European side expecting late competition in order to sign £50m Arsenal player this summer - journalist

Arsenal are now making serious progress when it comes to selling players who have been struggling for minutes under Mikel Arteta.

Last season Arteta enjoyed an excellent starting eleven – but seemed unwilling to rotate his squad much further beyond.

Given the two have been so closely competing for the Premier League title in the past two seasons, it’s hard not to compare Manchester City and Arsenal.

And when looking at how Pep Guardiola’s side secured yet another league title, it’s clear that Arteta’s old boss was much more willing to use his entire squad, one that admittedly is stronger.

Therefore, it seems as if Edu and Arteta have decided that’s the next step to improve Arsenal’s chances of landing serious silverware this season.

Arteta needs more high-quality players he trusts, and in order to welcome such talents, Arsenal need to sell.

Not only because they need to raise funds, but also because they need to clear space in the squad and the wage bill.

And with that in mind, it seems as if Eddie Nketiah could be one of the first big names out of the door.

Marseille expecting rival interest in their pursuit to sign Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah

Nketiah has almost agreed personal terms with Marseille according to reports.

The French side are looking to take the Arsenal striker on loan, but a deal could hinge on the structure of that agreement.

At least, that’s what journalist James Benge has now been sharing on X ahead of a deal being reached between the two clubs.

Benge said that it will be key to negotiations to decide whether the loan includes a buy option or an obligation.

And further to that point, the journalist said that Marseille are anticipating late competition to get a deal over the line.

He shared: “Marseille in talks with Arsenal over Eddie Nketiah, who they are looking to take on loan. Key aspect of negotiations will be whether it includes buy option or obligation.

“However the Ligue 1 side are expecting late interest from rivals for Nketiah, long linked to London clubs.”

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A price tag of around £50m was once mentioned for Nketiah when it became clear that he might leave.

But after another season of missed opportunities, it seems unlikely that Arsenal will be able to achieve a deal for anything near that figure.