Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confirmed the club were close to completing transfers on Friday, amid reports they are poised to sign Germany centre-back Shkodran Mustafi and Spanish striker Lucas Pérez.
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And now bookmakers BetStars are confident Arsene Wenger will follow up their arrivals with Brahimi, who is said to be available for £40million this summer.
Germany global Mustafi was said to be manager Arsene Wenger’s number one transfer target but the Frenchman baulked at the £43m release clause the Spanish side insisted on.
Wenger’s situation was worsened as the Gunners lost their opening Premier League game 3-4 at home to Liverpool, before drawing 0-0 at Leicester City last weekend.
“We are working on the deals”, Wenger said on Friday at a news conference. “I think he has good link-up qualities, good finishing qualities”.
“It looks like it will be frenetic in the last three days”.
Granit Xhaka is the only big signing made by Wenger so far in this window, but supporters feel the club needs another defender and another top striker to compete for the league title this season. “I expected it to be easier than ever but it was more hard than ever”, the Gunners manager explained.
“They will integrate into the team now and we will help them join the squad”.
The Frenchman joked that he is “scared” of the total sum Arsenal will spend on transfers, despite criticism in some quarters that he has not done enough this summer, even though both Manchester clubs will dwarf their spending.
“We don’t just want Mesut to give assists – we want him to score too, so I’m very happy”, he said. I try to make the decision.
Valencia coach, Pako Ayestaran, has told Arsenal and Barcelona to kill hopes of signing club’s star players, Shkodran Mustafi and Paco Alcacer following a disappointing start in the La Liga on Monday night.
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“[Mustafi] was their captain”.
