Arsenal’s summer moved on two transfer fronts overnight while the club’s World Cup contingent discovered exactly how big this week is about to get. Leandro Trossard’s Besiktas exit is now down to one final call, Julian Alvarez’s suitors remain stuck behind Atletico Madrid’s price tag, and Mikel Arteta will spend Tuesday and Wednesday watching four of his players chase a place in Sunday’s final.
According to Sports Mole, Besiktas have reached agreement with Arsenal on a deal worth €20m (£17m) for Trossard, with Fabrizio Romano reporting the move now hinges purely on the Belgian’s personal approval rather than any outstanding club-to-club issue. Turkish-Football.com adds that Besiktas president Serdal Adali is prepared to break the club’s usual policy of not paying fees for players over 30 to get the deal done, with representatives expected to finalise personal terms within 48 hours. The Athletic’s earlier reporting of a substantial breakthrough in talks lines up with both accounts, continuing the saga this site has tracked all week.
Alvarez Standoff Continues As Atletico Hold Firm
There is less movement on Julian Alvarez. According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, via Goal, Arsenal remain willing to test Atletico Madrid’s resolve given the Spanish club’s reluctance to sell the forward to Barcelona or Real Madrid, though the north London club’s £90m ceiling still sits some way below Atletico’s stated £100m-plus valuation. Alvarez’s extra-time winner for Argentina against Switzerland has only sharpened Arsenal’s pursuit of a player Arteta has watched for over a year, though nothing is imminent on that front.
Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes remains the third name in that midfield-and-attack rebuild, with talks over a deal continuing at a distance while the World Cup runs its course.
World Cup Stakes Rise For Arsenal’s Contingent
Mikel Merino is already through to Tuesday’s semi-final after his late winner sent Spain past Belgium, with France standing between him and a first World Cup final. Wednesday brings the bigger cluster of Arsenal interest: Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze are all part of an England squad facing Argentina for a place in Sunday’s showpiece at MetLife Stadium, with Arteta due to lose all of them to the mandatory post-tournament break regardless of the result.
