Arsenal ‘expect to complete’ major deal ‘before World Cup’ as summer transfer ‘accelerates’ | OneFootball

Arsenal are reportedly ‘increasingly confident’ of finalising a new deal with Jurrien Timber, while they have been ‘offered’ a £43.1m signing.

The Gunners could achieve a remarkable end to this season, with Mikel Arteta’s side contesting for the Premier League and Champions League.

But work will no doubt already be underway over Arsenal‘s summer business, with exits expected to balance the books following their huge spending in recent transfer windows.

However, the north London side have also looked to tie key players to contract extensions, with Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly among those to be rewarded with new deals over the past year.

And Timber looks set to be the next Arsenal player to sign a new contract after emerging as one of the best right-backs in the world.

The Gunners have sorely missed Timber while he has been out injured, as he has proven a clear upgrade on Ben White and is on the brink of committing his future to the Premier League leaders.

This is according to journalist Graeme Bailey for our colleagues at TEAMtalk, who states that Arsenal are ‘expecting to complete’ Timber’s contract extension ‘before the World Cup’, while a summer exit for White ‘accelerates’.

Regarding Timber, the report explains: ‘TEAMtalk [can] reveal a new deal is now viewed internally as a matter of when, not if. Negotiations have been ongoing since before Christmas and have continued steadily over recent months.

‘As previously reported by our sources in January, talks were progressing well, and the Dutch international is in line for a significant pay rise as part of the agreement.’

Arsenal ‘offered’ Man Utd target Rafael Leao

While player exits will likely take precedence in the summer, Arsenal will also inevitably be in the market for signings and one of their priorities could be to sign a winger to replace Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

The Gunners have been linked with a host of potential targets, including Anthony Gordon, Rodrygo and Nico Williams.

Alternatively, they could sign AC Milan star Leao in a £43.1m transfer, with another report from TEAMtalk stating that they have been ‘offered’ the winger.

The report claims: ‘Man Utd are among the clubs approached. The Old Trafford outfit have carried out extensive work on Leao in the past and remain aware of his profile, though their interest has not yet progressed beyond initial checks at this stage.

‘Further approaches have also been made to Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. All three clubs have tracked Leao previously and continue to hold an appreciation for his qualities.’