Arsenal News: Will the Gunners target Manuel Locatelli, Alexander Isak, and Ruben Neves again in 2022?

Arsenal News: The Gunners were in hot pursuit of Manuel Locatelli, Alexander Isak, and Ruben Neves in the 2021 transfer window. But the transfers eventually fell due to one reason or the other. 

Since then the Gunners have moved on to have a positive season under Mikel Arteta. Arsenal is currently placed fifth in the Premier League standings. It looks like the Gunners are very likely to secure a European spot for next season. 

But how are these transfer targets progressing this season and would they have helped Arsenal get even better? Let’s have a look into it in this article.

Alexander Isak

The Swedish striker was being heavily monitored by Arsenal in the 2021 summer transfer window. As per reports, the Gunners were unsure about Alexandre Lacazette’s future. Hence they wanted to sign Isak as a replacement for the player.

After the failed transfer bid, Alexander Isak ended up signing a new deal with Real Sociedad until 2026. Owing to this, the striker’s release clause has also skyrocketed to £60m. On the pitch, Isak has scored 4 league goals in 17 appearances for La Real. 

It looks unlikely that he would be able to match his figures of 17 goals and 2 assists from the 2020/21 season. Nevertheless, Arsenal is still interested to sign Alexander Isak in the upcoming transfer window. 

Ruben Neves

The Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder was rumored to be leaving the club after Nuno Espirito Santo moved to Tottenham Hotspur. Owing to this, Arsenal was interested in signing him. 

But the arrival of Bruno Lage reportedly made Ruben Neves reconsider his decision. The 24-year old central midfielder has played in 18 Premier League games this season, helping Wolves to the 8th position. 

Arsenal was reportedly interested in signing him in January. But the Wolves manager made it clear that Ruben Neves would be going nowhere in January. Things might change in the summer if Arsenal manages to secure a top-4 finish as per sources.

Manuel Locatelli 

The Juventus midfielder reportedly became a target for the Gunners after a good showing in the Euros. Though Arsenal was interested, Locatelli eventually decided he wanted to stay in Italy. Hence, he continued with Juventus. 

Manuel Locatelli has continued with his impressive performances post-Euro 2020. The central midfielder has played in 22 Serie A games, scoring 3 goals. He has also made 5 Champions League appearances this season. 

Being a mainstay of the Juventus side, it is unlikely that he would want a move away from the Italian Giants for now. Owing to this, Arsenal is also reportedly focusing on other midfield targets and has excluded Locatelli from their shortlist.