The next big Arsenal transfer has been revealed, with the Gunners wanting to bridge the gap on Manchester City by bringing in a superstar playmaker.
Last season's top two met on Sunday for a 2-2 thriller at the Etihad Stadium, showing there is little between them – but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from spinning. Arsenal are still linked with new recruits, with former midfielder Emmanuel Petit recently suggesting a new forward is needed.
The north Londoners had a modest summer in the transfer market, only bringing in the likes of David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino on permanent deals. Could they be saving up for something special?
Arsenal have committed to bring in a superstar attacking midfielder for a league-record £125m
According to BILD in Germany, via TEAMtalk, manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu are “fully committed” to bringing in Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen. The report states that the Gunners could spend up to £125 million on his signature, too, following recent stories that corroborate that price tag.
BILD says that Arsenal are obviously well aware of the competition they face in landing the starlet and are prepared to go on a charm offensive, just as they did with Declan Rice. It wouldn't be the first time, however, that the north Londoners have signed a top German star amid interest from others – Mesut Ozil was one of the best players in the world when Arsene Wenger snared him on Deadline Day of 2014, while then-Chelsea forward Kai Havertz was said to be of interest to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich when he moved from west London to north in 2023.
Naturally, there are comparisons between Wirtz and former Arsenal star, Ozil, who could operate in a similar role under Arteta. Optus Sport made the link between Wirtz and the ex-Germany No.10 – with the Leverkusen star linked with Real Madrid, another of Ozil's former clubs, though he might follow a different path.
TNT Sport's studio expert Owen Hargreaves recently touted Wirtz for Arsenal, too. The former Bayern midfielder suggested that the young German could eventually become a deep-lying playmaker for Arteta saying, “I’m sure Mikel would love him at Arsenal: he’s that good, he makes every team better.
While Ozil's time under Arteta didn't end well for the German, FourFourTwo reckons Wirtz is exactly his kind of player, saying that he played last season, “like a man possessed for Xabi Alonso’s all-conquering Bayer Leverkusen side, as he made up for lost time following the cruciate knee injury that saw most of his 2022 wiped out,” as we ranked him at No.4 in our list of the best attacking midfielders in the world.
In FourFourTwo's view, the money should be no problem in this deal: Arsenal made big strides over the summer in selling a number of academy talents without splashing out for any player over £35m. The only issue would be in convincing Wirtz to join.
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Wirtz has the advantage, too, of being able to perform in a number of positions. While he's operated centrally under Xabi Alonso at the Bayer Arena, he can play right or left or as a false nine – meaning that he could become interchangeable for a number of players in Arsenal's system.
Wirtz is worth €135m, as per Transfermarkt. His contract expires in 2027.
What positions are Arsenal looking to strengthen in?
Arsenal will likely make four signings next summer: a backup goalkeeper, another defender about to fill in at left-back, another midfielder (either deeper or further forward) and a versatile forward able to contribute in a variety of positions in attack.
One easy place to start with Arsenal's summer business of 2025 is to replace the players who will be leaving. With two loanees on the books in the form of Raheem Sterling and Neto, FourFourTwo expects a backup goalkeeper and another forward to be on the radar next summer.
Whether Wirtz will be seen as that forward or another midfield, remains to be seen. Thomas Partey and Jorginho both have contracts expiring next year, with one of them being replaced internally by Mikel Merino, who joined over the summer. Another midfield option deeper in the team is certainly an option, though not guaranteed: Arteta made it through the 2023/24 season with just Partey and Jorginho as other options to Declan Rice at No.6.
Fabio Vieira, meanwhile, could return from loan at Porto to contribute next season, while Arsenal have two academy prospects set to develop this season. Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelley will likely be ready to step up and play more of a role next season.
On that subject, much of Arsenal's business will depend on how this season goes. Gabriel Jesus having another underwhelming season could convince the Gunners to cash in and sign another No.9, while Kai Havertz playing in midfield is an experiment that Arteta seemingly can't let go of – though Wirtz might be a similar profile of a versatile attacker who can slot into multiple roles in the frontline, like his fellow German.
In defence, meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko will have one year left on his deal, Jakub Kiwior has been heavily linked with an exit, while Takehiro Tomiyasu's fitness issues are hampering his availability. It's likely that at least two will depart, with at least one replacement brought in, bringing the total of new signings next summer to a minimum of four. That makes sense – and tallies with the last two windows, in which the Gunners have done the same thing.
