Arsenal hijack Man Utd transfer plan to sign £71m star as Viktor Gyokeres stance clear

Arsenal will be looking to pick up from where they left off this weekend. After storming past PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, the Gunners will lock horns with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's side enjoyed a 7-1 win over the Dutch outfit in the Champions League, taking a huge lead back to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, United were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Sociedad in the Europa League.

While the North Londoners may fancy their chances, they're still without a senior striker – as well as several other big names. So, with that being said, football.london has rounded up all the latest Arsenal news and transfer gossip.

Arsenal eye Man United midfield target

According to Spanish outlet Diario Sport, Arsenal have recently shown an interest in signing Frenkie de Jong. The Barcelona midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League on numerous occasions in the past, yet he remains at the Camp Nou.

The report states the Catalan outfit want to extend De Jong's contract, which is currently set to expire in June 2026, knowing that his representatives have received 'important proposals' from numerous top English clubs. It's said that Barcelona are 'optimistic' that the Netherlands international will renew his deal.

Diario Sport claim United have previously tabled a 'succulent offer' worth €75m (£62.8m), plus €10m (£8.4m) in add-ons, for De Jong. With just over a year left on his contract in Spain, Transfermarkt currently value the Dutchman at €45m (£37.7m).

football.london says: "If Arsenal could find a middle ground between United's reported offer and his current market value, I think that would be a fair opening bid for Frenkie de Jong. He'll be entering the final 12 months of his Barcelona contract this summer, so there's a deal to be had. De Jong and Martin Zubimendi would be superb business for the Gunners..."

Liverpool stars reveals Arsenal soft spot

Speaking to Peter Schmeichel on CBS Sports following Liverpool's smash-and-grab win over Paris Saint-Germain, Alisson Becker was quizzed on his favourite panel member – from Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.

Revealing a soft spot for Arsenal, the Reds goalkeeper said: "I would have to say Thierry Henry, a legend as well. When I was growing up, I watched a lot of Arsenal, it was early 2000s, it was the only team that was showing on the open TV in Brazil."

football.london says: "With Giorgi Mamardashvili joining Liverpool from Valencia in the summer, Alisson could soon be on the market despite his latest heroics. I can't see the Brazilian actually leaving the Reds at the end of the season. When Mamardashvili arrives, I think he'll spend a year or so – at least – on the bench with Caoimhín Kelleher making way."

Arsenal urged to sign Gyokeres

Speaking to yaysweepstakes.com, Mikael Silvestre has urged Arsenal to sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer. The former Gunners defender said: "Arsenal should go and get Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon this summer.

"He is the one player that I would try and break the bank for if I was Mikel Arteta. Viktor Gyokeres would be a very good signing for Arsenal. He’s powerful, that's what they're missing. They don’t have a player like him in their squad.

"He’s a big physical presence that has had another brilliant season. He’s scored goals at the highest level in the Champions League. As a number 9, he’s got everything that you want. He’s a great finisher."

football.london says: "Viktor Gyokeres would be a brilliant signing for Arsenal. The Gunners should've wrapped up a deal for him in the summer though!"

Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel

Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!

By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.

To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!

If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.