Arsenal news: Gunners get Tonali green light and recommended Alexander-Arnold | Football | Sport

Arsenal are wasting no time in going about their transfer business this summer. The Gunners’ 2025/26 season only concluded last Saturday, when they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in the Champions League final. Despite having already been crowned Premier League champions at long last, that disappointment in Budapest would have stung Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who swiftly made it clear in his post-match press conference that the club need to demonstrate ambition in the summer transfer window.

Josh Kroenke, the son of Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke, has indicated sporting director Andrea Berta could be provided with another £250million to spend on signings, equalling the club’s record outlay last summer. And it seems they have already started preparing for the 2026/27 season, with Express Sport bringing you some of the latest transfer stories involving the English champions…

Green light given on Tonali

Former Gunners defender Nacho Monreal reckons Arsenal would boast the finest midfield on the planet if they secure Sandro Tonali from Newcastle this summer. Tonali, 26, emerged as a transfer target in the January window after Berta was alerted to the prospect of signing him.

It is understood that the Italian’s own agent has made contact with Berta, as Tonali is eager to continue competing in the Champions League next season. Newcastle’s inability to secure European football, coupled with reports suggesting Arsenal are in the market for a new central midfielder, has seen Tonali re-emerge as a potential summer target.

Despite Arteta already boasting a formidable midfield comprising Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly, Monreal backs the acquisition of Tonali, insisting his arrival would give the Gunners an unrivalled midfield unit.

“If Arsenal sign Tonali, obviously they will have the best midfield in the world,” said Monreal, who pulled on the Arsenal shirt 251 times between 2013 and 2019. “But they signed Zubimendi last year for a lot of money, so it is a difficult one.

“To have both Tonali, Zubimendi, and Rice would be a lot, so I can only imagine that they would have to sell either Zubimendi or Declan Rice if they really want Tonali. In my opinion, they already have the two best defensive midfielders in the world.”

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Shock Trent Alexander-Arnold move

Teddy Sheringham has put forward Trent Alexander-Arnold as a potential Arsenal recruit. Few could have envisaged the former Liverpool defender lining up for the Gunners when he departed Anfield to sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer last summer.

However, the 27-year-old endured a deeply frustrating debut campaign in Spain, having struggled to hold down a regular starting berth due to injuries and poor form. Now, the Englishman’s future looks increasingly uncertain heading into next season, with the imminent arrival of Dutch right-back Denzel Dumfries looming large.

José Mourinho’s appointment as manager also represents a blow for Alexander-Arnold, given the Portuguese’s well-documented preference for defensive solidity – an area where the full-back has frequently been found wanting. That makes him an unlikely addition to Arteta’s transfer wishlist.

Yet former Tottenham striker Sheringham believes the Gunners could conceal Alexander-Arnold’s defensive shortcomings through their impressive tactical structure, while he could provide the X-factor that has eluded them in recent years.

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest World Cup odds, Sheringham said: “Could we see Trent Alexander-Arnold back in the Premier League? Liverpool fans might not want him back so it does narrow down where he could go, doesn’t it.

“He doesn’t immediately strike me as an Arsenal player, to be fair. I think they’re too strong and resilient and work as a proper back four unit. But they could make it work for him.

“Even if you have an organised back four with fantastic players, if you leave him on his own Trent looks all over the place, but that was true of Harry Maguire when Manchester United weren’t playing well. If you did that to Tony Adams or Steve Buce they’d have looked shocking.

“If you put Trent in an organised, structured back four, and they work as a unit, that’s what playing in a team like Arsenal is all about. If someone worked with Trent along those lines, coached him to get in the right position at the right times, then I’m sure he could improve in that position to give Arsenal that extra dimension that he brings to a team.”