Why Arsenal dodged £17m transfer for ideal Kai Havertz partner as release clause surprise looms

Arsenal's wait to complete a significant summer signing goes on. As they continue in their endeavours to complete a transfer for Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna it appears to be coming to a close, but for now, there have been no meaningful changes to Mikel Arteta's squad.

With initial pre-season preparations now underway for the Spaniard and some of his group, the expectation is that deals are to follow. Both in and out of the club, there is work to be done.

Arsenal are already aware that the foundations of a title-winning squad are more than in place but now it is about fine-tuning and adding high-quality depth that has caused issues in each of the past two seasons. With Manchester City's juggernaut still the standard to hit, there is little room for error.

Here, football.london has the latest from the summer market for Arsenal.

Guirassy statement

Borussia Dortmund have delayed the expected transfer of Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy due to a possible injury. In a statement on Wednesday, the German said: “During a medical examination of Serhou Guirassy, an injury was discovered that requires further investigation.”

Guirassy had been touted as a target for Arsenal this summer as he entered the window as one of the cheapest options on the market. With a release clause of just under £17million, the French-born forward was eyed by a host of top sides.

READ MORE: Arsenal one step away from unleashing Kai Havertz with dream transfer as £45m deal agreed

READ MORE: Arsenal get heartbreaking transfer outcome after announcement as Riccardo Calafiori deal 'stalls'

He scored 28 times in just 28 Bundesliga appearances last term (25 starts), in one of the most clinical hot streaks of any player across Europe. Dortmund appeared to have snapped him up though, but the total package for a deal is thought to be closer to £50million after wages reportedly are set to triple, and a significant signing on bonus as well.

football.london says: It's probably not right to say Arsenal were prescient, but this has at least avoided a late panic. The Gunners have already been stung by Benjamin Sesko's decision to remain in Germany, so at least this time they haven't done the groundwork for a deal only to be left disappointed.

Perhaps Guirassy will be deemed fine anyway, and usually with these things they do get across the line, but the scramble and worry this would cause is not something that Arteta and Edu Gaspar will miss. Guirassy would certainly have been an interesting call though.

As an older striker to the ones being eyed so far he would have been able to give gentle competition but also rotational comfort to Kai Havertz, and that seems to be the best sort of centre-forward right now. Havertz was so strong in the role towards the end of last season that ripping it up totally doesn't feel worthwhile.

There are understandable worries with Guirassy though. He hadn't scored more than 11 goals before last term and outperformed his xG by 7.2 overall. Although he has been a reliable scorer in general, the 2023/25 campaign did come out of nowhere and that is a red flag, even for the price.

Olmo clause

RB Leipzig expect clubs across Europe to trigger the £51million release clause in Dani Olmo's contract before the Monday, July 15 deadline, the Mirror reports. It comes after the Spain forward secured a place in the Euro 2024 final following a nervy 2-1 win over France on Tuesday.

Olmo starred for his team and continued his impressive form from throughout the tournament with his first-half goal. As one of the smoothest attacking players out there, he has been a long-term target for Arsenal.

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After Barcelona's play to try and sign Nico Williams added a spanner in the works for Edu and Arteta, Olmo has emerged as a timely alternative. Although Arsenal are not specifically named, English and Spanish sides are said to be in the mix for Olmo, with Chelsea and Liverpool as fellow admirers not expected to act on their interest.

football.london says: Olmo to Arsenal is a transfer that feels like it should already have happened. Are we sure he didn't sign at the end of Unai Emery's stay, have a good year before dropping off, eventually leaving to join Leipzig before flourishing and showing why late-2010s Arsenal were a laughing stock?

Well, with several years of strong performances behind him in Bundesliga and the Champions League, Olmo is looking good value for the price of the release clause now. His output has never been off the scale on paper but given the minutes he actually played, there have been some strong returns.

Now 26, Olmo actually fits this current version of Arsenal. If they want another versatile attacker able to play on the wing or as a No.10 then he is a slick option on the market.