Report: Arsenal stepping up pursuits for 4 players
Arsenal are progressing in their efforts to strengthen their squad after last season's unexpected yet unsuccessful Premier League title chase.
Kai Havertz has reportedly agreed to switch Chelsea for Arsenal, while negotiations are advancing with the clubs of Declan Rice, Romeo Lavia, and Jurrien Timber.
Arsenal appear to be on the verge of unveiling Havertz as their first summer signing. The 24-year-old agreed to a five-year contract, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, before Chelsea accepted Arsenal's reported bid of £62.5 million plus a further £5 million in performance-related add-ons on Wednesday.
The Gunners are also closer in their pursuit of Rice despite West Ham United rejecting their latest offer, The Athletic's David Ornstein reports. The proposal was worth an initial £75-million fee with an extra £15 million in add-ons, but Romano believes West Ham thought those extra performance-related payments are "difficult to achieve." Rice's price tag is understood to be around £100 million.
The Irons are apparently preparing for Manchester City to join the race for their captain with an approach that could potentially "blow Arsenal out of the water," The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg reported last week. One move that West Ham are keen to explore would see Kalvin Phillips join them as part of the deal, according to ESPN's Rob Dawson and James Olley.
Havertz and Rice aren't the only deals Arsenal hope to strike with a fellow English club. Negotiations are advancing with recently relegated Southampton for the potential signing of Lavia, but an official bid is yet to be lodged for the deep-lying midfielder, Romano understands.
Lavia, 19, joined Southampton from Manchester City last summer. The Premier League champions have a £40-million buyback clause that can be activated at the end of the 2023-24 season. If a deal with another club is completed, City still stand to receive a percentage of the transfer fee due to a clause written into his 2022 switch to the south coast, Romano reports.
Ajax's Timber is another player who could be unveiled by Arsenal this summer. The Gunners have submitted a bid worth around £30 million for the 22-year-old defender, but Ajax want a bigger offer, according to BBC Sport's Simon Stone. Timber has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Bayern Munich.