Erling Haaland release clause update gives Arsenal hope amid £172m Kylian Mbappe transfer saga

Arsenal will be sitting back and watching some of the biggest moves in the transfer market develop, hopeful an opportunity or two may arise. The Gunners pushed themselves back towards the top of the Premier League last season, sustaining a title challenge until the very end.

However, it wasn't enough as Mikel Arteta has been forced to keep evolving his team towards new ideals, with a summer window to back that up. The £105million signing of Declan Rice was a significant move, one that the club may not have been able to make in previous years, while also beating Manchester City to his signature.

The former West Ham captain has been a welcome addition to the team, though their results haven't matched expectations so far. Arsenal sit fourth in the Premier League, a few points off of top spot, with a January transfer window that may not provide much in terms of reinforcements.

Instead, focus may have to hinge on improving once again in the summer, with patience required to build a squad that can consistently win trophies. One area that will be of interest is in the centre-forward region, with the Gunners struggling to finish chances on a regular basis.

There are plenty of moving parts over the signing of a big-money striker though, with links to the likes of Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen. Then there's the long shot of Kylian Mbappe, who is available to sign on a pre-contract agreement, as he enters the final six months of his deal.

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Real Madrid have joined Arsenal in the race for the Frenchman, but a report from Diario AS claims a date