Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners eyeing Espanyol ace; club not considering PSG star, and more - July 3, 2024
Arsenal finished second, behind Manchester City, in the Premier League last season. Manager Mikel Arteta is now working to bridge the gap with the champions before the start of the new campaign.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have set their sights on Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Elsewhere, the north London side are not eyeing a move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on July 3, 2024:
Arsenal eyeing Joan Garcia
Arsenal have identified Joan Garcia as a possible option to replace Aaron Ramsdale this summer, according to The Athletic. The English goalkeeper dropped down the pecking order at the Emirates last season following the arrival of David Raya on loan from Brentford.
The Spaniard enjoyed an exceptional campaign with the Gunners, registering 20 clean sheets in 41 appearances across competitions and winning the Premier League Golden Glove. Acclaimed transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has said that the north London side have triggered the option to keep Raya permanently.
The situation has raised questions about Ramsdale's future. Although Arteta would like the Englishman to stay, the player is likely to leave in search of regular football. If he departs, Arteta will move for Garcia, who enjoyed an impressive campaign with Espanyol.
The 23-year-old is not a first-team regular for the Spanish club but impressed when called upon last season. He registered eight clean sheets in 14 games and will be part of La Roja's team for the Olympics. The player has a €25 million release clause in his deal.
Gunners not considering Manuel Ugarte, says journalist
Arsenal are not planning a move for Manuel Ugarte this summer, according to club insider Charles Watts. The Uruguayan midfielder is with his national side at the 2024 Copa America, but his future with PSG remains up in the air.
The 23-year-old joined the Parisians from Sporting last summer and was heavily involved with the first team last season. Ugarte registered 37 appearances across competitions but has apparently been deemed surplus to requirements by manager Luis Enrique.
The Ligue 1 champions are ready to let him go, and Manchester United are already eyeing the Uruguayan with interest. Recent reports have suggested that the Gunners have also been offered the chance to sign Ugarte.
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Watts rubbished those rumours.
“I did smile to myself when I saw reports saying Manuel Ugarte had been offered to Arsenal.
"It might well have happened obviously, but Arsenal are not in the business any more of signing unwanted players because they are offered to them by clubs or agents,” wrote Watts.
He continued:
“Arsenal’s transfer policy now is planned out months in advance and one thing they will not do is sign someone just for the sake of it.
"I will be very surprised if they don’t sign a midfielder this summer. It’s an area they are working hard to strengthen, but I would be surprised if it’s a player that another club are just looking to get rid of."
The north London side have been linked with Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi for a while.
Mikel Arteta wanted Granit Xhaka stay, says journalist
Mikel Arteta wanted to keep hold of Granit Xhaka last summer, according to Charles Watts. The Swiss midfielder has been one of the stars of Euro 2024, taking his team to the quarterfinals.
Xhaka was a controversial figure at Arsenal but has rediscovered himself since leaving last summer to join Bayer Leverkusen. The 31-year-old proved to be a superb signing for the German side, helping them to the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal double last season.
Xhaka's form since leaving the Emirates has understandably raised questions about the Gunners' decision to let him go. However, Watts believes that a separation was inevitable last summer.
In his column for Caught Offside, the journalist pointed that the north London side got a decent fee for the Swiss captain.
“Ideally, Arteta would have liked Xhaka to have stayed at Arsenal, but Xhaka wanted to go.
"Arteta had managed to convince him to stay with the club 12 months earlier when the Swiss International was again pushing for a move. But he was unable to do the same in 2023," wrote Watts.
He continued:
“Xhaka only had a year left on his contract and made it clear to Arsenal during the final few months of the 2022/23 campaign that he wanted a new challenge.
"Arsenal could have kept him, of course, but then they would have lost him for nothing in the summer of 2024. So they had to let him go really."
He concluded:
“It was just about trying to get the best deal possible for him, which I think they did when you take into account his age and contract status. A fee of £21.5 million was pretty decent.”
Xhaka will be next in action on Saturday, July 6, when Switzerland take on England in the Euro 2024 quarter-final in Dusseldorf.