Arsenal fans convinced £40m man will sign

The rumour mill giveth, the rumour mill taketh away for Arsenal fans. 

While reports from Italy suggest Arsenal’s attempts to lure Italy’s Euro 2020 star Manuel Locatelli to the Emirates have ground to a shuddering halt – the Sassuolo maestro is holding out for Juventus instead – confidence is growing on the streets of north London that another all-action central midfield player will be posing for photos in that red-and-white shirt before 31 August. 

Things have gone quiet about Yves Bissouma since Football London reported – a month ago today – the Brighton and Hove Albion star had his heart set on a move to Arsenal. 

Bissouma had apparently told his agent to secure him a big-money switch to his boyhood club.

Since then, Arsenal appear to have turned their attention to Locatelli, bewitched by his magisterial displays at Euro 2020, while pushing ahead with a deal for highly rated Anderlecht youngster Albert Sambi Lokonga too. 

But after Brighton announced the signing of Enock Mwepu this afternoon, the ripple of enthusiasm passing through an increasingly excited Arsenal fanbase was almost palpable.  

The Athletic reports that, while former Red Bull Salzburg starlet Mwepu hasn’t been signed specifically to take Bissouma’s place in Graham Potter’s engine room, his transfer was completed with the 24-year-old’s exit in mind. 

Here’s what some Arsenal supporters on Twitter had to say about the situation: