Arsenal Transfer News: Dissecting Latest Gossip Surrounding Gunners

With preseason training now underway for most of Europe’s clubs, the time for squad improvement can be considered officially upon most Premier League managers.

Not least of those bosses is Arsene Wenger, who has already found his roster embroiled in a heap of summer speculation, as well as those who might be added to it.

This week has already proven no different in that vein, with several key stories shedding some light on the attacking ranks of the Emirates Stadium.

Luis Suarez Emerges as Wenger Transfer Target

Seemingly out of nowhere, Luis Suarez has been added to the lengthy list of strikers being linked with a move to North London, after it was revealed that the Gunners had a £30 million bid for the forward turned down last week.

The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe has alleged Liverpool as saying that the Uruguayan is not for sale, even though Suarez stated earlier this summer that he may look to leave the club as a result of the English press, per Sky Sports.

The move comes as a strange one for Wenger, a manager who’s renowned for his desire to squeeze every penny out of a deal. The apparent £30 million offer surpasses any fee the club have ever paid for a player by some margin and doesn’t look like your average Arsenal transfer.

However, as a proven source of Premier League goals, Suarez may indeed be the missing link Arsenal have been lacking of late, most sorely since the 2012 departure of Robin van Persie.

Gunners Remain Keen on Real Madrid’s Higuain

However, that’s not to say that Arsenal aren’t keeping their shortlist option open.

While Suarez is a much newer addition to Wenger’s transfer targets, Gonzalo Higuain has grown much more used to such honours.

Wayne Veysey of Goal.com reports that Arsenal have increased their initial offer and have submitted a fresh bid for the 25-year-old worth £23.1 million.

The BBC's Phil McNulty has made his thoughts clear on Twitter, viewing the Suarez bid as a ploy in order to hasten Real's hand in selling Higuain.

The Argentine had fallen slightly out of favour at the Bernabeu last season, making 19 La Liga starts but still managing to rack up a total of 16 goals and five assists.

In his seven seasons with the Madrid outfit, Higuain has made 190 league appearances, netting 107 goals in the process, a record of more than a goal every other game.

The ex-River Plate forward may be considered as somewhat surplus to requirements to a side like Los Merengues but may prove worth his weight in gold under Wenger.

Levante Look to End Chamakh Limbo

With Sebastien Squillaci, Denilson and Andrei Arshavin having already left Arsenal on free transfers this summer, the club have started to clear out some of the dead weight that’s built up in recent seasons.

However, another could be heading for the Emirates exit after it emerged that Levante were hoping to lure Marouane Chamakh to Spain for the final year of his contract in North London.

The Daily Mail’s David Kent has said that the Spaniards are willing to pay around £1 million for Chamakh’s services.

Chamakh spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, making just two Premier League starts for the East London club and failing to make an impression there.

Although the Moroccan international signed for Arsenal from Bordeaux as a free agent, his £65,000-a-week wages are certainly reason to consider him as an expensive luxury and one Arsenal may look to cut ties with now rather than later.