Arsenal ‘now going’ for relegated defender after closing in the deal of £12.7M 

Arsenal will now turn their attention to Leicester City defender Timothy Castagne after closing in on a deal for Declan Rice, according to reports.

It is understood that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu are hoping to bring in two midfielders, a centre-back, a right-back and a forward in the summer transfer window.

West Ham midfielder Rice could be the first signing over the line with The Guardian reporting on Monday evening that Arsenal are closing in on the signing with the Gunners ‘expected to pay over £100m’, as long as ‘certain add-ons are met’.

There is ‘confidence’ a deal can be sealed ‘soon’ with talks between the clubs currently ‘progressing smoothly’ with Rice a ‘fan of Arteta’s football’.

And they will concentrate efforts to sign Leicester City’s Castagne once they’ve got Rice over the line with the Belgium international likely to leave the Foxes this summer.

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has claimed that Arsenal are ‘now going’ for Castagne as they look to sign a full-back this summer and the Gunners have ‘started talks’ over a possible transfer.

Tavolieri had expected things to ‘develop quickly’ but there could be some difficulties along the way and it could now take ‘more time than expected’.

Castagne is ‘appreciated’ by Arteta and the Arsenal board with Leicester wanting to ‘collaborate’ to get a transfer done – but Tavolieri adds that the Gunners need to ‘fix some priorities’.

Gunners legend Paul Merson thinks Arsenal must get Rice and two more signings to maintain their levels next term.

Merson told the Derry Journal: “They’ve got to get Declan Rice to start with, 100 per cent. Get Declan Rice. I also think they need a centre forward, I mean like a proper out and out centre forward. Gabriel Jesus is a No. 10 for me. And they need another defender.

“When Saliba got injured that’s where it all went wrong this year. If you look at it, they were still scoring goals but they just started letting in goals left, right and centre.”

When asked if any team will overtake Pep Guardiola’s City side in 2024, Merson added: “No, I don’t. It’s going to be hard for these teams to get into the top four. You have Arsenal, you have Newcastle, who are going to buy; Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United. I’m sure Ange Postecoglou will make Tottenham better, I really do. I think he is a very good manager and I hope he gets given a proper chance.

“You are talking top four for most of these clubs rather than winning the league at the moment.

“Everybody else has got to try. They’ve all got money, Man City have money and spent it but it’s the way they play. I mean, (John) Stones comes into midfield (in the FA Cup final). He’s a centre-half and he’s beyond Rodri and Gundogan. You’re thinking, if Man United get the ball it’s going to be one on one, but it wasn’t.

“They are so brainy, so clever and you have to have football brains. Guardiola collects football brains. There is no one who doesn’t get it. You have to get it. If you don’t have a football brain you are going to struggle at Man City badly.”

READ MORE: Ten predictions for the 2023 summer transfer window based on 2022 includes Sadio Mane to Chelsea