Mikel Arteta set for imminent Barcelona transfer frustration as £35m Arsenal reality now clear

Arsenal continue to go about their business in the transfer window quietly. Since the decision by Benjamin Sesko to stay at RB Leipzig for at least another season, there has been little of note to come from the Emirates Stadium.

For Mikel Arteta it is during a key period before he starts to welcome players back for the start of pre-season. Plenty are still away at major tournaments but in the coming weeks there will be an influx of bodies back to the Sobha Realty Training Complex for work ahead of the tour of America later this month.

He will be keen to have as much of his final squad available as possible. For that to be the case time is running out. But nobody will be all too concerned just yet. There is movement ongoing as Arteta and Edu Gaspar plan for the season ahead.

Here, football.london looks at the latest reports from the world of the Gunners.

Zirkzee certainty

Joshua Zirkzee is almost certain to leave Bologna this summer and his club have made no attempt to hide the matter. Director, Giovanni Sartori, opened up on the possible move away for the striker, saying, “Joshua Zirkzee has release clause into his contract and I believe he’s 99% going to leave the club."

Arsenal are just one of the teams sniffing around at Zirkzee after he scored 12 times with seven assists in Italy last season. It is thought that there is a £35million release clause in his contract at Bologna but Manchester United and Bayern Munich have been interested in him so far.

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football.london says: Zirkzee is right there for teams to go and get if they want him. Bologna have given up hope of retaining their star forward and without Thiago Motta who can blame them.

For Arsenal Zirkzee is an interesting one. He's not as productive in a top league as some of the other targets - Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen, namely - but he does have a lot to offer. The Dutchman is able to offer strong build-up play and at 23 there is room for development.

Given just how readily available he is though, if Arsenal really felt like he was the answer then surely something more would have happened by now?

Kounde wait

Arsenal will have to wait for Barcelona to decide what happens with Ronald Araujo before any possible deal with Jules Kounde is considered. Reports from Spain suggest that the Spanish giants would be open to letting the French defender go but only if Araujo is to stay.

The Gunners have been linked with Kounde, albeit speculatively so far, and there is a £53million price tag on his head. Araujo has been mooted as a player that could be sold himself though, with Chelsea named as an interested club.

Barcelona still need to sell players before they can buy as they continue to work through financial constraints. Hansi Flick's side have also been touted as a possible destination for Arsenal-admired defender Riccardo Calafiori.

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football.london says: There's a lot to unpack here and a lot that doesn't make loads of sense. Kounde as an Arsenal target is chiefly amongst that.

Do they really need another defender capable of playing centrally and on the right? Especially for the money involved, this just feels unlikely. As for the reported deal itself, Barcelona have been claimed in some camps to not be open to selling Araujo anyway, and the youngster is a prime candidate to be a young cog developing under Flick in the next few years.

So if Arsenal were to be interested in Kounde then it shouldn't take long to progress with. If all of this is going on then Mikel Arteta could find himself being frustrated very quickly. Pre-season is around the corner and the last thing he needs is a saga going on in the background of his preparations.