Arsenal To Table £30m Bid As Wenger Looks To Seal Deal Ahead Of Liverpool Clash

The summer transfer window is in full swing so we’ll bring you all the latest transfer rumours and gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsenal are set to formalise their interest in Shkodran Mustafi…

Arsenal will finally submit a formal £30m offer for Valencia star Shkodran Mustafi as Arsene Wenger desperately tries to land a centre-back ahead of their opening game with Liverpool, according to the Daily Mail.

The Gunners have seen their defence ripped apart by injuries in recent weeks with Gabriel joining Per Mertesacker on the treatment table after suffering a serious ankle injury against Manchester City on Sunday night.

The Brazilian international has been ruled out for up to eight weeks meaning Wenger is likely to be without a single senior centre-back for their Premier League opening game with Liverpool this weekend.

Laurent Koscielny only returned to pre-season training on Monday so will have less than a week to prepare for the big kick off leaving Wenger with little option but to step-up his pursuit of defensive reinforcements.

Mustafi has emerged as Arsenal’s prime target in recent weeks and the Daily Mail claim that the north Londoners will finally test Valencia’s resolve with a formal £30m offer over the coming days.

However, the newspaper says that with the German international valued at closer to £40m, Wenger has lined-up West Bromwich Albion’s Jonny Evans as an alternative in-case he can’t agree a deal for Mustafi.

We’ll have to wait and see whether Arsenal’s opening offer is successful but time is running out if they want to get the 24-year-old signed up and available to face Liverpool this weekend as they’ll have to have any new arrival registered with the FA by Friday.

Mustafi would be an excellent addition for the Gunners as he’s developed in to one of the best central defenders in La Liga since joining Valencia from Sampdoria two years ago and is also a regular with the German national team.

The are rumours that Valencia are already lining-up a replacement for Mustafi so it appears the Spaniard’s are resigned to losing him, but we’ll have to see whether Arsenal are able to get a deal wrapped-up by the end of the week.

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If not, then 20-year-old Rob Holding is likely to be handed his Premier League debut alongside fellow England Under-21 international Calum Chambers against Jurgen Klopp’s men on Sunday.