Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Lautaro Martinez approach, Lacazette £15m Atletico bid, Zakaria wanted

NO MORE GUNNERS’ LOCA MOTION

Arsenal’s pursuit of Italy Euro 2020 hero Manuel Locatelli is seemingly at an end.

The 23-year-old Sassuolo midfielder has been linked with a move to North London as Mikel Arteta seeks to bolster his midfield options as Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira both seem set on leaving the club.

But according to reports Locatelli is only interested in joining Juventus, even liking a Tweet linking him to the Old Lady.

GUNNERS IN FOR LAUTARO

Arsenal are interested in signing Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez, according to reports.

It’s believed the Premier League side have made an inquiry for the 23-year-old, who helped Inter win Serie A last term.

According to The Telegraph, the Gunners have reached out to Martinez’s Italian employers to see if they are willing to sell one of their star players.

The Argentina international was crucial to Inter’s success during the 2020-21 campaign, scoring 17 goals in 38 Serie A appearances.

Martinez has formed a prolific partnership with Romelu Lukaku, helping the ex-Manchester United striker score 47 Serie A goals since his move from Old Trafford two years ago.

It seems extremely unlikely Inter will let Martinez leave, especially after another key player, Achraf Hakimi, was sold to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month.

The forward joined Inter from Argentinian side Racing in July 2018 and has two years remaining on his existing deal.

LOKONGA LONGS TO MEET PEPE

Arsenal new boy Sambi Lokonga has revealed the Arsenal players he’s most excited to play alongside.

Lokonga joined in a £18million move from Belgian side Anderlecht last month to bolster Mikel Arteta’s attacking options, and when asked who he’s most excited to link up with the 21-year-old said: “I think Pepe.

“But I’m also looking forward to playing with Aubameyang, Lacazette, Saka also, so yeah, I hope to have a connection with all the players and quickly.

“I never wanted to be like a [particular] player, I always wanted to be Sambi, so I took a little bit of all the players I used to watch.

“I never said to myself that you need to be like this player, I always wanted to be Sambi and to do Sambi on the pitch.

“If I had to tell you some players, I will say Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Modric, yeah, all the top players, Marco Veratti as well. All the top players.”

TORREIRA WANTED TO QUIT FOOTBALL AFTER MUM DIED

Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira has admitted he wanted to quit football after his mum tragically passed away from Covid-19 in March.

The 25-year-old was on loan at Atletico Madrid at the time, later paying tribute to his mum when the Spanish club won LaLiga in May.

Speaking to the Metro, Torreira said: “When my mother’s thing happened, I wanted to stop playing soccer.

“I wanted to stay in Fray Bentos with my family. I had very little desire to go back to Spain because I had to stay alone there.

“Luckily one of my brothers left with me, but I wanted to be here, with my father, because he was the one who was suffering the most and the one who was hurt the most by this whole situation.

“He was always with my mother, they went everywhere together and today seeing him alone is a very hard blow that we find difficult to assimilate.

“And we try to be with him, to help him, accompany him and also hold him so that he does not fall.

“Because now we have to continue, for us, for him and because the most important reason to continue living is always going to be our mother.”

SMITH-ROWE RELIEF

Arsenal legend David Seaman is delighted that Arsenal bosses didn’t make the same mistake they made with Emi Martinez by letting Emile Smith-Rowe move to Aston Villa.

Dean Smith and Villa were reportedly interested in a deal for the 20-year-old, with a £30million bid rejected.

Smith-Rowe instead signed a new five-year deal at Arsenal and takes the No.10 shirt at the Emirates.

And speaking on talkSPORT, David Seaman said: “I’m quite glad that Smith Rowe is staying and not going to Villa because that would have been a right kick in the teeth for the fans.

“You don’t want your best players leaving the club.

“Everyone keeps saying build your team around youth but you can’t do that if they don’t stay.”

LOCA UNLIKELY

Arsenal’s pursuit of Italy Euro 2020 hero Manuel Locatelli is seemingly at an end.

The 23-year-old Sassuolo midfielder has been linked with a move to North London as Mikel Arteta seeks to bolster his midfield options as Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira both seem set on leaving the club.

But according to reports Locatelli is only interested in joining Juventus, even liking a Tweet linking him to the Old Lady.

And now transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has seemingly put an end to the speculation.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Romano said: “Now the feeling around Arsenal is that they understand that Locatelli only wants to join Juventus.

“I think now Arsenal are moving on different targets.”

LOOKING AHEAD

There’s just 17 days left to go now until the Gunners kick off their 2021/22 Premier League campaign away at newly promoted Brentford.

Here’s a look at Arsenal’s fixture list as Mikel Arteta will be desperate to improve on last season’s dismal eighth placed finish.

ZAK HIM UP

Arsenal have reportedly stepped up their interest in Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

The 25-year-old is in the last year of his contract with the German club and is eager for a move to the Premier League, according to the Mirror.

Gunners technical director Edu is keen to bolster…