Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Latest on Clement Grenier, Simon Mignolet and More

Arsenal's pursuit of several marquee players appears to picking up as we near the point where the summer transfer window will hit its pick. 

The Gunners have close to £70 million in spending money this offseason according to the Daily Mirror, and manager Arsene Wenger has promised to recruit some fresh, promising blood to Emirates Stadium this summer to help the club climb back to the top of the English football ranks. 

From mentions of Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney in the Metro to others surrounding Juventus star Paul Pogba from the Daily Mail, the Gunners are gearing up for an exciting cycle of rumors that could end with more new faces than returning ones in the starting lineup. 

Check out the sections below for the latest on players rumored to be linked with Arsenal over the last few weeks. 

Clement Grenier

The Lyon playmaker has been linked to the Gunners by several sources in the past few days, but Wenger has apparently been warned by his Lyon counterpart that a bid for Grenier's services won't be necessary—he's sticking around with his current club. 

That's the latest from James Dickenson of the Express, who reported on Tuesday that Lyon coach Remi Garde would dissuade Grenier from a summer move in the same way that he did during the transfer window in 2012. 

Garde, a former Wenger signing for Arsenal back 1996, maintains that Grenier has room to improve before he tastes the riches of the EPL. Here's an excerpt of his quote about his young playmaker via Dickenson's report:

"

He's a player who can still improve. I've told him that, at Lyon, there's everything for him to be able to continue his progress, and then go to a club where he'll establish himself as soon as he arrives. I think he's still got a little way to go at Lyon.

"

As Alex Hankin of the Daily Mirror reported on Tuesday, Arsenal might have competition for Grenier's services if he does managed to escape from Lyon's clutches. 

Liverpool has now been linked with the 24-year-old budding star, although Hankin makes sure to mention that the report from French newspaper L'Equipe via media outlet Le 10 Sport has not yet been confirmed by either party. 

Grenier is clearly high on Wenger's wish list, but these latest developments lead to the theory of thinking that it's going to be extremely difficult to pry him away from his current league and into the EPL for good at the start of the 2013-14 season. 

Simon Mignolet

Arsenal has been targeting the Sunderland keeper for quite some time, but just like the player above, Mignolet's manager is not letting him travel to the Emirates Stadium without a fight.

According to a post from the Hartlepool Mail, Paoli Di Canio is seeking to keep his goaltender in the net at Sunderland for the long haul. Although change has been promised at Wearside this summer, Di Canio calls Mignolet a "world-class" keeper and notes that he is very important to the club's future. 

Brian McNally of the Daily Mirror helped report earlier in the week that Arsenal was close to an £8-to-£10 million deal for the Belgian keeper, but Sunderland would clearly take a hit in net if he was to leave for the Gunners this summer. 

Per the Mirror report, a transfer fee of that size would be the biggest between two Premier League clubs for a keeper changing squads. Although Di Canio is making a last-ditch effort to keep him at Wearside, a large fee recieved for Mignolet would help him continue the rebuilding efforts while maintaining a level of profitability from a rising player. 

Mignolet appears likely to join up with the Gunners if his current side fails to offer a contract in the coming days that would trump his potential new wages with Arsenal. 

Liverpool also had interest in Mignolet, but that apparently has cooled. 

Other Rumors

Another in-league transfer that Arsenal is reportedly looking at is for Liverpool centre-back Martin Skrtel. The 28-year-old defender broke the bank at Anfield when he joined the Reds in 2009, but has fallen out of favor since then with three years left on his current contract. 

Per Vic Holly of The Sun, Arsenal is considering a £12 million heist for the Slovakian, who might jump at the chance to be a part of Champions League play in the coming season after the Reds missed out on the competition this year. 

Holly's report also claims Andre Santos is heading back to Emirates Stadium after missing out on a permanent move to Gremio. 

In exit news, Goal.com's Husmukh Kerai notes that Zenit might be after Andrey Arshavin when the midfielder's contract runs out this summer, reuniting his services with the Russian club after joining up with the Gunners for £16.5 million back in 2009. 

More news is sure to come in the following weeks, but for now, the Gunners are staying mostly quiet in the news reports while continuing to churn up the rumor mill when it comes to projected signings. Expect more of the same until a large chunk of the £70 million to spend has dried up from Wenger's pockets. 

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