Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Riyad Mahrez and Wojciech Szczesny Rumours

Football pundit Danny Mills has urged Riyad Mahrez to leave Premier League champions Leicester City and sign for north London giants Arsenal.

Former England international Mills told BBC Radio 5 live the wing wizard should exit the King Power Stadium and that team-mate Jamie Vardy should have made the jump to the Emirates Stadium when he had the chance earlier in the summer (h/t James Walters of the Daily Star).

Mills said: "If I was Jamie Vardy I would have walked to the Emirates. Mahrez should do the same."

Ilyes Ramdani of Eurosport (h/t the Daily Star's Joel Watson) reported Gunners manager Arsene Wenger was due to meet the player's agent, Kamel Bengougam, after the Gunners' 1-1 draw with Lens on Friday.

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However, Chris Wheatley of Goal explained Bengougam didn't arrange to meet with Wenger to discuss the £41.8 million deal but was instead at the game to watch another client on his books, writing: "Goal understands that the representative of the PFA Player of the Year attended the pre-season friendly at Stade Bollaert-Delelis to watch his client Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, 18, in action against Arsenal."

Foxes boss Claudio Raineri also rebuffed talk of the potential deal, telling Sky Sports (h/t Wheatley): "It's over, the market is over here, Mahrez wants to stay."

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The latest news will disappoint Gunners fans who are once again experiencing a painful summer in the transfer market.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis warned fans the club cannot compete with the financial powerhouses of the sport in a recent interview with Andrew Das of the New York Times.

Gazidis said: "We can't afford to outgun competitors that have far more money. We have to be very careful, very selective."

Sportswriter Conor Kelly expressed his opinion regarding Mahrez's potential switch and said he disagrees with the transfer in principle, per uMAXit Football:

In other news, Gunners goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could join AS Roma for good at the end of the forthcoming season after first rejoining the Stadio Olimpico outfit on loan.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported the stopper is ready to return to Rome on loan, with the clubs agreeing a €16 million (£13 million) transfer fee if the Giallorossi want to make the move permanent at the end of the 2016/17 campaign.

Szczesny started 34 games in Serie A for the club last term, according to WhoScored,com.

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The Poland international's route to the No. 1 spot at Arsenal has been blocked by Petr Cech, and it is unlikely he will want to play understudy at 26.

The 'keeper showed great promise in his early years, but his error-prone performances did not endear him to the Arsenal supporters, eventually leading to his loan spell in Italy.

Mahrez was central to Leicester's title triumph last season, and he would not look lost in the Gunners' talented midfield. 

However, Wenger's side looks desperate for defensive steel and power as Arsenal attempt to win silverware, and Mahrez might be considered the wrong player to add this summer.