Arsenal's cheeky transfer offer 'well below' valuation as Mikel Arteta reshuffle hits snag

Arsenal have reportedly made a bid for Wolves goalkeeper Dan Bentley. However, the initial offer was swiftly rejected by Gary O'Neil's side as it fell well short of their valuation.

The 30 year old is considered a key part of the squad and Wolves value him at $1.3m (£1m/€1.2m), with Arsenal getting nowhere near that fee, reports The Athletic.

The Gunners have been linked with numerous players, but so far, all their business has been in the goalkeeping department. Earlier this month, they confirmed the signing of David Raya from Brentford in a deal worth $35m (£27m/€32m)

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Aaron Ramsdale has also been heavily linked with a move away, with Newcastle showing interest. However, Arsenal are reportedly eyeing Bentley as their third-choice goalkeeper to bolster their ranks ahead of the new season.

While it's not certain, this could suggest that Mikel Arteta wants to keep Ramsdale in north London. The potential addition of Bentley would provide immediate cover, with Raya and Ramsdale both currently at the European championships with Spain and England respectively.

Therefore, it's unlikely they'll be available for the entirety of pre-season, possibly still on holiday for the first few days of Arsenal's US tour. Further discussions for Bentley are expected, and Arteta and Edu may also enquire about two of his teammates.

Joao Gomes and Pedro Neto, the latter being a long-term target, have both been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer. Arteta is keen on signing a midfielder and a right-sided attacker, and has been given the go-ahead to sign either player, especially now that both Portugal and Brazil have been knocked out of their respective summer tournaments.

Liverpool.com says: Bentley is likely to remain Wolves' back-up goalkeeper so he may well be open to a move to Arsenal. You wouldn't expect Aaron Ramsdale to stick around and spend another season on the bench so the Wolves man will probably end up playing second fiddle to David Raya at the Emirates instead.