Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have a huge few weeks ahead of them in the context of the season. The Gunners are facing a battle to finish in the top four, with Champions League qualification at stake.
They currently sit in fifth, level on points with Tottenham in fourth place, with a clash against Manchester United to come this weekend. Discussing the battle for top four, Arteta said: “I think there are going to be a lot of twists still. That’s what we have to do, perform and play well tomorrow to deserve to win the match, which I think will be difficult.”
While the upcoming fixtures will be a priority, the Spaniard will certainly be keeping an eye on potential signings for this summer as a way to strengthen the squad. Last year, the club spent over £150million in rebuilding the squad to get to where it is now.
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With the future in mind, Arsenal are interested in bringing PSV star Cody Gakpo to the club this summer, football.london understands. The 22-year-old recently extended his contract with the Eredivisie side until 2026, though a number of other clubs such as Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City are also interested.
The Netherlands international has scored nine goals and assisted 13 in 22 league appearances this season, with an impressive stint in the Europa League and Europa Conference League also making him a standout performer. With his recently signed contract, it remains to be seen if an offer would be at all possible, however there may be another issue.
That is the potential sale of another star winger at PSV in the form of Noni Madueke. The 20-year-old, formerly of Tottenham and Crystal Palace, has attracted interest from his sparkling displays this season.
While he is still being eased into the first-team, he has made 31 senior appearances this season across all competitions. This has led to Premier League clubs reportedly eyeing a potential move.
Madueke is currently valued at £16.2million on transfermarkt. Any transfer involving him this summer could then make it tough for Gakpo to leave, with his fresh contract and the club’s need to reinforce the wide areas.
Whether it gets to that stage remains to be seen, but the Gunners will be hoping that if they want to land their target, then it won’t be disrupted by other deals.
