Gossip: Lemar hopes fade; Arsenal want Dembele, Van Dijk

Sarah Winterburn

ARSENAL LOSE HOPE ON LEMAR
When it comes to reliable Arsenal updates, it is all about the BBC’s David Ornstein. And the latest update is not good at all…

So, the fact that Monaco have already sold Bernardo Silva to Manchester City, Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea and Benjamin Mendy could yet depart, means that Monaco are very reluctant to sell Lemar this summer. Though the Daily Telegraph go big on the idea that Lemar is the focus as Arsenal give up on Kylian Mbappe.

The last line from Ornstein is interesting and is one echoed by the Daily Mirror’s John Cross, that Arsenal are more than willing to allow Sanchez to leave for nothing next summer rather than lose him to a rival. There are reports from France that PSG have won the race for the ‘greedy’ Chilean, but those are as yet unconfirmed.

 

ARSENAL WANT DEMBELE AND VAN DIJK
This is in the Daily Star so should be taken with a massive pillar of salt but Chief Football Writer David Woods has come up with the names of two targets for Arsenal – Celtic’s Moussa Dembele (if Sanchez leaves) and Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk. He is not buying the notion that Arsenal will keep Sanchez and pass up the chance to earn £50m for his sale, and mentions Bayern Munich and PSG as possible destinations.

Oh and ‘the Gunners boss is also weighing up a £45m bid for Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk as he bids to turn his team into title contenders’. We suspect that Southampton will pee themselves laughing if Arsenal bid £45m for a player who was on the verge of joining Liverpool for rather more.

 

MORATA TO MILAN?
Having seen his move to Manchester United fall through, many expected Alvaro Morata to join Chelsea. But according to reports in Italy, Morata has is just a ‘step away’ from joining AC Milan from Real Madrid. La Gazzetta dello Sport splash very big on the deal on Monday morning, with their journalist Carlo Laudisa sounding very convinced indeed.

Milan have already spent around £160m this summer on Leonardo Bonucci, Andre Silva, Andrea Conti, Hakan Calhanoglu, Mateo Musacchio, Ricardo Rodríguez, Lucas Biglia and Franck Kessie. Morata’s signing would see them smash through the £200m barrier.

 

AND THE REST
Borussia Dortmund will only wait “a few more days” on any offers for Gabon forward and Chelsea target Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang…Tottenham Hotspur are preparing another push to sign Everton midfielder Ross Barkley…Spurs hope to complete the signing of £8m Estudiantes defender Juan Foyth by the end of this week…Loic Remy is set to leave Chelsea this summer, with Everton and Southampton interested in the French striker…West Ham will make a third bid for Stoke City winger Marko Arnautovic…Swansea are keen to sign another Las Palmas player – attacking midfielder Jonathan Viera.