Wednesday's big football rumours: Two Arsenal midfielders heading for the exit

Mkhitaryan Ozil

What the papers say

A pair of Arsenal midfielders could be heading for the Emirates exit, with the Daily Mirror reporting that the Gunners are keen to offload MesutOzil and HenrikhMkhitaryan to reduce their wage bill. Manager Unai Emery wants to bring in new blood for the team, including Celtic’s KieranTierney, the paper adds.

Barcelona may look to pounce on uncertainty over the future of Manchester United’s MarcusRashford by offering north of £100 million, the Daily Mirror says. The England international has been on the Red Devils' books since 2005, but is yet to sign a contract extension with the club, leading to interest from the La Liga giants.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool – Emirates FA Cup – Third Round – Molineux

Liverpool’s Alberto Moreno has fallen out of favour at Anfield (Nick Potts/PA)

Alberto Moreno, who has only started two games for Liverpool this term, is set for a move to Barcelona over the summer, the Liverpool Echo reports. Moreno, 26, joined the Reds in 2014 but has struggled for game time of late.

Nicolo Barella is Arsenal’s top target over the summer, but doubts over their Champions League prospects may prevent them from landing the Cagliari midfielder, reports the Daily Mirror. The 22-year-old is valued at £43 million and the Gunners will need to be in Europe’s top club competition to permit such a spend, according to the paper.

A photo posted by on

Rafael Leao, deemed the Portuguese Kylian Mbappe, has caught the eye of Everton, reports the Daily Star. The 19-year-old is currently on the books at Ligue 1 club Lille with his seven goals this campaign helping the side to hold second place.

Social media round-up

Players to watch

William Saliba: Manchester United are said to be tracking the Saint-Etienne defender who has turned out for France at Under-17, 18 and 19 level, reports Le10Sport.

A photo posted by on

Alejandro Grimaldo: The left-back who currently plays for Benfica has caught the eye of Arsenal and Juventus, Calciomercato says.

Soualiho Meite: Torino will face a battle to keep hold of the midfielder amid interest from Tottenham and West Ham, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

FourFourTwo Staff

FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.