Arsenal manager Unai Emery has identified Ajax Amsterdam defender Matthijs De Ligt as his top defensive priority ahead of this summer’s transfer window.

This is according to The Sun which claimed that the Gunners can only sign the highly rated Dutch international centre back if they qualify for the Champions League.

Arsenal are one point off the Champions League places with rivals Manchester United occupying the fourth and last qualifying position.

Unai Emery has just £40m to spend in this summer excluding player sales if he fails to guide Arsenal back into the Champions League.

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The said amount could increase to as much as £100m if Arsenal qualify for the Champions League ahead of both Manchester United and Chelsea who are their direct challengers.

Matthijs De Ligt could command a £75m transfer fee with several clubs interested in the player who made history by becoming the first defender to win the Golden Boy Award.

The 19-year-old is the reigning Golden Boy Award after he was named the winner towards the end of last year.

Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain (PSG), Liverpool and Barcelona are all interested in him.

Barcelona recently signed his Ajax teammate Frenkie De Jong who will join the Blaugrana at the end of this campaign.

French Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint Germain (PSG) are reportedly eyeing a big money summer transfer for Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi.

The Daily Mirror say that the French champions are monitoring the player’s development at Arsenal.

Matteo Guendouzi was on the books of the French capital club before he was released at the age of 15.

The young French midfielder made his first team debut at French second-tier club Lorient before moving to Arsenal at the start of the season.

The Gunners paid just £7m on Matteo Guendouzi to secure his transfer from the French Ligue 2 club last summer.

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Guendouzi, 19, made his Arsenal debut in the first league game of this season.

He was in the starting XI as Arsenal manager Unai Emery began his managerial era at the Emirates Stadium with a 2-0 loss to Premier League champions at home.

Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva got the goals for the Citizens either side of the halftime interval.

Aside from fellow midfielder Lucas Torreira, no Arsenal player has featured in more games than Matteo Guendouzi.

He has seen his stock rise as a result of his superb form for the Gunners this season.

PSG might need to pay as much as £60m for his transfer.

Arsenal are planning a summer swoop for one of the young prospects in the top flight of German football according to widespread media reports.

Italian media platform Calciomercato say that the Gunners are eyeing a move for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz who has been in superb form for his team since the start of this season.

Havertz, 19, has scored 11 goals for Bayer Leverkusen this season.

Arsenal could sign the £40m-rated as a possible midfield replacement for the controversial Mesut Ozil.

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2014 World Cup winner Ozil has had an awkward relationship with Arsenal manager Unai Emery since the Spanish tactician became the Gunners boss last summer.

He put pen to paper on a three-year deal at the start of the season as a direct replacement for Arsene Wenger who ended his 22-year stay in North London last summer.

Unai Emery has dropped Mesut Ozil completely from the Arsenal squad on many occasions this season including the last game which was a disappointing 1-0 loss at the hands of Belarusian side BATE Borisov.

Arsenal have a lot of work to do if they must overcome the BATE Borisov deficit when both sides meet for the second leg of their Europa League round of 32 ties at the Emirates Stadium this Thursday.

It is no longer news that North London outfit Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey would be joining the Italian Serie A outfit Juventus as an announcement has already being made by the club for a four-year deal.

The Wales international failed to agree on a new deal with the Gunners which is the reason why he would be leaving when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Liverpool legend Ian Rush has claimed that he was told by the Wales international that the reason why he is leaving the North London outfit is to win trophies which are difficult to achieve with the Arsenal team.

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The Reds legend stated that the former Cardiff midfielder had a number of offers from top European sides but refused to give them his nod because he was more confident of winning something with the Old Lady.

However, Aaron Ramsey will also be getting the financial benefit as he is now the highest earning British player abroad with reports that he would be earning £400,000 before task when he eventually joins the Turin club.

Meanwhile, Liverpool were interested in the signature of the Wales midfielder but he could not guarantee their position in the ranking of clubs with chances of winning every season.

North London giants Arsenal are reportedly eyeing a summer transfer for Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.

The Sun claim that the Gunners want to sign the Premier League (PL) shot stopper in a deal worth £10m.

England national team goalkeeper Pope was the first choice shot stopper at Lancashire outfit Burnley before his long-term injury layoff.

The 26-year-old has been relegated to third choice behind Tom Heaton and summer signing Joe Hart.

Tom Heaton has been in very good form for Burnley since he was reinstated into the team at the expense of Joe Hart by manager Sean Dyche.

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He has been very impressive for a Burnley side that’s yet to taste defeat in the league since the turn of the year.

Nick Pope would find it hard to displace Tom Heaton who has been very impressive for the Clarets.

Pope could be the direct replacement for legendary Premier League goalkeeper Petr Cech who has announced his retirement from football.

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has revealed that he will hang his gloves at the end of the current campaign.

The retired Czech Republic international shot stopper joined the Gunners in 2015 from London rivals Chelsea and has won two FA Cup titles since he became an Arsenal player.

North London giants Arsenal are one of the Premier League clubs interested in a summer move for AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie according to reports emanating from the media in Italy.

Italian media portal Tuttosport revealed that the Gunners want to sign the Ivorian international star and that they may have to pay as much as €40m to sign him.

The 22-year-old joined seven-time European champions AC Milan on loan at the start of last season.

He made his first team breakthrough with fellow Italian Serie A side Atalanta before joining AC Milan on a long-term loan in the summer of 2017.

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Franck Kessie scored six goals in 30 games for Atalanta in the Italian top flight before signing a loan deal at AC Milan.

The Ivorian midfielder has become an important squad player for the Italian giants since his move from AC Milan and has found the back of the net on eight occasions in 59 league appearances.

AC Milan have the obligation to sign him for €20m permanently this summer and a move to Arsenal would represent a significant profit for the Italian Serie A club.

Apart from Arsenal, London rivals Chelsea have also been linked with a possible swap deal involving Tiemoue Bakayoko who’s on loan at AC Milan.

Premier League club Arsenal could miss out on Paris Saint Germain (PSG) midfielder Adrien Rabiot in the summer after the player told friends that he will be joining Spanish La Liga giants Barcelona.

The news was revealed by French media portal Le Parisien.

Barcelona were previously the overwhelming favourites to sign him last month but both parties (Rabiot and the Catalan giants) were unable to reach an agreement for the free transfer move.

The five-time European champions shifted their focus to Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Frenkie De Jong whom they signed for €75m.

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It was believed that Barcelona won’t pursue Rabiot having already signed a player that will team up with his new teammates in the summer.

Several Premier League clubs including Arsenal are interested in the 23-year-old as well as German champions Bayern Munich who have dropped out of the race because of the huge financial demands involved.

Rabiot worked with Unai Emery during his two-year spell at PSG and the Spaniard is looking to bolster his midfield options.

Frenchman Adrien Rabiot represents quality and cheap option for Arsenal who have little money to spend in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Liverpool have all been linked with a move for Rabiot.

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is reportedly not ready to leave the club on loan despite the fact that his career in North London has hit rock bottom.

This is according to the publication from popular English media outlet Daily Mirror which claimed that the World Cup winner is not in a rush to leave the club.

Arsenal are desperate to get his £350,000 weekly wages off their wage bill to the extent that club officials are willing to subsidise his salary for him to leave the Gunners on loan when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

There has been little in interest in 2014 FIFA World Cup winner.

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Chinese clubs and Inter Milan have shown interest in the German playmaker though the Italians are only interested in taking him on loan.

Mesut Ozil signed for Arsenal from Spanish giants Real Madrid for a then club-record deal worth £42.4m (€50m) in the summer of 2013.

He has been a regular fixture in the Arsenal team until the summer when club manager Unai Emery replaced Arsene Wenger who had spent 22 years in the job.

Ozil had signed a three-year deal in February 2018 thus making him the highest paid player ever in the history of Arsenal at an astonishing £350,000 weekly wages.

Manchester United will sell defender Eric Bailly in the summer if they can get a quality centre back in according to reports emanating from the media in the United Kingdom.

Independent specifically revealed that the Ivorian international star is facing the risk of leaving the club after three seasons.

Manchester United have four main centre backs namely Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

Swedish international player Lindelof is seen as the first choice name in the centre back position at Manchester United at the moment.

Chris Smalling and Phil Jones recently signed new contracts at the club.

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Marcos Rojo can also play in one of the centre back positions but the Argentine international is expected to leave the club when his Manchester United contract expires this summer.

Eric Bailly has been on the radar of Premier League rivals Arsenal for the better part of the last one year with recent reports claiming that the Gunners failed with a loan bid for the 24-year-old.

The Ivorian defender was the first signing of the recently ended Jose Mourinho managerial era at Old Trafford following his £30m move from Spanish La Liga club Villareal in the summer of 2016.

Italian Serie A giants AC Milan and North London club Tottenham Hotspur also retain an interest in Eric Bailly.

North London giants Arsenal will have to contend with the threat from fellow Premier League side Liverpool after the Reds joined the race to sign Barcelona winger Malcom.

French media portal Le 10 Sport claim that Liverpool are the latest club to register an interest in the Brazilian player.

Arsenal and North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have a longstanding interest in the 21-year-old.

Recent reports had revealed that Tottenham Hotspur came close to signing Malcom on loan before the deal fell through before the end of the January transfer window.

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Malcom was also the subject of interest from Chinese Super League clubs but he eventually stayed at Barcelona to help the Catalans to a possible treble this season in what’s the second season under the managerial regime of Ernesto Valverde.

The former Athletic Bilbao manager won the league in his first season at Barcelona last season but he has not been able to get the best out of Malcom who joined the Catalans after he was snatched from under the noses of Italian Serie A giants AS Roma in a deal worth £38m.

Malcom has not been able to break into the Barcelona team with fellow forwards Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele ahead of him in the pecking order.