Arsenal are ready to offer two first-team stars to Inter Milan in a bid to land Niccolo Barella this summer.
At least, that is what reports in Italy claim.
The Gunners have already splashed out over £200m this summer, signing Declan Rice for a British transfer record as well as bringing Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber to north London. They are also in the final stages of completing a loan move for Brentford no.1 David Raya, which will also include a £27m option to buy the player should he impress.
They aren’t done there though, and the Independent report that any further sales will see them look to recruit a new no.6, perhaps somewhat surprisingly given the options already available to Mikel Arteta in that role.
Italian outlet Calcio Mercato go one further, and claim that the man Arsenal have in their sights is none other than Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella, who was thought to be close to a move to Newcastle United earlier in the transfer window.
However, they are not keen to pay Inter’s hefty asking price for the Italian, with the 26-year-old considered a vital player in the Nerazzurri side.
Balogun is almost certain to leave north London permanently this summer and has caught the eye of West Ham United and Monaco as well as Inter, with the Italian side having seen a 25m euro bid rejected for his services. Arteta’s side are said to value him at around £50m.
The Gunners would also offer up defender Tomiyasu, who has struggled with injury in the past 12 months, in addition to what is described as ‘a boatload of money’ to get a deal for Barella done.
