Guendouzi closes in on Marseille move as Saliba prepares to join him in France

BetOdds Transfers Arsenal Olympique Marseille Mattéo Guendouzi Premier League Ligue 1

The Gunners duo have fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta and are expected to head to Ligue 1 for the 2021-22 campaign

Matteo Guendouzi is closing in on a move to Marseille, with William Saliba expected to follow him to the Stade Velodrome.

Arsenal have been locked in talks with the Ligue 1 outfit for several weeks over a deal for Guendouzi, who has not played for the Gunners since June, 2020.

And an agreement has now been reached for the 22-year-old, with Marseille hopeful of finalising a deal within the next week.

Guendouzi will initially join Marseille on loan for the 2021-22 season, but the deal includes an obligation to buy next summer. In all, Arsenal will receive around £10m ($14m) for the France U-21 international.

Marseille will pay a loan fee of £850k for the coming season and then around £9m ($12m) to turn the move permanent in the summer of 2022.

The Gunners are hopeful of swiftly wrapping up a move for Anderlecht midfielder Albert Lokonga.

They have also agreed an £8m ($11m) deal with Benfica for left-back Nuno Tavares, who flew to London on Friday to complete his move to Emirates Stadium.

With that transfer finalised, Arsenal will then press forward with their pursuit of 21-year-old Lokonga, who is expected to join for a fee of around £18m ($25m).

Arsenal and Marseille are also in talks over a loan move for Saliba, although an agreement has yet to be reached for the young centre-back.

Discussions are continuing over the potential deal, with Saliba understood to be keen on a move to the French side.

The 20-year-old has not played a single minute of competitive football for Arsenal since joining from Saint Etienne for £27m ($37m) in 2019.

And with Arsenal hoping to complete a £50m ($69m) move for Brighton defender Ben White after Euro 2020, Saliba could find his playing opportunities limited again in the coming season.

He spent last season on loan with Nice and now looks set to spend another campaign in Ligue 1, with talks between Arsenal and Marseille set to escalate in the coming days.

Newcastle had been interested in a loan move for Saliba, but he favours a return to France.

2021-07-03 18:00:04

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