Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners have Declan Rice opportunity; club confident of William Saliba extension, and more

Arsenal have turned to the market to fill holes in their squad this summer. Mikel Arteta’s men have lost ground in the Premier League title race in the final weeks of the season, so the Spaniard is now looking for solutions.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have a great opportunity to bring West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice to the Emirates. Elsewhere, the North London side are confident of extending defender William Saliba’s stay at the club.

On that note, here’s a look at key Arsenal transfer stories as on 11th June 2023:

Arsenal have a chance Declan Rice

Arsenal have a great chance of securing the services of Declan Rice this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The English player enters the final year of his contract next month and wants to leave West Ham United in order to get a step in his career. Arsenal are keen to place him in central midfield ahead of the new season.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones also added that Bayern Munich is unlikely to sign Rice this summer.

“So, Arsenal are not in a position here where they can pay some now and spread the rest over four years or anything like that. They may have to make a large initial payment, and then follow it up with the next two windows after that, in order to meet West Ham’s demands on these The deal,” Jones said.

He completed:

“That’s the kind of scenario I think we’re looking at here. But Arsenal certainly have a very, very good chance of landing Declan Rice, if they can do it. The player is ready for that, and would like to stay in the Premier League. There’s no doubt about that. I know in Germany, they were a little excited about him going to Bayern Munich, but the chances of him doing it at the moment are slim.”

Rice also has fans at Manchester United, who are also watching the player with interest.

Arsenal confident of extending William Saliba

Arsenal is convinced William Saliba will extend his stay in the Emirates, according to Ben Jacobs.

The French defender is in talks with the club regarding a new deal, with his current contract expiring after more than a year. His situation has sparked interest from clubs across the continent, with the 22-year-old not committed to his future at the Emirates.

However, speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs said the north side of London offers Saliba the stability he desires.

“Every summer, for the last few seasons, he’s either been sent out on loan or back from a loan. Even when he came back at the start of last season, those early weeks, he wasn’t quite sure about his future,” Jacobs said.

He completed:

“I think Saliba is looking for stability, which is why Arsenal are confident he’d prefer to settle with them, buy into the project and try to win the Premier League. Champions League football obviously helps too, rather than moving elsewhere.”

Paris Saint-Germain wants Saliba this summer, but managerial uncertainty has put them far behind in the race for his services.

“The disadvantage of PSG, too, is that they cannot move with certainty before clarifying the managerial situation and defining the direction they want to travel in. They are moving away from big money and big stars and moving towards more young people,” Jacobs said.

Saliba has become a regular in the first team under Mikel Arteta this season.

Gunners are ready to offer £35m for Joao Cancelo

Arsenal are willing to pay Manchester City £35m to secure the signing of Joao Cancelo, according to Football Transfers.

The Portuguese right-back is a target for Arsenal this summer, and the club are already in talks to facilitate a move ahead of the new season. The 29-year-old has spent the second half of this season on loan at Bayern Munich, but the Bavarian side are not planning to sign him permanently.

Cancelo is set to return to Etihad Airways, where he is already in excess of requirements. City are poised to cash in on the Portuguese this summer and have no qualms about tackling the north London side again.

However, the treble winners want £45m to part ways with Cancelo, which is more than Arsenal are now prepared to offer. However, the Gunners will be looking to test the waters with their opening show in the coming days.