Julian Alvarez is now said to be “seriously considering” a transfer to Arsenal in a huge U-turn. The Gunners could not clinch a high-profile deal for the former Manchester City star during the late stages of the summer window as he held out for a dream switch to Barcelona that never came. However, according to TEAMtalk, Alvarez is now seriously pondering a potential move to north London as he still pushes to leave Atletico Madrid. Arsenal are helped by Barca reportedly now targeting other options up front, including Erling Haaland.
Arteta signs new Arsenal contract
Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract with Arsenal, taking his time at the club beyond a decade. The Spaniard's previous deal was set to expire at the end of this season, though he and the club have been relaxed about the situation. Both sides were confident that an agreement would be reached and a three-week international break has provided the time to finalise the fresh terms and make it official.
Pedro announces retirement
It’s official, Pedro has announced his retirement. The Spaniard has enjoyed a glittering career with Barcelona, Chelsea, Roma and Lazio, winning numerous trophies at club and international level. Writing on X, Pedro wrote: “I feel that the time has come. The time to take a step forward and begin a new stage in my life. I leave proud of having lived my dream and of all the people who were by my side to make it come true. “Thank you, soccer, for making me so happy.”
Transfer round-up: Truffert, Cherki, Mora
Manchester United and Liverpool are locked in a fierce battle over Adrien Truffert. Chelsea still lead the race for Alex Scott amid much competition including from Real Madrid as they also go back in for Jules Kounde at Barcelona. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all rumoured to be watching Jarell Quansah, with Tottenham chasing a striker in January as they also step up interest in Arthur Dias.
Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki, but they could face strong competition for the France international's signature - should he end up leaving Man City over their financial case. TEAMtalk, though, state Paris Saint-Germain are strongly monitoring the Liverpool target.
Arsenal have emerged as serious contenders for the signature of Club Tijuana's 17-year-old Mexican attacking midfielder Gilberto Mora. According to TEAMtalk, the Gunners have already made contact over a potential January deal. The report states that Mora has a release clause in the region of €20–25 million (£16.9-£21.1m).
Standard Sport understands that reports linking Jean-Philippe Mateta to Manchester United are wide of the mark. All options remain on the table ahead of the transfer window reopening in January, with Mateta having failed to secure a move away from Crystal Palace in the summer.
Chelsea shake-up and Spurs striker interest
Laurence Stewart is to leave Chelsea as co-sporting director by mutual consent. Standard Sport understands that Stewart will depart Chelsea in the near future, though his exit is not immediate and he will continue to attend some Chelsea games in the coming weeks. Stewart joined Chelsea from Monaco as technical director in October 2022 and is now due to leave the club after four years. The decision is understood to be a mutual one and was taken after amicable talks between Stewart and the Chelsea owner Behdad Eghbali. It has been described as part of the club’s natural evolution and Stewart’s duties have been shared out among Sam Jewell and Joe Shields in recent weeks and months. Though the decision had not been made by May, Chelsea believe Stewart’s exit will fall in line with a number of changes of direction that took place around that time as senior figures hired Xabi Alonso as Liam Rosenior’s managerial successor and made key decisions to future-proof the club and the first team. There are no plans for a replacement at present.
A Bola reports that Benfica have no plans to let Vangelis Pavlidis leave after Marco Silva made the striker central to his project. Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Barcelona have all shown interest in the 27-year-old. Pavlidis prefers a future move to England but has a €100million release clause and a contract until 2029.
Arsenal and Manchester United are monitoring Roma wing-back Wesley, with Newcastle United also tracking alternatives. The 23-year-old Brazilian is now valued at least twice the €25million plus €5m Roma paid for him last summer. All three Premier League clubs are also keeping tabs on Monaco's Vanderson, who is valued at €35m–€40m. Spurs may face a fight to keep Luca Williams-Barnett as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund keep close tabs on the talented youngster, while Arsenal could swoop for Christian Kofane.
