Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke at length about the club’s strive for “excellence” in this summer’s transfer window, yet the most concrete sign of any actual progress came in the form of Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe reported exit.
The freshly crowned Premier League champions have been linked with a glut of high-profile figures this summer in a quest to buy a superstar from their existing position of strength. Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior has dominated headlines of late, shifting the spotlight away from long-term target Julián Alvarez of Atlético Madrid, yet the most likely addition could be Newcastle captain Bruno Guimarães.
In the wake of the shock reports that Howe had chosen to step down from his post at St James’ Park, The Telegraph claimed that the English coach had been forced into this drastic abdication by the club’s transfer business. Howe is thought to have left believing that Guimarães will be sold to Arsenal, joining Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali as gut-wrenching departures already this summer.
Just last week, Howe admitted that he was not involved in discussions over the Brazilian midfielder’s future and had no idea what would happen. After watching their initial offers receive prompt rejections, Arsenal are thought to be preparing an improved bid of $93.2 million (£70 million).
If Arteta’s words are anything to go by, Guimarães won’t be the only arrival at the Emirates this summer.
Arteta Trying to Take Arsenal Into ‘Different Dimension’
“A lot is happening,” a slightly giddy Arteta told assembled media from Arsenal’s preseason training camp in Spain. “From ownership to the board, the sporting director and myself, we know that we want to take this club to a different level.
“That is going to require a better squad, better individuals. We have identified where we have opportunities to grow and to improve and to evolve our game and what is going to be needed to achieve that.”
The Gunners won their first Premier League title since 2004 in May and reached the Champions League final, only losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. However, it was no procession.
There was a clear over-reliance upon the technical quality of certain individuals—namely Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz—who struggled to regularly feature amid yet another slew of injuries. This forced a heightened focus on set pieces which may not be an available avenue for success given the impending implementation of stricter rules.
Guimarães has been targeted as a player with the craft to help Arsenal’s creators, while one of Vinícius Jr or Alvarez would ideally be brought in to bolster a frontline which can lack inspiration.
“Hopefully very soon we can start to put things in a very concrete way,” Arteta added. “Excellence has to be our standard and this has to drive to attack the future. The way we behave daily with more and more determination and ambition because we've shown that we've got it.
“Now we have to show that we belong to this level and we want to increase and take this football club to a different dimension.”
The legendary Manchester United boss Sir Matt Busby used to warn against grand proclamations: “It’s very dangerous to shout, because in my profession every 24 hours can make you a fool.”
Bold words are a little safer to spew when the actions of others back them up.
