Arsenal eye fresh Chelsea raid
Arsenal are planning to take advantage of Chelsea’s lavish spending spree by lining up a cut-price deal for Callum Hudson-Odoi in the summer.
Hudson-Odoi, who is currently in the middle of a season-long loan in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, is one of several Blues players who could be offloaded in the summer. The Londoners need to trim their bloated squad to comply with Financial Fair Play rules after spending in excess of £320million in the January transfer window alone.
Arsenal have already raided concluded one raid on Stamford Bridge after acquiring Jorginho in a £12m deal on deadline day. And the Gunners are now eyeing up Hudson-Odoi, who has made 17 appearances in Germany this term.
Arteta’s Balogun theory proved right.
Folarin Balogun has caught the attention of Arsenal fans this season after flourishing in France with Reims – and he nudged ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at the summit of the Ligue 1 scoring ranks after a spectacular hat-trick on Wednesday night.
Balogun, 21, plundered three goals in Reims’ impressive 4-2 win over Lorient to take his tally for the season to 14 goals.
His impressive form in France has gone some way to vindicating Arteta, who predicted that Balogun was capable of playing a role in Arsenal’s success despite an underwhelming stint on loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough during the second half of last season, where he netted just three league goals.
Liverpool urged to join Rice race.
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has urged his old club to rival Arsenal in the race for West Ham captain Declan Rice.
The Gunners have emerged as the favourites to sign Rice, who is expected to leave his boyhood club next summer. However, various other big-hitters, including the Reds and Chelsea, are expected to make their own attempts to snare the England star.
Liverpool have big problems in midfield and have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham. But Murphy believes his old side should also target Rice – even if Arsenal are in pole position to snap him up.
