Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Latest on Chase for Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney and More

Arsenal’s summer transfer strategy has felt a bit like chumming the waters before throwing out several lines. The Gunners have had a hand in nearly every major rumour to date, and it’s only a matter of time before something happens.

Arsene Wenger has always taken a patient approach to securing his summer talent, and this year is no different. Even with a purse reportedly in the neighborhood of £70 million according to the Daily Mirror, Wenger has been patiently waiting for the first big bite.

But that doesn’t mean the Frenchman isn’t getting a feel for where his club is at in the pursuit of some of the transfer market’s hottest names. As we’ll examine in this article, the Gunners have been linked to three high-profile targets.

That Arsenal are in the chase for Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney and Gonzalo Higuain is nothing new. Then again, all three situations have held new developments that could suggest a big move to the Emirates could happen this summer.

Let’s take a look at the latest on all three players and break down the likelihood of Arsenal making their first big move of the summer with any of the three targets.

Gonzalo Higuain

More than two weeks ago, Sid Lowe of the Guardian reported Arsenal were working on a £23 million coup to acquire the Real Madrid man ahead of a number of other interested suitors.

Now it seems the Gunners were never really that close.

According to Paul Collins of the Daily Mail, Real Madrid are expecting £37 million for the 25-year-old striker—much more than Arsenal were reportedly willing to offer the first time around.

To make matters worse, Arsenal have some stiff competition for Higuain in the form of a club that recently lost a star striker of their own, per Collins:

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The Premier League club had looked set to complete the signing of the Argentine for £23m but negotiations have stalled.

Napoli, meanwhile, fresh from selling Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain for £55m, have also entered the race for Higuain's signature.

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With extra cash at their disposal following Cavani’s departure, Napoli have the spending power to uproot a pursuit many expected would be over by this point. If the Italian side is willing to put that cash to good use, Arsenal may have missed their chance.

Had Wenger been willing to up his initial offer prior to Napoli’s entrance in the bidding, this may not have been an issue. As it stands, it looks like the Gunners face an improbable challenge in acquiring Higuain.

Luis Suarez

As they should have done with Higuain and Real Madrid, Arsenal appear poised to make a second offer for Suarez after coming up short with their initial offer of £30 million.

Per John Cross of the Daily Mirror, Arsenal could be prepared to “test” his £40 million contract clause with Liverpool.

According to Cross, rumours indicate a bid of £40 million would force Liverpool to sell Suarez, and as he noted in a second report, could be the “something drastic” Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers would be looking for.

Suarez has been a hot target on the transfer market after telling a press conference in Uruguay he would be unhappy staying at Liverpool. But even with Suarez’s apparent unrest, top foreign clubs like Real Madrid haven’t been willing to step up their efforts.

As noted by Cross, Los Blancos offered just £25 million for the top-shelf striker, leaving the door open for Arsenal to make an advanced bid.

It remains to be seen if the Gunners will ultimately pull the trigger on a £40 million offer for Suarez, but as the transfer window slowly inches closer to closing, something has to give. Arsenal could do a lot worse than to pay the full amount for Suarez.

Wayne Rooney

Rooney’s time at Old Trafford is up. He may not be on the move just yet, but the 27-year-old striker has made it abundantly clear he wants a transfer from Manchester United.

As noted by Dominic Fifield and Jamie Jackson of The Guardian, Rooney is unhappy with new boss David Moyes’ preference to Robin van Persie and wants out of the situation:

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United's insistence that Rooney will not be permitted to leave has been complicated by the player's own apparent determination to sever ties with the champions after nine years at Old Trafford. According to sources close to the striker, who has returned from the pre-season tour with a hamstring injury that will render him unavailable until next month, the player was left "angry and confused" by suggestions that he would play second fiddle to Robin van Persie in a forward role under David Moyes next term, an outburst that appeared to pave the way for his departure.

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With the superstar striker looking for a transfer, Chelsea and Arsenal have emerged as his top suitors. As Fifield and Jackson reported, United apparently rejected a £20 million bid for Rooney, but Jose Mourinho has said the 27-year-old is Chelsea’s only transfer target, as reported by BBC Sport.

Still, Arsenal are said to be in the running and could be looking to “exact revenge” for the Premier League champions’ coup to acquire van Persie last summer, as reported by Fifield, Jackson and David Hytner:

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United not only rejected Chelsea's offer, they made it clear that they would not sell him to a direct rival. But Wenger, who lost Robin van Persie to United last summer, is open to taking Rooney and exacting a measure of revenge. "It happened to us," he said. "It can happen to them."

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It seems unlikely Arsenal will be able to secure a deal for Rooney at this point, but the summer transfer market is extremely fluid. Should Chelsea come up short in their efforts to acquire him, United may have no other choice but to sell Rooney to the highest bidder, regardless of their standing in the Premier League.