Arsenal are working quickly to finalise their remaining transfer business with less than two days left before the September 1 deadline. Sporting director Andrea Berta typically leaves deals late to secure the best outcomes, and this summer has followed that pattern.
The Premier League champions have already added five players: Piero Hincapie in a £34.5million permanent deal, Illan Meslier as a free agent, Christos Tzolis for £34m, Bruno Guimaraes for £75m, and Ezri Konsa for £55m. Leandro Trossard has departed, with Gabriel Martinelli following him out of the club shortly after. Several more deals are expected to be announced in the coming hours.
Alvarez returns to training
Julian Alvarez, one of Arsenal's top targets in recent months, returned to Atletico Madrid training on Sunday despite ongoing speculation about his future. The Argentine missed three team training sessions last week due to what the club called an "indisposition", before training alone on Friday.
He was also left out of Diego Simeone's squad for Saturday's 3-1 win at Sevilla. Whether his re-introduction to the squad signals a decision to remain in the Spanish capital beyond the transfer deadline remains to be seen.
Alvarez had made it clear early on that he intended to join Barcelona this summer. But after Atletico blocked a move to their La Liga rivals, Arsenal emerged as the likeliest destination, with Atleti open to a £128m sale. He was reportedly given until Sunday to decide whether to join Arsenal or stay, though recent reports claimed he had no intention of returning to England.
Gabriel Jesus close to Barcelona exit
Gabriel Jesus is reportedly close to completing a move to Barcelona. The Brazilian, 29, has been linked with an exit throughout the summer after being deemed surplus to requirements by Mikel Arteta.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Arsenal have agreed an £8.57m offer from the La Liga champions for Jesus' signature, with add-ons included. Jesus is scheduled to undergo a medical on Monday ahead of the move to Camp Nou. He has been training away from Arteta's main squad after being made available for transfer, and had initially been tipped for a move to Napoli.
