Arsenal may return with new bid this week after 1st offer rejected | OneFootball

Arsenal may return with another bid for Dan Bentley of Wolves this week, with the club short of experienced goalkeepers for pre-season.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND: Daniel Bentley of Wolverhampton Wanderers arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham FC at Molineux on March 09, 2024. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

James McNicholas reports for The Athletic that Arsenal may return with a new bid for Wolves goalkeeper Dan Bentley this week, having seen their opening offer of £50,000 rejected.

McNicholas highlights that the Gunners are short of experienced goalkeepers for the upcoming pre-season tour of the United States, so a speedy resolution to the transfer saga would be ideal.

David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale are unlikely to return to training until after the U.S. tour, meaning Karl Hein is Arsenal’s most senior goalkeeper as it stands.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Dan Bentley punches the ball to save from the head of Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 2, 2023. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

David Ornstein confirmed on Wednesday, July 10th that Arsenal had seen their first bid for Bentley turned down.

Having broken the news of Arsenal’s interest in the first place, Alan Nixon had reported that Wolves want around £1m for Bentley. Arsenal’s bid of £50,000 thus left the two clubs very far apart.

Bentley is a backup goalkeeper for Wolves, in his thirties, in the final year of his contract, and initially joined them for around the same amount that Arsenal are bidding. But Wolves feel they should only sell for enough money to fund a replacement.

LONDON, ENGLAND: Leandro Trossard of Arsenal sees a chance saved by Daniel Bentley of Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on December 02, 2023. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Bentley featured five times for Wolves last season, and he’s homegrown, having played for Arsenal as a youth player. He represented the young Gunners between 2001 and 2008, before moving on to progress into senior football with Southend United.

After that, Bentley played for then-Championship sides Brentford and Bristol City, before eventually making the step back up to the Premier League in 2023 by joining Wolves.

Reports suggest Arsenal intend to use Bentley as their third-choice goalkeeper, playing backup to David Raya and either Aaron Ramsdale or transfer target Joan Garcia – depending on whether Ramsdale stays.