Arsenal
Arsenal Transfer News: £10m Move Stalls | Italians Register Interest In Gunners Ace
Napoli are the latest club to register their interest in Laurent Koscielny with the Arsenal defender also attracting glances from Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
With the summer transfer window set to open, there is plenty of gossip doing the rounds in the newspapers so we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest Arsenal transfer rumours. Today, Arsenal’s move for Ashley Williams stalls and Napoli have joined the hunt for Laurent Koscielny.
Williams deal off?
First up and the Sun are reporting that Arsenal’s proposed move for Ashley Williams has stalled because Arsene Wenger is refusing to meet Swansea City’s £10m price tag.
Williams was one of the most consistent centre-back’s in the Premier League last season and he also lead the Swans to their first every domestic trophy, winning the Capital One Cup with a 5-0 win over Bradford City at Wembley.
His form has attracted interest from the upper echelons of the league with the Sun claiming Arsenal were leading Everton in the chase for the 28-year-old’s signature. However, a move to the Emirates is becoming increasingly unlikely as Wenger is refusing to meet the Welsh outfits £10m asking price and new Toffees boss Roberto Martinez may now be ready to swoop on his former captain.
Personally, I won’t be too disappointed if we do ‘miss out’ on Williams as I don’t think he’ll be anything other than a squad player. I’d prefer it if we targetted someone younger who has a long-term future at the club and can grow under the tutelage of the likes of Koscielny and Mertesacker.
Napoli keen on Kos
Italian outfit Napoli are the latest club to register their interest in Laurent Koscielny with the Arsenal defender also attracting glances from Barcelona and Bayern Munich, according to the Express.
Koscielny enjoyed a superb finish to last season after forcing his way past captain Thomas Vermaelen into Arsene Wenger’s first team and his partnership with Per Mertesacker at the back was a huge contributing factor in us climbing above Tottenham to finish fourth.
However, his impressive form appears to have caught the eye of some of Europe’s top clubs with the Express claiming that Napoli have now joined Barcelona and Bayern Munich in registering their interest in the 27-year-old – who they say is valued at £15m.
Koscielny’s future was cast in doubt recently after he admitted he may be forced to leave the Emirates in search of silverware.
“It is hard to not win titles year after year. We are competitors, professionals, we want to win.
“I want to add to my list of achievements. If Arsenal cannot allow me that, I’ll seek a move elsewhere.” Koscielny is quoted as saying by the Express
The defender still has four years to run on his current contract and was one of the most consistent centre-backs in the Premier League last season, so I’m not sure why the Express feel he’s only worth £15m, but regardless of what the newspaper says or who wants him, I’m confident Kos will still be with us come the star of the season.
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So there’s your latest dose of Arsenal transfer news. Do you think we need to sign Williams? Will Koscielny stay this summer? Get involved in the comments section below.