Arsenal news: Signing being 'worked on' and Bukayo Saka replacement identified

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Arsenal's Premier League title quest continues when they host Everton on Saturday. After escaping with a draw from their Champions League first leg trip to Bayer Leverkusen, the Gunners remain in contention to clinch an unprecedented quadruple.

Arsenal , who topped the league phase after eight wins from eight games, needed a last-minute penalty from Kai Havertz against his former club to salvage a 1-1 draw. Mikel Areta will demand an improved display against the Toffees and in the second leg.

The head coach said: "The level of execution obviously has to be better." But it won't be easy against an Everton side chasing European football under David Moyes . Here's a round of the latest Arsenal news ahead of the weekend's action…

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Bukayo Saka needs to be dropped from Arsenal's starting line-up, according to former Premier League striker Charlie Austin. The winger's underwhelming recent form continued against Leverkusen, where he struggled to make an impact before being replaced by Noni Madueke on the hour mark.

Madueke produced a vibrant display and won the late penalty that was converted by Havertz. Austin says the former Chelsea wide man deserves to replace Saka from the start.

Speaking on Sky Sports , he said: "When he's come on, the performances he's been putting in warrant starting. But the issue he has is the fact Arsenal's Starboy plays in the same position as him. It's going to take the manager to make a brave decision to make that change.

"If I'm Noni Madueke, I'm asking that question, 'What more can I do?' Because when he came on, he changed the game in Arsenal's favour. He got on the ball, ran at defenders and made things happen. In the time Saka was on the pitch, he didn't."

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Arsenal have reportedly stepped up their interest in RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba. The Gunners are said to have watched the Frenchman in Bundesliga action recently and have seen enough to begin exploring a summer transfer.

French title L'Equipe reports that Arsenal are 'working' on signing Lukeba and have opened discussions, although it is unclear whether those talks are with the club or the player's agent.

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The 23-year-old looks set to leave Germany this summer, with the Premier League or La Liga his preference. It has previously been reported that Lukeba had a release clause of around £78m, a significant fee for a player who would struggle to replace William Saliba or Gabriel Magalhaes in the heart of defence, at least initially.

However, it is now reported that Leipzig would now settle for a fee of between £50m and £60m. Lukeba has been in Germany since signing from Lyon in 2023.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.