Arsenal is close to signing Mikel Merino and Bournemouth hold an interest in signing Eddie Nketiah. Additionally, the Gunners completed the last of their preseason games. Riccardo Calafiori, whose announcement as an Arsenal player we covered in an earlier article, played his first minutes with Arsenal, as well. Without further ado, let’s discuss all these topics in our Arsenal 2024 Summer part 8 article.
Arsenal 2024 Summer Part 8: Calafiori Makes His Unofficial Debut
Arsenal concluded its 2024 preseason by hosting Ligue 1 side Lyon at the Emirates in the Emirates Cup. The Gunners won the game 2-0 thanks to goals from Saliba and Gabriel. Overall, this was an encouraging performance from Arsenal, especially defensively.
Riccardo Calafiori is one player Arsenal fans have wanted to see on the pitch since he joined the club recently. Those fans got their wish as Calafiori came on as a second-half substitute against Lyon. Calafiori is likely to play most of his games with Arsenal at center-back, at least this season. This is due to the Gunners’ other options at left-back.
However, Calafiori provides Gabriel with cover and allows the Brazilian defender to rest more. This should certainly help Arsenal as they try to compete in multiple competitions. It is possible Calafiori will make his official Arsenal debut this upcoming weekend as the Gunners kick off their 2024-25 Premier League campaign at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers. We will see.
Mikel Merino Has Agreed to Personal Terms with Arsenal
Mikel Merino appears close to a move to Arsenal. Reports indicate that Merino has agreed on personal terms with the Gunners. However, Arsenal has not completed the transfer yet.
Reports also indicate that Arsenal intend to sell a player before or after signing Merino. However, this is not to comply with PSR regulations, but rather a strategic choice on the part of the club. This player is likely to be Eddie Nketiah. Nketiah has garnered interest from Bournemouth, so hopefully, that deal gets done.
There are only a few days left in the transfer window, so Arsenal needs to complete their transfer business with haste.
Arsenal 2024 Summer Part 8: Bournemouth Might Sign Eddie Nketiah
As previously mentioned, Bournemouth holds an interest in signing Eddie Nketiah. The Cherries recently sold Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur and are keen on signing a replacement. Solanke has had quite a journey in his football career. Arsenal’s valuation of Nketiah at 30 million pounds led to the collapse of Nketiah’s transfer to Marseille.
However, Bournemouth might be more cooperative with the new Premier League season starting in only a few days. Nketiah would fit Bournemouth’s system well. We’ll see what happens on that front.
Arsenal Hosts Wolves to Start the New Premier League Season
The Gunners begin their 2024-24 Premier League campaign by hosting Wolves at the Emirates. Arsenal has a challenging start to the season. As a result, it is critical that Arsenal starts off the season with a win against Wolves. Hopefully, that is what happens.
Check back next week for more Arsenal content.