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TOP STORY: Arsenal search for Welbeck replacement
With the devastating news that Danny Welbeck will be ruled out for nine months because of a knee injury, Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of a new striker. According to the Mirror, Juventus' Alvaro Morata is a prime target.
The Spanish international has endured an indifferent season in Turin, after he struggled to hold down a first-team place due to the impressive forms of Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic while Juventus secured a fifth successive Scudetto. But Arsene Wenger has made the 23-year-old his primary target, though the Gunners might turn to Inter's Mauro Icardi if Real Madrid trigger their buy-back option on Morata.
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Alternatively, the North London club could opt to move for Marseille forward Michy Batshuayi, the Star reported. The Belgian could cost up to £30 million, though, and Arsenal will face competition for his signature in the forms of Tottenham and West Ham.
Liverpool rival Dortmund for Dembele
Jurgen Klopp has made a personal call to Rennes starlet Ousmane Dembele in a bid to persuade him to join Liverpool instead of Borussia Dortmund, the Guardian reported. The Reds are the latest club to register an interest in the 18-year-old, who has previously been linked with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Leicester City.
Liverpool hope Klopp can sway the Frenchman to choose Anfield, with the club prepared to meet his £28 million valuation. The teenager said Tuesday that "he knows where he is going," with the English newspaper writing that the declaration might mean Dembele will join Dortmund after all.
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Pochettino keen on Musacchio to bolster Spurs defense
Mauricio Pochettino will target Villarreal's Argentinian centre-back Mateo Musacchio this summer, according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo (via the Star). The 25-year-old was a target for Spurs two years ago, but Pochettino might go for him in order to bulk up his squad ahead of a Champions League campaign.
Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have formed an excellent partnership as the Premier League's best centre-back duo, with Kevin Wimmer proving to be a decent backup. However, Pochettino wants a fourth top-class centre-half, and Musacchio fits the bill.
Tap-ins
- N'Golo Kante has hinted that he will snub offers from Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain to stay with newly crowned Premier League champions Leicester City, TalkSport reported. The French international revealed that he is looking forward to featuring in the Champions League and will be satisfied with his starring role with the Foxes, rather than pushing for a big move away.
- In addition to being in the market for a star striker, Arsenal will look to the future, as they are eyeing up Lille's Sehrou Guirassy. The 20-year-old has impressed on loan at Ligue 2's Auxerre and could follow a similar route to that of Yaya Sanogo, who moved to the Emirates from Auxerre three years ago.
- Manchester United target Raphael Varane will move to Old Trafford only if Jose Mourinho is in charge next season, the Star reported. The Red Devils have been strongly linked with a £30 million move for the French international, and now the player appears willing to leave only if his former Real Madrid manager is in charge.
- Barcelona will put Sandro Ramirez up for sale this summer, with Spurs reportedly interested in the £8 million-rated forward, according to Spanish newspaper Sport (via TalkSport). The 20-year-old has failed to break into the Catalans' first team and struggled for game time behind the world-class trio of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, but Pochettino could offer the Spain under-21 international a more prominent role at White Hart Lane.