Arsenal round-up: Club launch £45million bid; Sanchez’s asking price revealed; Serie A midfielder linked

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Arsenal have turned their attentions to Thomas Lemar and there seems to be a determination to bring him to North London, despite Monaco wanting to keep him at the club. The Daily Mail report that they are prepared to break their previous transfer record for the second time this month with a £45 million bid for the Frenchman.

There will also be clauses in the offer that could take the value of the deal to over £50 million. The previous record was the £42 million paid for Mesut Ozil, but the Gunners have moved with the times and are now pumping serious money into their squad.

It is unlikely that Arsenal would be this persistent if they weren’t hearing encouraging noises from somebody involved in the deal. Lemar could be a great addition and alongside Alexandre Lacazette, he would provide dynamism to the Gunners’ front line.

This is an important summer for the club as they attempt to prove to the supporters that they do have the ambition of challenging for major honours. If they signed the Monaco midfielder, it would be another step in the right direction.

Elsewhere, Alexis Sanchez’ future is starting to become a tiresome subject, but the media continue to provide updates on the situation. The Mirror report that Arsenal would be open to selling to Manchester City, as long as they pay £80 million. Sources close to the player state that he has now told the Gunners that he wants to leave. However, the club will not be willing to sell for a low fee and would be prepared to lose him on a free if their demands aren’t met.

This latest development suggests that Arsenal now understand that they have no chance of agreeing on a new contract with their top scorer from last season. Sanchez never seemed to have any interest in staying and his astronomical wage demands highlighted that.

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Manchester City are the most likely destination, but it would be a surprise if they paid £80 million for one of their priority targets. There is no doubting his ability, but he is approaching 30 and it would be a risk for the club to pay £80 million. This one will continue to drag and at this time, it is difficult to predict how it will end.

There is a new name being linked to Arsenal and it comes from ESPN. They report that their sources in Italy are suggesting the Gunners are considering a move for Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.

Arsene Wenger wants to add another midfield option to his squad and the Croatian would add a different profile to increase competition. His current club would be prepared to listen to offers as they need to sell some players to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

Arsenal have been linked to the same players all summer, therefore, it is interesting to have a new name being mentioned. ESPN aren’t the most reliable source, but Peter O’Rourke, who wrote the piece, is reputable when it comes to transfer stories.

After the injury to Santi Cazorla, the Gunners struggled to find the right balance in the middle of the park. Like the rest of the club’s transfer targets this summer, Brozovic is dynamic and he would provide an exciting option if he was signed.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Jesper Zerman