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Hot football transfer gossip: Arsenal want Cavani, Berahino wants Spurs

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It’s about this time of the year, just before the end of August, when the voices in Arsene Wenger’s head begin to intensify. He hears them when he’s standing in the dugout, when he’s driving home after the game and even in the morning when he’s opening the fridge and pulling out a serious slab of camembert. So many voices, all saying the same thing, over and over and over again: “Sign a striker, Wenger."

It’s enough to make lesser men crack, but the Arsenal manager doesn’t flinch. He knows these voices aren’t really in his head; they’re everywhere else. They’re the voices of disgruntled fans on phone-ins, of Gary Lineker, of Piers Morgan, of DJ Spoony, of his wife and daughter and pets.

And it’s mainly for these people that the media will continue to link the Gunners to the sexiest strikers they can think of. The latest is Paris Saint-Germain’s Edison Cavani, who according to Spanish news outlet Fichajes could be the target of a £45m bid from the Emirates before the transfer window closes. Wenger is probably absentmindedly reading the story right now while mechanically munching through his French cheese on toast, giving nothing away.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has been far more open about his side’s need for attacking reinforcements. The Telegraph reports that West Brom’s Saido Berahino "has not given up hope” of moving to White Hart Lane, despite Spurs apparently going cold on the deal after signing Son Heung-min and Clinton N'Jie. Berahino is sounding a little bit too keen at the moment and may need to drum up some interest from Wenger to make Daniel Levy jealous enough to seal the deal.

Poor old Robert Martinez, having emerged like a victorious warrior from his battle with Chelsea over John Stones, may have to go through the whole palaver again to keep Seamus Coleman at Everton. The right-back is being linked with Bayern Munich and PSG by the Star on Sunday, with the Irishman’s reported transfer price tag ranging wildly from £18m to £50m.

Claudio Ranieri has been acting a bit flash since his return to the Premier League, and this is continuing with the Italian set to slap down an audacious £5m bid for Bayern Munich’s Brazilian defender Dante, says the People.

Slaven Bilic has been acting flash since winning at Liverpool yesterday, although he is being less audacious and just trying to sign Nikica Jelavic from Hull, claims the Mail on Sunday.

The West Ham boss may also be interested to read a story in the Sunday Telegraph, which says long-time Hammers target Javier Hernandez has been told by Man Utd boss Louis van Gaal he is free to leave the club. But the Mexican apparently wants to play in Europe, and seeing off a team from Andorra in the preliminary rounds of the Europa League might not cut it for the Hammers.

@darlingkevin