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Arsenal secured a 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday (September 17) in the Premier League. Leandro Trossard’s strike helped Mikel Arteta’s team continue their unbeaten start to the season.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are interested in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma. Elsewhere, the north London side are set to double captain Martin Odegaard’s wages at the Emirates.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on September 18, 2023:
Arsenal eyeing Yves Bissouma
Arsenal are interested in Yves Bissouma, according to Fichajes. The Malian midfielder joined Tottenham Hotspur from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer but has come into his own this campaign. His efforts have endeared the player to the Emirates hierarchy, who're hoping to lap him up in 2024.
The Gunners have identified the 27-year-old as the ideal replacement for Thomas Partey, whose stint could be coming to an end. However, prising Bissouma away from Spurs would be next to impossible, given the animosity between the two London clubs.
Arsenal also face competition from Manchester United for the services of Bissouma.
Gunners set to double Martin Odegaard wages
Arsenal are set to double Martin Odegaard’s wages, according to Football Insider. The Gunners are close to tying down their talismanic captain to a new deal. The Norwegian has been a revelation under Arteta, and the club have to move quickly to dispel the rising interest in his services.
The north London side have offered a proposal for a new and improved deal for Odegaard's entourage to consider. The contract will see Odegaard’s wages rise from £115,000 per week to around £200,000 per week.
The Norwegian’s camp is happy with the terms offered, and the player is expected to sign across the dotted line in the coming days.
Two players could struggle for game time at the Emirates
Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny are unlikely to get a run in the first team this season, according to journalist Dean Jones. The two players are peripheral figures at Arsenal at the moment, and neither are part of plans for Arteta.
Jones told Give Me Sport that the two players are not up to the current standards of Arteta’s first team.
“I find it highly unlikely that these two guys will heavily influence how Arsenal’s season will go. They could be used as emergency players that come into the team.
"But, I think, your fear with either of these guys would be that they have the Rob Holding effect if they come into the team,” said Jones.
He continued:
“You hope as an Arsenal fan or even as somebody running the squad that you don't have to use these players because they're just not up to the standard that the rest of the squad is. Everything has been elevated, and these guys don't quite fit in.”
Jones also warned that both players would struggle if they're suddenly thrust into first-team action.
“That’s slightly harsh, and Elneny could figure a little bit more. But ultimately, they've moved beyond these players. You saw with Holding last season when he was thrown into the deep end and had to compete, suddenly, at the very top level, out of the blue, he found it very difficult.
"The problem is, if they throw these guys into the team at any point, it might be similar.”
The Gunners failed to suitors for Soares and Elneny over the summer, but both could be offloaded in January.
