Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners asked to pay €20 million for Barcelona ace; club enter race for William Carvalho, and more - 19 March 2022

Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday in the Premier League. A solitary strike from Bukayo Sako helped the north London side remain fourth in the league, four points clear of Manchester United and with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, the Gunners have been asked to pay €20 million for the signature of a Barcelona full-back. Elsewhere, the Premier League giants have entered the race for William Carvalho.

On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 19th March 2022:

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Arsenal asked to pay €20 million for Sergino Dest

FC Barcelona vs Galatasaray: Round of 16 Leg One - UEFA Europa League

Arsenal have been asked to pay €20 million to secure the services of Sergino Dest, according to The Hard Tackle via CalvioNapoli24. With the USMNT right-back’s future at Barcelona hanging in the balance, the Gunners are planning to dive for him this summer.

Dest has blown hot and cold since joining the Blaugrana in the summer of 2020. His fortunes have failed to improve under new manager Xavi, with the 21-year-old struggling for game time.

The American has shown signs of improvement in recent games, but his association with the La Liga giants is not set in stone. The Gunners are ready to offer Dest a chance to redeem his career.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta brought in Takehiro Tomiyasu last summer to strengthen his right-back position.

The Japanese has been outstanding so far, but there’s a lack of backup in the squad at the moment. Arteta wants to address that by bringing in a new face this summer, and Dest is among the players on the Spaniard’s shortlist.

Barcelona are willing to let the USMNT star leave for €20 million. Apart from Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also interested in the 21-year-old, though.

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Gunners enter race for William Carvalho

William Carvalho has caught the eye with Real Betis this season.

Arsenal have entered the race to sign William Carvalho, according to The Hard Tackle via Fichajes.

The Real Betis midfielder has earned rave reviews with his recent performances. The 29-year-old was expected to leave the La Liga team last summer, but a move failed to materialise. The Portuguese has had a stellar season so far, but Real Betis are looking to cash in on him to address their finances.

The Gunners are eager to win the race for his signature this summer. Arteta is likely to lose both Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny at the end of the season. Their departure could open up a void in the middle of the park, which Arteta wants to address by bringing in Carvalho.

However, the north London side could face stiff competition from Newcastle United for his services.

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Noel Whelan says Philippe Coutinho will not move to Arsenal this summer

Philippe Coutinho has impressed since arriving in January.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes the Gunners could miss out on Philippe Coutinho this summer. Arteta and co. have been linked with a summer move for the Brazilian, who joined the Villans on loan in January.

However, speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has tipped Coutinho to stay at Villa Park.

"If it’s a choice between leaving to a top-four club like Arsenal and staying at Aston Villa, I’m going to say that he’ll stay with Gerrard. I think they’re building something at Villa Park – and Coutinho wants to be a part of it, because of Gerrard. He won’t be jumping ship. Look, Arsenal had the opportunity to go out and get him in January and they didn’t. Who showed faith in him? Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa," said Whelan.

He continued:

“He’s really enjoying his time at the club right now, with the freedom and confidence he’s got back. I think it’ll be very hard to prise him away right now, even if they should be higher in the table. They have a quality, young side. They’ll be challenging up there next season, no doubt about it."