Declan Rice, Moussa Diaby, Wilfried Zaha and Marc Guehi on Mikel Arteta's six-man wish-list
Arsenal are planning a significant recruitment drive in the summer to bridge the gap with Manchester City and return to the Champions League, with Moussa Diaby emerging as a top target for Mikel Arteta. Following a 3-1 win over Chelsea on Monday night, the Gunners are eager to strengthen their squad ahead of next season to keep pace with City and prepare for their Champions League return.
Arteta has identified his areas of need, which include a new centre-back, possibly two central midfielders, and a versatile attacker. Bayer Leverkusen's forward, Moussa Diaby, is of particular interest to Arsenal. The 23-year-old has scored 14 goals so far this season and is expected to cost more than Ł50 million. However, the Gunners will face competition for his signature from Manchester United, Newcastle, and Real Madrid.
Arsenal is also reportedly considering Wilfried Zaha, who is out of contract at the end of the season, as an option for their forward line. Still, they want to pursue Diaby first before exploring any potential free transfer for the Crystal Palace star. The Gunners' expected move to sign a new forward is also due to the anticipated departure of Reiss Nelson, who has rejected a new contract offer and is likely to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season. Brighton is interested in signing Nelson, but there are also other interested parties in the Premier League and abroad.
In central midfield, West Ham captain Declan Rice is the Gunners' priority target. The Hammers value the England international at Ł100 million, but Rice is reportedly open to joining Arsenal now that they have qualified for next season's Champions League. Southampton's teenage midfielder Romeo Lavia and Brighton's Moises Caicedo are also of interest to the club.
At centre-back, Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi has impressed Arsenal's recruitment specialists this season, but the Gunners are one of many Premier League teams, including Tottenham, keen on the England international this summer. Arsenal is also expected to offload some of their fringe players, including Folarin Balogun, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, and Emile Smith Rowe.
The Gunners are preparing for an expensive summer as they look to build on their success this season, with Bukayo Saka having agreed to a new long-term contract and the club in talks with William Saliba over an improved deal. Despite their recent victory over Chelsea, Arsenal remains ten points behind Manchester City and will need to make significant additions to their squad if they are to close the gap next season.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0