Arsenal transfer supremo Andrea Berta has entered talks to sign a £246m duo this summer, according to club insider Hand of Arsenal.

The Gunners are looking to build upon their Premier League title win and Champions League final appearance last season during the summer window, with Mikel Arteta looking to add more firepower to his attack.

But with a bloated squad, the team first had to make some sales, and they kickstarted the process by agreeing a deal to sell Leandro Trossard to Besiktas. Now, sporting director Berta is understood to be making his moves to bring players in.

Arsenal In Talks for £246m ‘Superstar’ Duo

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Caean Couto

According to the reliable Hand of Arsenal, the Gunners’ decision to sell Belgium international Trossard was the ‘first step’ to get the club’s transfer plans off the ground.

The deal has now opened up a ‘clear spot’ on the left-wing in Arteta’s squad, and it’s understood that Berta has engaged in talks with both Bradley Barcola and Morgan Rogers about bringing them to the Emirates Stadium.

The deals are being worked on simultaneously by the Spaniard, and while there have been no official club-to-club talks between Arsenal and PSG or Aston Villa, it’s understood that both players are ‘very open to the move’ to north London.

Villa have recently slapped a £130m asking price on Rogers, having seen Elliot Anderson sold for £116m by Nottingham Forest, while Paris Saint-Germain have also decided that Barcola’s price would be at a similar level to Anderson’s if he were to leave the Parc des Princes during this transfer window.

It’s highly unlikely that Arsenal would splash the cash to sign both players at those prices, but Berta is pushing both deals along in order to pull the trigger on one further down the line when he gets a deal he wants.

Arsenal Ready to Go Big

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It’s clear that Arsenal want to make a major statement in the transfer window this summer, and both Barcola and Rogers would definitely fit that bill.

The France international, described as a ‘superstar’, has lit up the World Cup this summer and is a more natural winger option that could fit into the squad seamlessly, while Rogers, who has also been described as a ‘superstar’, has struggled for game time with England, but he is a Premier League-proven playmaker who would need less adaptation time.

Both options would be excellent additions to the squad, and Berta knows that, hence working on both deals simultaneously to ensure Arsenal are well positioned and don’t miss out.

Manchester United have made direct contact with Bournemouth about sealing a deal to sign midfield star Alex Scott, according to BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

The Red Devils have made it a priority to bolster their midfield this summer, but have missed out on top targets Elliot Anderson and Matheus Fernandes to Man City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, having refused to meet their asking prices.

United are now looking at alternatives in the market and have identified the Englishman as a potential option heading into the new season.

Scott, who has been described as ‘unbelievable’, is entering the final two years of his contract at the Vitality Stadium, and is someone the Cherries are desperate to keep hold of after losing Antoine Semenyo and Andoni Iraola since the turn of the year.

The central midfielder is understood to be open to leaving this summer for a new challenge, but Bournemouth do not want to lose another key player and are keen to offer him a new contract to tie his long-term future to the club. They’ve also slapped an £80m asking price on his head to deter any interested parties, using the fees of Fernandes and Anderson as a measuring stick.

It’s reported by the BBC that Man Utd have in fact made ‘direct contact’ with Bournemouth about a deal for the 22-year-old, but the response they received at the time was that he is not for sale under any circumstances in this transfer window.

While talks over a new deal haven’t progressed, the club are planning to keep him for at least another season, leaving Man Utd forced to look at even more alternative options, having missed out on yet another midfield target during their summer rebuild attempt.

Scott is believed to be open to a move to Old Trafford, with Champions League football expected to be a key pulling point.

Scott and Mainoo Pairing is Lightweight

via Reuters

While Scott is undoubtedly a top, top midfield talent, a midfield pairing of him and Kobbie Mainoo would certainly have it’s flaws. Both players like to carry the ball from deeper positions and are more attack-minded, although they are both capable of doing the dirty work too.

But in a league that is so big on physicality, it may be a bit lightweight as a starting pairing, and Man Utd must look to address that issue with any other midfield signings they make, or risk struggling throughout the campaign.

Ederson is set to arrive from Atalanta which could help, while there is also interest in Carlos Baleba and Aurelien Tchouameni, but it seems that Scott is the man at the top of their wishlist currently.

Rayan Cherki has claimed he was floored by the many fouls Paraguay were allowed to get away with by referee Ilgiz Tantashev during France‘s Round of 32 victory.

Kylian Mbappé‘s seventh strike of the tournament, a figure that puts him on a par with Lionel Messi, was enough to see off an adrenaline-fuelled Paraguay side that stirred controversy with their aggressive tactics.

That anger was further intensified due to Tantashev’s failure to book a single Paraguayan player, despite their combative display drawing criticism from fans and pundits.

Cherki Stunned by Lack of Cards

Kyle Ross (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

The Manchester City star, who came on in the second half for Ousmane Dembele, expressed his surprise at the officiating after the game. “I didn’t know Paraguay could do 30 fouls without getting a yellow card.”

What made it particularly frustrating for the French players was that whilst no Paraguay players saw a card, three of their own (Bradley Barcola, Manu Kone and Michael Olise) were awarded cautions.

Tantashev is an experienced referee at the top-level, having been a FIFA-listed ref for over a decade. However, it is almost impossible to explain how midfielder Matías Galarza was allowed to get away without a booking despite the many interactions he had with the French team.

Fans Demand “Investigation”

Referee Ilgiz Tantashev with Kylian Mbappe via REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Social media was lit up with scathing comments that included questioning the officiating throughout and that the referee should be investigated for how one-sided the card count was.

The consensus was that the referee had lost control of the game; it was poor game management at the highest level, which is strange given the strict process that FIFA uses when collating their World Cup officiating teams.

One supporter called it “one of the worst referee performances” they’d seen at any level, whilst another stated it was a “shocking performance from the ref.”

Former City player Joe Hart slammed the performance on the BBC’s coverage, claiming it was an “absolute disgrace” and he wouldn’t want his side to win in that manner.

It remains to be seen if he will face any action from FIFA ahead of the quarter-finals, and it will be interesting to see if he will be awarded any games in the final few rounds after this display.

France now face Morocco in the quarter-finals after the African side knocked out home nation Canada with a convincing three-goal victory, with the two sides meeting again following Les Bleus’ semi-final win at Qatar in 2022.