Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Wilshere return LATEST, Aubameyang could be replaced by Sevilla star En-Nesyri, Conte LATEST

NEXT FIVE

Arsenal face London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates next, before facing West Brom in the cup.

The Gunners could be pointless after three league games as they face defending Premier League champions Man City at the Etihad.

TOR BLIMEY

Arsenal flop Shkodran Mustafi has been thrown a career lifeline by Torino, according to reports.

The Gunners paid Valencia £35million for the German international in 2016.

However centre-back Mustafi, 29, failed to live up to expectations and made a series of high-profile blunders.

He was released in February and joined Schalke, but the German club let him go following their relegation from the Bundesliga.

Reports in Italy and Germany now claim Mustafi's father - who acts as his agent - has held talks with Torino officials.

The former Everton youngster is understood to be seeking a three-year deal worth around £5m.

Serie A Torino are seeking a new central defender after French stalwart Nicolas Nkoulou's contract expired.

RACE AGAINST TIME

Arsenal face a race against time to complete the signings of Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale if they are to make the squad for this weekend's clash with Chelsea.

The Gunners are on the brink of completing £30million deals for the attacking midfielder and goalkeeper from Real Madrid and Sheffield United respectively.

Mikel Arteta is hoping to bolster his squad following his side's shock Premier League opening day defeat the hands of newly-promoted Brentford.

But Arsenal next go up against rampant Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday.

And should Arteta want Odegaard and/or Ramsdale to make the match-day squad, they must be registered by midday on FRIDAY.

TAKING THE MIK

Ex-Arsenal ace Mikael Silvestre has predicted where he thinks his former club will finish in the Premier League this season.

In an interview with the MyBettingSites, reported by the Metro, he said: "When a team like Arsenal see the top teams spending a lot of money and bringing in quality players, it will worry them quite a bit.

"They already had a tough task with having to improve from last season and closing the gap.

"But this has made it extremely hard for Mikel Arteta and his team to break into the top six this season.

"That must be their main aim this season – to break back into the top six."

IN-SAN-ITY

The details of how Arsenal and Manchester United concocted the swap deal for Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have been revealed by a former Gunners chief.

Dick Law led the North London club's transfer negotiations for eight years before his departure shortly after the surprise trade was pulled off.

Law told The Athletic: "The first part is, ‘Man United, what would you pay for Sanchez?’. The answer was nothing.

"So then we say, ‘Nothing means he stays here. Something means we can talk’. And that’s when they suggested Mkhitaryan going the opposite way.

“At this time, Ivan [Gazidis] was really dealing directly with Manchester United, on a CEO to CEO level.

"But I was dealing with Mino [Raiola] and we were trying to sort out exactly where Mkhitaryan stood.

"It was pretty clear from Mino that Mkhitaryan was ready to leave Man United and would come to Arsenal.

"We knew that Sanchez wanted to leave Arsenal, his preference was Manchester City but that train had already left the station.

"It was clear that anywhere but Arsenal was fine with Sanchez, so that’s how the beginning of these conversations happen: Mkhitaryan surplus to their needs, Sanchez just basically forcing his way out."

FAN OF RAM?

Arsenal are close to signing Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in a deal worth up to £30million.

The proposed move has divided opinion among Gunners fans, with many not seeing him as an upgrade on current stopper Bernd Leno.

Arsenal have been chasing Ramsdale for weeks and have reportedly agreed an initial £24m fee with the Blades, rising to £30m with add-ons.

The former England youth international was left out of United's squad for their 4-0 Championship defeat to West Brom on Wednesday evening.

SunSport considers whether Ramsdale is an improvement on Leno - Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper for the last three seasons.

FER REAL

Rio Ferdinand would have left Arsene Wenger with a big selection headache, had he signed for Arsenal in 2014.

The transfer was on the cards after the defender left Manchester United and approached the Gunners about a potential move to North London.

Alas, Wenger rejected the opportunity and Ferdinand has admitted that he would have struggled to help the club's pursuit of silverware.

He told his YouTube channel: "The maddest thing is I thought about [joining] Arsenal.

"I said, 'Arsene, listen, I am leaving Man United and if you want, I will come and try and help the dressing room etc. because I think you need help in that department'.

"'I will obviously play but, more importantly, I will come for the culture'.

"He didn't take me up on the offer and he was right because my performances at QPR weren't up to the levels.

"But in the changing room, I believe I could have helped him, because that is where a lot of the culture derives from."

RAMSDALE HELL

Aaron Ramsdale has been forced to limit who can comment on his Instagram posts after receiving a torrent of vile abuse from Arsenal 'fans'.

The England stopper, 23, is now just hours away from signing for the Gunners in a £30million move from Sheffield United.

Ramsdale is expected to sign his contract at the Emirates on Thursday after the two clubs agreed on a fee on Wednesday evening.

The move has been widely panned by pundits in recent weeks.

But a small section of sick Arsenal supporters have gone too far, trolling and even appearing to threaten Ramsdale on Instagram.

In a stomach-churning thread, one fan wrote: "Burn in motherf***ing hell you piece of s***, stay far away from Arsenal."

Another sick troll said: "F*** off man. We don't want you at Arsenal. Trust me you'll be getting abuse every day."

GUNNAR CHANGE?

Brendan Rodgers is favourite to replace Mikel Arteta at Arsenal again.

Rodgers was momentarily replaced by Eddie Howe as the leading contender with the bookmakers this week.

But the Leicester boss is back to into top spot at Evens with Betfair.

Howe has moved out to 3/1 while Antonio Conte, who left Inter Milan after winning Serie A, is 6/1.

Other contenders include Ralph Hasenhuttl, Roberto Martinez and Gian Piero Gasperini.

NO GO LAUTARO

Lautaro Martinez is rumoured to be on the verge of dashing Arsenal’s and Tottenham’s hopes of signing him, according to reports. 

The Argentina forward is thought to be close to agreeing new terms with Inter Milan that will see him stay at the Serie A club for the next five years. 

And Sky Sports Italia say the striker has undergone ‘positive’ talks with Nerazzurri officials which are believed to have been in the offing for weeks.

The claims come amid speculation that Tottenham had agreed to a £60million deal with the Italian giants to bring the player to North London. 

GUNNER SWAP

A potential swap deal involving Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier is reportedly ‘a genuine prospect’ this summer window.

The 26-year-old Gunners ace is growing increasingly frustrated with life under Mikel Arteta and has been linked with a move away for several months.

He was an unused substitute for the club’s defeat at newly-promoted Brentford on Friday.

Bellerin wants to return to Spain and both Atletico and Barcelona are keen.

Arteta is believed to be keen on getting a player in exchange for the full-back, with both Trippier and Barca’s Emerson mentioned as potential options.

Now Football London claims the Bellerin and Trippier swap is ‘a genuine prospect’.

And Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette could also reportedly be used in a possible exchange package.

HOUSSE HUNTING

Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the chase for Lyon star Houssem Aouar, reports claim.

The Mirror says Spurs are set to make a late transfer move for the midfielder who has been heavily linked with an Emirates switch.

The club's bid has been given a boost by news that Arsenal are close to finalising a £30million agreement with Real Madrid for Martin Odegaard.

That would see the Norway playmaker Martin Odegaard return to the Gunners following his loan spell in the side last term. 

Aouar, 23, is thought to be a target for a number of teams in the Prem and Europe, with Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace among them.

FLUNKIN' DOUGHNUTS

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal tactics have been described as a 'doughnut of sadness' after their shocker at Brentford.

The analysis from Tifo - a football tactics podcast - was particularly cutting.

Drawing the trajectory of the ball as it circles around the pitch without going anywhere, the analyst mournfully says: "Pepe cuts back in and he goes back to [Calum] Chambers, and Chambers goes to [Ben] White, and White goes back to Sambi [Lokonga].

"Then Sambi puts it back to [Granit] Xhaka, and Xhaka goes back to [Kieran] Tierney, and it goes again and again and again in this doughnut of sadness.

"The doughnut of shame - going around and around and around and around, never going anywhere."

RED HEAD 2 HEAD

Arsenal have replaced Joe Willock with Martin Odegaard and upgraded their midfield in the process – or have they?

The Gunners flogged Willock, 21, to Newcastle for £25million and have signed Odegaard, 22, from Real Madrid for £34m.

Fans are split over whether Norwegian ace Odegaard offers more than Willock.

And Gunners legend Paul Merson has hit out at his old club for letting academy product Willock go.

SunSport have unearthed stats from last season to explore whether Gooners should expect their team to be stronger with Odegaard instead of Willock in 21-22.

NEXT FIVE GAMES

Here are Arsenal's next five Premier League games as they look to recover from their opening day defeat to Brentford:

WINTER WARNING

Arsenal must learn from their 'disastrous' performance against Brentford or meet an even worse fate against Chelsea, says Nigel Winterburn.

The Gunners legend said: "From an Arsenal supporters' point of view, we want a high energy performance and commitment.

"Friday night they showed anything but that. It was a disaster.

"Not only defensively, but going forward, the front three didn't produce anything. It was either wide from Tierney or a burst from Emile Smith Rowe, that was it.

"Arsenal cannot afford to focus on just one Chelsea player on Sunday.

"Chelsea have an array of exceptional individuals, and they perform very well tactically, and as a team.

"A manager must analyse Chelsea to find their strengths and any weakness to exploit. All managers will feel that there are some visible weaknesses."

LOC AND LOADED

Juventus have officially announced the signing of Italy star Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo.

The midfielder, 23, was linked with Arsenal earlier in the window.

But the Euro 2020 star only wanted to go to Juve, and has penned a five-year deal.

HOUSS LAUGHING NOW

Tottenham are reportedly set to swoop for Houssem Aouar, after Arsenal secured the permanent signing of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid.

The Gunners have long been linked with Lyon midfielder Aouar.

But having moved for Odegaard instead, the Mirror claim that the path is now clear for Spurs to sign 23-year-old Aouar.

The France international has been transfer listed by Lyon supremo Juninho, and previously excelled alongside Tanguy Ndombele in Ligue 1.

I'M STAYING 'EIRRE

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is determined to stay at Arsenal and become a club legend according to reports.

The Gabon star, 32, has been linked with a move away from the Emirates in recent weeks.

But according to the Express, Aubameyang wants to see through the contract he signed in September last year.

He scored 15 goals in all competitions last season, with four assists, compared to his 29 strikes the season before.

'BANTER FC'

Arsenal have been called 'Banter FC' by former Tottenham and Billericay star Jamie O'Hara.

The talkSPORT pundit has blasted the club's recruitment this summer as they close in on deals for Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale.

The Gunners have also signed Ben White, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga during this summer's transfer window.

But former Spurs midfielder O'Hara has criticised Arsenal's business, telling talkSPORT: "They are Banter FC right now… they are Banter FC!

"Odegaard, Ramsdale, White, Lokonga and Tavares - they've spent £135m on a B team. Is their team any better than what it was last season?"

MORNING, ARSENAL FANS

The Gunners have bolstered their ranks by reportedly completing the signing of Martin Odegaard for around £30million.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal is complete and the North Londoners have agreed on personal terms with the Norwegian.

Odegaard, 22, is believed to have agreed a five-year contract with Mikel Arteta’s men.

He starred on loan at Emirates Stadium during the second half of last season, scoring twice and assisting another two goals in 20 appearances.

Another midfield target Houssem Aouar has reportedly been transfer listed by Lyon supremo Juninho.

But according to the Mirror, Arsenal’s prioritising of Odegaard has made a further move for Aouar unlikely - with rivals Spurs now in the driving seat for the French international.

Another former midfield target Manuel Locatelli yesterday completed his move to Juventus from Sassuolo.

The Gunners had been keen on the Italian after his stellar performances at Euro 2020.

In other transfer news, Arsenal are set to sign Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, according to reports.

The North Londoners were linked with the Blades stopper earlier in the window, but baulked at their £35m valuation.

According to David Ornstein, however, the two parties have agreed on a fee worth an initial £24m, with another £6m in potential bonuses likely to only be reached if Ramsdale becomes Arsenal's No1.

RAM RAID

Arsenal are reportedly closing in on the £24million transfer of Sheffield United keeper Aaron Ramsdale.

The England man was left out of Sheffield United's squad for their Championship clash away to West Brom on Wednesday night.

He has started the Blades' first two games of the season.

And according to The Athletic a return to the Premier League is on the cards for the 23 year old.

Arsenal are said to be paying £24m up front with a further £6m to be paid in add-ons.

It is significantly less than the £40m the Blades were previously demanding for their No1.

He is expected to provide instant competition for Bernd Leno at the Emirates.

RED HEAD 2 HEAD

Arsenal have replaced Joe Willock with Martin Odegaard and upgraded their midfield in the process - or have they?

The Gunners flogged Willock, 21, to Newcastle for £25million and have signed Odegaard, 22, from Real Madrid for £34m.

Fans are split over whether Norwegian ace Odegaard offers more than Willock.

And Gunners legend Paul Merson has hit out at his old club for letting academy product Willock go.

SunSport have unearthed stats from last season to explore whether Gooners should expect their team to be stronger with Odegaard instead of Willock in 21-22.

LAC OF THREAT

Danny Murphy believes Arsenal should look to sell striker Alexandre Lacazette this summer if they need money to sign more players.

The French forward, who missed Arsenal’s 2-0 opening day defeat against Brentford on Friday due to illness along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, has been linked with a move away from the club during this window.

Murphy told talkSPORT: “If I was Arteta I’d make some definitive decisions and stick to a team that’s capable and some tactics that you can actually see.

“We were quite enthused [with Arteta] at the beginning, there was some positivity there. Then some negativity came and he became proactive not reactive. It’s like they’ve lost their way a bit.

“But when I say definitive I’d be telling Aubameyang that he’d play week in, week out up front. Whatever it, needs you play him, week in, week out and he’ll score you goals. And if you need funds then let Lacazette go.”

ODE TO JOY

Arsenal have reportedly completed the permanent £29m signing of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid.

The Norwegian shone on loan in North London last season, and has returned on a full-time basis.

With the attacking midfielder set to be available to Mikel Arteta this weekend, let's remind ourselves of the magic that he's capable of.