal player is now moving closer and closer towards the Emirates exit door.

Amario Cozier-Duberry tells Arsenal he'll be leaving

Now, as per The Standard's Simon Collings, the club look set to lose 19-year-old starlet Amario Cozier-Duberry. Cozier-Duberry has apparently told Arsenal he's going to leave, informing them of this decision within the past 48 hours. His contract expires at the end of this month, meaning he'll be free to speak to other clubs as a free agent.

It's been described as a real blow for Arteta and co, with Jack Wilshere even likening him to Bukayo Saka.

"Amario is very exciting and Mikel [Arteta] likes him,” Wilshere told The Athletic last year (via Standard Sport). “He reminds me of Bukayo Saka, plays in the same position as him, needs to get better with his decision-making like Bukayo did, but he’s definitely exciting.

“In some moments he’s unplayable. You give him the ball and he can make things happen. You can set up a team and have a game plan, but when you’ve got individuals like that you’ve got a chance.”

West Ham United transfer target Oleksandr Zinchenko now seems poised to join Arsenal.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who had the following to say on Twitter: “Arsenal and Manchester City have reached an agreement for Zinchenko in the morning. £30m fee. No doubt it’s done between clubs. Negotiations ongoing on player side for personal terms and salary details, then it will be completed”.

West Ham had shown reported interest in the Ukrainian as far back as June.

Supporters will be gutted

Although only a tenuous interest, Zinchenko would’ve been a fine addition to West Ham’s squad. Admittedly, he would have been for most Premier League clubs.

With incredible versatility, an eye for a pass and multiple years being coached by Pep Guardiola, the Ukrainian international offered it all for just £30m.

An incredibly well-rounded player, he featured just 14 times in the league last season for Manchester City. However, he still managed four assists whilst largely filling in positions in which Pep Guardiola was lacking.

He also managed a remarkable SofaScore rating of 7.07, which shows just how dependable he could be. If he was to make the step down to West Ham, he would have been guaranteed game time in his preferred central midfield position.

When viewing his stats on FBref, it makes for astounding viewing. He ranks in the 96th percentile for shot-creating actions and in the 99th percentile for both progressive passes and carries.

He has deputised as a defender, but his creativity is wasted there and would be a welcome addition to Moyes’ midfield.

Guardiola has been vocal in his admiration for the pass-master in the past, claiming:

“He is well-educated, he knows exactly what it means. He adapted and said: ‘Okay, what does the team need? I’m going to do it.’

“He is a reliable player, honestly. He is focused, a guy who handles the pressure, otherwise he would not have played the final of the Champions League.”

It therefore makes it even more frustrating that the Hammers seem poised to miss out on the 25-year-old to London rivals Arsenal. Supporters especially have reason to be frustrated because of this, as Moyes looks set to miss out on a top target.

AND in other news: “Still talking to..”: ExWHUemployee drops big WHU transfer update supporters will love

Crystal Palace have been heavily linked with Chelsea defender Levi Colwill so far this summer and the youngster could form a superb partnership with Marc Guehi in Patrick Vieira’s defence.

What’s the word?

Despite a superb season on loan with Huddersfield Town in the Championship, Chelsea could sell the teenage defender this summer, especially following the acquisition of fellow centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

Palace are one of several Premier League clubs to take an interest in the youngster, and should the 19-year-old arrive at Selhurst Park, he and Guehi could prove to be a formidable duo at the back for Vieira.

In a recent interview with FootballFanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke shared his thoughts on the potential partnership, saying: “Two young talented players. Huge potential. I think Guehi was a really smart signing last year, he proved that by breaking into the England squad.

“I think him and Colwill do have the makings of a really good centre-back pairing. They’ve both got huge potential so for Crystal Palace it would be a great move if they were able to pull it off.”

Would Colwill be a good signing?

Colwill’s performances last season in the Championship suggest that he is more than ready for the Premier League.

Despite having no real experience of men’s football, he stepped into Huddersfield’s side and was one of their most consistent players as they reached the play-off final.

The Englishman, who reportedly earns £5k per week at Chelsea, made 31 appearances in the second tier, contributing two goals and one assist, with WhoScored awarding him an impressive 6.97 rating for his performances.

Huddersfield head of football operations Leigh Bromby was full of praise for Colwill last season, saying: “He has been excellent and is not only a credit to himself but Chelsea, with the way they work with players and prepare them. The way he has fit into the dressing room has been unbelievable.

“The players and staff really like him and love working with him. He’s looking to improve and working to get better. Talent-wise, for his age, he is the best I’ve seen when I’ve either been playing or coaching.

“The chances, for me, are so high that he will go back and play for Chelsea and England.”

At 19, Colwill is only going to get better, and he can look towards Guehi for inspiration after the centre-back also left Chelsea following an impressive spell in the Championship, before establishing himself under Vieira and earning an England call-up.

Considering that Guehi is just 22, Palace could feasibly establish a centre-back partnership which could last for more than a decade should they sign Colwill; and given his huge potential, it would surely prove to be a coup for Vieira if the Chelsea teenager makes the move to Selhurst Park.

AND in other news – In talks: Sky Sports drop huge Palace transfer update, he’s a “prime target” for Vieira

West Bromwich Albion have seen three big names leave the Championship club in recent weeks during the current transfer window.

Sam Johnstone joined Crystal Palace in the Premier League, while Romaine Sawyers moved to Cardiff City, both on free transfers. Andy Carroll also waved goodbye to The Hawthorns after his recent loan spell with the Baggies, but he is yet to find a new club.

Before the transfer window ends, West Brom could have the chance to not only get another player out the door, but actually raise some funds from his sale at the same time.

After being recently linked with a move to Preston North End, Baggies attacker Callum Robinson could give his current club the chance to pick up a suitable cash injection should they be able to sell him this summer. In fact, Preston manager Ryan Lowe recently confirmed the Lilywhites’ interest in signing the Irishman, who has called Deepdale his home in the past.

He said: “I’m not interested in Callum Robinson because of what he’s done for the football club, I’m interested in Callum Robinson because he’s a good footballer, ultimately. What he has done for the football club previously will obviously extend that for them.

“Callum Robinson, if he becomes available, who wouldn’t look at Callum Robinson? He is a fantastic player and PNE fans love him, so why wouldn’t anyone be interested in him? If he became available, of course we’d be interested in him, like everyone else would be.”

Despite scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 43 league appearances last season, the forward went through periods where he didn’t deliver any goal contributions for Albion.

The longest period started (rather ironically) at West Brom’s 2-0 defeat to Preston in January and ended when he scored the winning goal against Fulham in the Baggies’ 1-0 victory over the Cottagers in March, a run of nine matches without a goal or assist.

This highlights his inconsistency when it comes to being a goal threat for his team and explains why it may be beneficial for the Midlands club to get rid of him. Even his performances for his country have been described as “head-scratching” by Irish football pundit Eamon Dunphy.

With Steve Bruce aiming to get West Brom back in the Premier League, having a fairly unreliable attacker like Robinson in the team could well hinder the club’s chances of securing promotion.

Therefore, if the club can sell the £18k-per-week Irishman and get a decent transfer fee for him which could be used to bring in a suitable replacement, this could be a great next step for all parties.

AND in other news: West Brom can land their next Gallagher with swoop for “outstanding” £61k-p/w maestro

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Leeds United transfer target Luka Jovic.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite Victor Orta reportedly making contact with the Real Madrid centre-forward in order to propose a move to Leeds this summer, the 24-year-old is now set to join AFC Fiorentina on a permanent deal – with the Serbia international rejecting the likes of West Ham United, Brentford and the Whites in the process.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Luka Jovic to Fiorentina, deal done. Full agreement on permanent deal, after long negotiations for a loan – Jovic will sign until June 2024 with an option for two more years. Real Madrid will have sell-on clause around 50%.”

Supporters will be gutted

Considering just how talented a player Jovic undoubtedly is, in addition to it being reported that the signing of a new centre-forward is one of Orta’s priorities in the summer transfer window, Romano’s update that the striker is now set for a move to Italy is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful gutted.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

While it is true that, following his €60m (£52.4m) move to Madrid back in the summer of 2019, things did not exactly pan out for the 24-year-old – scoring just three goals and registering five assists over 51 appearances for Los Blancos – the £14.4m-rated talent has nevertheless proven earlier in his career just how impressive an addition he would have made to Leeds’ attacking arsenal in 2022/23.

Indeed, over two separate spells with Eintracht Frankfurt, the £152k-per-week forward highly impressed, scoring 40 goals and registering ten assists over 93 appearances for the Bundesliga side – averaging a direct goal contribution every 107 minutes of football played for Die Adler.

Furthermore, the 26-cap international also caught the eye for his first professional club, Red Star Belgrade, bagging 14 goals and providing four assists over 48 fixtures for the Super Liga Srbije outfit – form that earned him a move to Portuguese giants Benfica.

As such, should Jovic have managed to refind this level of form following a potential €30m (£25m) switch to Elland Road this summer, it is undeniable that the Serbian sensation would have made an excellent to Jesse Marsch’s options up top, leading us to believe that Romano’s latest update will come as a huge blow to all involved with the Whites – not least Orta himself.

AND in other news: “It means…”: Fabrizio Romano reveals huge Leeds transfer twist, Victor Orta must act

Manchester United target Lisandro Martinez ‘will have his hopes pinned’ on a move to Old Trafford.

That’s according to the head of Dutch publication De Telegraaf’s sports section, Marcel van der Kraan (via Sport Witness), who is expecting ‘big developments’ very soon.

The lowdown

Fabrizio Romano reported on Friday night that United ‘are preparing a bid’ for the Ajax defender. Martinez is ‘very high in Erik ten Hag’s list’, but it’s an ‘open’ race, with Arsenal in the running too.

It will be United’s next priority after they seal a deal for Feyenoord defender Tyrell Malacia.

The 24-year-old is predominantly a centre-back but he can also play as a defensive midfielder or a full-back.

The latest

Van der Kraan says that Martinez is eager to reunite with his former manager Ten Hag in Manchester.

And he adds that the Argentine should be available for between £38.8million and £43million, unless a bidding war breaks out.

“Martinez is very high on Erik ten Hag’s wishlist, so I expect big developments in the 24 or 48 hours.

“Martinez will also have his hopes pinned on United, who are an absolute top club for him.

“Ajax will really cash out for Martinez and go to €45-50m, but that is the advantage if two clubs bid, as we saw with Lyon and Manchester United [for Malacia], then it suddenly goes higher.”

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The verdict

This is an indication that United’s pulling power remains, even with the club failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Frenkie de Jong hasn’t seemed overly enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the club, previously insisting that he’s happy at Barcelona, but it appears that Martinez dreams of playing for the 20-times English champions.

Similar in profile to Manchester City’s Ruben Dias, he’s been nicknamed ‘The Argentine Butcher’ and says that he ‘always goes into battle full of struggle’.

And he combines that spirit with real quality, winning the Player of the Year award for Eredivisie champions Ajax.

West Ham United are reportedly closing in on a permanent deal for Alphonse Areola this summer after the Frenchman’s impressive loan spell at the London Stadium last season.

What’s the word?

The Hammers have been heavily linked with the shot-stopper in recent weeks, and it seems as if the transfer could soon be confirmed, going by what Fabrizio Romano has posted on Twitter.

On Thursday afternoon, the Italian journalist stated: “West Ham are finally progressing in talks to sign Alphonse Areola on a permanent deal, agreement now getting closer – positive feelings on player side too. West Ham are increasingly confident as Areola deal will cost around €12m.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Given that first-choice ‘keeper Lukasz Fabianski will turn 38 next season, signing a younger, long-term replacement for the Poland international was always likely to be a priority for David Moyes this summer.

He can already trust Areola after his excellent performances last season, with the 29-year-old making 11 appearances in West Ham’s fairytale Europa League run, while he also excelled in his three Carabao Cup outings, obtaining two Man of the Match billings from WhoScored.

If Romano’s reports are true and Areola is brought in for as little as €12m (£10.3m), it could prove to be a bargain deal for the Hammers, as signing an established Premier League goalkeeper (37 appearances) who is still only 29 represents excellent business for GSB.

While it is unknown whether Areola will become the Irons’ number one next season – Fabianski’s was still the club’s seventh-best player of 2021/22 according to WhoScored – West Ham fans would surely be delighted to see the Frenchman return on a permanent basis.

Club legend Mark Noble was full of praise for the 29-year-old last term, saying: “Alphonse knows Lukasz is number one at the minute but he’s great around the boys, he doesn’t sulk, he comes in and he’s been fantastic in the Europa League games that he’s played and fantastic in the Carabao Cup games.”

Considering West Ham’s propensity to leave deals until the last moment, supporters will no doubt be happy that Areola is seemingly on the brink of joining so early in the transfer window.

In other news… Roshane Thomas drops West Ham transfer update which will have supporters fuming

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared the latest news surrounding Hugo Ekitike’s proposed transfer to Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Newcastle’s January pursuit

In the dying hours of transfer deadline day in January, the Premier League club’s deal with Reims for the 20-year-old attacker fell through. The Magpies had a £33m bid accepted for the Frenchman, drawing a long round of negotiations to a close.

However, the striker ended up changing his mind and opted to stay in Ligue 1, with the plan to reassess his options in the summer following late January interest from Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Latest: Romano’s news on Ekitike

With Newcastle reigniting negotiations for Ekitike this summer, a move to St James’ Park appeared to be on the cards, with reports suggesting that the Magpies were closing in on a deal for the young forward.

However, Romano has now shared a major blow in Newcastle’s pursuit of the Frenchman.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist claimed: “Again, negative feelings around Ekitike deal. NUFC definitely not happy with the situation.”

The Verdict: Huge blow for Newcastle

When looking at Ekitike’s underlying statistics, it is easy to understand the hype surrounding a potential switch to the Premier League.

When compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the Reims marksman ranks in the 99th percentile for interceptions, the 97th percentile for dribbles completed and the 93rd percentile for non-penalty goals (via FBRef).

Whilst these figures are incredibly impressive, reports have suggested that Ekitike’s agent has been making ‘ridiculous’ demands.

Whilst Newcastle are keen on signing the striker, they ought not to be bowing to unrealistic requests. Therefore, this move seems highly unlikely given the current situation.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Arnaud Kalimuendo to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Tutto Mercato Web (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta is making strong moves for the Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward this summer, with the Ligue 1 champions believed to be willing to part with the 20-year-old for a figure in the region of €20m (£17m).

An earlier claim made by Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna suggested that the Spanish director of football has even gone as far as to make a bid offer for the France U21 international, although the French reporter claimed that it would actually take an offer of €22m (£19m) in order for PSG to part ways with the young striker in the current market.

“Beautiful palette”

Considering the sheer amount of potential Kalimuendo quite clearly possesses, in addition to the signing of a new centre-forward reported to be one of Orta’s priority targets in the summer transfer window, it is easy to see why the Spaniard is believed to have made contact with PSG regarding a deal for the 20-year-old.

Indeed, over his 34 Ligue 1 appearances while on loan at RC Lens in 2021/22, the £17m-rated forward was in spectacular form, scoring 12 goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

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Furthermore, according to FBref data, the £6.6k-per-week forward also ranks in the top 28% of centre-forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 1% for pass completion, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 11% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

These metrics saw the French youth international come in for a considerable amount of praise last season, none more so than from Lens head coach Franck Haise, who stated of Kalimuendo earlier this year:

“He is already the prototype striker of the present. From 18 to 20, he not only showed that he held his place in Ligue 1, but he continued to score in a team which evolves in the first part of the classification.

“He is an attacker for the future because he feels the blows and is clever in the finish. He is able to keep his back to the goal, attack the depth, to de-zone to create spaces for the others. He is already a beautiful palette that will be enriched.”

As such, with the PSG starlet evidently being a player who knows how to find the back of the net, boasts the potential to flourish into an exceptional top-tier striker and is available for an extremely reasonable £19m this summer, a move for the 20-year-old would appear an extremely smart one for Orta to make in the coming weeks.

AND in other news: Victor Orta now working on fourth summer signing, Leeds supporters will be buzzing

Rangers midfielder Stephen Kelly could possibly team up with an illustrious figure from the Ibrox club’s arch-rivals, as per a report from Football Scotland’s Euan Robertson.

The lowdown

Robertson says that the 22-year-old’s future is very much ‘up in the air’ this summer as he enters the final year of his contract at Ibrox.

Kelly, who came through the youth ranks at Auchenhowie, spent the latter half of the 2021/22 season on loan at English League Two club Salford City. It was his third temporary stint away from Ibrox after earlier spells with Ayr United and Ross County.

However, it’s said to be unlikely that he goes out on a loan for a fourth time, unless the Light Blues extend his contract beforehand.

The latest

According to Robertson for Football Scotland, Salford will ‘keep tabs’ on the situation with a view to a potential bid after Kelly ‘excelled’ at the Peninsula Stadium.

However, the 22-year-old may want to play at a higher level, and that could present an opportunity for Fleetwood Town boss and former Celtic stalwart Scott Brown, who is ‘actively exploring’ the Scottish market.

Robertson also names Dundee United, Hibernian and Kilmarnock, who wanted to sign Kelly in January, as potential suitors.

The verdict

Kelly’s loan at Salford was a resounding success, with the 22-year-old earning 18 starts and 21 appearances overall. His all-contribution was solid, as evidenced by his match averages of 1.9 tackles, 3.2 successful duels and 1.1 key passes (via SofaScore).

The 22-year-old has only made three appearances for Rangers’ first team, including one in a Europa League qualifier against Alashkert last summer.

However, his former manager John Hughes has called him a ‘magnificent’ player and ‘an absolute winner’ on the training pitch, and losing him to a Hoops icon in Brown would surely sting for many Rangers fans, if indeed Fleetwood can lure him from Ibrox.

In other news, Rangers have made an offer for this goalkeeper