Arsenal are looking for big-name signings this summer - but will also look to bolster Mikel Arteta 's squad depth.
They want a top-quality defender, with Crystal Palace 's Marc Guehi among their more ambitious targets. But they could also look for a backup right-back, having lost Takehiro Tomiyasu to a long-term knee injury. Gunners scouts have made checks on Leicester 's Belgian full-back Timothy Castagne as one potential option.
He has also played at left-back during his three seasons with the Foxes and previously for Italian side Atalanta. Arsenal's other current backup right-back, Cedric Soares, is out on loan at Fulham and due to return to the Emirates with a year left on his contract.
They are unlikely to spend big on bolstering the squad, as high-profile signings remain the priority. West Ham captain Declan Rice is at the top of their wish-list but they may also balance the books, with Florian Balogun and Kieran Tierney potential departures. AC Milan and Newcastle respectively are both interested.
Balogun has made a big impression on loan at French side Reims this season, scoring 19 goals in 35 games as part of Will Still's side. The 21-year-old striker, who joined Arsenal at the age of eight, also spent the second half of last term at Middlesbrough, having made 10 first-team appearances for the Gunners since making his debut under Unai Emery in September 2019.
Tierney, on the other hand, cost Arsenal £25million to sign from Celtic that same season and looked set to be the Gunners' first-choice left-back for years to come. Despite racking up 120 appearances, though, the Scotland international has now fallen behind Oleksandr Zinchenko in the pecking order and long been linked with a move up north to Newcastle.
Have your say! Would Guehi and Castagne be good signings for Arsenal? Give us your verdict in the comments section.
Back in March, Arsenal technical director Edu assured Gunners supporters that preparation for the summer transfer window is well under way. "It's already started because you know what's happening in the market, everybody is doing stuff," Edu affirmed. "You have to plan with people as well just to be prepared so when you go again in the summer you are very prepared.
"I always make myself comfortable going into the transfer window when we've prepared how to face those challenges. In the Premier League there's a lot of clubs and a lot of good managers so the competition is hard. So, as soon as you prepare well, you feel comfortable.
"We went into the winter period really, really well prepared and then we started to make some quick and important decisions. So far it's helping the team and the team's performing well so that's good."
