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Arsenal are reportedly interested in Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni, as Mikel Arteta targets his midfield as an area for revitalisation this summer.

The Gunners revealed yesterday that Granit Xhaka had departed to join Bayer Leverkusen, leaving space for the north Londoners to announce the signing of Declan Rice.

Arsenal’s midfield has been the narrative of their transfer window so far, with the future of Rice dominating news, however with the deal agreed, reporters have indicated that further reinforcements could be made.

Did Arsenal bid for Aurelien Tchouameni?

Last week, it was reported by FootballTransfers that the Gunners hold an interest in Tchouameni, stating that the club had ‘added’ the 23-year-old to their list of targets, although no bid has yet been made.

An update this week from football.london’s Arsenal correspondent Kaya Kaynak explained that despite the deal being ‘unlikely’ it’s not appropriate to rule the Londoners out of anything in this window.

Kaynak noted: “It's hard to really say what is and isn't financially viable for Arsenal before they get some sales done. All of that money will be available to reinvest into the playing staff this summer.

"I have to say when you factor in the wages he would likely demand Tchouameni seems unlikely, but then again Arsenal have spent £105m on Declan Rice this summer so I'm not sure we can rule anything out.”

Valued by FootballTransfers around the €63m (£54m) mark, signing the midfielder would be an audacious move by Edu.

How good is Aurelien Tchouameni?

Lauded as a “monster” by members of the media, the 23-year-old Frenchman has proved himself to be one of the best young midfielders in Europe.

Signed by Los Blancos from Monaco last summer, the Rouen-born ace has shot to fame since rising up the ranks at Bordeaux.

Deployed primarily as a defensive midfielder, the youngster has sealed 25 caps for France, scoring on two occasions with one goal coming at the 2022 World Cup.

A move for the dynamic Frenchman would be a statement for Arsenal, with the player cementing himself as a top performer in the continent.

As per FBref, the midfielder sits in the top 1% of players in Europe in terms of both pass completion rate and interceptions (1.98 per 90), highlighting the areas he thrives in when controlling the engine room.

Averaging a 92.9% pass completion rate per 90 over the past year, the 23-year-old would undoubtedly bolster Arteta’s side, especially those around him.

Gunners captain Martin Odegaard was voted the club’s player of the year last term, scoring 15 goals and registering seven assists as the magician in the Emirates midfield.

Having cover from Tchouameni would surely allow the Norwegian to further flourish, knowing he has a truly competent and defensive figure behind him.

The 24-year-old skipper averaged 7.66 progressive passes and 2.19 key passes per 90 in the Premier League last season, via FBref, highlighting the danger the attacking midfielder adds to the Gunners’ attack when given creative freedom in the number 10 role.

A lot of Odegaard’s form was attributable to the cover and passing ability of Xhaka behind him, with the Swiss averaging an impressive 5.89 progressive passes per 90.

The Frenchman could replicate the work of the 30-year-old by helping Odegaard’s game, as supported by his average of 6.03 progressive passes per 90 in La Liga last season.

It would be an impressive swoop for the Gunners, who could take a huge step in the development of the title-challenging side this summer. Indeed, this is a move that could well make one of their star men even more unplayable. Imagine that.

Arsenal's previous intention to bring in cover for Bukayo Saka may have changed, journalist Charles Watts has hinted.

What's the latest on Arsenal's transfer targets?

Arsenal appear close to deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber to add to the signing of Kai Havertz, which could see their spending exceed £200m in the early stages of the transfer window.

However, they may not be finished in the market once these deals go through, and it remains to be seen whether they target a right-winger to help provide cover for Bukayo Saka.

Reiss Nelson looks set to stay and sign a new contract after months of uncertainty, but Mikel Arteta may want a bit more depth to try and compete with Manchester City for the Premier League title next season.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts claimed that Arsenal's priority was initially finding cover for their star player, and that they could revisit this in the window.

"I thought that was certainly going to be a big priority, that's what I heard was going to be a priority this summer," he stated.

"I do wonder if Kai Havertz has been brought in to solve that issue, not necessarily him, providing the cover for Saka himself, he can do that, it's certainly an option, but also he could play as the number nine if needs be, and then Gabriel Jesus can move over to the right-hand side and that could give Bukayo Saka a rest.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Arsenal don't go out and bring in immediate cover, a real like for like cover for Saka, the capture of Havertz will solve that problem a little bit."

"Reiss Nelson, unless something has changed I don't know about, I still expect him to sign a new contract. He also plays on the right-hand side as well. So I am a little bit surprised."

Do Arsenal need another winger?

Given that Nelson is now set to stay at the club, Arsenal may be well stocked in wide areas.

Gabriel Martinelli, Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Leandro Trossard and Nelson are all comfortable on the wings, and Fabio Vieira, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah could even potentially fill in those positions.

The arrival of Havertz, whose versatility could prove useful, gives Arteta more tactical flexibility and attacking depth, as the Spaniard will be able to shuffle his pack more and place the German in any attacking position.

Nelson and Smith Rowe hardly featured from the start last season, and giving more opportunities to the talented pair may give Arsenal enough strength in depth without having to enter the market again.

Arsenal are currently leading the chase to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer as Mikel Arteta looks set to strengthen his midfield.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are in pole position to sign Lavia during the transfer window after the youngster verbally agreed to join the Gunners.

He will cost around £50m and the north Londoners have jumped ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United with regard to the move, although Manchester City do have a buy-back clause which is active next summer, but the report claims they are undecided on acting sooner.

Will Romeo Lavia join Arsenal?

It is looking increasingly likely that he will arrive at the Emirates ahead of next season and Arteta will be hoping to put Arsenal’s failed Premier League title challenge from last season behind him as the 2023/24 campaign looms on the horizon.

Indeed, the Spaniard is close to signing Chelsea star Kai Havertz for a fee of £65m, as with the added rigours of the Champions League next term, bolstering his options is a shrewd move and could certainly pay dividends.

It is unclear to what position the German will play upon joining Arsenal, as he was mainly deployed as a centre-forward during Chelsea’s underwhelming season, yet with Gabriel Jesus likely to be leading the line for Arsenal next term, he could drop back slightly deeper, perhaps into an attacking-midfield role.

With Lavia coming in and solidifying the midfield, there is potential for a key partnership to be formed which may spur the club onto success next term, with the Belgian’s defensive acumen allowing Havertz the freedom to express his creative talents.

He ranked second in the Southampton squad for tackles made per game (2.1) while also having the second-highest pass success rate (86%) across the whole squad, being able to dictate the play well. The midfielder also ranks in the top 17% across Europe’s big five leagues for ball recoveries per 90 (7.58), suggesting he is effective at sweeping up loose balls in order to move the ball onto more creative talents.

The German could benefit from having someone like Lavia playing behind him. Havertz, across Europe’s top five leagues, ranks in the top 9% for passes received per 90 (34.24) and the top 18% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (5.98), indicating that he is keen to receive the ball as often as possible deep into the opposition half.

Lavia’s passing ability could find Havertz in these ideal positions and they could form a dream duo for Arteta. Reporter Benjy Nurick hailed the teen gem as a “monster” earlier this year and Arsenal must get this move over the line as soon as possible.

Gianluca Scamacca’s move to West Ham has unravelled into disaster.

The Italian was signed from Sassuolo to become the Irons’ main man, but he has been spectacularly disappointing, unable to take the goal-scoring burden off Michail Antonio.

Danny Ings was also bought in January in an attempt to cover up the Scamacca mistake, however, the Englishman has also struggled to find form in East London.

This situation has left David Moyes in the hunt for a new striker and the club has been linked with Armando Broja.

What’s the latest on Armando Broja to Chelsea?

According to Romagiallorossa.it, Roma are closing on a loan with an obligation to buy deal for Scamacca, a move that would provide space for West Ham to enquire about the Chelsea man.

Indeed, it's alleged that the Hammers are supposedly “closing” in on the 21-year-old, who last year had an asking price of around £30m.

Can Armando Broja replace Gianluca Scamacca?

Broja is a player brimming with talent, effervescence, and potential, but has suffered hideous luck with injury.

The £40k-per-week striker has been restricted to just three starts for the Blues this season after he tore his cruciate ligament in a friendly against Aston Villa in December 2022.

Although, admittedly prior to this unfortunate event, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both reluctant to regularly utilise the forward. Nevertheless, he has shown in a previous loan spell his extraordinary talent.

During the 2020/21 season, the youngster was at Southampton, where has displayed the most promise in his short career, as in 38 appearances in all competitions, the Chelsea starlet scored nine times.

Frank Lampard, who gave Broja his full debut back in 2020, once said: “He is a very talented young boy.

“He came into us at the start of the Covid times, trained with us, and showed the attributes that I think you’re seeing now in the Premier League at Southampton.

“He’s fast, strong, has a real eye for goal and he’s a very, very good young player so I’m very aware of his strengths.”

Meanwhile, Scamacca has failed to hit the heights he had previously shown in his homeland. After netting 16 Serie goals in the 2020/21 season, he has only registered three Premier League strikes, failing to score since January 4th.

Moyes provided a rather damning indictment on Scamacca and said: "We know that his physical data has got to be much better than it is. Gianluca has got to get himself back.

“You want to put out the players who you think are going to win for you, so you are always looking to put your best team out. We just want the output to be bigger and more.”

Therefore, this has opened the pathway for Broja, who has already shown he can consistently perform at the top level.

Described as “dangerous” by Ralph Hasenhuttl, the 17-cap international is a more than adequate replacement for the out-of-favour Scamacca.

West Ham are in the race to sign Edson Alvarez this summer, according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.

Are West Ham signing Edson Alvarez?

The Mexican has spent the last four campaigns with Ajax and has slowly developed and established himself as a key first-team player for the club during his time there. In the 2022/23 season, he featured on 31 occasions in the league – with 30 starts, the most he has ever managed – and bagged three goals with three assists along the way. His showings couldn't help Ajax to climb the league table though, slipping to third and not winning the Eredivisie for the first time since he joined the club.

Alvarez though still ranked highly amongst other midfielders within the Men's 'Next 8' competitions (the leagues after Europe's big five). For example, his 83.91 attempted passes per 90 rate is almost second to none, with the midfielder ranking within the top one percent in that area. Not only does he attempt a lot of balls to his teammates but he pulls them off too, with the player averaging a pass completion rate of 88.7% – putting him in the 94th percentile for that figure too. It shows that his on-the-ball ability is one of the best and he is well capable of dictating the player and using his vision to find other players.

These continued performances have now led to interest in his services from elsewhere. Borussia Dortmund have been linked with a swoop for the 25-year-old but it appears they won't be alone in chasing Alvarez. That's because according to a report from Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, West Ham are also keen on bringing the player to the Premier League. However, he also adds that the midfielder himself is "waiting" for Dortmund to make an official move because he "wants to join them."

There is no potential fee mentioned but CIES Football Observatory suggest his value could be around 30 million Euros (or £25m).

Plettenberg said: "Understand there is still no agreement between BVB and Alvarez. And: Ajax still has NOT received an offer from Dortmund! Therefore NO talks about the transfer fee yet. West Ham is in, yes! But the player is still waiting for BVB as he wants to join them as reported!"

How does Alvarez compare to other midfielders?

It's no wonder there is such an interest in the midfielder when you consider that not only has he proven to be a force in terms of his passing ability but also with his defensive workrate. With 2.65 clearances per 90, he also ranks in the top one percent in that area too and does the same for his aerials won stat, with 3.38 on average per 90.

The player is an all-round force then it seems, and West Ham, fresh off a Europa Conference League victory, could certainly boost their squad with the addition of the Ajax man. However, it still appears as though pole position is held by Borussia Dortmund.

There has been an update in Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit of Roma defender, Roger Ibanez…

What's the latest on Ibanez to Tottenham?

According to Italian outlet Roma Giallorossa, the Lilywhites are said to have 'intensified' their contacts with the Serie A side regarding a deal for the 24-year-old, with the report suggesting that a bid for the Brazilian could be imminent.

The piece goes on to add that while Jose Mourinho's side are looking to recoup a fee of around €35m (£30m) if they are to cash on the former Atalanta man this summer, an offer of around €30m (£26m) could well be enough to help reach an agreement.

The report also notes that while London rivals West Ham United are also keeping tabs on the centre-back, it is Spurs who are currently leading the race for his signature, with new boss Ange Postecoglou said to be an 'admirer' of the two-cap international.

Should Tottenham sign Roger Ibanez?

It does appear that defensive recruits are something of a necessity for the aforementioned Postecoglou ahead of next season, particularly with The Telegraph only recently reporting that the likes of Clement Lenglet, Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez are all facing uncertain futures at N17.

That need for change has come following a rather disastrous campaign for the club which saw the north London outfit ship 63 goals in the top flight, ensuring they ended the season with the sixth-worst defensive record in the division.

Amid that desperate need to improve an evidently shaky backline, it does appear that long-serving skipper Hugo Lloris is likely to be on his way, with the 36-year-old Frenchman having notably made four errors leading to goals in the league in 2022/23 – the most of any player in the Premier League.

While the veteran asset is not yet out the door, the recent speculation is that Spurs are already closing in on a possible replacement, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that talks are "ongoing" regarding the bid to bring Brentford's David Raya to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Spaniard has warranted that interest after recording the most saves (154) in the division in the most recent campaign, ensuring he could be just the man that Postecoglou needs in the sticks to improve the club's defensive woes.

The ex-Celtic boss could improve the spine of the team even further with the addition of Ibanez, with the "outstanding" talent – as hailed by journalist Josh Bunting – having sparkled at the Stadio Olimpico of late after his part in Roma's surge to the Europa League final.

A player who is something of a rock at the back, the 6 foot 1 ace notably ranks in the top 3% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for interceptions made, as well as in the top 18% for tackles made, showcasing his ball-winning prowess.

The one-time Fluminense man notably averaged four tackles and interceptions combined per game in 33 Serie A outings in 2022/23, with that a far superior record to the likes of Dier (2.0), Lenglet (2.2) and Sanchez (2.0).

That stellar statistical record would appear to indicate that Ibanez could be the centre-back upgrade that Postecoglou's side are desperately in need of, with it no doubt exciting to imagine the improvements that can be made with the Brazilian – and the aforementioned Raya – lining up in the defensive ranks next term.

When 49ers Enterprises took over from former Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani, it brought a dramatic period in West Yorkshire to an end – a period during which the Whites finally returned to the Premier League after well over a decade away.

That return to the Premier League – and the battle to stay in it – saw plenty of transfer business at Elland Road as they battled to stay afloat. Some of it was exceptional, but some of it really, really wasn’t.

Football FanCast has taken a look at the worst of Radrizzani’s tenure to see where things eventually went wrong.

6 Dishonourable mention: Weston McKennie

We just have to give a quick shoutout to McKennie. Leeds signed him on loan from Juventus in January 2023 in an attempt to save their season, but the American flopped wildly. It was so bad that fans were letting him know just how out of shape he was as they said goodbye at the end of the season.

There was a clause in the loan contract, however, that would have made it permanent for £34m, and the only reason that’s not happening? The relegation. A bizarre situation where fans would prefer McKennie was topping this list as an all-time bad transfer. Instead, he’ll depart. Bullet dodged. Sort of.

5 Hélder Costa – £15m

Leeds signed Hélder Costa from Wolves back in 2019, initially on loan. And his inclusion in this list is perhaps a bit harsh – Costa did play a role in their eventual promotion that season.

However, the deal became permanent in July 2020 for around £15m, per the Mirror. Once permanent, Costa struggled and never truly got to grips with the Premier League – only three goals in 25 appearances. He’s now spent the last two seasons off on loan, first with Valencia and then Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

4 Daniel James – £25m

James was a sizeable signing for Leeds, joining from Manchester United at the end of the 2021 summer transfer window for £25m. He’s a player they’d wanted for a while and things initially looked good.

But then Radrizzani made the wildly unpopular decision to sack Marcelo Bielsa the following February. James then never fit in under new boss Jesse Marsch and was sent out on loan just a year after arriving. He subsequently spent the season finishing 10th with Fulham while Leeds went down.

3 Brenden Aaronson – £25m

Aaronson is only 22 and could still go on to become a fantastic player. He may well go on to be a brilliant signing for Leeds. The problem, though, is that the American arrived at the start of last season as their big summer signing.

Paying £25m for a player who then struggled is bad. It’s even worse when your entire team struggles to the point of relegation. It’s just not a good look for the club when that player is 22 and moving from the Austrian Bundesliga.

If Leeds had made a less risky signing, it really could have been enough to keep them up.

2 Georginio Rutter – £36m

Leeds needed help in the January transfer window. You can argue all day where they needed that help but a new striker undoubtedly could have made a major difference. They went out and paid a club-record £36m for Rutter from Hoffenheim – an enormous risk, given he had two goals in 15 games by that point in the season.

It was a disaster. Rutter played 273 minutes in total – so barely the equivalent of three full games – and failed to score once. He did register an assist, but splashing out £36m for one assist isn’t exactly value for money.

The really worrying part about this one, though, is that Radrizzani didn’t want to make the signing. Per The Athletic, he favoured a loan move with an option to buy. It was the 49ers Group – which is about to take over 100% of Leeds – that pushed for the big permanent deal.

1 Jean-Kévin Augustin – £25m, sort of.

If the Rutter deal scares fans at all, they can rest easy that it’s almost impossible for any subsequent transfer to be worse than Radrizzani’s worst. The Augustin debacle is an all-timer.

Leeds signed the Frenchman on loan from RB Leipzig in January 2020. There was an option to buy him permanently for £17.7m, per Bild, but that option became an obligation if the West Yorkshire club were promoted at the end of the season.

Now, Leeds were promoted, of course, but then tried to argue that they hadn’t been. See, ‘end of the season’ is the key phrase here because they argued that June 30th was the end of the season as per the contract. In the year of the pandemic, however, the season was delayed and the club technically weren’t promoted by that ‘end of the season’. The promotion came in early July, so they sent him back to Leipzig without triggering the clause.

Leipzig took that to court, though, saying that Leeds quite clearly earned promotion that year and needed to pay for Augustin. They won that case – forcing Leeds to actually pay more in a breach of contract suit – a sum of £25m, per the Athletic.

Leeds, then, paid £25m for a player they didn’t actually buy. The kicker is that Augustin played a total of 48 minutes for the club, making every facet of this a disaster.

Manchester United have the opportunity to put the cherry on top of a fantastic season by winning the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium this afternoon in a monumental clash with local rivals Manchester City.

The Red Devils have already won the League Cup this season and qualified for Champions League football with a third-place finish in the Premier League, and now Erik ten Hag can improve his first season further by sealing the domestic double by beating Pep Guardiola to the trophy and ruin City's chances of a treble-winning season.

Indeed, the Dutch coach will be under no illusion that it will be an easy task for his team with Man City in unbelievable form of late and an opportunity in their minds to perform an outstanding achievement, one that, ironically, Man United were the last to complete back in 1999.

In terms of injuries, Ten Hag has his fair share to deal with as Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer, Antony and Anthony Martial will be unavailable for selection, with the latter the most recent to fall victim to fitness issues ahead of the huge fixture this afternoon leaving the centre-forward role considerably weakened.

Having said that, the Red Devils still boast a squad capable of delivering high quality at Wembley today and after beating Guardiola's impressive side back in January, Ten Hag will surely look back on how his team performed in the victory many months ago to find inspiration for his starting eleven.

One player who put on a fantastic performance in the 2-1 win over City was Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and it could be the perfect opportunity to unleash him once again at Wembley.

Will Wan-Bissaka start in the FA Cup Final?

The talented right-back has revived his career at Old Trafford this season under the guidance of his new manager and could now be a vital asset in keeping the attacking threat quiet this afternoon, or more specifically Jack Grealish.

Over 19 Premier League appearances, the £90k-per-week ace – once dubbed a "monster" by CBS presenter Aaron West – has won 55% of his duels and tallied up an 84% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 56.2 touches, 1.2 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and 1.8 clearances per game, proving that he is a huge defensive presence on the right flank.

His undeniable ability to stump high-quality attacking opponents was proven in the league victory over Man City where he comfortably completed 100% of his ground duels (7/7), accurately completed 100% of his long balls, successfully executed all three of his dribble attempts and won four tackles during his 90-minute performance.

In fact, Wan-Bissaka has a 50% win ratio over the 12 occasions he has faced the Sky Blues in the past and has only lost five times, whilst his positional peer Diogo Dalot has only appeared once and lost, making the former Crystal Palace titan the more experienced option for Ten Hag today.

With that being said, it will be important to start strong defensively to ensure they are not punished by the likes of Grealish and Wan-Bissaka could be the experienced and dominant presence to ensure the Man City star doesn't cause problems early into the clash at Wembley.

The Liverpool Echo journalist Sam Carroll has been left ‘absolutely gutted’ by some early Everton Team News that has now emerged before Thursday’s action.

The Lowdown: Delph out

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland has shared that both Fabian Delph and Yerry Mina are still out injured, and will therefore miss their game at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-5/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

They are already without long-term injury absentees Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson, while both Jarrad Branthwaite and Salomon Rondon are suspended after getting themselves sent off in the 3-2 defeat at home to Brentford last time out.

The Latest: Carroll reacts

Taking to Twitter, Carroll took particular notice of the news on Delph, claiming that he is ‘absolutely gutted’ the former Aston Villa and Manchester City midfield player will not be able to play a part in the match:

“Never thought I’d say it but I’m sat in work absolutely gutted Fabian Delph isn’t playing tomorrow. He has been vital to recent wins + good performances. Doucoure / Allan + potentially one other really need to step it up a gear or five.”

The Verdict: Blow

It certainly is a blow to be without Delph for this game given some of his recent performances.

NWSE appears to be heading for a big Aston Villa disaster that surely won’t please manager Steven Gerrard.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause wants to leave the club in the summer transfer window.

Hause saw a move to Watford fall through in January and appears to be set on a fresh start away from Villa Park.

Steven Gerrard set for defensive crisis

Gerrard has had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde spell at Villa so far since he arrived at the club in mid-November from Rangers.

He appeared to ignite the spark back into the side following two consecutive wins, however, a bad spell over Christmas and New Year soon brought the team back down and they have faced a fight to sneak into the top half of the table ever since.

With Gerrard’s defence being one of concern, with Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings not exactly setting the world on fire, and the news that Hause wants to leave, the manager faces a semi-crisis.

Mings has averaged a fairly respectable 6.91 SofaScore rating but his performances have seriously dwindled since he began the European Championships last summer in England’s starting XI.

Konsa, meanwhile, has impressed at times but his overall metrics are incredibly disappointing, averaging a rating of 6.74, worse than both Mings and Hause.

The latter, who earns £25k-per-week, has only featured three times under the Englishman and hasn’t even been in the matchday squad for the previous eight games.

His performances earlier in the season led to some praise, however, suggesting he should be part of Gerrard’s plans going forward.

Hause was dubbed “assured” following an excellent performance against Manchester United at the start of the campaign, in which he scored the only goal and it’s a pity he hasn’t been able to convince Gerrard of his merits thus far.

Hopefully, a solid pre-season can do the player wonders and the manager will give him more opportunities.

After all, with Konsa and Mings both linked with moves away too, it would surely be nothing short of a disaster if all three players departed.

AND in other news, Source: AVFC’s “difficult” dud could now leave Villa Park, it’s great news for Gerrard