Arsenal transfer state of play as Mikel Arteta considers seven summer moves
Arsenal have a busy summer ahead, with Mikel Arteta hoping to bring quality players into the club during the transfer window to improve both the quality and depth of his squad.
The Gunners return to the Champions League in the coming season, with midfield likely to be their main area of focus for summer transfer business. Granit Xhaka is set to leave the club, meaning that the Gunners are expected to target a player to replace him, while also needing to add depth ahead of a return to Europe's elite club competition.
In addition, depth in defence is also needed, with William Saliba's late-season injury coinciding with poor form during the title run-in. His injury exposed a lack of depth in defence, with Ben White unable to provide central defensive cover due to his requirement to cover the right-back position in the added absence of Takehiro Tomiyasu.
The Gunners board are set to back their manager with significant funds this summer, with Arteta praising the ownership during an interview in March. He said: "I believe they were really patient in exactly the right way.
"Now they have shown they are fully committed, they have big ambitions and they are fully behind the club to give everything they can to make it successful. I am convinced the owners will continue to do everything to make us very successful and continue to invest in the club in the right way."
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The main summer transfer priority is set to be Declan Rice , with West Ham already reported to have rejected a bid to sign the midfielder. Interest has now emerged from Manchester City, although the Gunners are thought to hold an advantage as the player's preference is believed to be a move to North London.
A bid in the region of £100 million is expected to be enough to acquire the 24-year-old, a significant outlay. This is where the Gunners hold an advantage, with another potential suitor for Rice, Man United, expected to be seeking lower value transfer targets amid their requirement to comply with FFP.
Moises Caicedo has been linked with a move to Arsenal (Getty Images)However, should they be unable to secure a deal for Rice, there remain alternative targets, with Brighton's Moises Caicedo consistently linked to Arsenal in recent months. The Ecuadorian was subject to a bid from Arsenal in January, with a proposal rejected by the Seagulls before the 21-year-old signed a new contract.
There is also interest from Man United and Chelsea, which means that should Rice be signed, then Caicedo would be unlikely to follow due to his high asking price. In terms of saving money, an additional midfielder could be acquired cheaply, with Ilkay Gundogan continuing to be linked with a move to Arsenal with his Man City contract set to expire.
City's treble winning captain could leave the club following their remarkable achievements this season. The 32-year-old's former Germany teammate and Arsenal Academy manager Per Mertesacker has stated that Arsenal are in a 'good position' to sign the midfielder, with a free transfer potentially being a big coup.
Southampton's Romeo Lavia is reported to be another target on the Gunners' shortlist, although interest has come in from a host of clubs for the 19-year-old, with Arsenal thought to be closer to other targets. However, his relegation with Southampton means that he could provide a cut-price alternative in a competitive market.
Defence is also expected to be receiving investment, with right-back and centre-back both being positions of interest following last season's injury concerns. However, there have been few concrete links as Napoli's Kim Min-jae and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi have emerged as potential targets, although there has beyond speculation with regards to either player.
Kai Havertz is a reported target for Arsenal ((Photo by Harriet Lander - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images))Other parts of the squad are expected to receive investment as well, with Chelsea's Kai Havertz reported to be a target to strengthen Arteta's attacking ranks. However, Chelsea's asking price of a reported £70 million is thought to be too high for the Gunners at present.
With the transfer window only having opened this week, and over two months left in which to conduct business, it is set to be a fascinating summer at the Emirates.
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