Arsenal transfers analysed as French star monitored and Isak decision made

Arsenal have plenty to be getting on with during the off-season as Mikel Arteta and his players prepare for what is set to be another gruelling year. The Gunners are expected to revamp their squad over the coming months as they look to continue the upward trajectory of the past few years.

Edu Gaspar (sporting director) isn’t rushing into any business though. “You can’t sign for the sake of signing,” he told Brazilian outlet Estadao. “It has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks. On my desk, I have reports of over 180 pages on one player. It’s really detailed stuff. Physical, technical, mental profile, whether he has Premier League experience, whether he’ll be able to adapt. Everything.

“We analyse our deficiencies, where we can improve, where we can invest and then we go in search of that new name. We’ve been discussing what I’m going to do now since January. It’s not my decision or Mikel’s. It’s a group decision.”

Here, football.london has its own analysis of the latest player reports and headlines from across the world.

Arsenal Desire

French superstar Desire Doue is a new name on Arsenal’s transfer watchlist, reports suggest. The 18-year-old is said to be on the radar for a host of top clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, Aston Villa, and Borussia Dortmund.

Following a breakthrough at Stade Rennais last year, Doue has dazzled Ligue 1 yet again with his talent and will command over £30million this summer. With two years still left on his current deal the teenager is well placed to make a big move and now has a chasing pack keen on signing him.

READ MORE: Arsenal hold ‘secret’ Marcus Rashford meeting as £42m release clause transfer U-turn now possible

READ MORE: Arsenal cannot undo £34m transfer mistake as Edu plans major midfield overhaul

Arsenal are said to have monitored him closely throughout the past 12 months and are now stepping up their interest. Others are also prepared to go big for the attacker.

football.london says: Doue seems to be the real deal. Playing over 1,000 minutes and getting a role in Europe at 17 is quite something, then to follow it up with more progression this season is even more impressive.

There is no doubt that Doue is raw but he already has 76 senior appearances to his name across a variety of positions. His quality on the ball for someone of his age is also excellent.

When the maturity comes he will flourish into something to behold. If Arsenal can repeat their exploits with William Saliba and help Doue develop via a loan then the price tag for a teen could soon look like an absolute bargain.

Isak meeting

Newcastle have reportedly met with star striker Alexander Isak to inform him that no summer transfer will be on the cards. It is said that despite plenty of interest from Arsenal, the player is not up for sale.

Isak has become one of the hottest prospects on the market after a stellar season at St James’ Park and Eddie Howe’s side are desperate for funds. However, Isak is not someone they are keen to sell even without the benefit of European football next season.

It has been suggested that a price tag of over £100million was already enough to put Arsenal off making a move, though now the Swedish forward may not have the choice. Isak is expected to see his wages drop at Newcastle without Champions League qualification, but a new deal if possibly in the offing.

football.london says: If Arsenal have the money to even stretch to Newcastle’s extortionate price then he really is worth it. Had the 24-year-old been playing in north London last season then the story of the title might have been different, that’s how good he is.

Isak is two-footed, a lethal finisher, strong with his head, able to link play from deep, and dribble with the ball across the pitch. He’s ghostly with his movement but springs to life , offers speed in-behind, and can run in from wide positions as well. He’s the full package.

He looks for all purposes to be a trademarked ‘final piece of the jigsaw’ for an Arsenal side that lacked a certain potency with Gabriel Jesus and even Kai Havertz’s form in front of goal from the No.9 position wasn’t actually the plan. Isak brings the best of those two and puts it all into a reliable striker that is right there.

Players of his quality don’t come cheap but the possible impact is enormous. Isak would pay back any fee soon enough.