The Gunners are also the player’s preferred destination
Unai Emery was appointed as Arsenal’s new manager back in May after Arsene Wenger decided to leave the club after 22 years at the end of the season. He signed a three-year deal worth £15 million.
It has been a busy transfer for the Premier League giants, as the new boss has brought in new five players, reinforcing the particular areas which needed strengthening to compete for major silverware next season.
Lucas Torreira from Sampdoria, Matteo Guendouzi from Lorient, Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen, Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Borussia Dortmund and Stephan Lichtsteiner from Juventus.
With the signing of Torreira and Guendouzi, former PSG boss is close to finalizing his midfield for the upcoming season. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka have already signed new long term contract extensions.
The English side wants more players before the transfer window closes and has been linked with a move for Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes.
The Portugal International joined the Spanish side from Valencia in a deal that could reach £48 million in 2016. He was tipped to emulate Xavi having blossomed in the La Liga in the previous campaigns.
But the 24 year old has endured a nightmare two year spell at the Camp Nou on an individual level, despite the Catalan giants’ cruising towards a La Liga title and reaching the latter stages of the Champions League yet again.
He was expected to be sold last summer but stayed as the La Liga giants couldn’t reach an agreement with Liverpool for Philippe Coutinho. Ernesto Valverde is now expected to cut him loose and has been left out of the La Liga giants’ pre-season squad for the trip to the United States.
According to the reliable RAC 1, Arsenal are now the Portuguese preferred destination. But it’s understood that they aren’t willing to match his €30 million asking price.
Emery’s side believes a compromise could be reached in terms of a season-long loan deal with an obligation to buy next summer.
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