Arsenal's summer transfer window looks set to be a very busy one as significant backing for Mikel Arteta looms following their impressive 2022/23 campaign so far. The Gunners have endured a tough few years but patience under Arteta has been shown and the club are now reaping the rewards currently sitting top of the Premier League table.
A new central midfielder remains the transfer priority, despite the January window acquisition of Jorginho, with West Ham star Declan Rice as the main target, football.london understands. The Hammers captain is expected to leave in the summer after expressing his reluctance to sign an extension beyond his current contract which expires in 2024.
Chelsea are also interested in signing the English midfielder despite breaking the British record transfer fee to sign Enzo Fernandez in January. Brighton star Moises Caicedo is another central midfielder on the radar of the London clubs with the Seagulls receiving bids in the winter window from both where all four offers sent to the south coast swiftly rejected.
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Ultimately, Arsenal brought in Jorginho from the Blues on deadline day which could affect plans in north London to bring in both Caicedo and Rice in the summer, as football.london understands. Edu also appears to have cheaper alternatives available to him with Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi and Leicester's Youri Tielemans firmly on their radar.
Tielemans joining at the end of his Foxes contract seemed inevitable, but as of now interest has cooled from the Gunners, football.london understands. Zubimendi, meanwhile, was a genuine target of Arsenal last month after impressing in La Liga this season at the base of the Sociedad midfield.
However, Sociedad's stance was similar to Brighton's with the Spanish club adamant he wouldn't leave despite Arsenal's interest, as football.london understands. Reluctance in allowing star assets to leave mid-season is bound to be prominent but stances can certainly change in the summer where clubs have adequate time to make transfer plans.
That looks set to be the case regarding Zubimendi after Ben Jacobs revealed the 24-year-old made a transfer decision that could hint at a summer exit.
"Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi will draw plenty of summer interest, too," Jacobs wrote in his Caught Offside column. "Suitors in January were told to pay Zubimendi's €60million (£53.1million) release clause or no deal would be done. And the player himself wasn’t really pushing for a move. He only signed a new five-year deal at the club in October.
"But a transfer is very possible come summer, especially considering Zubimendi wasn’t willing to have his release clause raised. That makes him attainable on the market."
Barcelona have also shown interest in the Spaniard but Sergio Busquets, who is deployed in a similar role, looks set to sign a one-year extension under Xavi, as per Marca. That could scupper plans to bring in Zubimendi along with their financial issues.
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