Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners reach David Raya agreement; club eyeing Martin Baturina, and more - August 3, 2023
Arsenal have invested heavily in the squad this summer after narrowly missing out on the Premier League last season. Mikel Arteta’s team finished second, behind Manchester City, despite leading the title race for most of the campaign.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have reached an agreement with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya ahead of a possible move this summer. Elsewhere, the north London side are keeping a close eye on Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on August 3, 2023:
Arsenal reach David Raya agreement
Arsenal have reached an agreement on personal terms with David Raya, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Brentford goalkeeper has emerged as a target for Arteta recently. The Spanish manager is looking to add more competition for Aaron Ramsdale in the squad and has set his sights on his compatriot.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that Bayern Munich want Raya on loan, but the player prefers to move to the Emirates.
“David Raya has agreed personal terms with Arsenal. It’s a long term contract, and it’s just a verbal agreement for now; of course. nothing is signed yet.
"Raya wants to go to Arsenal, and Brentford have been informed of that. Arsenal wanted to create competition in that role but again. It's not a done deal yet because it depends on the clubs. So we have to wait a bit longer before calling this a done deal,” wrote Romano.
He continued:
“I revealed a few days ago that Raya’s preference is Arsenal over Bayern Munich. This is because Bayern only offered a loan deal to Brentford, and the player wanted something different.
"Now let’s see if Bayern will react as things progress with Arsenal – at the moment a deal with Bayern is off, but you never know in football.”
Raya’s arrival could mean the end of Matt Turner’s time with the Gunners.
Gunners eyeing Martin Baturina
Arsenal are interested in Martin Baturina, according to transfer insider Ryan Taylor. Arteta has adopted a youth-centric policy since taking over at the Emirates and has mostly targeted young players who can be moulded into superstars.
The Spanish manager has now set his sights on Baturina, who has enjoyed an impressive rise with Dinamo Zagreb. Taylor told Give Me Sport that the Croatian midfielder is not an immediate target for the north London side.
“In regards to the midfield talent, again, Arsenal are stacked with midfielders at the moment, so it's just a player that they're keeping an eye on for the future.
"He caught the eye at the Under 21 Euros as well. So, he's a player that's going to be scouted again next season, and Dinamo Zagreb are in the Champions League qualifiers as well,” said Taylor.
He continued:
"So, there could be a chance that they qualify for the Champions League like they did last season, when they played against the likes of AC Milan and Chelsea."
The Gunners are well stocked in midfield following the arrival of Declan Rice from West Ham United this summer.
Arsenal could be tempted to offload Thomas Partey this summer
Arsenal have a good opportunity to cash in on Thomas Partey this summer, according to Dharmesh Sheth.
The Ghanaian midfielder remains linked with a move away from the Emirates this summer and has admirers in Saudi Arabia. Recent reports have suggested that the player is willing to leave this year in search of a new challenge.
Sheth told Give Me Sport that there’s considerable interest in the 30-year-old, although there haven’t been any concrete bids yet.
“The issue that Partey has at the moment is he's 30 years old, and he's entered the final two years of his contract. So if Arsenal do not extend that deal, you would think that this summer's transfer window would represent the best time to get the most money for someone like Partey.
"Arsenal aren’t in talks with anyone at the moment, but there just seems to be a lot of interest around Partey,” said Sheth.
Partey apparently wants to stay in Europe if he leaves this summer.