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Arsenal will next face Manchester City in the Premier League at the Emirates on Wednesday (February 15). Mikel Arteta's men will look for a win to restore their six-point lead over the second-placed Cityzens.
Meanwhile, journalist Dean Jones has said that the Gunners are willing to sanction a record bid for Declan Rice this summer. Elsewhere, the north London side are yet to tie Riess Nelson down to a new contract, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on February 13, 2023:
Arsenal ready for record-breaking Declan Rice deal
Arsenal are ready to break their own transfer record to sign Declan Rice, according to Dean Jones.
The Gunners paid £72 million for the signature of Nicolas Pepe but might have to pay significantly more to get the Englishman. The 24-year-old is a priority target for Arteta this summer.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that the north London side are unlikely to offer more than £100 million for Rice.
"I think Arsenal are definitely willing to break their own transfer record to sign Declan Rice, but I'm not sure they're going to go above and beyond £100m and break the British record," said Jones.
He added:
"I think West Ham will be hopeful that that happens. They're hopeful that they can get £110m for Rice. I can understand why they would set their stall out at that level. I'm just not 100% sure that it's realistic."
Rice has appeared 28 times across competitions this season for West Ham United, registering one goal and three assists.
Gunners yet to agree Reiss Nelson extension
Arsenal are yet to extend Reiss Nelson's stay at the Emirates, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Englishman is in the final few months of his contract with the Gunners, and the two parties are locked in talks regarding a new deal. However, negotiations are not in an advanced stage, and the player could leave this summer.
The 23-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance when called upon this season and is not short of suitors at the moment.
Nelson has struggled for game time this season due to injuries and intense competition for places at the Emirates. He's open to staying at the club, but the north London side are yet to reach an agreement.
The English forward has appeared seven times across competitions for Arsenal this season, registering two goals and two assists.
Granit Xhaka opens up on Manchester City challenge
Granit Xhaka has said that Arsenal are not thinking about Manchester City ahead of their clash with the Cityzens on Wednesday. The Gunners are atop the league after 21 games, and City are three points behind, having played a game more.
Speaking recently, as cited by The Evening Standard, Xhaka said that his team are focussing on themselves instead.
"If we are honest, we are not speaking about them. We are looking at ourselves, game by game. We didn’t win (on Saturday), we took one point. And Wednesday is big - for them, for us. So, let’s see," said Xhaka.
The Swiss international went on to express his frustration at the weekend's result, where they dropped points against Brentford.
"We are disappointed because what we hear is that the blocker was offside, where we have got our player. I don’t know why they change the rules weekend by weekend. But it’s the referee’s decision not to give the offside, our decision to mark the players, the runners. We didn’t do it, and you concede a goal like this," said Xhaka.
He continued:
"We are disappointed of course. We knew how Brentford would play. It was hard to break them, but we did. And after that, we have to be much more. … maybe smart to take the 1-0 and to take the three points. We didn’t have the chance to take the three points today, and we are disappointed."
Xhaka has registered four goals and five assists in 29 games across competitions for Arsenal this season.
