Arsenal's summer spending looks set to easily surpass the £250million ($317.9million) mark this summer. The Gunners have shown no signs of resting on their laurels after last season's partial success with aggressive moves in the transfer market.
Versatile attacker Kai Havertz has already signed from London rivals Chelsea, arriving for around £10million less than the £70million the Blues paid for the forward back in 2020. The move has been swiftly followed by successive bids for priority target Declan Rice and Dutch international Jurrien Timber.
Edu Gaspar is in the final stages of discussions with West Ham over a potential club-record deal for Rice. football.london understands a £105million fee has been agreed upon, with discussions ongoing regarding the financial structure of the deal.
A move to bolster Mikel Arteta's options in defence also remains in the works, with Timber's arrival edging closer in a deal that is looking likely to cost in the region of £40million ($50.8million).
Players are expected to leave the Emirates Stadium before a possible fourth new face comes through the door, with there being no clear indication that Edu and Arteta will stop their spending spree with three signings.
A number of different players have been linked with a big-money move to north London. More recently, further emphasis has been placed on the need to replace Granit Xhaka. football.london understands the Swiss is closing in on his £21.5million transfer to Bayer Leverkusen, leaving Arsenal without a key figure in midfield.
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Aurelien Tchouameni is one name that has seemed to be on the Gunners' radar for some time. The France international was subject to interest from Arteta during his final AS Monaco days, with a price tag of £38million ($48.3million) mooted prior to January 2022. Later that year, he cost Real Madrid £85.3million ($108.5m).
Although any possibility of signing Tchouameni seemed to vanish after his move to Spain, Arsenal are now reportedly planning to revisit the 23-year-old's situation. According to reports in Spain, the Gunners are ready to table a bid worth £70million ($98m) including bonuses for the midfielder.
Defensa Central have claimed Arteta has reignited his interest in the Madrid man to bolster his midfield, though it is suggested that Tchouameni would not be interested in the move after only moving to Spain last summer.
When you consider that Arsenal turned down the chance to make a move for Tchouameni in 2021 for only £38million, paying close to £100million for his services less than two years later would be leave serious question marks over the near-perfect transfer strategy put into place at London Colney.
In 2021, the Frenchman was valued at £29.9million ($31.8million). At the end of the 2021/22 season, his price had doubled in value to £53million ($65.3million).
Real Madrid’s decision to invest in the young midfielder in 2022 has, so far, paid off. According to transfermarkt, his value is £72.7million ($92.6million). While it is less than what they paid for him, he’s highly-regarded in Spain and expected to play in Los Blancos’ midfield for years to come.
