A round-up of Arsenal news including the latest on Eddie Nketiah’s future and which position Riccardo Calafiori is expected to play if his move from Bologna is completed.
The first game of the pre-season tour against Bournemouth is almost upon us and there has been little to get excited about in terms of incomings.
With less than a month to go until the Premier League campaign gets underway, it looks as though the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe will finally get their move away from north London.
READ MORE: Arsenal pre-season tour 2024 – destination, fixtures, how to watch and more
Arsenal set Nketiah demands after Marseille negotiations
After starting last season sprightly, it appears that the writing is now on the wall for Eddie Nketiah’s future at the club.
In a bid to replace former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ligue 1 outfit Marseille have set their sights on the 25-year-old.
The opportunity to follow in the footsteps of fellow Hale End talent Folarin Balogun is an exciting one for Nketiah, especially given the fact that Roberto De Zerbi is now in charge in the south of France.
Advanced talks have taken place to make the transfer happen, but agreeing terms with Marseille has proved tricky.
According to journalist Chris Wheatley, reporting on Instagram: “Marseille in advanced negotiations to sign Eddie Nketiah. Arsenal want €30m [£25m] with obligation to buy, while the French side offer loan with €20m [£17m] buy option. Positive talks continue with resolution expected soon.”
While it’s clear that it’s not a straightforward move, there does seem to be a likelihood for a loan with obligation to buy although that is not the French club’s preference right now.
Read more on Eddie Nketiah’s potential move to Marseille here
Which position Calafiori will play if he joins Arsenal
It has been a lengthy saga, but the wheels are moving towards Riccardo Calafiori becoming an Arsenal player.
Reports in Italy had claimed the deal was very close after the defender ‘agreed financial terms’ with Arsenal, yet fans have been left waiting.
The futures of Zinchenko and Kiwior remain in doubt, but this signing could have more implications on Tomiyasu’s involvement too.
After impressing for Bologna last season, the 22-year-old once again stepped up to the mark for Italy during Euro 2024.
Calafiori appeared in a left-back position for Italy, but he specialised with his physicality and on-ball skills on the left of a centre-back trio with his club side in Serie A.
Arteta is known to appreciate Calafiori’s versatility and has earmarked a unique role in the team for him.
While he is also perfect Gabriel back-up, Football.London say Arsenal view Calafiori primarily as a left-back, which is an area of the pitch in which Arteta has encountered some recent issues.
With Jurrien Timber’s role yet to be nailed down, it will be interesting to observe during pre-season, but in reality, it could be the case that a lot of the positions for the likes of Timber, Zinchenko and Calafiori are interchangeable based on how Arteta sees the situation.
Read more on how Calafiori could fit in at Arsenal here.
Jurrien Timber’s message ahead of return
It has hardly been an ideal start to life for Jurrien Timber since he joined Arsenal from Ajax last summer.
The Dutch defender exceeded all expectations in pre-season before picking up the ACL injury for the whole season on the opening day of the Premier League.
However, conscious efforts were made to keep Timber as an active member of the squad to maintain his injury during his rehabilitation period. Arteta even made sure that Timber was often present in the dressing room and attended team meetings.
This has clearly been of good use to the 23-year-old as he spoke to BBC Sport about how the team’s success last year has been a source of motivation for him: “It was a big blow, and at the start it was huge. It’s never fun to be injured but I tried to look at it in a positive way.”
“It’s not that hard [to stay positive] when you see how they were performing last year. It gets you motivated to join them and to help them,” he said.
It’s refreshing to know that the pressure of the entire fanbase expecting Timber to be as good as Roberto Carlos when he returns isn’t getting to him.
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