This content is provided by Exco Player and may use cookies or similar technologies. Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to load the content.
Your weekly briefing on Arsenal, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri
I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.
Aston Villa are continuing their summer rebuild, amid reports of an agreement in place for one-time Liverpool transfer target Ibrahim Mbaye.
Villa, who face Arsenal in the Premier League on Monday night, are expected to be one of more busier teams before the summer window slams shut on September 1.
Nicolas Jackson has completed his move from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £65million, acting as a replacement for Ollie Watkins, who himself is finalising a £50m move to Al-Hilal.
Villa had been heavily linked with AC Milan forward Rafael Leao, but with Galatasaray said to now be leading the race for the Portugal international, it has forced Unai Emery’s side to turn to alternatives.
According to the Athletic, Aston Villa have reached an agreement in principle to sign forward Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain.
The report states that the deal is worth €55m (£47m) and is in the process of being finalised.
Mbaye had previously been linked with a move to Liverpool, but Villa are hopeful of the 18-year-old travelling on Saturday to complete a medical ahead of the proposed move.
Even if the forward is unveiled as a Villa player over the weekend, he will not make his debut against Arsenal as he needed to have been registered by 12pm on Friday to be available for selection.
With Mbaye set to become Villa's tenth new arrival of the summer, Emery has discussed the challenges of overhauling a squad following the latest high-profile exits of Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa.
He said: “Of course, I want to keep some players like they were helping us to be successful, and how they were understanding everything we needed as mentally, and as players as well with their skills.
“But I accept because I have experiences before in the same situation, and when I arrived here, I knew where I was arriving.
“And everything we are doing is really being fantastic. I expect the same. To continue doing special and different ways, with different players, but always thinking it’s something special, and something positive.
