Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners receive Aurelien Tchouameni boost; Kieran Tierney likely to be sold, and more - April 2, 2023
Arsenal made light work of Leeds United on Saturday (April 1) at the Emirates in the Premier League. A Gabriel Jesus brace and goals from Ben White and Grant Xhaka secured a 4-1 win for Mikel Arteta’s team.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have received a boost in their pursuit of Aurelien Tchouameni. Elsewhere, Kieran Tierney is likely to be offloaded this summer. On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on April 2, 2023:
Arsenal receive Aurelien Tchouameni boost
Arsenal have received a boost in their pursuit of Aurelien Tchouameni. According to El Nacional via Caught Offside, Real Madrid are willing to cash in on the French midfielder at the end of the season. The 23-year-old arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu with a fierce reputation last summer and was tipped to fill the shoes of Casemiro.
Tchouameni enjoyed a brilliant start to his tenure with Los Blancos but has struggled for form recently. He has dropped down the pecking order of late, and the La Liga giants are reportedly unimpressed by that. The 23-year-old has registered 32 appearances across competitions this season but has completed 90 minutes twice since November last year.
Real Madrid have lost patience with the Frenchman and are willing to cash in on the player. The Gunners are keeping a close eye on the situation as they look to refurbish their midfield this summer.
However, the north London side may have to compete with Manchester United, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain for his signature. Arsenal will also have to pay a premium if they wish to bring Tchouameni to the Emirates, as Los Blancos want €70 million for his services.
Kieran Tierney likely to be sold
Arsenal are likely to sell Kieran Tierney this summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Scottish left-back has played second fiddle to Oleksandr Zinchenko all season, dropping down the pecking order since the arrival of the Ukrainian last summer. The 25-year-old has registered 29 appearances across competitions for the Gunners this season, scoring one goal and setting up two. He's likely to move on to greener pastures at the end of the season.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that the north London side will only make a decision regarding Tierney at the end of the season.
“Kieran Tierney has a genuine chance to leave Arsenal in the summer. This is a possibility, but Arsenal don’t want to negotiate now. They decided internally that there must be full focus on winning the Premier League; the big dream! – So there is no intention to distract the players, including those who are not regular starters,” wrote Romano.
He continued:
“In the summer, Arsenal will discuss Tierney’s situation at the end of the season, but the defender definitely has the opportunity to experience something new.”
Tierney has also struggled with injuries during his time at Arsenal, missing almost 50 games since joining the club in 2019.
Mikel Arteta wins Premier League Manager of the Month award
Mikel Arteta has won his fourth Premier League manager of the month award this season.
The Spaniard won the award for the month of March after picking up four wins in as many games. Arteta previously won the award this season in August, November/December and January.
Speaking to the club’s website, Arteta stressed the importance of the results and said that the win over Bournemouth was his favorite.
"We needed results and performances, and we got the results in various ways: in some games, we had to react and push ourselves to the limit to get the results, and in other ones, we were really dominant and won the games with a bigger gap,” said Arteta.
He added:
"Bournemouth was probably my favourite moment, with Reiss’ goal, that moment, that celebration, that hype we all had in the moment. But I’m especially pleased with the consistency the boys are showing every single day – the way they train, the way they behave and the way they are playing, and the willingness and hunger to keep winning and winning."
Arteta is one win away from equalling Jurgen Klopp’s feat of five manager of the month awards won during Liverpool's title-winning 2019-20 season.