Gossip: Arsenal target £47.7m pair as Liverpool ‘slash’ price

Matt Stead

Arsenal have some modest transfer plans, including signing a centre-half from France’s best defence.


AXEL ROSE
Not a great deal has been said about Arsenal’s transfer plans this summer. With the first team agreeing to a 12.5% pay cut and their money back with interest if they qualify for the Champions League, they appear not to be too bothered by the prospect of new signings.

But here are Goal.com to burst that bubble. They say Arsenal have ‘formally contacted’ Reims over centre-half Axel Disasi, with club scouts ‘monitoring him closely’ throughout the season. They would have seen him play all but 90 minutes of the current league season for the team in fifth with Ligue Un’s best defensive record.

Disasi ‘looks certain to leave’ this summer and his price is more than appealing. With a single year left on his contract and little chance of a renewal, Reims are looking to recoup £13m.

That will pique the interest of West Ham, Southampton, Monaco and sides in the Bundesliga, but Arsenal believe the 22-year-old ‘ticks a lot of the boxes they are looking for’ in their ‘priority position’ of centre-half. Most notably, he has the ‘intelligence’ and ‘physical presence’ to thrive.

 

ODSONNE OUT
The Gunners will then explore a deal for Odsonne Edouard of Celtic, if Le10Sport are to be believed. And they probably aren’t. But still.

Edouard ‘interests many European clubs’, Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig, Lille and Lyon chief among them. But at least one of those sides could be ruled out by an asking price that is set to go as high as £34.7m.

That sort of money will inevitably catch the eye of Premier League clubs. Arsenal and Everton have the 22-year-old in their ‘sights’ and Celtic might just revel in a potential auction.

Charlie Nicholas is not so sure Edouard actually fits in north London, mind.

 

XHERD MENTALITY
Over at Liverpool, the effects of the global pandemic are being sorely felt. No-one will buy Xherdan Shaqiri for £28m now!

While it is entirely unclear who would have done in the first place, Football Insider are insistent that the asking price has been lowered. The Reds ‘are set to slash’ their valuation of the Swiss international. Danny Mills warned them about this.

A Liverpool source apparently says the club ‘recognise it won’t be possible to secure their initial price for Shaqiri in a market that is set to be drastically constricted going into the summer window’. Quite why he is the only player impacted by this is unknown.

Sevilla, CSKA Moscow and Roma are all interested and while Jurgen Klopp absolutely loves his muscles, Liverpool will surely let him go.

 

AND THE REST
Borussia Dortmund will give England winger Jadon Sancho, 20, a 4m euro (£3.5m) pay rise if he turns down a move to the Premier League… Newcastle could make a bid for Barcelona and Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal. The 32-year-old is said to be keen on the move if the Magpies replace current boss Steve Bruce with Max Allegri… Liverpool have registered their interest in Inter Milan and Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, 27… But Liverpool have not contacted RB Leipzig over a move for Germany’s 24-year-old striker Timo Werner.

 

The F365 Show is on hiatus until the football returns. Subscribe now ready for its glorious comeback. In the meantime, listen to the latest episode of Planet Football’s 2000s podcast, The Broken Metatarsal.