Arsenal Transfer Window update.

Decent start to the pre-season, with a young team getting a good draw against an experienced Bournemouth side and winning on penalties. 17 year olds Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly and Heaven put in encouraging performances and Hein proved to be match winner after some good saves. No new signing was on show though.

DONE DEALS
In:
David Raya - Loan made permanent - €30m
Riccardo Calafiori - €42m from Bologna
Tommy Setford - u18 keeper signed from Ajax
Lucas Nygaard - u21 keeper free agent.

Out:
Emile Smith Rowe - Fulham - £27m + £7m in add-ons
Sambi Lokonga - Loan to Sevilla with option
Nuno Tavares - Loan to Lazio with obligatiom
Arthur Okonkwo, Cedric Soares and Mohammed Elneny left at end of contracts along with a few youth players.


RUMOURS
In:
A number of Spanish midfielders have been linked. Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad has been linked for a while. Fabian Ruiz, star for Spain but squad role at PSG, is gaining traction. Dani Olmo from Leipzig has weaker links at the moment. Sergio Roberto - currently a free agent - has also been mentioned.
Dan Bentley offer went up from 50k to 300k, and it seems negotiations continue. Wolves want £1m and have offered Bentley new terms to stay. The other 'keeper linked, Joan Garcia, is currently at the Olympics, and nothing likely to move on that until Ramsdale goes.
Quiet on anything else, although that is likely to change once a few depart.


Out:
Eddie Nketiah is still linked mainly to Marseille, who want a loan with option/obligation.
Reiss Nelson to Leicester - another loan with obligation.
Hopefully we can get the best deals possible for these 3.

Jakub Kiwior to Italy has gone a bit quiet, but with Calafiori coming in that may get going. Interesting to see if the Calafiori deal has any impact on Zinchenko, although as it stands it looks likely the Ukranian will stay.
Loose links between Gabriel Jesus and Saudi clubs, unlikely to turn into anything concrete.

Aaron Ramsdale's move seems to be held up largely by the price. Southampton and Newcastle remain the rumoured clubs interested, but both want a loan. Nottingham Forest also showing interest in a loan deal. He is, of course, enjoying a holiday so things might speed up once he rejoins the squad.
No news on Kieran Tierney, who was injured in Euro24. Nothing really on the likes of Brooke Norton-Cuffy (who hasn't been seen in pre-season at any level), Charlie Patino or any loan deals for academy players. Hopefully some good performances on tour will attract interest for the likes of Salah-Eddine, Sagoe jr or anyone we want to send out.



Selling 3 club trained players isn't ideal. Saliba, Martinelli and Saka will be the 3, meaning we would be one short in the CL squad. Hein, if not sent on loan, would be a fourth.

How the squad would look without expected departures:
Goalkeepers - 1 (1HG)
Raya
Defenders - 7 (2HG, 1CT)
White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Timber, Zinchenko, Tomiyasu
Midfield - 7 (3HG, 2CT)
Rice, Jorginho, Partey, Odegaard, Vieira, Trossard, Martinelli, Saka,
Strikers - 2
Jesus, Havertz


17 players, 6 HG (3 club trained, 3 association trained)

Karl Hein and Dan Bentley would both be HG, Hein would also count as club trained. Bentley, despite being at Arsenal academy, would not count as CT.

Under21s
Tommy Setford and Lucas Nygaard would have to be on the A-list for CL and would not count for HG. However, both will be able to play in PL as U21s.
The likes of Nwaneri, MLS, Heaven, Sagoe jr, Salah-Eddine are eligible for the B-list and can be used in the PL without being named in the squad.



Lots of work still to do to get that squad numbers up. There is also a noticeable gap behind Saka in terms of age. Our "Starboy" turns 23 in a month and there is no-one younger with significant senior football behind him. Calafiori will be, at 22, but it is a chasm that I feel needs addressing.