Gossip: Arsenal close on defender, Liverpool eye Italy duo

Ian Watson

WENGER’S OFFERS FLOODING IN
Arsene Wenger isn’t short of offers for when he leaves Arsenal at the end of the season. Nor will he be short of a few quid…

The 68-year-old is said to have be ‘inundated’ with proposals since it was announced that he is stepping down from his Gunners post, with The Mirror claiming the most lucrative of them has come from China.

John Cross says Wenger could become the highest paid manager in the world should he take up the offer of a job in the Far East. The Frenchman is currently on around £8million a year at the Emirates but a move to the Chinese Super League could see him take home three times that amount.

The offer is said to be worth more than the £24million a year Marcello Lippi makes as coach of the China national team. By contrast, Pep Guardiola is the highest paid manager in the Premier League with the Catalan receiving £16million a year from Manchester City.

If Wenger would prefer to stay a little closer to home – reportedly, he would – then PSG are keen to make him an offer. But not as their coach.

Unai Emery confirmed on Friday that he is leaving the Ligue 1 champions in summer, with Thomas Tuchel the strong favourite to take over. But, according to Le10 Sport, PSG want Wenger to come in as general manager on a four-year contract.

 

GUNNERS GET TO THE GREEK
As Wenger walks out of the Emirates this summer, he may pass Sokratis Papastathopoulos as the Borussia Dortmund arrives.

Bild claims Arsenal are edging closer to securing the services of the Greece centre-half for a fee in the region of £17.5million.

Papastathopoulos has only a year left on his contract at Dortmund and head of recruitment Sven Mislintat is said to be using his contacts at his former club to land the 29-year-old.

Mislintat is also said to be in the market for a goalkeeper and a central midfielder as the Gunners look for a new spine. And some backbone…

 

REDS EYE SERIE A PROSPECTS
Liverpool have been keeping tabs on Fiorentina forward Federico Chiesa, though their interest may have waned when they learned how much the 20-year-old will cost this summer.

The Serie A side have become aware that a number of European giants have been tracking Chiesa, with Napoli and both Manchester clubs said to be monitoring the attacker, who has six goals and seven assists to his name in Serie A so far this term.

Liverpool, though, are understood to have been most keen so far. But, according to Corriere dello Sport, Fiorentina would demand the £44million required to trigger the buy-out clause in Chiesa’s contract, which still has four years left to run.

The Reds are also said to be keeping a close eye on another Italian youngster, with Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini having also caught their eye.

The 21-year-old Italy international’s release clause is half the amount of Chiesa’s but Gazzetta dello Sport suggest Juventus and Inter Milan are leading the race for the central midfielder.

 

AND THE REST
Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson is wanted by Everton, West Ham and Leicester… Danny Rose, Tody Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama could all leave Spurs this summer… Tottenham are still keen on Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes… Antoine Griezmann is in talks with Atletico Madrid over his long-term future… Antonio Conte’s hopes of landing the Italy job this summer could be scuppered by his demands for a five-year contract… Reported Chelsea target Maurizio Sarri has a clause in his contract that means the coach can leave Napoli for £7million before the end of May.