Arsenal Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of March 31

With only six games remaining in the Premier League season, it's prime time for summer transfer rumours.

There are obviously many other stories on which to be reporting, including the tightest title race in years and the impending battle for fourth place. However, as team weaknesses become more and more exposed toward the end of the season, the press will inevitably speculate as to how teams can improve.

Here we'll look at the latest stories concerning Arsenal that have been garnering attention on the Internet this week. 

Arsenal to Offer Sagna 3-Year Contract

Kirsty Wigglesworth

According to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, Arsenal are set to break a notorious club policy and offer Bacary Sagna a three-year contract when his deal runs out at the end of the season.

As Cross notes, the Gunners very rarely offer 30-year-olds an extension of more than one year. However, such is the club's desperation to keep their stalwart right-back, they are prepared to bump their already unusual offer of two years to three.

While a 34-year-old Sagna will probably not be nearly as effective as the one who is automatically placed into Arsene Wenger's starting XI every week this season, this move could pay off if the Frenchman is dissuaded from going to Manchester City, which Cross mentions has been mooted. 

Schalke Think Draxler Will Stay

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

It looks like the Julian Draxler rumour, which consumed much of Arsenal's rumour-sphere in January, is revving right back up again.

The latest development in the saga is Horst Heldt, Schalke's general manager, claiming he believes Draxler will remain at the club.

Shocking, I know.

"I definitely believe that he will be staying at our club for the new season," he told Sky Deutschland (via Sky Sports). "Julian is an important player in our squad, he is playing regular matches and he is doing quite well."

If Arsenal are willing to meet Draxler's release clause, I doubt he'll stay throughout the summer. 

Arsene Wenger to Be Given Largest Transfer Budget in Club History

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

I am merely citing this story to spur discussion on what Arsenal's transfer policy should be.

The fact that Jeremy Wilson cites absolutely zero sources to support his claims makes his "reporting" more than a little spurious.

With all that said, Wilson wrote for the Daily Telegraph that majority owner Stan Kroenke is prepared to give Arsene Wenger £100 million to spend on new players this summer.

This seems odd for a whole bunch of reasons.

Why would Arsenal break from their sustainable business model simply because they are able to spend a bit more freely and are not constrained by debt or unfairly tiny sponsorship deals?

It's not even like Arsene Wenger to drop tens of millions of pounds on more than one player.

Still, I must admit, it's a tantalizing thought.

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