Declan Rice is close to agreeing a new long-term contract with Arsenal, with talks over an extension now in their final stages

According to BBC Sport, the England international is expected to receive a significant pay rise, taking his reported £240,000-a-week salary closer to Bukayo Saka’s £350,000-a-week earnings. His current deal expires at the end of next season.

The news follows Arteta’s agreement on a new four-year contract, as Arsenal look to secure the futures of key figures at the club.

Former Arsenal player Gilles Grimandi believes Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is a dream signing for Mikel Arteta.

Grimandi told Goal.com: “This guy is special. He’s special because he’s always good in the big games and last season, every time when the competition was getting close to the end, he was getting better and better.

“He has fantastic commitment; he’s running, he’s defending, and when he gets the ball in the final third, he’s very efficient. For me, he’s a special guy.

“He looks like he’s choosing his games because so far this season he hasn’t played too many, but he just knows that he wants to be prepared for the spring time and that’s his target. He knows that big games will come.

“He can play for any team in Europe, of course he can play for Arsenal. For me, he’s one of the best players in his position.”

Grimandi added: “I don’t think they will do it. Now it’s complicated when the guy plays in Paris because they have a huge salary and they do not need any money so it’s quite complicated to pick up one of the best players and bring him to another team except if there is a problem.

“Barcola was not supposed to be in the starting line-up this season so they let the door open if he wants to leave.

“But Kvaratskhelia, they don’t let him go because they know that in the spring time he will be one of the more important players.”

Unsurprisingly, it seems that Florian Wirtz won’t be joining Chelsea in a shock move any time soon.

The German playmaker has been very tentatively linked with a surprise reunion with former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge in recent weeks amid more criticism of his Liverpool form from the likes of Jamie Carragher.

However, a report from TEAMtalk claims that Wirtz has no desire to leave Anfield and that Liverpool are not interested in already parting ways with a player on whom they spent £116m only last summer.

Wirtz has a five-year contract at Liverpool that is valid until 2030.

Chelsea or Liverpool will have to pay a huge fee if they are to sign Alex Scott in the January transfer window.

The race is well and truly on for one of the Premier League’s most sought-after midfielders, who is currently sidelined with a quad injury suffered during the recent international break with England that is not as serious as first feared.

Chelsea and Liverpool look to be going head to head for Scott, with one having made multiple offers during the summer and the other led by his former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.

However, there is plenty of other interest building in the player, for whom the Cherries are likely to demand a massive fee in excess of £100m, according to Football Insider.

Manchester United are said to be pondering a shock swoop for Troy Parrott.

The striker has gone from strength to strength since leaving Spurs in 2024, first thriving for AZ Alkmaar and now starring for Real Betis as well as enjoying an incredible goalscoring run at international level for the Republic of Ireland.

Now The Mirror cite reports from Spain claiming that Man Utd are closely watching Parrott amid serious interest in his services developing from across the Premier League.

They are believed to have dispatched scouts to watch him play in LaLiga this term.

Arsenal are said to be watching Barcelona wonderkid Xavi Espart.

The versatile full-back, 19, has already developed a strong reputation at the Camp Nou and earlier this month signed a new four-year contract valid until the summer of 2030 that is said to contain a release clause valued at €100m.

Despite that, CaughtOffside claim that north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are both keeping close tabs on Espart, who plays for Spain at under-21 level.

Aston Villa are also said to be interested in Espart, who can also operate in midfield, along with Borussia Dortmund and Juventus.

We appear to be reaching the end of the JJ Gabriel saga.

The 15-year-old sensation rocked Manchester United last month when he asked to leave the club with immediate effect, just days before he would have likely made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup.

A host of major clubs across Europe have since been chasing the signature of one of the best and most-hyped young talents anywhere in world football, most notably Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Diario Sport in Spain now claim that Gabriel’s next club will be confirmed soon, with Barca and Madrid the clear frontrunners as things stand.

Liverpool could reportedly launch a shock swoop for Aston Villa star Johan Manzambi.

The Swiss international midfielder is seriously impressing under Unai Emery this term, but only moved to Villa Park from the team they beat in last season’s Europa League final - Freiburg - in a club-record transfer worth £59.5m in July.

He is already being linked with an exit, with The Sun citing reports claiming that Liverpool are watching Manzambi’s progress closely this season with a view to making a move next summer.

Manchester United are likely to make at least two new signings during the January transfer window.

The struggling Red Devils have made their worst start to a league season for 40 years to already pile massive pressure on manager Michael Carrick, whose cause has certainly not been helped by the Lisandro Martinez saga this week.

The lack of defensive strengthening has been a glaring weakness during that dreadful opening to the campaign, with Sky Sports reporting that Man Utd will target a new left-back and a new centre-back when the market re-opens for business.

United are still said to be interested in Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and appear to have made Adrien Truffert of Bournemouth their new top left-back target after missing out on Newcastle’s Lewis Hall in the summer.

Arsenal could fight Liverpool for the signing of Kevin Schade, reports claim.

The German forward continues to go from strength to strength at high-flying Brentford, attracting plenty of interest from elsewhere in the Premier League.

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal and Liverpool are both keen on a deal for Schade, who has scored three goals for the Bees so far this season.

Brentford would apparently demand a fee in excess of £60m for the 24-year-old.