Arsenal Transfer News: Yaya Toure Signing Urged, Walace's Agent Fuels Rumours

Former England international Stuart Pearce believes Arsenal should try to sign Manchester City star Yaya Toure this summer, while the agent of Brazilian starlet Walace has fuelled rumours his client could be on his way to the Gunners.

Appearing on the Colin Murray Show (via talkSPORT), Pearce said the Gunners need more experience in their side, pointing to the success goalkeeper Petr Cech has found in north London. And while Toure isn't getting any younger, he believes the Ivorian still has the quality to be a great addition:

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On his day Yaya Toure is outstanding.

Arsenal need an old head within the team.

Petr Cech has proved a fantastic success this year at Arsenal, and to have a player like Toure at the centre of midfield, as that holding type of player, I think he’d give one or two of the youngsters a bit of a lift.

I think he’d be a good signing for them.

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Toure's future at the Etihad Stadium has come under doubt following the announcement Pep Guardiola will be taking over as manager from Manuel Pellegrini. The Spaniard has already sold Toure once in his career, while he coached Barcelona, and many believe he will do so again.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Agent Dimitry Seluk has already suggested the veteran will leave the club, per the Sun's Antony Kastrinakis, and La Liga expert Graham Hunter is convinced his days in the sky blue shirt are numbered.

Appearing on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show (via talkSPORT's Alex Varney), Hunter said:

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I personally think Yaya Toure has got no chance of being there.

He was chased out of Barcelona because Pep said to him: 'work a little harder, shed a kilo, a kilo-and-a-half and tell your agent who is in charge, the player or the agent'. Yaya Toure wouldn’t do that and Yaya Toure's agent has continued to be a loudmouth.

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The 32-year-old has suffered through an inconsistent campaign with City, but on his good days, he has looked every bit the player fans have come to love. The midfielder remains an excellent bruiser and scoring threat, who has the range to be effective in all areas of the pitch.

His stamina and athleticism may start to suffer as he approaches the end of his career, but thanks to his passing range and physicality, he should be able to continue playing at a high level for the foreseeable future.

Per Football Insider, his ability to score goals should not be underestimated:

But it's his ability to win battles in midfield that has Pearce thinking he would be a solid fit with the Gunners. Manager Arsene Wenger tends to opt for smaller, more technical players in midfield, and that has cost them in the past when the Gunners have come up against physical sides.

City would obviously prefer not to sell to a direct rival, and given his age, one has to wonder whether Toure would still warrant a significant transfer fee. Adding experience is never a bad thing, but there will be other options available who offer more long-term upside.

Elsewhere, Marco Busiello, chief executive officer of Football Capital, has commented on recent speculation linking his client Walace with a move to Arsenal.

Per Sport Witness' Lucas Sposito, TransferMarketWeb recently claimed the Gunners were looking into a move, and while Busiello couldn't confirm the report, he did make it clear Walace would welcome the move

Busiello told Sport Witness: “Now I can't confirm nothing. He is a player of Gremio. Arsenal is a top club and everyone would like play in this club. But now it's just words."

According to Jonathan Green of the Daily Star, Walace is valued at £6.6 million, a relative bargain for a 20-year-old with tremendous talent. Here's a look at some of his highlights:

The holding midfielder is an absolute mountain of a man and already dominates opponents physically, despite his tender age. He's also remarkably fast and technically proficient, and he ranks among the best passers in the Brazilian league, per Sposito.

He's been in excellent form of late, and his value will likely rise significantly unless a club is willing to pull the trigger on a deal soon.  

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