Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League this season, meaning they will return to the Europa League next campaign. Whilst Mikel Arteta's side certainly improved, there were obvious issues with the Gunners' squad depth.
Luckily, it's widely reported that the club will strengthen this summer as they look to give Arteta the best chance of succeeding next year. They've already agreed to sign Brazilian youngster Marquinhos and goalkeeper Matt Turner will join the club in late June after signing a deal in January.
Plenty of names have been linked, but missing out on the Champions League could slightly impact Arsenal's pulling power. With that in mind, let's take a look at who they may find it difficult to sign with Europa League football.
READ MORE: Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal transfer: Tottenham join race, major £55m blow, bid 'prepared'
Gabriel Jesus
If Jesus does move on from Manchester City, he's likely going to sign for a so called 'weaker side', as it doesn't get much better than playing for a Premier League title-winning team.
Of course, if he stays, he'll be playing in the Champions League when given the opportunity to, which is something he loves doing, as he said back in 2020: “When I’m in the tunnel waiting to go onto the field and I hear the song, I get very emotional. I remember my past, when I wanted to be a football player. I would sometimes skip school to watch some games – I hope my mother doesn’t see this interview! To be able to play today, to make my mark in this competition, makes me very happy.”
The Gunners do face competition from north London rivals Tottenham, who as football.london understands, is a player that Spurs admire. However, luckily, Jesus' agent, Marcelo Pettinati, has admitted that he's a fan of the project: "We had talks with Arsenal about Gabriel Jesus, we like the project - it’s a possibility we’re discussing," he was quoted as saying by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
Youri Tielemans
Recent reports from The Telegraph have suggested that Arteta is pushing Arsenal to make an opening £25million bid for Leicester City midfielder Tielemans. football.london previously reported that the north Londoners are interested in signing the former Monaco star.
Nevertheless, In March, Tielemans admitted to Het Laatste Nieuws that he'd like to play in the Champions League in the future: "I don't worry about it [speculation]. I want to get the most out of myself this season and finish as high as possible with the team. Of course, I want to play in the Champions League, just like any footballer. Am I ready for a European top club? I'm ready to get the best out of my career. We'll see what happens next summer, or the summer after that."
Darwin Nunez
football.london reported earlier this year that Arsenal were tracking the 22-year-old ahead of a potential summer move. Technical director Edu was in contact with the representatives of Nunez and he is amongst those shortlisted as a possible summer signing. That being said, the Brazilian has also been monitoring Jesus and Roma's Tammy Abraham.
Now, as per The Sun, Nunez has reportedly rejected an approach from Manchester United because he wants to sign for a club that will be competing in the Champions League next season. If that's to be believed, it means he'd also reject the Gunners.
