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Arsenal battle Manchester City on Wednesday (April 26) in the Premier League at the Etihad. The top-of-the-table clash is likely to decide the title race. The Gunners are five points ahead at the top, but second-placed City have two games in hand.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are unlikely to sign Barcelona midfielder Raphinha. Elsewhere, the north London side are monitoring Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on April 24, 2023:
Arsenal unlikely to sign Raphinha
Arsenal are unlikely to sign Raphinha this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. The Brazilian was wanted at the Emirates last summer, but he opted to join Barcelona from Leeds United. The 26-year-old has fared decently, amassing nine goals and ten assists in 42 games across competitions.
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Raphinha is linked with the Gunners once again ahead of the summer. However, speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that the north London side are unlikely to invest heavily in a backup to Bukayo Saka.
"The stories about him leaving pop up consistently, and there is uncertainty over what happens with him in the summer. He doesn’t want to leave. I am pretty certain of that. But if Barcelona are going to raise funds for summer spending, he is a candidate for that," said Jones.
He added:
“The next step, though, is to address what his market is. Arsenal tried to sign him, and we will have to gauge whether they would be interested in going back down that path. Another wide forward to bulk up the squad for when they are also in the Champions League is one of the noises I’m hearing - I am just a little sceptical about whether they would invest this heavily in a player to compete with Bukayo Saka."
Jones said that Newcastle United could be a possible destination for Raphinha but added that it would be a step down for the player.
“I think it is more likely they look for someone a bracket down from Raphinha, given he signed for £55m, and they will look to make more than that on him now," said Jones.
He continued:
“Are there any other landing spots for him in England? Newcastle is a possibility. But I also think the player would see that as quite a step-down, given Barca was his dream move. And a twist to that one is that Newcastle also like his teammate Ousmane Dembele.”
Raphinha could end up staying at the Camp Nou beyond the summer.
Gunners monitoring Mason Mount
Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Mason Mount, according to journalist Charles Watts.
The English midfielder enters the final year of his contract with Chelsea this summer but is yet to sign a new deal. The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge, with Liverpool also eager to take him to Anfield.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts said that Mount would be a good fit for Arteta's tactics.
"I think Mason Mount is a good player. I've always liked Mason Mount, and I think in that sort of number eight role, in Arteta’s system, I think he'd worked pretty well. I wouldn't say necessarily will come in and be a starter, but you know we're looking at Arsenal squad at the moment, and they need to improve," said Watts.
He continued:
"And so, I think a lot of it would depend on how much a transfer fee would be, what sort of wages he would demand. But I think Chelsea are open to selling him this summer because they know that he's not going to sign a new contractm or it's looking very unlikely he's going to sign a new contract."
Watts went on to add that the Gunners have discussed a move for Mason Mount.
"Arsenal are sort of monitoring it. I don't know if they're going to press a button and actually firm up their interest and try and sign him. We'll have to wait and see when the season ends and the summer transfer window opens. But he is certainly a player that they are looking at and have held talks about," said Watts.
Mount has three goals and six assists in 35 games across competitions for the Blues this season.
Arsenal eyeing Manuel Ugarte
Arsenal are interested in Miguel Ugarte, according to O Jogo via HITC. The 22-year-old Uruguayan has caught the eye with Sporting this season, registering 42 appearances across competitions and picking up an assist. The Gunners sent scouts to watch him in Sporting's game against Juventus last week.
Arteta is eager to add a new defensive midfielder to his squad ahead of the new season and has zeroed in on the Uruguayan. The Spanish manager has specifically asked the Gunners to secure the services of Ugarte this summer. The 22-year-old has a €60 million release clause in his contract.
