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Arsenal are eyeing a move for Barcelona forward Ferran Torres and manager Mikel Arteta has been a long-time admirer, according to reports.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

The fight for a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years is well and truly on despite current champions Man City being in the ascendency right now.

The north Londoners are still battling for domestic glory and have every chance of pipping Pep Guardiola's side, even if the Blues' imperious form of late makes it a challenge.

Arsenal simply must be perfect and win all of their remaining four games to stand a chance, and if fate is not on their side, preparation for another challenge next season will be imperative.

The Gunners have been identifying summer transfer targets in the background as sporting director Edu attempts to reinforce Arteta's squad, with central midfield stars Declan Rice (West Ham) and Brighton's Moises Caicedo believed to be of interest.

Arsenal could also make signings further forward, leading to links with the likes of Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus), yet it appears they could also add another ex-Man City star to their squad along with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

According to talkSPORT, the title-chasers have their eyes on Torres, who has been a regular at Barca, with manager Arteta said to have a long-standing admiration.

The pair worked together at Eastlands when Arsenal's boss was Guardiola's understudy, and it appears Arteta has never lost his fondness for the £110,000-per-week star.

As well as Arsenal, it is believed that Torres is being targeted by Aston Villa, and Barca may be forced to sell their attacker to raise funds for Lionel Messi's potential re-signing.

Should Arteta go for Torres?

The 23-year-old is still years off hitting his peak and is already proven in the Premier League with City.

Torres is also a regular under Xavi, making 29 appearances in La Liga alone this season, and Guardiola has certainly expressed his admiration in the past at Eastlands, stating:

“He was fantastic all season and an incredible signing for us,”

“He’s a young player and can play in three positions up front.

“He can make incredible runs in behind but maybe we have to start to think about if he can play as a striker because every time he plays in that position he has a sense for goal, a real sense for goal.”

If the Spain international can replicate this kind of form for Arsenal, he could be a brilliant capture.

A potential Arsenal offer to sign Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha is seen as 'increasingly serious', according to reports in France.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

Gunners sporting director Edu is allegedly preparing for next season behind-the-scenes as this summer edges ever closer. Mikel Arteta's are still chasing a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years but close rivals Man City are slowly catching up to the division leaders.

If the north Londoners end up just missing out on the domestic crown, fingers could well be pointed at a lack of squad depth when compared to that of City.

This could be one reason for Arsenal's apparent activity ahead of the next transfer window, while another could be that Edu is determined to build on what has ultimately been a successful campaign overall.

Arteta is guaranteed Champions League football next season after missing out to bitter rivals Tottenham last year, something which will help them attract some big name players.

Arsenal are reportedly targeting West Ham star Declan Rice, and are rumoured to be in pole position, while the likes of Dusan Vlahovic are also being looked at for the attacking areas.

As well as the Serbia international, it is believed they could make a move for Zaha with his Palace deal ticking down and expiring this year. He could sign for Arsenal on a free deal, with French news outlet Foot Mercato sharing an update on their pursuit.

According to their information, sharing news from an 'inside Gunners source', an Arsenal offer for the winger is seen as 'increasingly serious' and they could well make a 'firm' attempt to sign him on a Bosman.

However, they're not the only side displaying a real interest in Zaha, with Ligue 1 side Marseille also said to have made contact with the player through his entourage.

Should Arsenal sign Zaha?

Arsenal, alongside Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco, apparently wanted to sign Zaha last summer and now they have been handed a chance to do it at zero cost.

He is certainly worth the punt in that regard, having been praised for his 'incredible' form at Selhurst Park, with former Arsenal defender Kolo Toure even once calling him 'the next Didier Drogba'.

Zaha has continued to impress in south London, averaging more attempts at goal and completed dribbles per 90 whilst also ranking among Palace's top five best-perfomers overall (WhoScored).

This is a move Edu should undoubtedly consider to give Arteta more attacking options.

Celtic could potentially look at a permanent move for former loanee Shane Duffy this summer.

What’s the latest transfer claim on Celtic and Duffy?

Duffy made the move to Parkhead back in 2020 on loan from Brighton. A boyhood Hoops fan, the club paid a loan fee of just under £2m for the centre-back and contributed to around £25,000 of his weekly wage.

However, things didn’t exactly go to plan for the Irishman under Neil Lennon, with the player making 27 appearances for the club. He came in for criticism in the media which led to Lennon defending Duffy, adding later in the season that Celtic haven’t seen the best of the player.

Now on the books of Fulham, Duffy has played less than 200 minutes of competitive football all season and is out of contract in a matter of months. He could be on the move once more, and a return to Glasgow has been mooted in the media.

Glasgow World reporter Martyn Simpson shared a story in the last 48 hours, looking at 10 out-of-contract Premier League players that the Hoops could target for free over the coming months. One of those was Duffy, to which he said:

“Duffy’s loan spell with Fulham was made permanent earlier this year but only until the summer. His last spell with Celtic was not the best period of his career but he still has bags of experience and could be worth a second chance.”

Who will Postecoglou sign this summer?

Ange Postecoglou is on the hunt for three headline signings this summer, with one of those being at centre-back. The current Celtic boss wouldn’t have coached Duffy before, however, he may be aware of his previous loan spell just before he arrived at the club.

Duffy was viewed as a marquee signing but his loan spell was described as disastrous in the media, with the player being labelled a flop. His Transfermarkt valuation has continued to drop following his loan spell in Scotland, with it currently standing at just €2.5m (£2.2m) the lowest it has been since 2016. He is also still on £40,000-a-week with his current employers, so could be one of the Celtic's top earners if he returns.

Therefore, it wouldn’t come as a shock if a return didn’t materialise and Celtic looked elsewhere for defensive reinforcements, but it does look set to be a busy few months ahead of Postecoglou’s third season in charge at Parkhead.

Newcastle United reportedly retain an interest in signing Watford striker Joao Pedro this summer and his arrival could see Eddie Howe ditch the misfiring Callum Wilson.

Could Newcastle United sign Joao Pedro?

According to The Athletic, the Brazilian remains on Newcastle’s list of potential targets and they continue to track his progress having seen their January deal for the young forward collapse at the last minute.

The Toon had been expected to sign Pedro in a deal worth £30m in January, with transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano going as far as to suggest that the two parties had 100% agreed on the transfer.

However, that would prove to be a catalyst in the deal for Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak, who was Howe's priority target, and he would join for a club-record £63m.

The 21-year-old would eventually sign a new contract with the Hornets until 2028, so it remains unclear how much the Championship side would be able to demand for him this summer, as it could depend on their final standing in the second tier.

He has certainly caught the eye for Watford despite their struggles this season, as he boasts nine goals and three assists in 29 appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a phenomenal 7.42 rating for his performances, which is only bettered by Kieran Trippier in Newcastle's squad.

Pedro's scouting report on FBref also emphasises his ability as a special talent, as when compared with other players across Europe, the Brazilian scores in the top 1% of strikers for passes attempted, progressive passes, progressive carries, successful take-ons, tackles and interceptions per 90.

This demonstrates that the Watford man is a supreme creator and is more than willing to help the team out defensively, so it is easy to see why Howe was keen to bring him to St James' Park in the first place.

Former Hornets boss Rob Edwards emphasised this earlier in the season after a win against promotion-chasing Sheffield United.

He said: “I’d add Joao Pedro into it, because I thought he was incredible, and say that the front three were very good. Their commitment and running was at a really high level. I could see their desire and fight to help their teammates."

Could Callum Wilson leave Newcastle this summer?

If Newcastle do reignite their interest in the Watford star this summer and pay big money to bring him in, then it could be Wilson who is forced to leave, as there would be little room for him alongside Isak and Pedro in Howe's system.

The England international is on a barren run of one goal in his last 15 outings and has already lost his place to Alexander Isak in recent weeks, so is surely a prime candidate to leave in the summer.

Howe has previously admitted that he is prepared to lose players he 'loves' and while Wilson would fall into that category, he is 31 now and Newcastle must start building for the future, so if Pedro does sign, it would perhaps not be a surprise to see the former AFC Bournemouth man depart.

Newcastle United are monitoring Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Ashworth’s connection

The Athletic report that Eddie Howe is looking to bolster his midfield ranks ahead of the new season and it appears that he’s identified the 24-year-old as an ideal candidate.

The Argentinian was previously signed by sporting director Dan Ashworth during his time with Premier League rivals the Seagulls so will hold a strong existing connection to the boss’ target.

St. James’ Park legend Alan Shearer also recently took to social media to hint that he’d love to see the playmaker put pen to paper in the northeast in the near future.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Mac Allister

According to 90min, Mac Allister is being ‘monitored’ by Newcastle, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea, with overseas clubs Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus and RB Leipzig also ‘keen’ to sign him.

Brighton’s talisman is ‘ready to leave’ the Amex in the summer in order to ‘take the next step’ in his career, with his father previously revealing that he is ‘enjoying’ footballing life in England.

Roberto De Zerbi’s outfit currently have ‘no desire to part ways’ with the midfielder, but the sales of the likes of Ben White and Marc Cucurella in years gone by have shown that they are willing to sanction big-name exits should a sizeable offer be put on the table.

The Verdict: Empty the pockets

Mac Allister has been dubbed a ‘joy to watch’ by journalist Josh Bunting, and whilst the price tag Brighton would set for him is unknown, PIF and Newcastle should empty their pockets to get this deal done if the opportunity was to present itself.

The Adidas-sponsored star is an extremely creative individual that loves to contribute to his team’s efforts in the final third having scored nine goals and provided one assist in 24 appearances across all competitions this season.

The Santa Rosa native also ranks in the 97th percentile for total number of shots per 90 minutes but is equally as strong in the defensive aspect of his game where he’s currently averaging 2.4 tackles every top-flight outing.

The World Cup winner would finally add plenty of versatility to Howe’s squad having operated in seven different positions since the start of his career where he’s comfortable being played anywhere across the midfield, making this a no-brainer of a transfer to complete.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have enjoyed a successful run of late both on and off the pitch. Julen Lopetegui has led the Old Gold to victories over Liverpool and Southampton recently which have moved the club away from the Premier League relegation zone.

The Spaniard has also bolstered his squad significantly in January, signing players such as Matheus Cunha, Pablo Sarabia and Joao Gomes who could give the Molineux side a major boost not only for the rest of this season but ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

However, Lopetegui did have one big howler in the transfer window in failing to sign right-back Milan van Ewijk, as he could’ve been an upgrade on Nelson Semedo, who has struggled this season.

Indeed, Benfica were reportedly eyeing a move to re-sign the Portuguese defender in the summer according to CNN Portugal (via Record), with his current contract expiring at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old is ranked as Wolves’ 19th-best player this term, proving how ineffective he has been. He has kept just two clean sheets, lost possession 9.1 times per match and been dribbled past 0.5 times per game, and it’s time for Lopetegui to move him on and secure an upgrade in that problematic position.

Could Van Ewijk have been an upgrade on Semedo?

Van Ewijk was linked with Wolves during the January transfer window and was available for a bargain fee of around £4m.

The Dutchman has impressed this season for Eredivisie side Heerenveen, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.11/10. This ranks 22-year-old as the fourth-best performer in their squad this term, which is no mean feat for the young defender.

Such is his confidence in his own abilities that the player even praised himself while discussing his own strengths back in 2019, saying: “I’m a fierce right back who can attack well, but also defend well and I’m in good shape. I can certainly be found in the front. Last season I also gave a number of assists. I’ll show the rest during the matches.”

This positive attitude and mentality could see him become a star in the future, and there is no doubt that he would have been a significant upgrade on Semedo at Molineux for the rest of the campaign.

In fact, during both players’ respective league campaigns, the Dutchman has registered more goals (three to none), shots (23 to three), interceptions (28 to 15) and crosses (77 to 22), and won more challenges (88.9% to 71.9%) than his Portuguese counterpart.

This clearly proves that not only is Van Ewijk more capable in defence, he also poses a much greater attacking threat than the current Wolves defender, and he could have been extremely useful for Lopetegui going forward.

It is a howler that the Spaniard won’t want to repeat again, with the 56-year-old surely hoping that he can get another bite at the cherry for the highly-rated Van Ewijk during the summer transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur have it all to do back in north London after they were beaten 1-0 by AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the San Siro on Tuesday night.

Brahim Diaz’s seventh-minute header was the only difference between the Serie A champions and Spurs, who coped pretty well in the absence of some of Antonio Conte’s most important stars.

A youthful pairing of Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp looked comfortable for large spells, in the absence of the suspended Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and the injured Rodrigo Bentancur, but were rarely able to build any attacking threat, with Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son thwarted by a resolute backline.

The same couldn’t be said for the visitors as on another day or against more prolific opposition, mistakes would have been punished even more. It was another worrying outing for Conte’s backline, spearheaded by the calamitous Cristian Romero, who should have been sent off for the second successive game.

How did Cristian Romero perform against Milan?

Rated as the Lilywhites’ poorest player on the night with a 4/10 rating, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick lambasted the Argentina international for his involvement in the Rossoneri’s goal, claiming that he was  ‘meekly beaten in the air by Theo Hernandez.’

He also added: “Lucky not to pick up another red card for a wild tackle on Sandro Tonali.”

Indeed, despite winning 100% of his aerial duels (62.5% overall) and putting in four clearances, the 24-year-old – who cost around €55m (£48.5m) – was a walking disaster throughout the match as he lived life on the edge.

It very much continued his poor form since returning from his World Cup triumph in Qatar earlier this year.

The £165k-per-week titan’s last outing before this one saw him sent off for a careless lunge on Jack Grealish, then in his absence at the weekend, Spurs were thrashed 4-1 by Leicester City.

Four of Romero’s last five outings across the Premier League and Champions League have seen him fail to register a WhoScored rating of above 6.32, which would see him rank as Spurs’ second-worst performer in the former and worst in the latter (of those to start 60% or more games).

Whilst Son has been horribly out of sorts over the last few months, Romero’s erratic nature is costing Conte dearly at the moment. He’s ultimately lucky that there are few that could rival his place in the starting lineup.

The 53-touch Argentine was slammed as being an “absolute reckless liability” by content creator Rory Talks, whilst talkSPORT’s Max Rushden labelled him “needlessly violent” and also backed up Kilpatrick’s aforementioned claim by suggesting that Romero “could have had two reds.”

Spurs can count themselves fortunate to return to N17 with 11 men and only a one-goal disadvantage, given just how poor Romero was for the side on Tuesday night.

Arsenal’s players and staff were left delighted with the signing of Jorginho on transfer deadline day, according to journalist David Ornstein.

What’s the latest?

The Gunners capped off their January spending with the signing of Italy midfielder Jorginho on the final day of the window.

It has been a sensational 2022/23 campaign for Mikel Arteta’s side so far and over the course of January, the Spaniard saw three new faces come through the doors.

However, their final arrival was the experienced Italian midfielder who has been brought in following their failed attempts to sign Moises Caicedo.

Indeed, speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel, Ornstein has provided a behind-the-scenes insight on how the Italian’s arrival was welcomed by those at London Colney:

“Arsenal will be happy to have got him in the building. As I understand it, a lot of the players and staff at Arsenal were very happy to acquire a player of such tactical intelligence and understanding for Mikel Arteta’s system, technical quality, and experience as they look to push on for the Premier League title in the second half of the season.”

Experienced head

Following a stunning start to the season, Arteta’s Gunners are now looking to lift the club’s first Premier League title since the infamous 2003/04 season.

But it is apparent the Spanish coach felt the north London side needed to strengthen their options over January and did so by bringing in three new players.

However, the final addition, Jorginho, arrives with a wealth of experience from both his time with Chelsea and also through his international career.

Playing for Arsenal’s London rivals, the 31-year-old has been able to get his hands on the Champions League, Europa League and the FIFA Club World Cup (via Transfermarkt).

Adding to this, the midfielder played a big role in Italy’s European Championship triumph in the summer of 2021.

So there is little wonder why those at London Colney are so pleased with the signing of an experienced head when they are striving to do what the club have not been able to do for almost two decades.

Aforementioned, it’s believed Arsenal were looking to bring in Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion but the Seagulls rejected the two bids put forward to them.

There has been a lot of praise surrounding the Ecuadorian midfielder but the move for Jorginho could prove a masterstroke with what he can provide off the pitch, as well as on it.

Wolves have made a transfer bid for West Ham defender Craig Dawson, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

The Lowdown: Old Gold renew interest…

As manager Julen Lopetegui is tasked with helping his new side avoid the Premier League drop, the Old Gold appear determined to back him in the January market.

Wolves have made three signings this month with Matheus Cunha, Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina all completing moves to Molineux.

Lopetegui has already got off to a fairly solid start in his bid to steer Wolves away from relegation with two wins and a draw from his last five league games – results which have pulled them out of the bottom three.

The Midlands club, as they continue their search for upgrades, have also reportedly renewed their interest in signing West Ham defender Dawson.

This comes after their summer interest with official talks even happening over that period, but the east Londoners refused to sell after not being able to land a replacement.

The Latest: Wolves table bid…

According to journalist Nixon, writing via his Patreon, Wolves have tabled a January offer for Dawson after reigniting their pursuit.

He claims West Ham ‘have a bid from Wolves’ for the 32-year-old as Lopetegui seemingly seeks to add defensive additions as well as attacking ones this window.

However, in a similar situation to the summer, it is believed by Nixon that David Moyes’ side need a similar player to join them first.

The Verdict: Right man?

While Dawson arguably hasn’t exactly showcased his form of the last two seasons for West Ham over 2022/2023, statistics suggest he could still make a real contribution under Lopetegui.

Over his eight league starts, the Englishman has averaged West Ham’s second-highest rate of blocks made per 90 whilst also falling just behind Kurt Zouma in terms of successful clearances (WhoScored).

Dawson had also been a mainstay for Moyes since his loan move from Watford in 2020, which was eventually made permanent.

Last season, the veteran central defender made an incredible 50 appearances in all competitions for West Ham whilst ranking in their top two for clearances made, aerial duels won and successful blocks per 90 in the top flight. 

Dawson, as a result, is seen as a ‘cult hero’ in east London and it’s clear why Wolves wish to complete a move.

If the Hammers can source a replacement, he could be ideal for Lopetegui.

Tottenham Hotspur have now set their sights on Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford as a long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Pickford a target for Conte

Hugo Lloris has been a loyal servant to Tottenham, making an incredible 439 appearances for the club, but he is now 36-years-old, and Antonio Conte has seemingly started to think about long-term replacements.

It has previously been reported that Pickford is the manager’s ‘main objective’ to replace the Frenchman, with the Everton man emerging as England’s first-choice keeper, making 50 caps, and there is now belief that they could tempt him into a move.

The Latest: Spurs confident

According to a report from the Mirror, Spurs are indeed targeting the 28-year-old as a successor to Lloris, and they now believe that they can tempt him, given his contract stand-off with the Toffees, yet to agree a deal to remain at Goodison beyond 2024.

The allure of playing Champions League football could entice the Englishman into the move, with his current side struggling considerably in the Premier League this season, now sitting in the relegation zone.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

While Everton are enduring a difficult campaign, the former Sunderland man has been a shining light in a poor team, ranked as the third-best average performer in the squad, with an average SofaScore rating of 7.11.

The shot-stopper has made 68 saves in the Premier League, the second-highest amount of any player, and so the Toffees are very fortunate to have him in goal, or they could be in even more danger than they already are.

Lauded as ‘sensational’ by journalist Jeff Wallner, while also being said to have ‘world class distribution’ by Nick Emms, Pickford would be the perfect successor for Lloris, and at 28 he could be a mainstay between the sticks for many years to come.