Two defeats in their final three Premier League games of 2021/22 meant Arsenal fell short of Champions League qualification, and it remains to be seen how much dropping down to the Europa League will cost them in the transfer market.
That hasn't kept the Gunners from being one of the busiest teams in the summer transfer window.
The forward position will be one of the most intriguing to watch after Alexandre Lacazette departed and Eddie Nketiah agreed to a new contract. The statement signing of Gabriel Jesus for £45 million from Manchester City was finally confirmed on July 4.
Manager Mikel Arteta signed a new contract during the final weeks of the season and is busy reinforcing his squad in a bid to ensure the progress that earned them fifth spot is not lost in 2022/23.
The Sporting News is rounding up the key updates — all day, every day — below.
ARSENAL CONFIRMED DEALS: TRANSFERS IN | TRANSFERS OUT | UPDATED ARSENAL SQUAD LIST
ARSENAL ANALYSIS:
Latest Arsenal transfer news
Last update: August 20, 13:39 ET / 18:39 BST
Pepe in talks to join Nice on loan
Nicolas Pepe is said to be in talks with Nice over the prospect of a loan return to Ligue 1.
The winger became Arsenal's record signing when he joined from Lille for £72m/$85m in 2019, but he has struggled for consistent form in England.
Pepe was left out of the squad for the Premier League match with Bournemouth on August 20 and, according to The Athletic, he is in discussions over a temporary move back to France.
Movement on Youri Tielemans expected soon
Arsenal brass have reportedly been "all in" on sanctioning a move for 25-year-old Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, who has just one year remaining on his Foxes contract and will not be extending. But even though Man United are now also entering the mix, the player wants Arsenal per CBS's Ben Jacobs (below).
Leicester paid £39.2 million (€46m / $49.5m) to AS Monaco for him in 2019 and according to GOAL's Chris Watts, the required fee for Tielemans will be around £25 million (€29.4m / $31.6m), a steal for a midfielder of his quality and prime age.
Youri Tielemans update. Still no formal offers made.
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 1, 2022
Tielemans wants to join Arsenal and Edu still in touch with his agent. Arsenal have agreed terms, and worked on the deal for a year, but have never placed an official bid.
UPDATE (Aug 20): Tielemans was left out of Leicester's squad for their 2-1 home defeat to Southampton on August 20. Manager Brendan Rodgers said on the midfielder and Chelsea target Wesley Fofana, who was also left out, after the match: "There's a few offers for some players nowhere near the valuation the club would want to sell. None of them are for sale but I know how the game works. There's a few weeks to go. I don't know what's going to happen."
UPDATE (Aug 2): According to Jacobs, Leicester City have not yet received an official bid for Tielemans, but they expect one to come soon. Jacobs speculates that an Arsenal bid is "very possible" with Manchester United "still interested."
Arsenal set to sell Bernd Leno to Fulham
Arsenal have agreed to sell goalkeeper Bernd Leno to Fulham, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.
A deal between the two clubs seemed unlikely a few weeks ago but the Gunners have now opted to sell the German as part of a deal reportedly worth £8 million.
Leno still needs to pass a medical and agree personal terms before the move is completed.
The 30-year-old made just seven first-team appearances for Arsenal last season with Aaron Ramsdale now Mikel Arteta's first choice.
UPDATE (Aug 2): Fulham completed the signing of Leno on August 2 for a reported fee of £8m/$9.5m.
PSV winger Cody Gakpo of interest to Arsenal
With the Gunners doing big business this summer to bring on Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Man City, there is still more work to be done.
A host of rumors on July 25 suggested that Arsenal are heavily interested in PSV winger Cody Gakpo. The 23-year-old has seven caps for the Netherlands, scoring two international goals. He is a PSV youth product, making 134 appearances for the senior side with 42 goals and 33 assists.
Dutch outlet VI was the first to suggest the links back in March, and they recently suggested the interest has been renewed this summer. However, with a PSV contract through the summer of 2026, it would take a large fee to pry him from the Eredivisie side. The report also suggests that PSV will do no outgoing transfer business until after a Champions League qualifier against Monaco on August 2, meaning there would only be three days to complete a deal before the deadline slams shut.
Arsenal expected to submit Grimaldo bid
According to Portuguese publication Jornal de Noticias (passed on by The Express) on July 9, the Gunners are expected to submit a bid for Benfica full-back Alejandro Grimaldo worth £5.9 million ($7.2m / €6.8m) which the Primeira Liga club is thought likely to accept. His Benfica contract expires next summer, last signing a four-year extension in 2019.
Grimaldo, a former Spain youth international, moved to Benfica in 2016 after being plucked from the Barcelona academy. He has been a regular starter at left-back since 2017, making 246 appearances for the Portuguese club, scoring 19 goals and assisting 50 more.
UPDATE (July 10): A day after reporting the initial link to Arsenal, Jornal de Noticias stated that Grimaldo struggled in his first pre-season appearance for Benfica, with the fans whistling his every touch, believing that he has asked to leave the club.
Arsenal transfer news & reports
| Position | Player | Club | News |
|---|---|---|---|
| MF | Lucas Paqueta | Lyon | Arsenal have received a boost in their pursuit of the Brazil international with French publication Media Foot claiming Lyon have slashed £21m off their original £55m valuation of the player. The Ligue 1 outfit are now understood to be prepared to accept a £34m fee for the player. |
| FW | Folarin Balogun | Arsenal | Balogun signed for Reims on loan to get some first-team football. |
| FW | Raphinha | Leeds | The Athletic reported the Gunners submitted a bid below Leeds' valuation, and ultimately Arsenal missed out as the Brazilian will move to Spain. |
| DF | Manuel Akanji | Borussia Dortmund | The Sun said that Arsenal were offered the Swiss center back by Dortmund at a price tag of £21 million, but the Gunners want a left-footed central defenders. |
| DF | Hector Bellerin | Arsenal | The fullback has "no plans" to return to Arsenal, according to Fabrizio Romano. He's hoping for a permanent move to Real Betis after his loan, but other clubs are in the mix. |
| DF | Sven Botman | Lille | All signs point to the Lille center back signing with Newcastle, though Arsenal were also linked with a move for the 22-year-old Dutchman. |
| DF | Alejandro Grimaldo | Benfica | The 26-year-old Spanish left back could be available for €7m, and Arsenal have been tracking him for some time, according to Record in Portugal. |
| DF | William Saliba | Arsenal | The French defender is hoping to prove himself at Arsenal, though his former Marseille teammates are eager for him to return after his recent loan spell. |
| DF | Oleksandr Zinchenko | Manchester City | Arsenal reportedly scouted Ukraine in June to watch him. West Ham are also interested though Arsenal were more inclined to use him in midfield, and they got the deal done. |
| MF | Arthur | Juventus | CalcioMercato indicated that Arsenal were pursuing the Juventus midfielder, but that the Italian club's valuation (€46m/£39.3m) and the desire for a player in return (Martinelli or Gabriel) is complicating talks. |
| MF | Yves Bissouma | Brighton | Tottenham completed the Bissouma signing, as the Gunners miss out on the midfielder. |
| MF | Seko Fofana | Lens | Arsenal are reportedly keeping tabs on the player with the Daily Mail indicating that £35 million is the expected price tag for a transfer. |
| MF | Matteo Guendouzi | Arsenal | The Gunners permanently transferred him to Marseille after his 2021/22 loan spell. Fee was €10m. |
| MF | Orkun Kokcu | Feyenoord | The 21-year-old Turkish center midfielder and No. 10 is reportedly on Arsenal's radar and would require a fee of €20m-plus. |
| MF | Sergej Milinkovic-Savic | Lazio | The Lazio midfielder reportedly rejected potential moves to Arsenal and Newcastle, eyeing only top clubs who can afford Lazio's £42 million valuation for the 27-year-old. |
| MF | Amadou Onana | Lille | Reporter Sacha Tavolieri says Arsenal have already met with the player's reps, and now other unnamed Premier League teams are entering the race. |
| MF | Fabian Ruiz | Napoli | The 26-year-old Spanish center mid could reportedly be available to Arsenal for around £25.7 million this summer, with Barcelona and Real Madrid also interested. |
| MF | Marcel Sabitzer | Bayern Munich | The Bayern midfielder could be available for around £12.8 million and Arsenal might be interested if Granit Xhaka departs |
| MF | Lucas Torreira | Arsenal | Torreira publicly acknowledged his permanent move to Fiorentina broke down. But another loan is likely, according to the Mirror. |
| MF | Vitinha | Porto | Arsenal are linked with the 22-year-old center mid, who reportedly has a £35 million release clause. Porto confirmed they rejected a bid from an unnamed club. |
| FW | Marco Asensio | Free Agent | Arsenal have been in contact with the reps for the out-of-contract Real Madrid winger. |
| FW | Paulo Dybala | Free Agent | Arsenal and other interested Premier League clubs were reportedly turned off by the player's wage demands. |
| FW | Alvaro Morata | Atletico Madrid | A Calciomercato report cited by the Mirror on May 31 indicated that the Spanish forward snubbed a potential move to Arsenal. |
| FW | Christopher Nkunku | RB Leipzig | The Independent on June 13 included Arsenal among the clubs chasing the Frenchman, who would apparently only leave for £100m. On June 23, the 24-year-old Nkunku signed a long-term extension with Leipzig through 2026. |
| FW | Victor Osimhen | Napoli | Arsenal had a £51 million bid rejected, and Tottenham could lead chase due to their ability to offer Champions League play. |
| FW | Nicolas Pepe | Arsenal | A loan deal is seen as the most likely outcome for Pepe with his wages and Arsenal's high transfer demands a roadblock to a permanent move. Nice are interested. Two years left on his deal. |
| FW | Richarlison | Everton | Once linked to Arsenal, UOL reported that Tottenham was the club in advanced stages for a £51 million transfer move. Raphinha has become the higher priority for Arsenal but he signed for Barcelona. |
| FW | Gianluca Scamacca | Sassuolo | There have been plenty of rumors about the 23-year-old Italian forward, including a €40 million Arsenal bid rejected with €10 million more demanded by Sassuolo. He chose to join West Ham. |
| FW | Raheem Sterling | Man City | Arsenal were interested, but Sterling eventually moved to fellow London rivals Chelsea instead. |
| MF | Amadou Onana | Lille | The Gunners have spoken with the reps for the 20-year-old defensive mid, but his contract runs through 2026, making a move unlikely at this time, given Lille's leverage in negotiations. |
| DF | Lisandro Martinez | Ajax | Arsenal had talks with Lisandro Martinez's representatives, but the Argentine eventually signed for Manchester United. |
Arsenal Transfers: Summer 2022 transfer window
Players In:
| Date | Player | Position | Age | Club | Transfer/Loan Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 11 | Matt Turner | GK | 27 | New England Revolution | £7.5 million (€8.7m / $9.2m) |
| June 10 | Marquinhos | FW | 19 | Sao Paulo | £3 million (€3.4m / $3.7m) |
| June 18 | Eddie Nketiah | FW | 22 | Arsenal | No fee (new contract) |
| June 21 | Fabio Vieira | MF | 22 | FC Porto | £35 million (€41m / $43m) |
| July 4 | Gabriel Jesus | FW | 25 | Manchester City | £45 million (€52.2m / $55.2m) |
| July 22 | Oleksandr Zinchenko | MF | 25 | Manchester City | £30 million (€34.7m/$36.5m) |
Gabriel Jesus, FW: The crown jewel of Arsenal's transfer window, Gabriel Jesus arrives from Man City to lead the Gunners' attack. It's an exciting move for the club as the Arsenal attack looked stunted following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Alô mãe 🤙🏽#gratidão #doperi pic.twitter.com/BuONhwy9kB
— Gabriel Jesus (@gabrieljesus9) July 17, 2022
Fabio Vieira, MF: Arsenal acquired the 22-year-old Porto youth product who made 76 senior appearances, scoring 10 goals and assisting 18 others. The deal features another £4.2 million (€5m / $5.4m) in add-ons.
Eddie Nketiah, FW: Arsenal confirmed on June 18 that the striker signed a new contract through the summer of 2027 after the expiration of his previous deal. The 22 year old will don Thierry Henry's No. 14 shirt.
Marquinhos, FW: The Gunners acquired the 19-year-old Sao Paulo forward for a relatively modest fee, penning him to a five-year contract. He is reported to be a potential loan candidate for his first season unless he impresses in their preseason tour of the USA.
Matt Turner, GK: While the transfer was announced in February, Turner played his last MLS match on June 19. In classic new-Gunner fashion, Turner was caught on camera refusing to sign a shirt for a fan wearing a Tottenham jersey.
I think he’ll fit in just fine on his side of North London 🔴⚪️😉 pic.twitter.com/pDzmYRACk0
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) June 20, 2022
Oleksandr Zinchenko, MF: Zinchenko enjoyed a highly successful time at City, even if his role at the club was largely a versatile back-up. It is his multi-faceted style of play that could make him so useful to Arsenal, with proficiency at left-back and defensive midfield.
Players Out:
| Date | Player | Position | Age | Club | Transfer/Loan Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2022 | Alexandre Lacazette | FW | 31 | Lyon | Free Transfer |
| July 2, 2022 | Matteo Guendouzi | MF | 23 | Marseille | €10m fee received |
| July 29, 2022 | Arthur Okonkwo | GK | 20 | Crewe Aexandra | Loan |
| July 30, 2022 | Nuno Tavares | LB | 22 | Marseille | Loan |
| August 2, 2022 | Bernd Leno | GK | 30 | Fulham | €9.5m |
| August 3, 2022 | Folarin Balogun | FW | 21 | Stade de Reims | Loan |
Alexandre Lacazette: The Frenchman departed at the expiration of his Arsenal contract and rejoined former club Lyon. He scored 71 goals in 206 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners since joining them in 2017.
Matteo Guendouzi: Another Frenchman makes a permanent move to France after his loan deal with Marseille results in a deal for €10 million.
Arthur Okonkwo: The academy product was promoted to Arsenal's first-team last season but will spend the coming season on loan in with Crewew Alexandra in League Two.
Arsenal full squad & projected lineup
Below is the updated Arsenal first-team squad. New additions during the summer 2022 window are noted in bold:
Goalkeepers (4): Bernd Leno, Aaron Ramsdale, Matt Turner.
Defenders (9): Cedric, Gabriel, Rob Holding, Pablo Mari, William Saliba, Nuno Tavares, Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White
Midfielders (10): Mohamed Elneny, Alberto Lokonga, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Lucas Torreira, Fabio Vieira, Granit Xhaka, Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Forwards (5): Folarin Balogun, Marquinhos, Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, Nicolas Pepe, Gabriel Jesus.
The current Arsenal projected first-choice starting lineup, when completely healthy, currently looks like:
Arsenal projected starting XI (formation): Ramsdale (GK) — Tierney, Gabriel, White, Tomiyasu — Partey, Xhaka — Smith Rowe, Odegaard, Saka — Jesus.
Arsenal back-ups: Turner (GK), Holding (CB), Mari (CB), Saliba (CB), Cedric (RB), El Neny (CM), Lokonga (CM), Vieira (CAM), Martinelli (LW), Pepe (RW), Marquinhos (RW).
GK = goalkeeper; CB = center back; LB = left back; RB = right back; CM = central midfielder; CAM = central attacking midfielder; RM = right midfielder; CF = center forward; LW = left wing; RW = right wing
Premier League 2022/23 TV channels, live streams
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| TV channel | Sky Sports, BT Sport | USA Network, Telemundo, Universo | — | — |
| Streaming | NOW TV, Sky Go, Amazon Prime | fuboTV, Peacock | fuboTV | Optus Sport |
UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and BT Sport streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.
USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on fuboTV. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.
Canada: Every Premier League game streams live and on demand exclusively via fuboTV.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream matches live and on demand on Optus Sport.
