11pm Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Odegaard LATEST, Smith Rowe NEW DEAL, Ozil set for Fenerbache wage cut

MAKING EMILE OF NEW CONTRACT

Arsenal are reportedly set to reward Emile Smith Rowe with a bumper new contract worth £40,000-per-week.

The Gunners are keen to tie down the 20-year-old following his impressive spell of form for the first-team.

Smith Rowe, 20, will enter the final two years of his current deal in the summer.

But the MailOnline claim he will be offered a new contract before the start of next season.

Smith Rowe will reportedly see his wages more than double as part of his new deal.

The England Under-20 star currently earns £15,000-per-week at the Emirates.

But he can expect to rake in closer to £40,000-per-week if he signs on the dotted line.

GUNNERS’ UPHILL BATTLE FOR AOUAR

Arsenal target Houssem Aouar has reportedly set his sights on joining Real Madrid or Barcelona in the summer.

The 22-year-old was linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium last year but the Gunners saw an offer in the region of £30million rejected by Lyon.

And now Mikel Arteta’s side look set to miss out on his signature altogether as the Frenchman eyes a move to Spain, according to ESPN.

Aouar has scored three goals and assisted another three more in his 16 Ligue 1 appearances so far this seasons.

Lyon do not want to sell the youngster but he is expected to leave despite still being under contract with the club.

There is no doubt the French side will demand a hefty fee for the central midfielder, one Arsenal are unlikely to be able to afford.

This is because last summer the North London club spent £45 million to bring Thomas Partey in from Atletico Madrid.

Aouar was ‘surprised’ that the FA Cup winners did not pursue him beyond their first offer and he now appears to be assessing where else he could move.

DAY-ERN MUNICH

Bayern Munich have keen on Manchester United and Liverpool target Dayot Upamecano, reports say.

RB Leipzig’s France defender Dayot Upamecano has also been linked to Arsenal.

The 22-year-old’s contract expires in 2023 but a clause in that deal allows him to go for in the summer of next year for around £40million. 

ARTETA BACKS LAMPARD

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has wished struggling Chelsea boss Frank Lampard well amid his struggles at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard said: “When any of my colleagues are in difficulties, I don’t smile.

“If anything, I would like to support them and I had a lot of support from a lot of managers in the league when we were going through rough times, even some advice as well and that’s how it should be.

“We are competing with each other but we share a profession and we know the challenges of this profession. So I wish Frank the best.”

CEBALLOS: ON’T WRITE BALE OFF

Gareth Bale has an ally at Arsenal in his battle to get back to his best at Tottenham.

The Wales superstar, 31, has struggled with form and fitness since rejoining Spurs on loan this season from Real Madrid.

Bale, who left Tottenham for Madrid in 2013 for a then-world record £86million fee, has made just one Premier League start since his September return.

But his Bernabeu team-mate Dani Ceballos – who is on loan down the road at Arsenal – told Spanish news agency EFE: “It’s not easy.

“Gareth’s return has been good for both of us, but when he was here seven years ago, the Premier League was completely different.

“I could give you the case of Thomas Partey and that of Fabinho, when he arrived at Liverpool.

“They are players who arrive and they know that it is a very physical league, but when you start playing they realise that it is twice as physical.

“It is very difficult to adapt quickly and I think that could be happening to Gareth.”

ARTETA: LARGE SQUAD WAS ‘UNMANAGEABLE’

Mikel Arteta had admitted his bulging, 31-man Arsenal squad was  “unmanageable” – until terminating Mesut Ozil and Sokratis Papastathopoulos’ contracts this week.

The Gunners have been criticized by some for offloading the two 32-year-olds without a fee, while Schalke will also pay nothing for borrowing Sead Kolasinac.

But boss Arteta believes reducing the squad size was an urgent priority, having earlier been forced to omit Fenerbahce-bound midfielder Ozil and defender Sokratis from his Premier League and Europa League squads.

He said: “When you have to leave some of the foreign players out, it makes it even more difficult.

“For a few weeks maybe it’s okay, but to do it for months and maintain the health and ambition and the chemistry around the place it’s really complicated.

“For me, the important thing is that everybody feels involved and that they have a chance.”

THREE IN FOR MARTIN

Former Manchester United target Martin Odegaard is reportedly tempted by the opportunity to join Arsenal on loan this month.

Fabrizio Romano claims the Real Madrid misfit, 22, is giving great consideration to the proposal – with Real Sociedad and Ajaz also hovering.

And he will discuss options with family members before deciding on a new destination before the end of the month.

Odegaard has told Real he wants to leave after making just nine appearances in all competitions this term.

Sociedad are understood to be favourites for the Norway international, who excelled there last year before having a two-season loan cut short by Los Blancos.

Ajax have also made an offer for Odegaard, who has enjoyed previous loan spells with Dutch outfits Heerenveen and Vitesse.

All three routes are extremely appealing for the playmaker, who famously joined Real when he was just 16 years old in 2015.

United were previously…