Arsenal have become one of the most attractive forces in the transfer market in recent years. The business completed in recent years has been the result of acute work behind-the-scenes in carefully hand-picking the correct deals.
In years gone by, a wealth of mediocre players have been signed for price tags more than their worth and failed to deliver. Under Mikel Arteta's guidance since 2019, the Gunners have got the majority of their decisions right and have reaped the benefits on the field.
The Premier League title is eight games away from returning to north London for the first time in nearly two decades thanks to a combination of academy graduates and modish signings.
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The upcoming transfer window isn't expected to be any different. In January, the chance to bring in Mykhailo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo was rebuffed by the recruitment team after learning the considerable price tags.
Instead, Leandro Trossard (£27m) and Jorginho (£12m) were added to Arteta's squad for the second half of the season. There's fear that a similar pattern could follow with Jude Bellingham - who has put a price tag on himself for £130m - amid interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City, though football.london understands West Ham's Declan Rice is the priority.
Arsenal's work in the summer will be essential in the club continuing their upwards trajectory back to the pinnacle of English football. With Champions League football returning to the Emirates Stadium for the first time since 2017, Arteta has the chance to embed his name in the history books further.
And whilst it's expected that Stan Kroenke will be forced to cough up close to £100m for Rice, Arsenal have now been given the green light to complete the free transfer of Wilfried Zaha. The Crystal Palace star's contract in south London expires in June and is expected to leave the club after eight years.
Arsenal have, for some time, been linked with the Ivory Coast international but have never made a serious attempt to bring him to the club. However, with his services up for grabs for free, he could finally be set for the move.
According to Spanish publication Nacional, Zaha has rejected the chance to play with former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and has instead decided 'to sign for Arsenal'.
The attack isn't on the top of Arteta's priority list due to quality players already at his disposal, but the report from Spain suggests Zaha is 'among his objectives' for next season, with him promised to play 'an important role'.
Zaha's future is yet to be resolved and isn't expected to be until Palace's future in the Premier League has been secured. For Arsenal, their focus remains solely on beating Manchester City to the title.
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