Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Mauro Icardi and Serge Gnabry

Napoli have reportedly stepped up their interest in signing Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t James Cambridge of the Daily Express) had previously suggested the Gunners were set to stage talks with the player about a move. However, the same source (h/t Football Italia) stated that there have been discussions held at Inter, which received a €62 million (£53.4 million) offer for the striker from Napoli.

However, the Italian paper noted that new Inter head coach Frank de Boer has confirmed to Icardi that he will not be moved on this summer, despite the mammoth offer on the table.

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Both Napoli and the Gunners are in need of firepower. The former lost Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus recently, while the latter have long been overly reliant on the limited Olivier Giroud at the point of the attack.

Here’s a look at why Icardi could potentially be the answer to their problems:

Arsenal have lacked a world-class forward for a while. Giroud will always score goals and serve as a strong target man, but he’s limited in his work off the ball. Meanwhile, Danny Welbeck is injury-prone, and Theo Walcott has yet to prove himself in the centre-forward position.

If manager Arsene Wenger is to see his side triumph in pursuit of the Premier League title, a new goal-getter is needed.

These numbers from OptaPaolo show the kind of impact Icardi can have up top:

It’s also likely to stiffen Inter’s resolve to keep him, especially with an illustrious manager joining the club and a big project to tackle.

Icardi, the Nerazzurri skipper, so often comes up with big moments in front of goal for his team; to lose that talismanic edge, for any amount of money, would make Inter worse off.

For the Gunners, it’s another reported pursuit of a forward that’s likely to be unsuccessful. The Emirates Stadium faithful will be readying themselves for another campaign in which this longstanding problem has not been addressed.

Serge Gnabry Update

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According to Archie Rhind-Tutt of the London Evening Standard, Hertha Berlin have turned down the chance to take Arsenal youngster Serge Gnabry on loan for next season.

The 21-year-old’s progress has stalled in recent seasons, having played just 12 minutes of football during a stint with West Bromwich Albion last term. It seems the club are seeking to get the German some first-team action away from the Emirates, although it’s unlikely to be in his nation’s capital.

With the new season creeping ever closer, that’ll be a significant blow for Gnabry, who has been showing off his talents in Rio de Janeiro at the Olympics. He has netted five goals in three matches for Germany at the Games.

Sports journalist Cristian Nyari believes the winger has been the best player at the tournament:

Should Gnabry go on loan, the club he goes to will be getting a handy player. He’s shone on both flanks in the past and is comfortable committing defenders on the inside or outside with his brilliant pace. And, despite his age, the former Stuttgart man has plenty of composure when he finds space in the final third.

With so many talented attacking midfielders at his disposal, Wenger will not be able to offer Gnabry guarantees when it comes to first-team football. Hopefully, for the player’s sake, continued strong performances in Rio will prompt a club to take a chance on him.