Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gabriel Magalhaes not for sale; Gunners pushing to offload Nicolas Pepe, and more - September 1, 2023
Arsenal have been quite busy in the transfer market this summer. Mikel Arteta has overseen multiple changes to his squad as he prepares to fight for silverware this season.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have no intentions of offloading defender Gabriel Magalhaes this year. Elsewhere, the north London side are working to sell attacker Nicolas Pepe before the end of the transfer window.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on September 1, 2023:
Gabriel Magalhaes not for sale
Arsenal have no desire to offload Gabriel Magalhaes this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Brazilian was first choice under Arteta last season but has struggled for chances this campaign. The situation has raised questions of his future, with multiple clubs eying the player.
Romano told Give Me Sport that Gabriel's situation at the Emirates is not ideal but ruled out an exit.
"For Gabriel, it looks strange what's happening on a tactical and technical point of view because he's not playing, and it's not normal for a player of the level of Gabriel who was crucial for Arsenal last season.
"But what I'm hearing since last week when we had rumours about Al-Ettihad or Saudi clubs in general trying to approach Arsenal for Gabriel is that Arsenal have no intention to sell the player," said Romano.
Gabriel has been on the bench in all three games for the Gunners this season.
Arsenal pushing to offload Nicolas Pepe
Arsenal are desperate to offload Nicolas Pepe this summer, according to journalist Michael Bridge.
The Ivorian forward is a forgotten man at the Emirates and doesn't feature in Arteta's plans. There has been lukewarm interest in the player, while it has also been suggested that the Gunners could terminate his deal.
However, Bridge told Give Me Sport to not exercise the latter option.
"Because it was such an expensive deal, I do wonder how much it would cost Arsenal to terminate his contract. They're doing everything in their power to get him a move. There has been interest from Turkey and a bit of interest from Spain," said Bridge.
He continued:
"I think offloading Pepe and, obviously, Rob Holding will be Arsenal's priority in the final few days. They are on the market but, at the moment, they're struggling to find a new home."
Pepe spent last season on loan with Nice but failed to leave a mark on his return to Ligue 1.
Gunners lucky to get decent fee for Folarin Balogun, says transfer insider
Arsenal were fortunate to secure a decent fee for Folarin Balogun this summer, according to transfer insider Jonathan Johnson. The USNMT international has moved to Monaco this month after the Gunners accepted a €30 million offer plus €10m in add-ons for the 22-year-old.
The north London side were initially holding out for a bigger fee for their prized asset before softening their stance. In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that Arsenal's previous asking price for Balogun had turned away RB Leipzig, Inter Milan and AC Milan.
"Folarin Balogun’s move to Monaco from Arsenal has now been officially announced, and, I think, it’s an interesting deal.
"It’s a good one for all parties involved really, though I will say that Arsenal’s asking price earlier this summer was a little bit unrealistic, which saw other suitors such as RB Leipzig and the two Milan clubs cool their interest," wrote Johnson.
He continued:
"Leipzig ended up moving for Lois Openda instead, while Milan were never likely to be able to afford it after moving for Christian Pulisic, so that ended up keeping options slightly limited for Arsenal."
Johnson added that Monaco's desperate need for attacking reinforcements worked in the Gunners' favour.
“In the end, I think the Gunners were pretty fortunate really that Monaco needed to make the move for an attacking reinforcement. They had the injury to Breel Embolo, and, then, there’s the uncertainty surrounding Wissam Ben Yedder and the rape charges against him.
"There’s also the fact that Monaco really need to get back into Europe next season," wrote Johnson.
Balogun was very impressive last season on loan at Ligue 1 side Reims, bagging 22 goals and three assists in 39 games across competitions.