Arsenal transfer news: Gunners get Jules Kounde response as they benefit from Chelsea departure

Arsenal have enquired about landing Barcelona’s Jules Kounde but the Spanish club has made their stance clear as a Chelsea stale stands to have financial benefits for the Gunners

Mikel Arteta is currently plotting his summer recruitment (
Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Arsenal have been active in the market over recent summers and that trend is set to continue.

The Gunners narrowly missed out on the Premier League title but continue to head in the right direction under Mikel Arteta. They add the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz last summer to bolster their own ranks and they’ve already identified areas where they can further improve.

It is understood that an out and out striker is on their wish list with Gabriel Jesus not prolific enough whilst Havertz ended up playing as a false 9 as the season went on.

Here’s the latest from the Emirates.

Gunners get Kounde answer

Arsenal have made a surprise enquiry for Barcelona’s Jules Kounde. The French defender’s versatility is seen as a key asset, but Jijantes reports that they have been told by the Spanish side that he is not for sale as things stand.

He adds that it would take a “high offer” for any deal to even be considered. Barcelona are also waiting to hear about the future of fellow defender Ronald Araujo, who is heavily linked with Manchester United. Previously Chelsea pursued Kounde hard when he was at Sevilla before he chose to move to the Nou Camp.

Kounde has a €1billion (£837m) release clause as part of contract with Barcelona which means Arsenal would need to negotiate a lower transfer fee for the defender.

Chelsea sale results in profit

Arsenal look poised to benefit financially due to Chelsea’s imminent sale of Omari Hutchinson to Ipswich. The player had a successful loan stint at Portman Road last season, helping them land a second successive promotion and is set to return to Suffolk in a club-record deal worth £22.5m.

Arsenal chose to include a sell-on clause when Chelsea bought Hutchinson from the Gunners in 2022. The figure was reportedly worth between 15-20 per cent, which means the Gunners will pocket between £3.3m-£4.5m, reports the Evening Standard.

Now Chelsea have put their own clauses in – including a 25 per cent sell-on clause of their own and having the right to match any future bids that Ipswich may receive for the player.

First summer signing close

Arsenal are close to their first signing of the summer transfer window as Turkish outlet Aksam claim the north Londoners are nearing a deal for highly-rated Besiktas and Turkey striker Semih Kilicsoy. They see the 18-year-old as among the best young talents in Europe and could spend more than £26m to land his signature.

The youngster is currently with Turkey at Euro 2024. Kilicsoy found success from the left wing and as a centre forward with the majority of his 15 goal contributions coming after the turn of the year when he switched positions. He finished the year with a shot-to-goal conversion of almost 20 per cent in the Super Lig.