Arsenal ‘put’ €42m on the table for Barcelona star: ‘Mikel Arteta takes him’

Arsenal are willing to spend around €50m (£42m) to bring Barcelona defender Jules Kounde to the Emirates Stadium, according to reports.

The Gunners made David Raya’s loan move into a permanent transfer for £27m over the summer transfer window, while Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino and Raheem Sterling also arrived to add more quality and depth to Mikel Arteta’s squad.

Arsenal have started this season in similar form to where they left off last term with three wins and one draw from their opening four Premier League matches.

But the Gunners and Arteta are still plotting future transfers as they look to continue to close the gap on champions Manchester City, who have made a perfect start to the new campaign, winning four out of four.

Arteta already has a watertight defence with Arsenal boasting the best defence in the Premier League last term with just 29 goals conceded in 38 matches.

And they have started this season by conceding just one in four with Liverpool the only other side in the Premier League with a record as good as Arsenal’s.

But Arteta is still convinced that Arsenal need more depth with reports in Spain indicating that Barcelona defender Kounde is his ‘new priority’ ahead of the January transfer market.

Arteta reckons Kounde could be a ‘key piece’ to competing on multiple fronts this season and Arsenal are ‘willing to put a € 50 million offer on the table in the next January transfer window to convince Barcelona to let their player leave’.

However, it ‘will not be that simple’ as Barcelona boss Hansi Flick considers Kounde ‘non-transferable’ after ‘standing out at right-back’ this season.

His versatility is attractive to Arteta but Barcelona president Joan Laporta ‘and the sporting management consider the Frenchman to be key to the club’s long-term project’.

The report adds that ‘in football anything can happen, and the 50 million euros offered by Arsenal could make the Barça board think, especially considering the club’s delicate financial situation’.

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Arsenal were reportedly in the transfer market for a new striker over the summer with Victor Osimhen understood to be one name they considered .

Chelsea were also attracted to the Nigeria international before he moved from Napoli on loan to Turkish side Galatasaray.

And journalist Charles Watts – who has covered Arsenal for years – doubts the Gunners will look to bring in Osimhen in the January transfer window if the opportunity arises.

Watts in his Caught Offside column : “I saw Victor Osimhen marked his Galatasaray debut with a goal at the weekend.

“Inevitably, some Arsenal fans were quick to pounce on that and use it as a reason why the club should look to bring him in during the January window.

“I don’t know the exact ins and outs of it, but it appears he does have a break clause in his loan agreement that could see another club land him in January for a lower fee than his original release clause from Napoli.

“I just don’t really see it happening though in terms of Arsenal.

“As I’ve said before, I’ve never really been told about any Arsenal interest in Osimhen since the summer of 2022, when they ended up moving for Gabriel Jesus instead.

“So I would be surprised if they go for him in January. I think, if and when they do go for another striker, it might be a slightly different profile to the Nigeria international.

“And anyway, right now they are very happy with what Kai Havertz is offering them as the central striker.

“Havertz has been exceptional so far this season. I thought he was superb against Spurs on Sunday, even if he didn’t get himself on the scoresheet.”