Arsenal are in the market for at least three new players this summer, with both manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu determined to strengthen the first-team squad.
Several players have contracts that are expiring in June, with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny all expected to leave, along with other players including Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
The positions they want to sign new players in are central midfield, two forwards as well as defensive options in the full-back areas. Gunners owner Stan Kroenke will back Arteta with significant transfer funds in a similar scenario to last summer, where Arsenal were Europe’s biggest spenders after forking out £150million on six new players.
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Generally, the transfer policy is targeted at signing players under the age of 26 who have the potential to develop under Arteta, with top-flight experience and the ability to be sold on for a significant transfer fee in the future. Here are the top ten transfer targets that Arsenal have been linked with over the past few months.
Jonathan David
The Lille striker is highly admired by many figures at Arsenal including technical director Edu, who held a meeting with David’s agent.
David has just helped Canada qualify for the World Cup for just the second time in their history and wants to leave the French side this summer. His preference would be a move to La Liga, but he is open to joining a Premier League team.
His pace and finishing ability have seen him be compared to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and after scoring 13 goals in 29 Ligue 1 appearances, a transfer certainly can't be ruled out this summer.
Darwin Nunez
Benfica striker Nunez is rated at £60million by Benfica and has admirers across Europe, including fellow Premier League side West Ham and Newcastle. Arsenal have already contacted the representatives of Nunez and remain keen on signing him this summer.
Alexander Isak
Despite his significant £75m release clause, Isak is considered a potential target to bolster Arsenal’s strikeforce following the expected departures of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having already joined Barcelona in January.
Isak would be keen on a move to the Premier League and sources close to the player claim he wants to leave Real Sociedad this summer.
Youri Tielemans
Arsenal have already held a meeting with Tielemans’ agent, with the Belgian international set to leave Leicester upon the expiration of his contract next summer. Arteta believes that Tielemans would bolster Arsenal's midfielder and without costing a transfer fee, represents great value for money.
Ruben Neves
The Gunners tried to sign Neves last summer but weren't prepared to match Wolves' £35million valuation of the player. Arteta believes Neves' passing ability makes him the ideal replacement for Granit Xhaka, whose future remains uncertain, despite signing a new contract last summer.
Luka Jovic
Jovic has scored just three goals in 49 appearances for Real Madrid, but Arteta believes he can get him firing goals again. He's not seen as a priority target but if the Serbian international is available at a fee in the region of £30million, Arsenal will consider making it happen.
Marco Asensio
Asensio has just 14 months remaining on his current contract and Arsenal are seriously interested in signing the Real Madrid playmaker.
The Gunners have a good relationship with Los Blancos after the deals involving Martin Odegaard and Dani Ceballos, while Arteta wants to add to his midfield which could see the likes of Granit Xhaka leave this summer. Arteta is a huge admirer of Asensio and had made enquiries to sign his compatriot in previous transfer windows.
Victor Osimhen
Osimhen has scored 15 goals in 25 matches this season but is unlikely to leave Napoli for anything less than £80million.
His unpredictable movement and ability to breeze past defenders make him a top target to bolster Arsenal's frontline this summer. There have been enquiries made from the Gunners to the player's agent and he remains on the list of potential targets.
Marcus Rashford
Rashford is another homegrown option and is seen as someone who can run in behind defences to cause problems. His time at Manchester United appears to be coming to an end and his agent has offered the forward to a number of clubs, including Arsenal.
However, it remains unlikely that United would sell to a rival unless it's for a considerable sum, and the Gunners are unlikely to go over their valuation of him.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Arsenal held a strong interest in Calvert-Lewin last summer, but his disappointing performances and injury-plagued campaign at Everton has seen that interest dwindle. Arteta remains a fan of the player but a potential move no longer appears as likely as it did previously.
Calvert-Lewin is an English player making him a homegrown option, which means his transfer fee will be considerably higher than some of Arsenal's European targets.
