Wenger 'to oversee massive Arsenal overhaul'

Is Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger staying or going? Staying, according to the Mirror, which reports that he will be in charge for "one of the biggest shake-ups of the squad in recent times."

That shake-up will see him "likely to have to replace Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil" after a season that has seen the club humbled in the Champions League and currently adrift of the Premier League's top four. The Mirror writes that Arsenal are "almost resigned" to life without Sanchez and Ozil and will back Wenger with a transfer budget of more than £100 million in the summer.

Targets on whom that money could be spent include Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette (strongly linked with Arsenal before), Monaco's in-form Kylian Mbappe, midfielders Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund and Everton's Ross Barkley. Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland is another potential arrival, and defensive reinforcements could include Valencia left-back Jose Luis Gaya, also a target for Manchester City.

Amid those possible arrivals, players potentially on their way include Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Nacho Moreal and Aaron Ramsey, the Mirror reported.

Everton target La Liga attacking duo

News that Everton striker Romelu Lukaku does not intend to sign a new contract has given manager Ronald Koeman extra thinking to do as the window approaches.

The Sun reported that Koeman will look to Spain for attacking reinforcements and make a £50 million double move for Cedric Bakambu of Villarreal and Real Sociedad's Willian Jose.

It also reported that the duo are "at the top of his list," with Bakambu having produced some excellent recent performances and Jose on 11 goals this season. Jose's form has attracted plenty of attention, "with Goodison Park scouts among those tracking his progress this season."

Otamendi could be Bernabeu-bound

Amid the talk of which players Pep Guardiola might bring to Manchester City in the summer, there hasn't been that much said about potential departures. But now the Mail suggested that defender Nicolas Otamendi might be off to Real Madrid.

The paper reported that Otamendi is among those under consideration as a replacement for Pepe, who is heading for Hebei China Fortune.

With Guardiola having been linked with both Athletic Bilbao's Aymeric Laporte and Virgil Van Dijk of Southampton, Otamendi could be allowed to move to the Bernabeu. The Mail reported that his agent, Jorge Mendes, "is understood to have already spoken to Madrid about the possibility."

Tap-ins

-- Neymar has dropped the biggest hint yet that he could play in the Premier League one day, if he ever decides to leave Barcelona for new pastures.

"I like the playing style and the teams," Neymar told the Sun at a sponsorship event when asked about the possibility of a move to the Premier League. "And who knows? Someday I would like to play at it, yes."

-- One way of making a club interested in you is scoring an outstanding goal against them, and it seems that's the case with Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney and Newcastle United.

The Mail wrote that Magpies manager Rafa Benitez was impressed when the 26-year-old struck from long range in Fulham's recent 3-1 win at the Championship leaders. The report suggested that it might be a case of second-time luck for Newcastle, who asked about him in January but found Fulham unwilling to part with a player rated at £12 million.

-- West Bromwich Albion have had a fine season, but manager Tony Pulis has no intention of resting on his laurels, according to the Mail. The paper reported that Pulis is considering a move for Sampdoria defender Milan Skriniar and has travelled to Italy to watch the Slovakia international centre-back in action.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by CHRIS BORG

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