Saka pushing for first World Cup start
Bukayo Saka could be handed his first World Cup start when England face Panama on Saturday (1). Thomas Tuchel is weighing the decision carefully, he does not want to put too much pressure on the Arsenal winger after two substitute appearances. But the door is open.
Rice honest after England stumble
England 0–0 Ghana at the World Cup on Wednesday, and Declan Rice did not hide his frustration. "It's always difficult when you play against eleven behind the ball. Give credit to Ghana, they were very compact," Rice said (2) (11). Thomas Partey lined up for Ghana. Saka came off the bench for his second appearance of the tournament (1). Rice stayed positive: "We still have a great chance of finishing top of the group. There's no need to be negative" (2).
Barcola set to sign after Rogers door shuts
Arsenal are closing in on PSG winger Bradley Barcola as the club's first major summer signing, with Aston Villa refusing to sell Morgan Rogers (3). Rogers was your club's priority target, but Villa's stance has forced a pivot. The Barcola deal is now expected to go through.
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Henry warns against Gyokeres-Alvarez swap
Thierry Henry has a warning for Arsenal: do not swap Viktor Gyokeres for Julian Alvarez. "Gyokeres gives Arsenal something different, power, presence, aggression and goals," Henry said. "If you're talking about a straight swap, I'd be very careful because you're not just exchanging players, you're changing the identity of your attack" (4). Arsenal continue to pursue Alvarez despite the player's preference to join Barcelona (7).
Balogun sell-on windfall possible
Monaco have set a €50m valuation for Folarin Balogun, which could trigger a sell-on fee for Arsenal (5). Your club inserted a clause when Balogun left permanently.
Thompson set to cross the divide
A painful one. Academy talent Kyran Thompson is reportedly close to joining Tottenham (9). Losing a highly-rated youngster to your local rivals stings.
Rice: how Arsenal made me a set-piece weapon
Declan Rice credits Nicolas Jover and Mikel Arteta for transforming him into a set-piece threat. "Nico and the manager at Arsenal saw something in me that others didn't," Rice said. "They said that I can put balls in areas from a dead ball that no-one else can in the team at Arsenal other than Bukayo. From that moment, I really just bought into that" (2).
Martinelli prefers the left
Gabriel Martinelli has made his preference clear. "I prefer playing on the left, but at Arsenal I've played a lot on the right," he said. "I'll leave it in the manager's hands. He decides" (2).
Bouaddi sets terms, Manzambi linked
Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, a target for both Arsenal and Liverpool, has set a condition before agreeing to any move (8). Lille want around £69m. Separately, Arsenal are also linked with Johan Manzambi as a potential midfield signing (10).
Fan reactions
Gunners fans on Reddit are split between transfer talk and frustration. A post about Alex Scott being declared not for sale by Bournemouth, despite interest from both Arsenal and Manchester United, drew plenty of comments. The mood: here we go again, another target blocked before anything starts.
