Mikel Arteta and Edu have been spotted meeting with Josh Kroenke as Arsenal chiefs finalise their January transfer plans.
Manager Arteta and sporting director Edu will take charge the Gunners' recruitment next month as they seek to reinforce their squad. Arteta has led his side to the top of the Premier League table, but his squad could begin to look stretched following the World Cup.
As a result, they will look to strengthen in the January window, with a number of names already being linked. With the window opening in less than a month, Arteta and Edu have now flown to Los Angeles to meet with Kroenke.
Kroenke now has day-to-day control of the club from his father Stan, and also helps to run the Los Angeles Rams NFL team. He hosted Edu and Arteta at SoFi Stadium for the Rams' clash with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The duo were pictured entering the stadium and sitting next to Kroenke as the Rams were defeated by their divisional rivals. It is thought that Arteta will have a budget in the region of £50m to spend in January.
It comes after a summer of high spending, which saw Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira all arrive at the Emirates Stadium. But Arteta's squad still looks short in key areas, particularly in midfield and attack.
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Gabriel Jesus has also been hit by injury while on duty for Brazil at the World Cup, with doubts now that he will be fit in time for the return of the Premier League. Eddie Nketiah is the only other frontline senior striker in Arteta's squad, which may force him to re-enter the market for a striker.
Mykhaylo Mudryk would appear to be the Gunners' top target, with reports that they have won the race to sign him. Shakhtar Donetsk will accept a bid in the region of £40million, with Arsenal having a framework in place to complete the deal.
Signing a winger was a priority, with the competition behind Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli seen as being weak. Villarreal star Yeremy Pino is also thought to be a potential target, with the winger available for around £25m.
Finally, reinforcements in central midfield could also be a priority as Arteta looks to guide the Gunners to their first title for 19 years. Palmeiras midfielder Danilo is thought to be top of that particular shopping list, with Youri Tielemans and Douglas Luiz also being linked with moves to the Emirates.
With Kroenke having now hosted Edu and Arteta in the United States, it would appear that Arsenal are putting the finishing touches to their plans for the January window. They will hope to set the ground running when the market does open for business on New Year's Day.
