Here is your Arsenal morning digest for Wednesday, April 14.
Gunners plan to bolster four areas this summer
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants to strengthen four areas within his first-team squad as a priority this summer, football.london can reveal.
A busy summer of transfer activity - both in terms of new arrivals and departures - is expected at the Emirates Stadium this summer as the Gunners look to try and bridge the gap on those riding high at the top-end of the Premier League table.
It is already well documented that Arsenal, who travel to the Czech Republic to face Slavia Prague in the second-leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final, are keen on adding a new left-back and a central attacking-midfielder to their ranks, although they would preferably like to bolster the latter of those two positions by retaining the services of Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard.
But as well as wanting to strengthen those two areas of the team, the Gunners also want to add a new goalkeeper and right-back to their ranks.
Right-back Hector Bellerin could be allowed to leave the club this summer if the price is right and the Gunners will look to source a replacement, despite Portuguese ace Cedric Soares currently being on the club's books.
Click here to read the full story.
Carragher heaps praise on Gunners transfer target
Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has waxed lyrical about Arsenal transfer target Yves Bissouma.
The Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder delivered a first-class performance during the Seagulls' goalless draw with Everton on Monday evening, prompting Carragher to anticipate a large-scale bidding war to unfold for his services this summer.
Carragher said: "The biggest talking point or bright spark from the game was the performance of Bissouma, who was the Man of the Match but not just the best player on the pitch, the best player by a mile on the pitch, he really was.
"You looked at him and he really does look like a top-quality player.
"He was excellent at Old Trafford [against Manchester United] for Brighton and he just looked head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch [versus Everton].
"He's been someone a lot of teams have talked about or looked at. I don't think teams will be looking at him, I think they will be bidding for him at the end of the season."
football.london revealed earlier this year that Bissouma is a player that Arsenal are big admirers of him and would like to lure him to the Emirates Stadium this summer if finances permitted.
It is also understood that Bissouma would jump at the opportunity to join the Gunners if the opportunity arose.
To read more from Carragher and the full story, click here.
Ferdinand issues Lingard warning
Jesse Lingard would prefer to stay at West Ham United rather than go anywhere near Arsenal this summer.
That is according to former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.
Lingard joined the Hammers on loan towards the end of the January transfer window has entered the form of his life, scoring eight goals in his first nine appearances for the club.
That sort of form has alerted clubs around Europe and they are said to be considering summer moves for his services, including Arsenal.
However, Ferdinand is pretty confident that the England international will go nowhere near the Emirates Stadium.
Ferdinand told the FIVE YouTube channel: "Yeah, but you know what, they [Arsenal fans] wouldn’t have him there. "The way he moonwalked off that pitch once, they wouldn’t have it.
"The fans would rip the place apart. He disrespected the Emirates in a way that hadn’t been seen.
"Listen, West Ham will have a fight to get him by the way because I think other teams are going to be like: 'Listen, we want him!’
"He’s not going to go to Arsenal over West Ham, obviously but there will be other teams. He ain’t going nowhere near Arsenal."
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