Arsenal raise offer by £17m to ‘force’ next huge transfer after reaching ‘full agreements’ on two signings
According to rumors, Arsenal will increase their offer to Real Madrid in an effort to close a deal for Aurelien Tchouameni.
The Gunners have already signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea, and agreements to recruit Jurrien Timber from Ajax and Declan Rice from West Ham are shortly to follow.
But according to rumours, Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu want two midfielders, a centre back, a right back, and a forward in addition to those players already mentioned.
Given that there is strong speculation that Thomas Partey will depart this summer and that Havertz is a viable option in both midfield and attack, Arsenal will still need to find a replacement for Partey.
Fabrizio Romano, a transfer specialist, has noted this with regard to Arsenal’s plans to sell Partey before adding another midfielder, with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia being a leading candidate.
“A bid is not yet appropriate… about Romeo Lavia, but they are knowledgeable about him,” Romano remarked on the DeBrief podcast.
“They are aware of Arsenal’s presence as well, but Thomas Partey is what makes Arsenal successful.
“They are working on Partey’s likely exit, but it won’t be simple.
Arsenal won’t sell Partey for a fair or inexpensive price, but they will do so if a strong offer is made. Therefore, this is a crucial factor.
And now, Spanish newspaper Nacional claims that by increasing their bid from €80 million to €100 million, Arsenal is prepared to ‘force’ Real Madrid to sell Tchouameni to them.
After Jude Bellingham moved to the Bernabeu, the France international no longer has “a guaranteed position” in Real Madrid’s midfield, making an increased offer from the Gunners “difficult to refuse.”
When Arsenal made their initial offer, it is said that Real Madrid “responded negatively.” However, the Premier League team is now prepared to increase their offer by €20 million (£17 million).
The Spaniards are looking for money to “strengthen their centre forward and right-back positions,” according to Nacional, and a bid that size “will force Florentino Perez to, at least, rethink the situation.”
Football Insider reports that Timber and Rice have ‘reached full agreements’ with Arsenal, which is good news for the Gunners.
And according to reports, Arsenal “are set to complete deals” for the pair “this week” to push their expenditure above the £200 million threshold.
