Rumour reel: Chelsea finding it tough

We knew we hadn’t heard the last of the Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool story, and the Dutchman is apparently still keen on a move to Anfield, telling The Reds to come and get him. Current employers Southampton were annoyed at how Liverpool approached their player earlier this summer, and have now slapped a £60m transfer fee on his head. We’re sure a cheque of that size would help them get over it. Some newspapers believe Arsenal are lining up a bid of £45m, and Gunners fans would be delighted if they were to add a bit of muscle to their backline. Sticking with Liverpool and they will have to up their £57m bid for Naby Keita, with Leipzig playing hardball.

Wenger gives up on Mbappe

Arsenal fans were dreaming of Wenger signing in-demand Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe, but the French boss has now given up on that one, accepting that he’s fighting a losing battle. Arsene has plenty of rebuilding to do however, so will get on with chasing other targets, including Thomas Lemar. The 21-year-old, a teammate of Mbappe, has told Monaco to allow him to leave for London and he wants to get settled at the Emirates in plenty of time for the new English football season. Arsenal are working hard to hang on to star striker Alexis Sanchez, but if they do lose the Chilean, they’ll replace him with Celtic and France U21 scorer Moussa Dembele. The 20-year-old set the heather alight in Scotland last term, and has also attracted attention from the likes of West Ham and Chelsea.

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