Arsenal have had their first bid for Leicester City and England Under-19 winger Jeremy Monga rejected – the 19-year-old is one of the club's long-term targets for the summer. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
The Gunners are also preparing a bid for Paris St-Germain and France winger Bradley Barcola, 23. (Independent), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal's Declan Rice is expected to be available for England's World Cup match against Ghana after suffering from lower back pain during the win over Croatia.
The midfielder was substituted midway through the second half, raising concerns about his fitness.
But it is understood the back issue is unlikely to prevent Rice from playing against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday (21:00 BST kick-off).
The complaint is one that the 27-year-old has been carrying for a while and will require managing during the tournament.
Speaking after the game, manager Thomas Tuchel said: "Declan had some unusual ball losses and I saw a bit of discomfort.
"And then I asked him, and he pointed directly to his lower back, upper hamstring, that he feels the discomfort.
"I didn't want to take any risks, I hope it's nothing more. Declan just reassured me at the end.
"We will take care of it, and it's nothing big to worry about."
Tuchel was 'amazing' at half-time - Rice
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked you which players you have watched at the World Cup that you think would be a great fit at Arsenal
Here are some of your comments:
Rob: I'd like Arsenal to target some promising youth this window - we bought established stars last summer, so let's supplement that with the next generation. For me, we should be targeting Ayyoub Bouaddi from Morocco and Gilberto Mora from Mexico. I'd love to see us pick up Kenan Yildiz from Turkey, but that might be asking for too much.
Alexander: Andrea Berta needs to bring Bouaddi to Arsenal. He completely controlled the game against Brazil and is a phenomenal young talent who could really add quality to Arsenal's midfield.
Steve: Morocco's teen dynamo Bouaddi - something Viera-esque about him in terms of his height and build, his confidence and composure on the ball, long legs moving him casually but quickly around the pitch, constantly seeking the ball from his team mates, relentlessly involved in the play and having a positive impact upon the game. Would love to see him in an Arsenal shirt!
Jordan: As an Arsenal fan, keep an eye on Bouaddi, Bradley Barcola, and Morgan Rogers this World Cup. Bouaddi looks like a calm, press-resistant midfielder who could fit Arsenal's controlled style. Barcola brings electric pace and directness as a winger who can stretch any defence. And Rogers is a powerful, confident attacking midfielder who drives forward with the ball and creates chances. All three have that mix of youth, technique and intensity that would suit Mikel Arteta's system really well and we can go on and conquer England and the other tournaments!
Spotted someone you want for Arsenal? Let us know who and why he'd fit
Arsenal are set to make an offer to sign Georgia Under-21 international Andria Bartishvili.
The 17-year-old is contracted to parent club FC Kolkheti until the end of 2026 and it is understood that the Gunners are set to make a pre-contract offer to the teenager.
Talks over the move are ongoing but Arsenal are not the only club vying for Bartishvili.
Bartishvili, a versatile attacking midfielder, spent last season at Iberia 1999, helping the club finish second in the Georgian top-flight - missing out on the title by one point.
Bartishvili is viewed as one of the brightest talents in Georgian football and has also been linked with moved to a number or Italian sides, including Juventus.
Image source, Getty ImagesIn Tuesday's World Cup win over Iraq, Arsenal and Norway's Martin Odegaard completed 97.6% of his passes. In total, Odegaard played 42 passes and found a team-mate with 41 of them.
Two other players were outstanding in their distribution - Sander Berge on 95.1% and Torbjorn Heggem on 94%. It points to the shift to a more easy-on-the-eye style Norway have undertaken over the years as in their previous two World Cup appearances (1994, 1998), no Norwegian player that attempted 30 or more passes in a match completed at least 90% percent of them.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud says not winning the Premier League in his time with the club is the "only regret" of his career.
Giroud scored 105 goals in 253 appearances across five and a half years with the Gunners but, despite winning three FA Cups, could not help Arsene Wenger to a final Premier League title.
"We had a great team," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.
"We played amazing football but, in the end, it was too hard to win the Premier League. This is the only regret in my career, not to have won it. We were close in 2016 when Leicester won it - we could have won it but they were flying and we collapsed a little bit in March.
"The other years, other teams like Manchester City were too strong and we were not consistent enough. We were all frustrated at the time - that's why I was so proud and happy for them to win the league this year.
"I was so happy for them that they made it 22 years after the Invincibles and they won the league. It was a long wait but it's well deserved."
Giroud was a team-mate of Mikel Arteta from 2012 until the Spaniard's retirement from playing in 2016 and says it was clear the now Gunners boss would move into management.
"Such a hard worker," he added on Arteta. "I never knew him as a manager but when he was the captain he was the link between Arsene and the players.
"He was very professional, tactical, he tried to never leave anything to doubt. He wanted the team to be precise and was very demanding with himself and others.
"If you didn't do the recovery runs, he would scream at you. He was a leader in the team. I remember him as a strong character, always really focused. He is living the game with passion."
Arsenal have agreed personal terms with France midfielder Manu Kone but are yet to agree a fee with Roma, whose asking price for the 25-year-old is 50m euros (£43.2m). (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external
Tottenham have been encouraged to compete with Arsenal and Manchester City for Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, with Newcastle's asking price for the 26-year-old expected to be about £100m. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
The World Cup may be less than a week old but the 2026-27 Premier League fixtures will be released on Friday.
And to get in the mood, we want your stories of opening-day games that have stuck in your minds most - both the good and the bad.
Get in touch with your memories here
And make sure to come back to this page on Friday to see how Arsenal's league fixture list has fallen.
Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
There has been a massive doubt over Bukayo Saka's fitness for this World Cup and Thomas Tuchel said last week that it would have to been managed throughout the tournament.
The forward has got Achilles tendinitis and if he does play in the opener against Croatia on Wednesday, it would probably be a gamble.
Some of the information we're getting is that it will be the same team that played against Costa Rica, so Saka's Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke would start on the right-hand side.
Madueke's value to this England set-up has gone up a notch because he's probably going to have to play more football than he would have envisaged.
Being able to bring someone of the calibre of Saka on to finish a game for you could be priceless for Tuchel.
Every manager who works with Bukayo Saka ends up saying the same thing: "We have to be careful."
During his time as England boss, Sir Gareth Southgate repeatedly talked about tailoring Saka's programme and avoiding unnecessary load.
In the 2023-24 campaign - the heaviest season of his career - Saka played 59 matches, logged 4,756 minutes and completed 26 full games.
It was also his most productive with 21 goals and 15 assists - numbers that placed him among Europe's elite wide forwards.
But the strain was visible. He was kicked, clattered, targeted and eventually, something gave - a hamstring tear that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described as an "accumulation" injury.
Since then, the Gunners have taken a more measured approach, but the numbers still underline the scale of Saka's workload: 153 matches, 11,154 minutes and 61 full games across the past three seasons.
Now, Thomas Tuchel faces the same dilemma that confronted Southgate.
Saka is too important to leave out, too influential to rotate casually, and too valuable to run into the ground.
England do not need him to play every minute - they need him available for the right ones.
Image source, Getty ImagesBukayo Saka says winning the Premier League with Arsenal has given him "even more hunger" to achieve similar success with England at the World Cup.
The 24-year-old played 31 times as the Gunners ended their 22-year wait for a league title, and is expected to start for the Three Lions in Wednesday's Group L opener against Croatia.
"When you have that success and you taste it, you want to do it again," he told media.
"It can go two ways but when I speak for myself, you know, I'd say it's definitely made me want to do it again and come into this tournament with even more hunger."
Saka only started 25 Premier League matches across the campaign and had his minutes managed as he recovered from hip and Achilles issues during the run-in.
However, the winger believes this has given him a better chance of performing during the World Cup.
"I don't want to say anything that goes against the manager," he added.
"What I would say is that between Mikel [Arteta] and the Arsenal medical team and Thomas [Tuchel] and the England medical team, since March they have managed me amazingly and helped me get back on the pitch and do what I can for the team.
"I'm feeling better than I have felt in the last few months and I'm ready to go. I'm feeling a lot better than I did in March and I'm ready to go so I'm excited."
If Saka does need a rest during the tournament he will likely be replaced on the right wing by Gunners team-mate Noni Madueke, who he was full of praise for.
"It's quite unique, two players that play in the same position to be as close as we are," he added when asked about the dynamic between the pair.
"I don't really know how it works but it works. Noni is like my brother on and off the pitch. We push each other and we speak every day. We have that mutual respect for each other and we want each other to do well. The good thing is that we play on the same team and that if one of us is doing well it is good for the other."
Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal are set-piece masters, and no club supplied more players for England's World Cup squad than the Gunners - so it is understandable that Thomas Tuchel will look to play to the Premier League champions' strengths.
Here in the United States, Mikel Arteta's dedication to perfecting Arsenal's routines is an approach England head coach Tuchel is looking to replicate.
In a tournament environment, when the margins can be so small, Tuchel is keen to take a leaf out of the Arsenal playbook that he admires, and has impressed on his players the importance of exploiting dead-ball situations.
Arsenal landed their first Premier League title in 22 years in May and were within a penalty shootout of winning their first Champions League.
With that level of success in mind, it is entirely understandable that set-pieces have emerged as a key focus in training sessions since England's arrival in the USA.
There are certainly experts in the field among Tuchel's likely starters.
Declan Rice is one of the most adept ball strikers in European football – his corners have proved a major threat for Arsenal, certainly in the previous two seasons.
You can expect Rice, who is guaranteed to start at the World Cup, to be one of England's designated specialists.
Chelsea's Reece James, who is expected to start the tournament as England's first-choice right-back, is another likely to be high on the list of Tuchel's takers.
The England boss knows all about James' abilities, having coached the defender during his time in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Bukayo Saka's dead-ball prowess is also viewed as a major asset by Tuchel, even if there is concern inside the England camp about having to manage the Arsenal forward through the start of the tournament with his ongoing tendonitis complaint.
The physical make-up of England's squad adds to the set-piece threat.
From the 10 outfield players that started against Costa Rica on Wednesday, just two - James and Elliot Anderson - are under 6ft tall.
Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres had a fine start to his 2026 World Cup campaign as Sweden beat Tunisia 5-1.
The 28-year-old assisted Alexander Isak's first-half goal, and the Liverpool forward repaid Gyokeres by assisting him with his goal in the second half.
Sweden sit two points clear in Group F after the Netherlands and Japan drew their opening game.
Germany's Kai Havertz helped his nation overcome a brief scare from World Cup debutants Curacao to emphatically beat them 7-1.
Havertz scored from the penalty spot in the first half and scored a sumptuous chipped effort in the second.
The 27-year-old is tied alongside America's Folarin Balogun and Sweden's Yasin Ayari with the most goals at the 2026 World Cup.
Visit our World Cup index to keep up with all the latest from the tournament
Arsenal have started talks about signing 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who helped Morocco to a 1-1 draw with Brazil in his country's opening game of the 2026 World Cup. (Times - subscription required), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column here
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked who you think Arsenal should keep, loan and sell this summer.
Here are some of your comments:
Harry: Keep - Viktor Gyokeres - slow start, but he's looked the real deal at the business end of the season.
Loan - Max Dowman and Marli Salmon. They are seriously exciting academy prospects who've tasted a league title win - now let's get them some more minutes.
Sell - Ben White. He's been an excellent servant to the club and I'm glad he got to end on a high note, but I'm not sure how many years of Premier League title challenging football his body has got left.
Will: Keep - Ethan Nwaneri should be kept and should fight for his spot, especially as he can play along the line behind the striker.
Loan - Dowman should be loaned out for a year to get some more experience before taking his rightful place in the team.
Sell - Martin Odegaard because he has lost form and Eberechi Eze and Nwaneri can lock that spot down.
James: Keep - Leandro Trossard for another year. He chipped in with big goals in big moments towards the end of the season and he does it every season.
Loan - Nwaneri on loan for another year. He's too good to just let go and his potential is enormous. It worked out for William Saliba so this could work out in the long term.
Sell - Gabriel Martinelli. A good player, but I feel we need to raise our ceiling on the left wing and get in a reliable performer and finisher. Maybe sell Trossard the summer after to push the ceiling higher.
Charles: Keep - White to share the load with Jurrien Timber.
Loan - Dowman to get playing time.
Sell - Gabriel Jesus as his legs have gone since the World Cup injury.
Oscar: Keep - Gyokeres as I believe with a good and consistent season from Odegaard and Bukayo Saka then he can score goals with good service to him.
Loan - Dowman to get him some experience on the pitch, but make sure he does come back to us because he will be a future star for the Arsenal.
Sell - It's time to sell Martinelli and invest on that left side.
Nathan: Keep - Martinelli. He can't seem to keep up with Premier League football any more, but he is so good in cup competitions. The pure speed is a necessity in the modern game, with or without output.
Loan - Nwaneri. He's a Hale End kid. He can't go anywhere.
Sell - Kai Havertz. When he's fit he's amazing, but he can't stay fit and that is the issue. I hope he can stay fit for us, but if we get to January and he's missed too much football, I think his time is up.
Change is inevitable at football clubs during the summer months and we want to ask you something specific about Arsenal's squad.
Tell us:
One player who should be kept who may be on the fringes and why?
One player who should be loaned out
One player who should be sold
We would love names and reasons for all three - get in touch with your views using this form.
Arsenal remain firmly in the hunt to sign Athletic Club and Spain winger Nico Williams, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United also interested in the 23-year-old. (Teamtalk), external
Barcelona are aware of interest from Chelsea and Arsenal in Spain winger Dani Olmo, but will only allow the 28-year-old to leave if their £60m valuation is met. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Real Madrid are interested in Arsenal and Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori, 24, who previously played under Jose Mourinho at Roma. (Sky Sports), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
