Arsenal are reportedly eyeing another summer of spending as Mikel Arteta is set to be handed a £180million transfer war chest.
According to The Sun, billionaire owner Stan Kroenke is willing to hand the Spaniard the tools to land his three top targets Alexander Isak, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ruben Neves.
The American tycoon has been criticised by the supporters for his perceived lack of commitment to the club and there were calls for him to sell up when he signed them up for the European Super League.
But the report suggests he is keen to demonstrate his backing of Arteta by handing the 39-year-old the financial power to secure his three top targets.
Arsenal’s most urgent priority to address in the summer is signing a striker and at the top of the list are Sweden international Isak and Everton target man Calvert-Lewin.
Isak has a release clause written into his contract which allows him to leave for £77m, while Calvert-Lewin is understood to be valued at £60m by Everton.
The duo have been identified as 'hungry young players' that could take the Gunners to the next level and compete for honours once again.
Kroenke’s cash injection may also provide Arteta with the funds to complete a deal for Wolves midfield dictator Neves.
The 24-year-old has been with the Midlands outfit since 2016 and is highly regarded by the club’s supporters, but a fee in the region of £43m could be enough to push the deal through.
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The objective for Arteta first, however, is that he must steer Arsenal to Champions League qualification this season if he is going to land the trio.
It would mark another huge investment in player transfers after Arteta brought in six players at an estimated cost of £150m in 2021, signing the likes of Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Aaron Ramsdale.
Gunners fans were dismayed by the club’s lack of expenditure in January, after the transfer deadline passed without a new signing arriving at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta and technical director Edu Gaspar attempted to thrash out deals on deadline day, only to see their moves for Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak and Espanyol striker Raul de Tomas fall through.
The north London outfit did announce that USA internationals Auston Trusty and Matt Turner will link up with the club in the summer.
But the capture of two obscurely-known players from America’s MLS is unlikely to appease Arsenal fans who are desperate for the club to return to their former glory days.
Arsenal will need to offload up to 10 unwanted players this summer to help fund their spending spree.
Loanees Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson, Alex Runarsson and Konstantinos Mavropanos are likely to be heading for permanent exits.
Alexandre Lacazette, Mohamed Elneny and Eddie Nketiah are set to join them but, with their contracts expiring , will leave on free transfers.
