Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal’s plans to strengthen their squad during the summer transfer window are already well underway. The Gunners were left licking their wounds on Wednesday night after defeat against Paris Saint-Germain saw them eliminated from the Champions League. Arteta had little option but to contemplate a fifth successive season without a trophy under his stewardship, a grim reality made all the more painful by the progress in Europe made by Tottenham, Manchester United, and Chelsea just 48 hours later.
With Liverpool having run away with the Premier League title and Newcastle ending their own long wait for tangible success, Arsenal have once again ended a season rich in promise with little to show for it. Errors of judgement in the last two transfer windows have proven costly, but progress is already being made to rectify the gaping holes in a squad that is in desperate need of reinforcing.
To that end, according to the Independent, a deal to sign Martin Zubimendi, the Spain international midfielder, from Real Sociedad is all but complete, while Europe’s most highly-rated young goalkeeper, Joan Garcia, is said to be close to agreeing a move to north London where he would challenge David Raya for the No.1 spot. ‘If we are having those meetings now we are very late,’ Arteta said, speaking ahead of Sunday’s game against Liverpool, when asked if Arsenal had made progress on their rebuilding project.
Arsenal will surely look to address the lack of a prolific goalscorer after their attacking shortcomings were again exposed against PSG. Despite generating the highest amount of xG of the four semi-finalists over two legs, Arsenal scored just once, a late consolation from Bukayo Saka in 180 minutes of football. Gianluigi Donnarumma, the exceptional Italy international goalkeeper, had a large role to play in keeping Arsenal at bay, and Arteta doesn’t believe that one player is necessarily the solution. ‘Yeah, I would look more broadly,’ he said. ‘I think if you score over 90 goals, you have a high, high probability of winning the Premier League.’
‘It doesn’t guarantee you, but you have a high probability if the defensive record is very good as well, and very dependable as well, against who and in which moment this striker, this winger in this case, has scored the goals and how many points he is contributing to those goals as well.’
‘I have to make it more clear. In January it was clear or not? I told you, because you were in the room I think many times, I made a very clear statement, and the statement continues the same. I want the best team, the best players. ‘If we have three goalscorers over 25, bring them in, we’re going to be a much better team, yes.’ Pressed on whether recruiting an elite striker is the hardest part of recruitment, he added: ‘Probably there are, because there’s not that many who have put those numbers.’
Predicting who Arsenal will sign this summer is a challenge. With Neto’s loan move unlikely to be turned into a permanent deal, Arsenal will undoubtedly look to sign a new No.2 to provide David Raya with more competition than he has faced this season. Teenagers Jack Porter and Tommy Setford are highly regarded but are not yet ready for a major promotion, which goes some way to explaining Mikel Arteta’s interest in Espanyol’s Joan Garcia.
Defensively, Arsenal fans won’t want to hear it, but with Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Jakub Kiwior all likely to depart, a new left-sided defender will be a requirement, especially given the fitness travails of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori. In midfield, nearly two years on from Granit Xhaka’s departure, Arsenal’s engine room still lacks the sort of balance they had in abundance when the Switzerland international was paired alongside Thomas Partey. Arsenal spent £160 million on Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, but the experiment of deploying the former Chelsea man in midfield was ditched long ago. Arteta still appears to believe Rice can thrive in a more advanced role, and the arrival of Martin Zubimendi, whose move to north London appears to be a matter of when, rather than if, could finally complete the puzzle.
Attacking reinforcements have been in short supply over the last couple of years, and an overreliance on Bukayo Saka yielded the sort of injury many feared had been in the post for a while. A new winger, ideally one comfortable on both flanks, should represent a priority. Nico Williams is a long-term target, while at centre forward, Victor Gyokeres appears the most attainable and ready-made solution to the No.9 conundrum that has existed throughout Arteta’s reign.
‘I mean, it’s something that’s in the start, there’s not that many in the Premier League, and to do that. We’ll try to improve, but certainly improve the ones that we have right now, and love the ones that we have right now. ‘It’s too easy to look elsewhere and don’t use the moment to judge players, especially. I was asked a lot of questions about certain players in this room, always in certain moments. ‘But when other players are out of form, other players that we’re discussing, I had zero questions in the last 11 months. ‘So, it’s relative to the context, to the moment, and the narrative that you want to generate, and I understand that.’
Arsenal are reportedly aiming to sign three top Spanish players this summer, with a deal for Martin Zubimendi already looking set to go through. The Real Sociedad midfielder has long been linked strongly with the Gunners, and it now seems he’s agreed terms to become their first summer signing. According to Football Transfers, this should see Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal officially announced in June, while the north London giants have two other big names from La Liga on their list.
The report states that Mikel Arteta is also keen to bring in Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams and Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Arsenal fans will certainly hope these rumours end up being true, as they will be desperate to see their club give the appropriate response to a difficult season. It’s clear that AFC are lacking in a few areas, most notably in attack, so Williams could be a particularly welcome addition to Arteta’s front three.
Meanwhile, Zubimendi looks an important potential addition as Jorginho is nearing the end of his contract and looks likely to leave on a free transfer. While the Zubimendi and Williams deals make sense, it’s slightly harder to understand what Arsenal’s plan would be if they were to bring in Espanyol goalkeeper Garcia. The 24-year-old is surely too good to just be coming to the Emirates Stadium to sit on the bench, so this could mean Arsenal are looking to replace David Raya in goal.
Raya only joined Arsenal last season, though, and hasn’t really put a foot wrong so far, so it would be a bit harsh on him to lose his place so quickly. Still, we’ve seen Arteta being similarly ruthless with Aaron Ramsdale in the past, so perhaps the Spanish tactician is once again going to make a change to his number one.
Arsenal are already scheming up plans to follow up the expected signing of Martin Zubimendi with the addition of an 86-goal winger who has become one of Andrea Berta’s preferred targets. Zubimendi is on course to become Arsenal’s first signing of the summer after verbally agreeing to join the club from Real Sociedad once his €60m release clause is triggered.
But after falling short of the Premier League title again this season, he won’t be the only reinforcement they need. Arsenal are in the market for a top-class centre-forward such as Viktor Gyokeres, but it would also help if they could add more goals from the wings. This season, none of their players have reached double figures of goals in the Premier League.
With Bukayo Saka the guaranteed starter on the right when fit, it’s the left-wing role that Arsenal think they could upgrade. Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Raheem Sterling – who won’t be kept on after his loan spell from Chelsea – are their current options there. The potential upgrade that Arsenal now have their eyes on, according to multiple reports, is AC Milan forward Rafael Leao.
Leao has scored 70 goals in his Milan career after one for Sporting, seven for their reserves, and eight for Lille. He remains under contract at San Siro until 2028. His status as a regular starter came under scrutiny during Paulo Fonseca’s ill-fated spell in charge, but he has regained prominence under Sergio Conceicao. All in this season, he has 25 goal contributions from 48 appearances. According to Calciomercato, Leao is prioritizing staying at Milan and has made the club aware. However, if someone comes in with a ‘shock offer’ – which would be in the region of €100m or £85m – then Milan would have to take it into consideration.
For now, Leao’s focus is on next week’s Coppa Italia final against Bologna. He has won two trophies with Milan already and wants to keep tasting success with them. Arsenal have also been predicted to hold talks over hijacking a move for a Manchester United attacking target, while another forward to have been linked with Arsenal in recent hours is Leroy Sane. The Bayern Munich winger has been tipped to return to the Premier League after his previous spell with Manchester City.
As Arsenal prepare for the summer transfer window, the pressure is on Arteta to deliver a squad capable of challenging for honors next season after another campaign without silverware.
