^ ^ Riccardo Calafiori insists Arsenal need to sign certain type of players

Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori says the club needs to make big signings (Picture: Getty Images)

Riccardo Calafiori is pleased to see Arsenal on the verge of signing Bruno Guimaraes and linked with Vinicius Jr, saying the Gunners need to sign players that will improve their Premier League winning team.

A deal to bring Guimareas to the Emirates from Newcastle is close to being completed after a £75 million fee was agreed.

The Brazilian made it clear to the Magpies that he wanted to make the move to north London and the clubs met in the middle of Arsenal’s opening bid of £70m and Newcastle’s valuation of £80m.

The midfielder is unlikely to be the only major arrival at Arsenal this summer, with Mikel Arteta intent on adding a left-winger to his squad as well.

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The biggest name linked with filling that role is another Brazilian, Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr.

It is an incredibly ambitious move from the Gunners to try and bring Vini Jr to the Premier League, but one they are working on as Real Madrid try to tie him up to a new contract.

Calafiori is pleased to see that his club is aiming big in the transfer market, believing it is the way to improve on last season which saw them win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final.

Bruno Guimaraes is set to join Arsenal imminently (Picture: Getty Images)

On moves for the likes of Guimaraes and Vinicius Jr, the Italy international told Sky Sports: ‘Of course we are on that level now, we are on top.

‘We want to win the league again and we want to be even better than last season, if we can, so we need those kind of players, I think.’

The deal for Guimaraes is expected to be confirmed imminently, but hopes of signing Vinicius Jr have taken a hit after Real Madrid improved their contract offer to the forward.

His current deal expires next summer, so he could depart on a free transfer if he does not sign the new contract or pursue a move to Arsenal, who are ready to offer him very attractive terms.

Vinicius Jr has been offered a new deal by Real Madrid (Picture: Getty Images)

Many of Arsenal’s own top players are yet to rejoin the rest of the squad after the World Cup, with the Community Shield against Manchester City just 10 days away.

Calafiori played in a 3-1 friendly defeat to Real Betis on Wednesday and admits it is going to be difficult as the season gets underway after disrupted summer preparation.

‘I think it’s going to be a tricky start to the season because of that,’ he said. ‘All the big teams are going to have this problem and of course we’re still waiting for them I hope they’re going to be really in form and ready to help us.

Calafiori started against Real Betis in Dublin (Picture: Getty Images)

‘In 10 days we’re going to be playing the final so we need to be ready.’

It may only have been a friendly and Arsenal were without a number of big name players, but Arteta admitted that the mood was not good after defeat to Real Betis in Dublin.

‘Very upset, given a hard time. They are fuming, but this is good. That’s what we need,’ he said.

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^ ^ Arsenal set to make second bid for £60m World Cup star after Bruno Guimaraes transfer

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal are set to make a fresh approach for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa as they close in on the signing of Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes.

The Premier League champions have so far welcomed Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier to their squad at the Emirates Stadium, while they also have activated a clause to sign Piero Hincapie on a permanent transfer.

And a fourth deal is close to being confirmed after the Gunners finally reached an agreement to sign Guimaraes after long, drawn-out negotiations with Newcastle.

The Brazilian has already completed his medical at Arsenal and is set to further bolster Mikel Arteta’s options in central midfield.

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Arsenal are still looking for further incomings, and remain hopeful of pulling off the blockbuster signing of Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid.

The winger was locked in talks with the Spanish giants on Wednesday, with the Gunners poised to pounce if the 26-year-old fails to agree terms on a new contract.

And elsewhere, The Daily Mail reports that Arsenal are set to make a second bid for England defender Konsa as they look to strengthen their defence following William Saliba’s back injury.

Arsenal have renewed their interest in Ezri Konsa (Picture: PA)

Saliba helped France reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, but aggravated a back injury in the process and will now be out for an ‘extended period’, Arsenal have said.

The Gunners made an initial proposal for Konsa earlier in the summer, but that was said to be well below Villa’s £60million valuation for the 28-year-old.

However, Arsenal have not given up hope of landing their top target for central defence and could test Villa’s resolve yet again with a follow-up offer.

Arsenal are set to sign Bruno Guimaraes (Picture: Getty)

Unai Emery’s side have already seen Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne depart this summer, and so are under no financial pressure to sell Konsa.

And the report claims that Villa will only consider letting Konsa move to the Emirates if they have first sourced a suitable replacement.

Konsa featured in all eight matches for England at the World Cup this summer as the Three Lions secured their best finish since 1966.

And the defender’s talents were hailed by fellow England and Villa teammate Ollie Watkins, who described Konsa as one of the best central defenders in the Premier League.

‘I think Ezri is just so underrated,’ Watkins told talkSPORT. ‘It’s mad how under the radar he goes and for so many years he has been.

‘I think he’s one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. People don’t look at that straight away.

‘I don’t know if it’s profile around Villa and stuff like that. People always look at the top teams. But defensively, he hardly puts a foot wrong.’

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^ ^ Christian Norgaard reveals Mikel Arteta message as he leaves Arsenal for Everton

Everton have snapped up Christian Norgaard from Arsenal for £7m (Picture: Getty Images)

Christian Norgaard has left Arsenal for Everton and says Gunners boss Mikel Arteta encouraged the move to Goodison Park.

The 32-year-old spent just one season at Arsenal, having signed from Brentford in an initial £10million deal last summer.

The Dane was not used regularly, but made 20 appearances across all competitions and seven in the Premier League as Arsenal won the title.

Norgaard signed a two-year deal when he arrived in north London, but has already departed, with Everton spending £7m on his signature.

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David Moyes signed Arteta in January 2005 during his first spell as Everton manager and the Spaniard was a key player for the Toffees until leaving for Arsenal in 2011.

Arteta had only good things to say about Everton and encouraged Norgaard to make the move north.

‘I spoke to him quite a lot about the potential move at the time and he had only positive things to say about Everton and also David Moyes,’ Norgaard said on his unveiling as a new Toffees player.

Mikel Arteta talked up his experience as an Everton player (Picture: Getty Images)

‘He played under him for a long time and the whole experience he had as an Everton player seemed to me as if he had a fantastic time here and really also excelled as a player under Moyes at Everton. Hopefully I can get the same feeling that he had as an Everton player.’

Norgaard was left with mixed feelings after his year at Arsenal, obviously enjoying the success of winning the Premier League title, but quickly feeling he needed to move on to play more regularly.

On signing for Everton, he said: ‘It feels amazing. I’m so, so happy and pleased to have joined Everton.

‘There were many factors to it. Coming off a season where it was a big move for me, a big change, but also having a different role that I’ve been used to previously.

Norgaard leaves Arsenal as a Premier League champion (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I felt like coming into this summer I needed a change again, I needed to play a bigger part on the football side of it.

‘When I spoke to David Moyes and I heard about the whole project and I was very intrigued. Coming here and seeing everyone just makes that feeling even stronger. I really can’t wait to get started.’

Despite starting very few games for Arsenal, he feels the year at the Emirates had a big impact on his game.

‘I think I’m definitely a better player there’s so much that goes on that you don’t see,’ said the former Brentford captain. ‘Most people mention about the minutes you play at the weekend, but I still got to train every day with some of the best players in the world and experience what it takes to win a title. Not just any title but the Premier League.

‘Getting Champions League experience under the belt and longer cup campaigns was an amazing experience. I definitely feel like a better player than when I joined Arsenal.’

Norgaard is Everton’s fourth summer signing after Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough, Tyrique George making his loan move permanent from Chelsea and Merlin Rohl arriving from Freiburg.

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^ ^ Newcastle complain about Arsenal after agreeing £75m Bruno Guimaraes transfer

Arsenal are set to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle (Picture: Getty)

Newcastle United were left ‘perplexed’ by the manner of Arsenal’s pursuit of Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, according to reports.

Arsenal are finally set to sign Guimaraes after a protracted transfer saga which included weeks of negotiations.

Mikel Arteta identified the 28-year-old as his top midfield target earlier in the summer but Newcastle insisted he was not for sale.

The Magpies were forced to soften their stance once Guimaraes made it clear he wanted the move and have finally agreed a deal with Arsenal.

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Guimaraes has been one of the most influential midfielders in the Premier League since his £40m move from Lyon in 2022, helping Newcastle qualify for the Champions League and win the Carabao Cup.

The Brazilian, who will have a medical this week, is set to join an Arsenal team that won the Premier League last season while reaching the Champions League final.

While a breakthrough has been made in the transfer talks, Newcastle remain unhappy with Arsenal’s pursuit, according to Sky Sports.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (Picture: Getty)

‘This started six weeks ago when intermediaries, essentially middle men, contacted Newcastle and asked if Bruno Guimaraes would be available and could he go to Arsenal,’ reporter Keith Downie said.

‘It was around about then that Bruno Guimaraes intimated that he would be willing to speak to Arsenal and would be up for moving to the Premier League champions.

‘I think what perplexed Newcastle over the last five or six weeks is the way Arsenal have gone about things. There was no direct contact, no formal offer, everything was played out through intermediares and that really confused Newcastle to an extent.

Newcastle were ‘confused’ by Arsenal’s approach (Picture: Getty)

‘He will be a real big miss to this football club but it does leave Newcastle with money to spend in this transfer window, having now brought in £245m for Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes combined.’

Guimaraes will become Arsenal’s third signing of the summer following winger Christos Tzolis and back-up goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

The Gunners are also working on a stunning deal for Guimaraes’ Brazil teammate Vinicius Junior, who is in a contract dispute with Real Madrid.

Speaking after Arsenal’s first pre-season friendly last week, Arteta said the club were ‘really active’ in the transfer market and would be ‘very ambitious’.

The Premier League-winning manager said: ‘We are really active trying to improve and evolve the team; that’s clear.

‘We expect to have movements in the next few weeks, obviously. We want to get better like anybody else, and you just can see the transfer market and our opponents, what we are doing.

‘We won’t sit still and we are very ambitious with what we are doing.’

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^ ^ ‘Not good enough’ – Man Utd flop told to consider summer transfer window exit

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee has been urged to seek an exit from the club this summer after two unsuccessful seasons at Old Trafford.

Zirkzee joined two years ago from Bologna in a £36.5million deal, but has scored only nine goals in 75 appearances for the Red Devils.

The arrival of Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko last summer saw Zirkzee fall further down the pecking order, with the Dutchman featuring sparingly after Michael Carrick’s arrival in the second half of the season.

That lack of game time saw the 25-year-old not named in the Netherlands squad for the World Cup, with Zirkzee now linked with a move away from United in search of regular minutes.

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And former Red Devils assistant manager Rene Meulensteen urged the striker to take that opportunity with both hands, insisting Zirkzee has failed to show he is ‘good enough’ to stay with United ahead of the new season.

‘I’ve heard a rumour that he might be moving to Juventus, and I thought that would be a good move for him,’ Meulensteen told talkSPORT.

‘It’s been evident that he hasn’t been a regular starter; he’s been a bit of a bit-part player.

Joshua Zirkzee has been tipped to leave Manchester United (Picture: Getty)

‘I don’t think he has shown he is good enough to warrant being a starter for the coming season, especially with Sesko who has done so well under Michael.’

The aforementioned Juventus are frontrunners and want to sign the Netherlands international on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent next summer.

United, however, would prefer a permanent sale but would need to replace Zirkzee before the end of the summer transfer window.

Zirkzee featured sparingly under Carrick (Picture: Getty)

But while Zirkzee appears destined for the exit, Meulensteen insisted he would like to see Marcus Rashford given a second chance under Carrick.

The winger appeared poised to make a permanent switch to Barcelona but is now heading back to Manchester after the Catalan giants opted to pursue a move for Anthony Gordon instead.

Rashford has interest from Turkey, but Meulensteen believes the 28-year-old can still offer plenty to his boyhood club.

Marcus Rashford is another who faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford (Picture: Getty)

‘I’ve always been in support of Marcus, because I know where he’s come from,’ he said.

‘As a young player, he came through the ranks, and those players that come through the ranks, they carry a special Manchester United DNA.

‘What has happened with Marcus is an interesting one. Did he lose the love for the club, or did he lose the love of the manager that he was working for at that particular time?

‘I think that just needs a very good conversation between Michael and Marcus, because I’m sure that Michael rates Marcus as a player, and he can still make a difference.

‘If that is the case, and again, if they are aligned in terms of how they can best use Marcus, then there is an opportunity he could still stay. I can’t see why not.’

Meulensteen continued: ‘There will be people saying he has to move on because he’s moved away, and there may be a little bit of feeling left that they’re not too happy about.

‘But if Marcus comes in, he performs, he scores a few important goals, then everybody jumps on the bandwagon again.’

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