Arsenal will soon be back in action.
Mikel Arteta’s men will be aiming to climb into European contention when the Premier League season resumes after a stuttering season in which they have largely flattered to deceive.
The Gunners are currently ninth in the table, eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and five behind fifth-placed Manchester United.
Of course, Manchester City’s ban from next season’s competition means that a fifth-placed finish could well be enough to qualify for the Champions League, but it remains to be seen if Arteta’s men can bridge the gap.
GIVEMESPORT has taken a look at the news headlines surrounding the north London club as Project Restart nears…
Take a look below!
Luka Jovic interest
The Gunners are interested in signing Luka Jovic on loan from Real Madrid this summer, according to SPORT via Sport Witness.
The Gunners have taken Dani Ceballos on loan from the Spanish giants for this season and the report claims that Real are planning to send the striker away on a similar deal after a poor season.
Indeed, Jovic has scored just twice this season and Arsenal are touted as a possible destination for the Serbia international.
AC Milan are also said to be interested as Real look to secure the 22-year-old some regular first-team football.
Dayot Upamecano boost
Arsenal may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Dayot Upamecano this summer, per Bild via The London Evening Standard.
They report that RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has said that the club have no plans to allow the defender to leave on a free next summer.
And that means that he will either need to sign a new deal this summer or move.
Upamecano is just 21 but he has 150 senior appearances under his belt to date and is valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt.
If Arsenal can put an attractive package together, they could give Leipzig plenty of food for thought this summer.
Lacazette future in doubt
Inter Milan may look to move for Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette this summer if Lautaro Martinez leaves the club, per Mundo Deportivo via Sport Witness.
Martinez is wanted by Barcelona and the report states that Inter expect that deal to go through.
As a result, the club’s sporting director Piero Ausilio is said to have begun putting together a shortlist of potential replacements, which Lacazette is on.
The 29-year-old is said to be in pole position to succeed Martinez as Inter’s first-choice striker, though the Gunners are not said to be in favour of letting him leave.
This may well come down to whether or not the Gunners can secure European football this season.
The clock is certainly ticking.