'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Arsenal will look to boost their chances of a top-four finish when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Thursday. The north London side are sixth in the standings after 21 games, four points adrift of fourth-placed West Ham United, but with three games in hand.
Meanwhile, the Gunners will need to secure Champions League football next season if they want to hold on to Bukayo Saka. Elsewhere, Granit Xhaka is willing to join AS Roma this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 10th February 2022:
Arsenal need Champions League to keep Bukayo Saka
Arsenal could struggle to keep hold of Bukayo Saka without Champions League football next season, according to The Daily Mail. The Englishman has been one of the best players at the Emirates recently, with his contract expiring in the summer of 2024.
The north London side are desperate to tie Saka down to a new deal. Manager Mikel Arteta is expected to spend heavily on his attack at the end of the season. However, keeping the 20-year-old at the club is also one of the Spaniard’s priorities. The Englishman currently earns £35,000 per week, so the Gunners are preparing to hand him a significant raise.
However, Saka is not driven by the lure of a fat paycheque. The 20-year-old desires Champions League football, a tournament he is yet to play in. In contrast, his English teammates Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham all have substantial experience of playing in the premier European club tournament.
Saka is desperate to get a taste of the Champions League, and that could be a deciding factor in his stay at the Emirates next season and beyond. The Gunners are in the hunt for a top-four finish. Arteta might have to secure a place in the prestigious club competition next season to keep his star man at the Emirates.
The 20-year-old is not short of suitors, with Liverpool and Manchester United keeping a close eye on the player. The Reds are also certain to play in the Champions League, while the Red Devils are in contention for a top-four finish. The Gunners will be aware that allowing the Englishman to enter the final two years of his current contract could cost them dearly, which they're looking to avoid.
Granit Xhaka willing to join AS Roma
Granit Xhaka is willing to join AS Roma this summer, according to Football London. The Serie A giants were close to securing the Swiss midfielder last summer. However, Arsenal did a U-turn at the last moment, and tied the 29-year-old to a new deal. The north London side have lived to regret that decision, though.
Meanwhile, Roma have retained their interest in Xhaka, and are likely to return for him this summer. The player is also ready to end his nightmare at the Emirates, and move to Serie A. The Gunners are willing to let him leave at the end of the season.
Gunners rejected January offers for Mohamed Elneny
Arsenal rejected offers from quite a few clubs for Mohamed Elneny in January, his agent Alan Nazmy has revealed. The Egyptian is in the final months of his current contract with the north London side, who are planning to let him go.
Speaking to Mega FM 92.7, Nazmy said that the Gunners refused to let the player leave in January.
“The player’s contract expires at the end of the current season, and Arteta rejected all offers that came for Elneny, and asked that him to stay with the team. Newcastle United, Valencia, Lyon, and the largest known Turkish clubs, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, wanted to sign Elneny, but in the end, Arteta and the Arsenal management refused,” said Nazmy.
