Here are your evening Arsenal headlines for March 25th:
Arsenal ‘confident’ they can extend Ceballos loan
Dani Ceballos is expected to stay on loan at Arsenal beyond June 30 should the 2019/20 Premier League season run over, per the Evening Standard.
Premier League clubs are due to meet in May to discuss when to complete the remaining matches, and one likely scenario is that the competition will continue into July, past the traditional date for players’ contracts to end.
Arsenal want to keep Ceballos at the club should that happen, and are reportedly ‘relaxed’ about the situation despite not yet opening formal talks with the Spaniard’s parent club Real Madrid.
Ceballos initially struggled to break into the first team at the Emirates, but has recently become a mainstay of the side under new manager Mikel Arteta.
Upamecano makes reported decision
Long-term Arsenal target Dayot Upamecano is set to leave RB Leipzig when the transfer window reopens, according to Bild.
The 22-year-old’s release clause will drop in 2020 from £72.9 million to £54.7 million, per L’Equipe, which is the figure Arsenal reportedly bid for the centre-back during Unai Emery’s tenure.
Arsenal face stiff competition for his signature, with Bayern Munich among those linked to the Frenchman, although it is believed the Premier League is Upamecano’s preferred destination.
The full story, including more details about the history of Arsenal’s interest in Upamecano, can be found here.
Edu’s targets revealed
Arsenal’s technical director Edu tried to sign 21-year-old Sao Paolo defender Walce in January, according to the Brazilian club’s chief executive Alexandre Passaro.
Although the approach was denied, interest in Walce prior to the £4 million signing of Pablo Mari from Flamengo gives an indication of the low-risk, bargain buy approach being taken by the club.
It is understood Arsenal need to tighten the purse strings for the time being, which is why relatively cheap options are being considered for the summer window, including Celtic forward Odsonne Edouard and Gent’s Jonathan David.
However, interest in these two players does not mean the recruitment team, led by Edu and Raul Sanllehi, are against spending big on a star player. Instead, they recognise the need for balance in the transfer market, as James Benge writes.
Martinelli wants to stay and become Arsenal ‘legend’
Gabriel Martinelli has appeared to dismiss speculation surrounding his future at the club amid reported interest from Real Madrid.
"I want to win the Champions League and lots of domestic titles to make Arsenal’s fans very happy," the 18-year-old said in an interview with FourFourTwo.
“They deserve the best, not only the supporters but all of the club’s staff,”he added. “I’d like to give back to the club after everything they’ve done for me so far and, as a result, become a Gunners legend."
Martinelli has dazzled under Mikel Arteta, scoring in back-to-back league games in January, and unsurprisingly the teenager has heaped praise on his manager.
"He’s been brilliant," Martinelli said.”He pays a lot of attention to moves and keeps pushing me to improve my game; not only in attack but defence, too.”
