Gossip: Overhauls at Arsenal and Chelsea?

Daniel Storey
during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and FC Internazionale Milano at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on April 20, 2016 in Genoa, Italy.

LOTS MORE NAMES LINKED WITH CHELSEA
Antonio Conte is confident of completing a £45million deal for Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain this summer, according to the Daily Mirror.

Higuain has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United also mentioned as potential suitors for the Argentina striker, but Chelsea are said to be hopeful of fighting off any competition having already made discreet enquiries.

Chelsea also believe they will land Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan this summer, the Mirror add, as Conte prepares to completely overhaul his squad. That one has been on the cards for a while.

Antonio Rüdiger, on loan at Roma from Stuttgart, has also been looked at, but the Blues’ hopes of signing Kostas Manolas are apparently in the balance as Roma will have to pay the defender’s former club Olympiacos a huge sell-on fee if he leaves the Stadio Olimpico this summer.

 

LOTS MORE NAMES LINKED WITH ARSENAL
Sticking with the Daily Mirror now, and they also believe that Arsene Wenger will go to town on improving Arsenal’s squad this summer. We definitely haven’t heard that before.

The first name mentioned by John Cross is Internazionale’s Mauro Icardi, who Arsenal are confident of signing for £25m. Alvaro Morata is the other striker mentioned.

Elsewhere on the pitch, the focus looks to be on youth, which will go down well with a section of Arsenal’s support. The names mentioned are Atletico Madrid’s Lucas Hernandez, Leicester’s Ben Chilwell, Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon, Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka and the not-so-young Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Buy them all?

 

LIVERPOOL WANT JOE HART
Now then, we’re just reporting what has been said. And France Football have said that Liverpool could sign Joe Hart this summer. Quite why they would have the inside info on Jurgen Klopp’s transfer business or Joe Hart’s summer plans is unclear.

There has been a lot of talk that Pep Guardiola would like to sign Marc-Andre ter Stegen this summer, but it would be an incredibly bold call to sell Hart to a Premier League rival. So bold, in fact, that we can’t see it happening.

 

AND THE REST
Incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has agreed to sell Thibaut Courtois, with Liverpool a possible destination. The Blues will sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic as his replacement… Arsenal have an agreement with Real Madrid to discuss the possible transfer of Isco this summer… Stoke City forward Bojan is ‘surprised and disappointed’ by the lack of chances he has been afforded recently… Liverpool will listen to offers this summer for winger Jordon Ibe, 20, amid interest from Watford, Arsenal and Tottenham… Southampton are concerned Ronald Koeman will not extend his contract, which has a year to run, amid interest from Everton and Arsenal.