Premier League football is finally back after the wilderness of the international break, but off the pitch there's plenty of Arsenal transfer rumours.
There are only three and a half months until the summer window opens, and clubs will be forming their strategy and the Gunners said to be at an advanced stage already.
However with some prospective targets, Arsenal might already be falling behind but there is also plenty of hope around for the future.
Here are the latest updates and rumours for the players Unai Emery's side have been linked with.
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Samuel Umtiti
Arsenal are reportedly leading the race to sign Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti, and have made an initial offer.
Tuttomercatoweb state that Arsenal have made a loan-to-buy bid similar to the Denis Suarez deal, with a €5m fee followed by a permanent option set at €40m.
Barcelona would prefer any deal to include a compulsory option to buy, to avoid the situation they may find themselves in with Suarez, who has so far failed to impress at the Emirates Stadium.
However, the Gunners are said to be in “pole position”, as Barca try to offload players in the hope of bringing in Ajax centre-back Matthijs de Ligt. Umtiti has fallen behind Clement Lenglet and Gerard Pique in the pecking order at Camp Nou, and should De Ligt arrive he’d likely be fourth-choice centre-back at best.
Roma could also join the race to sign Umtiti in the summer, though they may struggle with funding the move should they miss out on Champions League football.
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Nicolo Zaniolo
There has reportedly been a break in talks between Roma and young player Nicolo Zaniolo over a contract extension.
The 19-year-old is one of the hottest properties in European football, having joined the Serie A side from Inter Milan, as part of the deal that took Radja Nainggolan to San Siro.
After a series of impressive displays, talks started over a new deal for the midfielder, who made his debut for Italy in the recent international break. However, following the departure of sporting director Monchi for Sevilla, talks have stopped over a new deal, according to Calciomercato , due to the confusion at the club over new roles for staff.
They state that talks could continue in mid-April, when the likelihood of Champions League qualification becomes clearer, and thus what their budget may be for next year. Roma are currently seventh in Serie A following two defeats in a row, but still only four points shy of the Champions League places.
Arsenal and Spurs are among teams that have been linked with Zaniolo in the past, and the likes of Juventus and Real Madrid are also said to be monitoring the situation.
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Ander Herrera
Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has reportedly agreed a deal to join PSG in the summer.
The 29-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the season, and after contract talks with United stalled, PSG and Arsenal were among the clubs linked .
And according to the Daily Record , Herrera has now agreed a deal to join PSG when his deal expires at the end of the season.
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