Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners in contact with former Juventus star; club struggling to offload Nicolas Pepe, and more - July 3, 2022
Arsenal remain eager to add more quality to their squad ahead of the new season. Manager Mikel Arteta will look to breach the top four after narrowly missing out in the recently concluded campaign.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have got in touch with a former Juventus star. Elsewhere, the north London side are struggling to offload Nicolas Pepe. On that note, here's a look a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on July 3, 2022:
Arsenal make contact with Paulo Dybala
Arsenal are in talks with Paulo Dybala over a possible move this summer, according to FC Inter News via The Hard Tackle. The Argentinean is available on a Bosman move this summer, after his contract with Juventus expired last month. The Gunners are planning to take him to the Emirates.
Dybala has been a constant feature in Turin since arriving in 2015. He amassed close to 300 appearances for the Bianconeri, scoring 115 goals. However, the Serie A giants opted to let his contract run out.
• 293 appearances
• 115 goals
• 45 assists
• 12 major trophies
Paulo Dybala's seven year association with Juventus is now officially over, but what a run it was! 🤩 https://t.co/S7GOYB4wsm
Dybala was previously close to joining Inter Milan this summer. However, the Nerazzurri will have to offload players before they can buy, so talks have slowed down. That has opened up a window of opportunity for the Gunners to swoop in.
Arsenal have already initiated contact with the 28-year-old's agent to facilitate a move this summer. However, they have stopped short of submitting a bid for the Argentinean.
Instead, the Gunners have asked to be kept in the loop about any developments regarding his future. Apart from the north London side, Manchester United are also keeping a close eye on Dybala's situation.
Gunners struggling to offload Nicolas Pepe
Arsenal are struggling to offload Nicolas Pepe this summer, according to The Sun. The Ivorian winger has been a shadow of his former self since joining the club in 2019.
He registered just one goal in 20 appearances in the league last season and is not part of Arteta's plans. The Spaniard is in the market for a new forward and is eager to cut ties with Pepe.
Arsenal are struggling to find a taker for club-record £72m signing Nicolas Pépé and might have to allow him to leave on loan despite reportedly reducing their asking price £25m. [@SunArsenal].
However, there's very little interest in the 27-year-old at the moment, while his £140,000 per week salary is also proving to be a deal breaker. The north London side want £25 million for the Ivorian, but a loan move to Spain looks like the most likely option at the moment.
Gabriel Jesus is a better signing than Richarlison, says Tony Cascarino
Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino believes Gabriel Jesus would score a lot more goals than Richarlison. The Manchester City striker is close to joining Arsenal this summer, while Tottenham Hotspur have already secured the signature of Richarlison.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Cascarino said that the Gunners have received a better deal than Spurs.
"I think Gabriel Jesus ticks a lot more boxes, and they’ve got him at a better price. If you said to me now who will get the most goals, I’d say Gabriel Jesus would get more goals than Richarlison for Tottenham. And he’s more versatile than Richarlison. Gabriel Jesus has played left wing, right wing and centre forward for Man City," said Cascarino.
He added:
"He’s got an incredible work ethic. He plays every time I watch him, like Richarlison did at the end of the season. I’d love to see Richarlison be the player he can be and get all of the other antics out of his game and become a far more complete player."