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Arsenal will travel to Selhurst Park on Monday to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Manager Mikel Arteta's wards dropped to fifth after Tottenham Hotspur's win on Sunday, but have two games in hand.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are willing to pay €40 million for a Barcelona star. Elsewhere, the north London side have been backed to offload Nicolas Pepe this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer news as on 4th April 2022:
Arsenal willing to pay €40 million for Philippe Coutinho
Arsenal are ready to pay €40 million for Philippe Coutinho, according to Caught Offside via Todo Fichajes. The Brazilian is currently on loan at Aston Villa for the rest of the season. Barcelona are planning to offload him this summer, and the Gunners are among the clubs vying for his signature.
Coutinho first rose to prominence as a Liverpool player when he lit up the Premier League. His exploits earned him a move to the Camp Nou in January 2018. The move to Spain has not worked, but the 29-year-old has found a new lease of life since joining the Villans in January.
The Brazilian has registered four goals and three assists from 11 games so far, forcing the Gunners to take notice. Arteta is eager to bolster his attacking options this summer. The Spaniard has a settled number ten in Martin Odegaard, but he desires more experience in that position.
Coutinho has flourished in that role under Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa. The Brazilian can also operate as an attacking number eight in midfield, achieving great success in that role under Ernesto Valverde at Barcelona. That would give Arteta the flexibility he desires in his team. Interestingly, the 29-year-old's arrival could spell doom for Emile Smith Rowe, who might struggle for regular football.
The Blaugrana are planning to raise €80 million from the sale of Antoine Griezmann and Coutinho. The Frenchman is set to sign permanently with Atletico Madrid for €40 million.
Villa have the option to turn the Brazilian's deal into a permanent move this summer. The 29-year-old also has options if he wants to consider a change. Arsenal are willing to pay €40 million for his signature but could face competition from Newcastle United.
Kevin Campbell backs Gunners to offload Nicolas Pepe
Arsenal legend Kevin Campbell is convinced Nicolas Pepe will be offloaded this summer. The Ivorian has struggled at the Emirates this season and is no longer first-choice under Mikel Arteta.
Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell has said that Pepe could be eager to move in search of regular football. He said:
"I think the key to this deal could be paying him some money if he wants to leave. I expect a nice package to be worked out. Because, at the end of the day, Nicolas Pepe wants to play football. He wants to start. The fact of the matter is, the youngsters have come in and done such a great job – you can’t justify starting Pepe if you’re Mikel Arteta," said Campbell.
He continued:
“It’s not that he’s not had the opportunities, but players like Saka, Smith Rowe and Odegaard have just been incredible with their consistency – they aren’t giving him a look in. It was always going to come to a head this summer. He’s got two years on his contract. Arsenal won’t want to have him running his contract down. If he’s going to leave, it’s going to be this summer."
Bernd Leno uninterested in Newcastle United move
Bernd Leno is not interested in a move to Newcastle United, according to The Daily Star.
The German goalkeeper has dropped down the pecking order at the Emirates since the arrival of Aaron Ramsdale last summer. The 30-year-old is frustrated by the situation and is planning to move in search of greener pastures. Arsenal are ready to allow him to leave for £5-10 million.
Newcastle are hoping to take him to St. James' Park as they look to shore up their goalkeeping department. However, Leno doesn't want to join the Magpies and has his heart set on a return to the Bundesliga. His former club Bayer Leverkusen are keeping a close eye on his situation and could dive for the German this summer.
