"They do have an interest" - Journalist gives his take on Arsenal's interest in former PSG star

Journalist Paul Brown has reported that Arsenal are interested in signing former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Xavi Simons.

Simons, 20, came through Barcelona's academy before joining PSG's U19 side in 2019. He spent three years at the club, making 11 senior appearances and providing one assist.

The Dutchman left PSG last summer and joined PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer. He scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in 48 games across competitions for the Dutch side.

As per Brown, Arsenal are interested in signing Simons, but it's just at an initial stage as of now. They haven't made any moves so far, with Southampton's Romeo Lavia more advanced on their list. Moreover, the Gunners will likely only bring another midfielder this summer if someone leaves the club.

Brown told GiveMeSport:

“I know they have been offered Xavi Simons. They do have an interest there but haven’t follow it up as yet. Romeo Lavia, they’ve clearly enquired about, so that would make him, of those names, the more likely to join."

He added:

"I think that for Arsenal to buy another midfielder, once the Declan Rice deal is done, I think they’ll be looking to move somebody out first.”

The north London side are set to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United for a club-record £105 million and Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65 million. They have parted ways with Granit Xhaka, who joined Bayer Leverkusen.

Thomas Partey has also been linked with a move away, which could perhaps open the door for a move for either Lavia or Simons.

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William Saliba signs new contract with Arsenal

French centre-back William Saliba has signed a new contract with Arsenal, which is valid till 2027.

The 22-year-old joined the club from Saint-Etienne in 2019. He spent his days on loan at Saint-Etienne, OGC Nice and Olympique Marseille before returning to the Gunners last summer.

Saliba helped the north London side keep 12 clean sheets in 27 Premier League games. He, however, suffered an injury against Sporting CP in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg and was ruled out of the season.

Post the Frenchman's injury, Arsenal kept just two clean sheets in 11 games. As a result, they imploded in the Premier League title race against Manchester City despite leading the table for 248 days.

That shows Saliba's importance to the team, so Gunners fans will be delighted with the Frenchman extending his stay at the Emirates.