MIRROR
Arsenal are set for a major windfall as they tie up deals for Folarin Balogun and Kieran Tierney – and they will also pocket a sell-on clause for Matteo Guendouzi.
Balogun is joining Monaco in a £40million deal, which represents a record sale for the Gunners. Tierney is joining Real Sociedad on a season-long loan after the Spanish club pulled off a coup as Newcastle, Celtic and Aston Villa did not follow up with offers.
Guendouzi, meanwhile, is close to joining Lazio after the Italians agreed an €18m (£15.45m) transfer fee with Marseille for the France international. Marseille owe Arsenal 15 per cent of any sale due to a sell-on clause, which amounts to around £2.3m.
Arsenal have already bagged around £2m from West Ham’s deal to sign Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart for £20m. The Gunners sold Mavropanos to the Germans a year ago for just £3m, but that deal included a 10 per cent sell-on clause.
The Balogun sale and the saving on Tierney’s wages will help Arsenal balance the books, but it is unlikely they will re-enter the market unless there is another departure or they can find a deal on a right winger as back-up for Bakayo Saka.
Monaco beat off plenty of interest in Balogun including from Chelsea, who like the USA international but would not match Arsenal’s price. Balogun scored 21 Ligue 1 goals during a loan spell with Reims last season and will hope to replicate that form at Monaco.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have insisted that Eddie Nketiah is fully fit despite suggestions that he finished Saturday’s draw with Fulham with an injury. The Premier League fixture finished 2-2 at the Emirates after Joao Palhinha’s late equaliser for the visitors.
Receiving a sell-on clause for Guendouzi is a nice bonus for Mikel Arteta after the pair didn’t get on. The Gunners boss inherited Guendouzi when he took over from Unai Emery in December 2019 and played the midfielder during his first few months in charge.
Yet Guendouzi never played for Arsenal again after an altercation with Neal Maupay during Brighton’s 2-1 victory against Arteta’s side in June 2020. The Frenchman was sent out on loan to Hertha Berlin later than year before joining Marseille in July 2021.
