Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Manchester City want €40 million for Joao Cancelo; Grant Xhaka set to leave, and more - May 28, 2023
Arsenal with face Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates on Sunday (May 28) in their final game of the Premier League season. The Gunners are second in the league and will finish in that position.
Meanwhile, Manchester City want €40 million to part ways with on-loan defender Joao Cancelo. Elsewhere, midfielder Granit Xhaka is all set to leave to exit the Emirates this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on May 28, 2023:
Manchester City want €40 million for Joao Cancelo
Manchester City will demand €40 million for the signature of Joao Cancelo, according to SPORT via Caught Offside.
The Portuguese full-back is on loan at Bayern Munich and will return to the Etihad this summer. However, he's not part of Pep Guardiola's plans for the upcoming season and will be allowed to leave.
Arsenal have been monitoring his situation closely as they look for a new right-back this summer. Arteta is not totally convinced by Takehiro Tomiyasu, while Ben White is only a makeshift option.
Cancelo's arrival would sort out the issue and also provide cover at left-back. The Gunners could secure his signature if they match City's asking price but face competition from Barcelona for his signature.
Grant Xhaka set to leave Arsenal
Granit Xhaka is set to leave Arsenal at the end of them season, according to journalist Alex Crook.
The Swiss international has divided opinion among fans since arriving at the club. Xhaka has been a constant feature under Arteta this season, but his contract is set to run out in just over a year.
The Gunners are planning midfield changes at the end of the season, and the Swiss international is likely to become surplus to requirements. Speaking to Give Me Sport, Crook said that the North London side want to cash in on Xhaka to raise funds for the summer.
"Xhaka has pretty much gone now, with a deal to Leverkusen virtually done. And that just came down to the fact that he was happy to let his contract run down, but Arsenal weren’t willing to do that," said Crook.
He added:
"They need the money to improve the squad, and, obviously, midfield is an area that they’ve targeted with the move for Moises Caicedo. They brought in Jorginho, but that was always a short-term solution to get them over the line in terms of the title, not so much long-term."
Apart from Moises Caicedo, Arteta also has his eyes on Declan Rice ahead of the summer.
Mikel Arteta updates on William Saliba injury
Mikel Arteta has said that William Saliba hasn't returned to full fitness yet. The French defender picked up an injury against Sporting in the UEFA Europa League and has not featured since then.
His absence has badly hurt Arsenal in the title challenge. The 22-year-old has been a revelation for the Gunners since returning from his loan spell with Marseille last summer.
Saliba has become a mainstay in defence at the Emirates this season, so the North London side are eagerly awaiting his return. However, speaking recently, as cited by Caught Offside, Arteta said that the club are not rushing his recovery process.
"It’s probably too early to say. He’s been evolving in the right way. The last few weeks have been much more positive than the previous two months. We wanted to protect him," said Arteta.
He continued:
“It was an injury that needed some caring and attention, and we’ve been pretty conservative to give him a chance to have a good pre-season to have a chance to go again next season.”
Saliba's contract with Arsenal runs out in just over a year, but he's yet to sign a new deal.