Arsenal are in talks to sign Timothy Castagne from Leicester City
Timothy Castagne is on Arsenal’s summer shortlist (NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
Arsenal have reportedly opened talks with Leicester City over a deal for Timothy Castagne.
Mikel Arteta is keen to sign a new right-back this summer after playing Ben White on the right side of his defense this season.
The Gunners have already been linked with several potential options, including Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo, Real Valldolid’s Ivan Fresneda and Galatasaray’s Sacha Boey. According to Sacha Tavolieri, Fresneda is Arsenal’s main target for the job, but Castagne is second on the club’s shortlist.
Arsenal have reportedly entered negotiations with Leicester over a deal for the Belgium international and a decision could be ‘swift’.
Ivan Fresneda is said to be Arsenal’s main target for the right-back position (Getty)
Castagne’s current contract with Leicester is still two years old, but the 27-year-old has been linked with a move following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
The Belgian has been a regular on the right-wing for Leicester this season but offers Arsenal a versatile option as he can also play at the other end.
Castagne will play with the Belgian national team in the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Austria and Estonia this week. Arsenal, meanwhile, remain hopeful of a quick deal with West Ham for Declan Rice.
It was rumored in Germany over the weekend that Thomas Tuchel had met Rice to express interest from Bayern Munich, but the England international intended to join the Arsenal squad.
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Rice makes Arsenal transfer decision as West Ham told ‘next club’ amid £90m offer
West Ham captain Declan Rice has told the London club his next destination this summer transfer window, according to recent reports. The midfielder looks set to leave the Hammers in the coming weeks, with two years left on his contract and uncertainty surrounding his future.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are all strongly linked in the move, with a decision to be made about the 24-year-old’s future following Wednesday’s UEFA Europa Conference League final win over Fiorentina.
football.london knows the Gunners have given Rice a top priority as part of their Mikel Arteta midfield revamp this summer. However, the team will not be embroiled in a bidding war, as seen when it pulled out of moves for Mykhailo Mudryk and Lisandro Martinez last year. However, it appears the north London firm will be making its first offer in the coming weeks, with reports saying it could be in the £90m range.
That’s £30m from West Ham’s £120m valuation for their captain, who chairman David Sullivan has confirmed he will leave. “I think it should be,” Sullivan told TalkSPORT when asked if the Europa Conference League final would be Rice’s last game for the team.
“We promised him he could go. He let go of his heart. You couldn’t wish for a man who has shown more commitment to us this season. At some point he has to step in and we have to find a replacement – or more replacements.
However, there is an even bigger boost for Arteta and his squad, despite competition from some other elite clubs for the England international’s future. According to German outlet Ran Sport, Rice told the Hammers hierarchy that Arsenal was the team he wanted to join, rather than Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
Reports also say that former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is personally pushing to sign the midfielder for Bayern Munich and met the player and his father in London. However, there is still plenty of time in the transfer window for things to change, which means Arsenal cannot take anything lightly as their quest continues.