ARSENAL TRANSFER RUMOURS: M?Vila, Giroud, Sessegnon, Van Persie And Walcott Involved In Recent Speculation

After weeks of silence over his imminent departure from Rennes, Arsenal-target Yann M'Vila has seemingly admitted that he would be keen on a move to the Emirates. M'Vila is currently with the French squad at Euro 2012 and had previously suggested that no more would be said about his future until after the tournament.

However, the Daily Mirror has carried quotes form the defensive midfielder in which he discusses a much-speculated move to the Gunners.

I have heard Arsenal are interested in me. I like Arsenal and I like the Premier League, he said.

I don't know what is happening with the clubs, but yes, I would be interested in the Premier League and Arsenal.

An asking price of £17 million has been discussed for the 21-year-old, with the likes of Inter, Bayern Munich and even Barcelona said to be interested.

It now appears certain, though, that it is one of M'Vila's teammates in Ukraine that will be Arsenal's second signing of the summer.

TalkSport reports claims from France Football that Arsenal has already completed a deal for striker Olivier Giroud, with all parties agreeing that nothing will be formally announced until after the European Championships.

The Gunners are thought to have agreed a £12 million fee with Montpellier for Giroud, who will arrive on a four-year deal.

The 25-year-old was the joint-top scorer last season as Montpellier claimed their first ever Ligue 1 title.

The Daily Express has also alleged that Arsene Wenger is keeping tabs on another player who made his name in France, Stephane Sessegnon. The Benin international had a fine campaign for Sunderland last term and has been linked to Arsenal for much of the second-half of the season.

The report suggests that Wenger's interest is ongoing, though Black Cats boss Martin O' Neill, obviously, is not eager to lose arguably his most influential player.

Predictably there is further talk on Monday about the future of Robin Van Persie. The Mirror claims, notably without any quotes to back it up, that if the forward fails to agree terms on a new deal this summer, Arsenal will allow him to leave for any £30 million-plus offer that they receive.

There is little doubt that the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Anzhi Makhachkala and potentially Juventus will be able to top any wage offer that Arsenal are prepared to make the Dutchman. Much will likely depend on Van Persie being convinced that Arsenal can compete with the best in Europe. The signing of Lukas Podolski combined with the seemingly imminent arrival of Giroud would seem to suggest that Arsenal means business in the transfer market this summer.

According to the Mirror, Arsenal could also have a fight on their hands to keep hold of Theo Walcott this close season. Like Van Perise, the England winger has just a year remaining on his contract, and has reportedly been interesting Chelsea.

While Arsenal is sure to do almost anything to hold onto Van Persie, it is unlikely that the same will be true for Walcott. The 23-year-old has failed to develop since arriving almost seven years ago and continues to be a consistently frustrating performer for the Gunners.

Arsenal wouldn't be happy to see him join one of their rivals on the cheap, but Wenger may not be too disappointed if they received a substantial offer for his services.