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Arsenal ended the season in second place in the Premier League. Manager Mikel Arteta is expected to further invest in the squad over the summer in preparation for the new campaign.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are ready to offer €90 million for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez. Elsewhere, midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga has confirmed that he will leave the Emirates this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on May 28, 2024:
Arsenal offer €90 million for Lautaro Martinez
Arsenal are willing to break the bank for Lautaro Martinez this summer, according to Todo Fichajes.
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The Gunners are looking for a new No. 9 this year amid the poor form of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah. Arteta has identified Martinez as an option, with the Argentinean enjoying a spectacular season with Inter Milan.
The 26-year-old has scored 27 goals and set up seven in 44 games across competitions this season, helping the club win the Serie A as well as the Supercoppa Italiana titles.
The north London side are pleased with his efforts and want to sign him this summer. The player's contract with the Italian champions runs out in 2026, and he's already in talks to extend his stay. However, Arsenal are planning to tempt Inter Milan with a €90 million offer, which the Nerazzurri could be willing to accept.
Albert Sambi Lokonga set to leave
Albert Sambi Lokonga has confirmed that he will leave the Emirates at the end of the season. The Belgian midfielder spent the season on loan to Luton Town, where he caught the eye.
Despite missing much of the campaign due to injuries, the 24-year-old scored one goal and three assists in 19 games across competitions. However, his efforts are unlikely to be enough to convince Arteta to reintegrate the player into the squad.
Speaking to VOO Sport, Sambi Lokonga added that he has discussed his future with the Gunners and that it has been decided that he will leave.
"I think that (my time at Arsenal) is slowly coming to the end. I had a discussion with the club and what was said is that the best solution for me was to leave.
"I have a one year contract plus a one year option, so now it's up to the club and my agent to find the best solution,” said Lokonga.
Sambi Lokonga has appeared just 39 times for the north London side across competitions.
Willian opens up on Emirates exit
Willian has revealed that Arsenal wanted him to stay at the club. The Brazilian forward joined the club from Chelsea in 2020 but endured a difficult stay at the Emirates.
He left the north London side the next year, having registered one goal and seven assist in 37 appearances across competitions. After a brief stint with Corinthians, he eventually joined Fulham in 2022 and has spent the last two seasons at Craven Cottage.
Speaking to ESPN Brasil, Willian said that he struggled with the Gunners because he had joined a team in transition.
“I arrived when Arsenal was going through an overhaul, changing a lot of things internally, and I arrived in the middle of it. I’d wanted to go there, I’d spoken to Arteta too, to Edu. I arrived motivated, very happy and, as time went by, things didn’t work out the way we’d hoped for various reasons,” said Willian.
He continued:
“When it came to the end of the first season, I spoke to them and said: I don’t think it’s going to work out here. I’m a player who needs to feel happy where I am, and here I can’t find myself.
"So we decided to terminate my contract, but Arsenal always wanted me to stay, to try for another year. I think the main factor was that I caught the club in the middle of a revamp, changing everything."
He concluded:
“A lot of people have said: ‘Wait a bit longer, have a bit of patience’. But you know when you’re not feeling happy?
"When you’re in a place just for the money, it’s not very enjoyable, you know? Going somewhere just for the contract. And I’m not that kind of person, I have to feel good.”
Willian's contract with the Cottagers expires this summer, but he's likely to be handed a new deal.
