Arsenal sporting director Edu has stressed the need for a patient and considered approach when it comes to the club’s summer transfer business, giving valuable insight into how the process unfolds.
The Gunners are expected to make a significant splash in the market after missing out to Manchester City on the Premier League title in agonising fashion on the final day of the season last weekend.
Arsenal spent more than £200million during a considerable splurge during last summer’s window having collapsed in painful fashion in the title race in 2022/23, including a club-record £105m fee to bring in influential England midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham.
They also spent £65m on signing Kai Havertz from Chelsea and a further £34m on Jurrien Timber of Ajax, loaning Brentford goalkeeper David Raya for an initial £3m on a deal that includes the option for a permanent £27m transfer this summer.
Arsenal did not make a single signing during what was a very quiet January transfer window in the Premier League, but are expected to strengthen their squad considerably in the weeks and months ahead after co-owner Josh Kroenke recently vowed that no one at the club will stand still in their quest to finally overhaul City after suffering title heartbreak in successive campaigns.
As well as being expected to trigger the deal to sign Raya full-time and also sign another goalkeeper to cover the likely departure of Aaron Ramsdale, Arsenal are particularly planning to invest in a new striker this summer amid links to the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Alexander Isak and Nico Williams.
Further upgrades in both defence and midfield are also being sought, with Amadou Onana, Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi all watched along with Jorrel Hato.There are also expected to be plenty of exits from Arsenal this summer, with Albert Sambi Lokonga, Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares all potentially set to leave and Thomas Partey, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson all facing uncertain futures as Jakub Kiwior also attracts interest from Serie A.
Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares are departing on free transfers, meanwhile.
Some Arsenal fans may feel that time is of the essence when it comes to initiating such a crucial and potentially extensive overhaul in time for the start of next season, though sporting director Edu insists that the club must be patient when it comes to new recruits as they work through a detailed process that has already been ongoing for several months.
“You can’t sign for the sake of signing,” he said in a recent interview with Brazilian newspaper Estadao. “This has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks.
"On my table, I have reports with over 180 pages of a player. It is really detailed. Physical, technical, mental profile – if you have experience of Premier League, if you will be able to adapt. It has it all.
"We analyse our shortcomings, where we can improve, where we can invest and from there we go in search of this new name.
“What I am going to do now, we have been discussing since January. It is not my decision or Mikel. It’s from a whole group."
