Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners face Juventus competition for Marco Asensio; club long-term admirers of Moussa Diaby, and more - March 13, 2023
Arsenal are leading the Premier League title race after 27 games, five points ahead of Manchester City in second. Mikel Arteta's men next face Sporting CP on Thursday (March 16) in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg.
Meanwhile, the Gunners face competition from Juventus for the signature of Marco Asensio. Elsewhere, the north London giants are long-term admirers of Moussa Diaby, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on March 13, 2023.
Arsenal face Juventus competition for Marco Asensio
Arsenal face competition from Juventus for the signature of Marco Asensio, according to Tutto Juve via Juve FC.
The Spaniard is in the final few months of his Real Madrid contract, but talks of an extension haven't been fruitful so far. The Gunners have had their eyes on the 27-year-old for a while and are ready to bring him to the Emirates on a Bosman move.
However, the Bianconeri are also monitoring Asensio with interest. The Serie A giants are targeting free agents to reinforce their squad this summer, as their financial woes have made it tough for them to compete in the transfer market.
They're likely to give Arsenal a tough fight in the race to sign the Spaniard. Asensio has seven goals and five assists in 32 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos this season.
Gunners long-term admirers of Moussa Diaby
Arsenal have had their eyes on Moussa Diaby for almost two years, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The French forward has caught the eye recently with Bayer Leverkusen and could be on the move at the end of the summer. The Gunners are likely to invest in a striker ahead of the new season and have Diaby on their wishlist.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) also have their eyes on the 23-year-old.
"Arsenal have appreciated Moussa Diaby for a long time. It’s almost two years following him but the same happened with other clubs including PSG and Newcastle. Bayer Leverkusen wanted to keep him last summer and in January, for this summer it will depend on the value of the proposals," said Romano.
Diaby has 11 goals and six assists in 33 games across competitions this season for the Bundesliga side.
Mikel Arteta delighted to pick up 100th win as Arsenal manager
Mikel Arteta is happy to have picked up his 100th win as Arsenal manager but knows that there's a lot to improve.
The Gunners have been firing on all cylinders this season and are the frontrunneea to win the Premier League. They made light work of Fulham on Sunday (March 12) to edge closer to their target.
After the win, Arteta said that getting the better of the Cottagers at Crave Cottage is no mean feat.
"To come here and perform the way we’ve done against a team like Fulham in this stadium, I think the players deserve a big compliment. With the way we played, the goals that we scored, the clean sheet and the determination and purpose that we showed today to play the way we want to play," said Arteta.
He added:
“It’s great (100 wins), we have to continue like that, I’m delighted to do that, unfortunately, it’s not a title, so there’s still a lot to improve!”
The Spaniard went on to heap praise on the personnel behind the scenes at the Emirates and the fans.
“It is incredible and that means that we have a lot of people doing the right things at the club. In the team a lot of players contributing immensely and especially the support that we have, which in my opinion, has absolutely transformed this team with that energy, so I’m really happy.”
Arteta has 100 wins in 168 games in charge at the Emirates, and his win percentage of 59.5% is the best in Arsenal history.