Arsenal ‘prepare meeting’ with dream Saliba partner as academy star nears exit

Arsenal, and the rest of the Premier League, have entered the new cycle for Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). The June 30 deadline on Sunday was the last chance for clubs to account transactions into the 2023/24 period and attempt to boost the numbers.

A failure to meet the threshold could land teams with sporting sanctions including points deductions. Arsenal are expected to be fine despite not being involved in any deals at all so far.

Moving forward, there is still plenty to be done though. Sales are likely to come in the next months but there are also incoming to sort as well. A new striker and central midfielder are top of the bill while attention on defenders remains.

Here, football.london takes a look at the latest transfer news and reports from around the club…

Guehi considered

Arsenal ae said to be considering a move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi if they are unsuccessful with an attempted hijack of Juventus’ attempts to bring in Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori. Juve have been the frontrunners for Calafiori all summer, especially since manager Thiago Motta’s switch from Bologna to Turin this summer, but they have failed to get anything across the line.

Juve have struggled with finances for a while now and it is making things tough regarding a deal for Calafiori. Arsenal are just one of the teams said to be snapping around for the versatile defender, who can play centre-back and left-back. According to Fabrizio Romano, there will be meetings scheduled to learn just what the position is in the Calafiori camp.

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Bologna are expecting to lose Calafiori but still want around £35million for him. Should no deal be possible, however, Arsenal already have Guehi and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo on their radar as alternatives.

football.london says: “Arsenal are certainly looking in the right area. Calafiori, Guehi, and Murillo are all top-quality players. They offer different options and come at different prices too, but they’re definitely strong.

“Calafiori is closer to the full-back options Arsenal have due to being able to come inside or play wide, but Guehi is the most natural defender of them all. He is also likely to be the most expensive with suggestions already this window that Palace will demand over £60m for him after Everton laid down a marker with Jarrad Branthwaite.

“As a strong option on both sides of defence and in a back three – something increasingly helpful with Arsenal’s build-up shape – Guehi is a good profile. Given the talk 12 months ago of Gabriel Magalhaes leaving, and a lack of genuinely solid options available behind William Saliba, Guehi is ideal.”

Nelson exit

Arsenal will be open to offers for Reiss Nelson over the next few months as they prepare to let the academy graduate go. Nelson only signed a new contract with the club last summer but found game-time increasingly hard to come by. A host of teams including Crystal Palace, Fulham, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest have all been linked with the winger.

Nelson, 24, only managed 750 minutes across all competitions last season and scored just once in 24 total appearances. He still has three years plus an option for one more on his deal at the Emirates Stadium but has long been expected to be one of those on their way out.

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So far there is no real price on Nelson’s head, but Arsenal aren’t thought to be standing in the way of a move. He is valued by stats site Transfermarkt at just over £15m.

football.london says: “Arsenal really just need to get what they can for Nelson and move on. It’s the best option for both parties and nobody benefits from another season in purgatory.

“While his contract extension last summer was earned by a series of cameos, it was just delaying the inevitable. With Bukayo Saka in front of him and Arteta not appearing to trust Nelson, there is nowhere really to go. Arsenal could do with the money being banked into next year’s accounts and Nelson needs a fresh start.

“It may be harder than first thought to actually get any form of significant funds for someone without any evidence of being a top-flight success, but at this stage of his career, it is important to get whatever is possible.”