Arsenal being busy in the summer transfer window appears a guarantee at this point. The Gunners are desperate to build on from their superb 2022/23 Premier League season where they finished in second place, just five points off champions Manchester City after spending 240 days at the summit.
Mikel Arteta and Edu have likely already identified the positions where depth is needed and thus the players they would like to bring in this summer. Outgoings are also expected to take place though, with the first one close to being finalised which will see Granit Xhaka join Bayer Leverkusen with two parties currently in advanced talks over a £13million deal, as football.london understands.
Kieran Tierney and Folarin Balogun are other senior players expected to depart north London in search of more regular first-team football. That trio leaving the club could result in at least £60million being acquired in sales which allows Arteta more funds for incomings on top of the £180million budget that has been handed to him by owner Stan Kroenke.
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If all goes to plan Arsenal could go into the 2023/24 season with four major additions and over £200million spent on signings that will take the club to the next level. Speaking on his Here We Go podcast Fabrizio Romano revealed the positions Arteta wants to strengthen. "From what I understand, they will sign two midfielders this summer. They dream of Declan Rice plus one more. And also, new fullback, new centre back. So Arsenal want to sign important players for next season."
As football.london have reported since February, Rice is and remains the priority target for the summer. Bayern Munich are also pushing to acquire his signature, but the advantage does currently appear to be with Arsenal. A £92million opening offer has been mooted by the Gunners, but West Ham are holding out for a package deal closer to £120million with the move to be discussed after their Europa Conference League final on June 7.
In defence, the injury to William Saliba exposed the need for adequate cover with Rob Holding proven to be out of his depth after coming in from the cold after the Frenchman's back injury. Based on that, football.london understands that Arteta is therefore keen to bolster his options at the back, with Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi on the Spaniard's wishlist.
Tottenham have also made enquiries for Guehi but the Eagles don't appear keen on letting the former Chelsea man leave and have set a £50million asking price. Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba is another defended that has been looked at by Arsenal, football.london understands.
Leverkusen losing Evan Ndicka this summer on a free transfer could make the club reluctant to sell and as a Premier League proven player, Guehi could provide perfect cover in defence. An advanced midfielder is also likely to arrive, alongside Rice, with Mason Mount and Mohamed Kudus strongly linked, while Gabri Veiga is another option.
football.london understands there is genuine interest from Emirates Stadium in Chelsea's Mount, but he is said to have already agreed personal terms with Manchester United, however Kudus has rejected a new contract at Ajax and has been tipped for a big summer move.
The Athletic are reporting that a £40million offer would be enough to sign Kudus and his versatility to play at right-midfield makes him a the perfect option for Arteta. The final position that Arteta wants to be filled is right-back with a number of targets discussed internally including Real Valladolid's Ivan Fresneda and Mohamed Simakan of RB Leipzig.
The Gunners nearly moved for Fresneda in January, with his ability to play an inverted full-back role at just 18 a strength in his game Arteta will love. Meanwhile, Simakan has a similar attribute to Ben White in that he can also play as a central defender.
Oleksandr Zinchenko's injury struggles at points in the 2022/23 campaign cost Arsenal but another option being available on the right in his absence will be of high value to the Gunners. Valladolid are expecting Fresneda to depart this summer and according to Romano, the Spanish club have requested €15million (£13.25million) to let him leave in the next week.
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