Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could be left red-faced as Pablo Mari, a player he signed in 2020, flirts with an exit from north London. The Brazilian is linked with a return to former club Flamengo as he struggles to make his mark on the Gunners’ defence, owing to the broadly positive form of Arteta’s starting quartet. Arsenal had been notable for their defensive solidity in recent weeks, until Liverpool fired four past them at Anfield last weekend. Unfortunately for Mari, he was not part of that recipe after playing a role in the Gunners’ torrid start to the campaign.
Lille’s Renato Sanches has acknowledged the interest from the Gunners and other teams. And he may be ready to move to North London if a deal finalizes. The 24-year-old midfielder first burst onto the scene with Benfica in the 2015-16 season. This gave him the golden ticket to play for Portugal in the 2016 Euros. He had a strong showing in the competition and went on to win the tournament with his fellow teammates. In 2016, Renato Sanches got a €35 million move to Bayern Munich but failed to settle there. He would play a season with Swansea City on loan before moving to French club Lille in 2019. At Lille, Renato Sanches finally seems to have settled down again. He and his fans around the world would hope that he reaches new heights in the coming years.
Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan said Everton should consider a loan move for Nicolas Pepe, amid recent speculation linking the Ivory Coast star with an Emirates exit. Pepe arrived into North London with a huge reputation and an enormous £72m price tag, however, consistency has been hard to find for the former Lille forward. French outlet Jeunes Footeux claim Everton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace are all reportedly courting the precocious 24-year-old in lieu of a potential transfer. Arsenal could receive £40m from selling Nicolas Pepe and Lucas Torreira, according to reports.
Torreira has been on loan from Arsenal this season at Fiorentina, with the Serie A outfit prepared to pay the £15m option-to-buy in the clause. Nicolas Pepe, however, is also attracting attention from Italy and will be sold for around £25m. Torreira initially impressed in north London. The Uruguayan scored early on in his Gunners career against Tottenham Hotspur and was seen as a dynamic midfielder – but in his second season with the club, things dramatically took a turn for the worst.
The Gunners manager wants his former boss back involved at the club and the pair have discussed a possible return. Mikel Arteta has held talks with Arsene Wenger over a return to the club. Arteta has now revealed that he has held discussions with his former manager about returning for the first time since he left in 2019. Arteta was asked in what capacity he envisaged Wenger returning to the club, with the idea of some sort of ambassador role being mooted. The Arsenal boss would not reveal what he had in mind, however, but said that he believed he would benefit massively from having that 72-year-old back from time to time.