Arsenal Women close in on Cerci and Baum
Two attacking reinforcements are nearly through the door. Arsenal Women are closing in on Selina Cerci from Hoffenheim and Lisa Baum from RB Leipzig, with the club moving to fill the void left by Beth Mead's departure (1). Both players come from the Frauen Bundesliga and would add serious firepower.
Gyökeres: the flattery, the doubt, and Terry's advice
Viktor Gyökeres is not shutting the door. The 28-year-old called the transfer speculation "smickrande", flattering, in a short but telling comment: "Of course it's flattering that clubs are interested" (4). No denial, no pledge of loyalty.
John Terry, meanwhile, has weighed in directly. The Chelsea legend wants Mikel Arteta to drop Gyökeres from the starting XI if Arsenal are serious about retaining the title (5). That is a bold call from a rival club's icon, and it lands at a moment when the striker's future already feels uncertain.
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Bruno Guimarães saga: six years of chasing, zero bids
Arsenal's interest in Bruno Guimarães stretches back to 2020, with the club tracking him long before his Newcastle move (2). But the latest twist? No formal bid has been made. A journalist close to the situation has flatly denied claims of an offer, adding that the player's agent rejected the price tag being floated (3).
Newcastle are unhappy with the coverage (6). They insist Guimarães will not leave on the cheap. The message from St James' Park is simple: pay up or move on.
Petit pushes for Nico Williams over Rogers
Emmanuel Petit has a strong opinion on Arsenal's attacking rebuild. The former midfielder wants the club to pivot from Morgan Rogers to Nico Williams. "He's so powerful in terms of dribbling. This guy will bring such a huge improvement for Arsenal if they can get him," Petit said. "If he can take Arsenal to the next level, it's money well spent" (9). He also reminded fans that Arsenal fought to sign Williams last season.
Academy succession and a scouted winger
Arsenal have held talks with Pascal De Maesschalck as a candidate to replace Per Mertesacker as Academy Manager (7). De Maesschalck, currently at Club Brugge, has been identified as the man to lead Hale End into a new era.
On the recruitment front, FC Midtjylland's director has confirmed Arsenal have scouted 22-year-old winger Dario Osorio (8). No offer yet, but the interest is real.
Quick hits: Xhaka chain, PSG teenager, Sagoe Jr., and Monday's gossip
Arsenal could help Granit Xhaka secure a move to Chelsea, with Mikel Merino mentioned as a potential piece in that puzzle (11).
Bournemouth have joined the race for PSG teenager Emmanuel Mbemba, a talented centre-back Arsenal have been tracking (10).
Charles Sagoe Jr. scored in a friendly for loan club Kalmar, continuing his strong pre-competitive form (12).
Monday's gossip links Arsenal to young talent Jeremy Monga, though PSG, Liverpool, and AC Milan are also in the mix (13).
Fan reactions
Supporters have been busy this weekend. One thread breaks down why FIFA are paying Arsenal £57,000 every single day, a World Cup compensation mechanism that has fans doing the maths on what that covers. Another post flags Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi being tracked by Arsenal, with a €80–100m asking price and a loan-back preference. Declan Rice starting for England against DR Congo has the subreddit buzzing, and a separate post captures the focus on Martin Ødegaard in Norway training.
