Arsenal are set for a busy end to the season with Premier League and Champions League clashes, but they are already planning for the summer with Andrea Berta set to become their new sporting director
Arsenal will be back in action next month when they host Fulham at the Emirates on April 1. The Gunners have not played since they beat Chelsea 1-0 on March 16 and are gearing up for a busy end to the season.
Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit second in the Premier League, although they are 12 points behind top of the table Liverpool, and are also in the last eight in the Champions League. Arsenal have never won the Champions League and will need to get past Real Madrid in order to set up a semi-final clash with either PSG or Aston Villa.
With all that in mind, Mirror Football takes a look at some of the latest news and rumours from North London…
READ MORE: Ruben Amorim desperate to hand debut to Man Utd’s 17-year-old ‘new Bukayo Saka’READ MORE: Man Utd hold unique Hugo Ekitike advantage as clause complicates three-way transfer battle
Saka nears return
Bukayo Saka is closing in on a return to action after the forward returned to training for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in December.
Saka underwent surgery as a result of the injury, but hopes he will be able to feature in Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final clash against defending champions Real Madrid next month.
As reported by Mirror Football earlier this month, Saka is eyeing a place on the bench for either Arsenal’s game against Fulham game on April 1 or their trip to Everton on April 5 ahead of the first leg of their tie against Madrid on April 8.
Zubimendi latest
Despite reports from Spain suggesting Real Madrid are ready to hijack Arsenal’s move for Martin Zubimendi, the Athletic are reporting that he is still expected to join the Gunners.
The report states that Arsenal are confident the midfielder will sign for them in the summer and have been ‘for some time’. The move has been in the works for a while, with Edu laying the groundwork while he was still sporting director.
Edu resigned from his role in November and former Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta is set to replace him, with the Italian looking to finalise the signing of Zubimendi.
Isak blow
Arsenal have long been linked with a move for Newcastle star Alexander Isak, but a deal appears unlikely.
According to the Athletic, Newcastle have ‘no desire to sell’ the striker despite interest from Arsenal and Liverpool. Isak still has more than three years left on his contract, meaning Newcastle are under no pressure to sell.
“I’m not really thinking about the summer,” Isak said when asked about his future earlier in the season. “But yeah, that [contract] will probably be a talking point once the season’s finished. We’ll really see, but no talks have been held yet.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
