The Gunners are edging closer to two more signings after completing a £65m deal for Kai Havertz earlier this summer...CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Arsenal are looking to sign Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice
We may have only just begun July but Arsenal have been busy in the transfer market.
The Gunners have already secured a £65 million deal to bring in Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The German international is liked for his versatility, but it’s expected that he’ll be primarily a midfielder at the Emirates.
Beyond that, Arsenal are closing in on deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber. It’s possible that those transfers could take the Gunners’ summer spend over the £200m-mark by mid July.
It’s worth baring in mind that this is far from normal for a team who just finished runners up in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta and Edu though, have no intention of settling for second place.
When it comes to Rice, Arsenal have been pursuing the England international since January. The Gunners appeared to be starting on the backfoot.
Despite their troubles it was thought that he was destined to return to his boyhood club of Chelsea, where he spent time in the academy. However, across various presentations to the player, the Arsenal hierarchy were able to convince Rice that the Emirates would be the best place for him to achieve his career aims.
This has been crucial as Arsenal have had to see off competition from a host of other clubs. Manchester United and Bayern Munich both showed interest, while Manchester City submitted a £90m bid. Throughout though, Rice’s desire to come and work under Arteta remained strong.
As was expected West Ham have not made things easy for Arsenal. The Gunners had to submit three separate bids for Rice before eventually a fee could be agreed.
Even now football.london understands that negotiations are persisting over the exact structuring of a price tag that could rise to £105m. West Ham are understood to want a decent amount of the initial £100m up front, and this is the final sticking point.
When it comes to Timber, the deal has been relatively more simple. Arsenal had been in contact with the Dutch international’s representatives for months before news emerged of their interest. Arteta was keen to add another defender to his ranks after injuries to Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba saw his side struggle at the business end of last season.
As a technically gifted versatile and experienced young player Timber fit the bill. Positive talks are continuing for the 22-year-old who also caught the eye of Manchester United. It’s expected that his fee could be in the region of the £40m mark.
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