Arsenal have seemingly missed out on one of their mooted transfer targets to their most fierce of rivals...

What's the word?

According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, the Gunners were keen on signing Barcelona right-back Emerson Royal but the player himself prefers a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

"Arsenal wanted to sign Emerson Royal from Barcelona. Player wants to join Spurs," he tweeted.

It's thought that their north London rivals have reached an agreement to sign the Brazilian international for €30m (£25.7m), per Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, though details on personal terms are still to be ironed out.

The La Liga outfit will reportedly target Hector Bellerin after sanctioning the exit of Emerson to Spurs.

Another Edu mistake

This is where Edu Gaspar's next mistake seemingly lies.

The Gunners' chief could show exactly what he's about by offering the player an offer he cannot refuse, or try to use Bellerin as a makeweight in any deal, especially if Barcelona are indeed keen to bring him back to the club.

Instead, it appears as if Arsenal are set to miss out on a key target, one that Mikel Arteta would've certainly liked, given that's the one position he's believed to want an addition in before tonight's deadline.

But to make matters worse, he could well be lining up in a Spurs shirt instead. The Lilywhites are top of the Premier League, with Arteta's squad sat rock bottom. It's been a stark contrast so far this season and this transfer will only compound their woes more.

It would be merely the latest ghastly blunder from the former midfield-turned-sporting director.

At the weekend, the Gunners registered their third straight league defeat, losing 5-0 to defending champions Manchester City - a game that saw Granit Xhaka sent off. Not a good look for someone that was close to leaving the club all summer before Edu handed him a new deal as a last resort.

Similarly, it may be early days to judge, but the Brazilian has splashed out £24m on a backup goalkeeper in Aaron Ramsdale. Given their defensive issues, these finances could've been spent elsewhere.

In addition to that, too, Edu has taken his time to offload much of the deadwood, with the likes of Sead Kolasinac still on the books. Had players like that been moved on sooner, then perhaps Arteta would've had more money to spend on his playing squad, which is in dire need of even further additions.

He has spent around £300m, with the club only gaining £80m in return. A woeful job.

So if Edu is to miss out on Emerson, the pressure on his job could mount further. The Express believe the Arsenal hierarchy are already lining up his replacement. Time could be running out and this latest development does him no favours whatsoever.

AND in other news, John Cross reveals big transfer U-turn that'll leave Arsenal fans fuming...