Arsenal tipped to make intriguing double transfer raid as Real Madrid target Chelsea star

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Our verdict on the latest Premier League transfer rumours, featuring news from Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Welcome to Wednesday's round-up of the biggest and boldest Premier League transfer rumours that have caught our eye during the past 24 hours or so – and today, we’ll be serving up a double dose for Arsenal fans, with multiple alleged targets cropping up across Europe’s media.

The first of those could be the striker that they couldn’t get their hands on over the summer. Lille’s Jonathan David will be out of contract at the end of the season and seems to be no closer to signing a new deal with the Ligue 1 side, and as a result Caught Offside claim that the Gunners have the Canadian’s name “high up their list.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

That doesn’t mean that he’s at the very top, however, and the article claims that RB Leizpig forward Benjamin Šeško remains the number one priority, but David is now one of the most likely Plan Bs should they fail to win what is likely to be a pretty big battle for the Slovenian’s signature next summer.

The 3AM Verdict: With David likely leaving Lille on a free next summer, the French side will surely try to find a buyer in January unless they’re really close to doing something special this season, and that could force interested clubs like Arsenal to move earlier than they might like if their preference is someone like Šeško, who probably won’t go anywhere until next summer.

Arsenal after ‘remarkable’ Inter man

Moving away from the striker situation, TBR Football reckon that Mikel Arteta’s team are also looking at the possibility of a January move for Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck, who joined the Nerazzurri from Danish side AGF for a reported €7m (£5.9m) last summer.

This move wouldn’t be quite so budget-friendly, however, and the report suggests that the Gunners may have to pay up to £21m to sign the 23-year-old over the course of the winter window. Apparently his “remarkable speed” has especially caught Arteta’s eye, and he’s supposedly the one “driving this move” after being impressed by the German’s performances in Serie A.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The 3AM Verdict: Hmm. £21m is a lot of cash for a player who is really only a back-up for Inter, albeit one who has generally performed very well when he’s been called upon. He is indeed quick and strong in one-on-one duels as well, and can play on the right but is normally a centre-back. Is that really a priority given that Arsenal signed Riccardo Calafiori this summer? We have our doubts.

Real eyeing Premier League stars

We’ll end today’s transfer rumour digest by poring over a report from HITC which claims that Real Madrid have got two Premier League defenders on their shortlist to become the next right-back at the Bernabeu – one of which we expected, and one which may raise a few more eyebrows.

The more obvious name is that of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose Liverpool contract is set to expire at the end of the year. Perhaps more surprisingly, however, Real are apparently “huge fans” of Chelsea’s Reece James, who is of course a brilliant player but has struggled badly with injuries in recent years. The report acknowledges that, at least, claiming that James would have to “prove his fitness” before they made a move to replace Dani Carvajal with him. Apparently Real also admire Sevilla’s Juanlu Sánchez and SC Freiburg’s Kiliann Sildillia, so there are a lot of names on the list…

The 3AM Verdict: A fit and healthy James is as good as any right-back in the world, which makes it such a shame that a fit and healthy James is such a rare sight these days – but we can understand why Real Madrid might be interested if he can get his fitness back, and also understand why Chelsea could sell him given that he’s a home-grown player and could be sold on the altar of the Premier League’s financial rules. We’d guess that Alexander-Arnold was at the top of the list, however, if he doesn’t sign a new deal at Anfield.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice